Exitos del Cine Latino offers South Bay cinephiles a festival

The Media Arts Center is nothing if not ambitious. Monday brought news of film curator Moisés Esparza’s inspired commitment to second-run bookings. Next week is a three-film tribute to the late Iranian master, Abbas Kiarostami. For today we’ll just have to make do with details of their latest film festival coming soon to the South Bay.

From the producers of the San Diego Film Festival comes Exitos del Cine Latino, a weeklong series of 15 exclusive premieres that’s unlike anything South Bay cinephiles have ever seen.

It’s all about marketing and targeting an audience, says Media Arts Center guru and proud papa Ethan van Thillo. “We try to niche market everything,” he said during an early morning call. “There are no art theatres in the South Bay. There are huge opportunities, and the community is underserved. It’s important to have a film festival in South Bay.”

It also gives SDLFF a chance to play catch up with films that weren’t eligible for festival competition. “Since the festival plays in March,” van Thillo added, “we tend to miss out on certain titles due to marketing and distribution strategies. Films like Diego Luna’s Mr. Pig premiered at Sundance in January. It was too close. Exitos del Cine Latino allows us to screen something like that.”

The inaugural series takes place August 26 through September 1 at the AMC Plaza Bonita. The Friday festival promises musical performances, exhibits by local artists, and guest stars. A smile in van Thillo’s voice accompanied his news that the first film to hit the screen, El Tamaño Sí Importa (Size Matters), “opened just last Friday in Mexico. We’re holding the U.S. premiere.”

Director Rafa Lara, a name familiar to festival audiences, will be on hand along with his leading lady, Ximena Ayala, to greet the opening-night throng.

Tickets to individual screenings run $8.50 to $11.50, while festival passes cost $45 for a five-movie pack and $135 for an all-access pass. Only four of the fifteen premieres have been announced.

Visit sdlatinofilm.com for updates and further information.