The San Diego Latino Film Festival Returns March 17–21, 2027, for Its 34th Year
Wednesday the 17th through Sunday the 21st of March, 2027. Thirty-four years in, with more than 4,000 films screened and 350,000 people through the doors.
Overview
The San Diego Latino Film Festival runs March 17 to 21, 2027 — Wednesday through Sunday, five days.
It's the 34th annual, and the numbers behind that are the reason it matters: their own figures say "over 4,020 films/videos from across Latin America and the United States have been screened" and "over 350,000 people have attended during the past 31 years."
Four thousand films is not a boutique festival. It's one of the largest Latino film festivals in the United States, and it happens here.
It's presented and produced by Media Arts Center San Diego, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit — the same organisation that runs year-round film programming and youth media education in San Diego. The festival is their biggest public moment of the year.
Here's the honest state of play, because it's five months out.
The dates are locked. Almost nothing else is published yet.
No venue, no ticket prices, no pass prices, no film lineup. Their site states March 17–21, 2027 plainly, with no "tentative" or "TBA" attached to the dates themselves — so put them in your calendar with confidence and check back in the new year for everything else.
What's Confirmed
- Dates: Wednesday, March 17 – Sunday, March 21, 2027. Five days
- It's the 34th Annual San Diego Latino Film Festival
- Produced by Media Arts Center San Diego, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit
- Films from across Latin America and the United States
What Isn't Published Yet
Being straight about this, because a save-the-date piece that pretends to be a guide is useless:
- Venue. Not named anywhere on the 2027 site
- Ticket prices. None published
- Pass prices. None published — though we know a pass tier exists that contains 11 tickets, because it's offered as a prize in their poster competition
- The film lineup, country count and screening schedule — all still to come
- Film submission deadlines — handled through FilmFreeway rather than their own site
The "Get Tickets" button on their 2027 site currently points at last year's ticketing platform, so don't buy anything through it expecting a 2027 seat.
The Poster Competition
One of the nicer traditions attached to this festival: they run an open call for the festival poster, with real money attached.
- Top prize: $1,500
- Ten finalists each receive a film pass worth 11 tickets
- Winners are announced at a Poster Announcement Party, which their site puts in November 2026, location to be announced
Note the timing, though: the artwork deadline was October 1, 2026, and it has passed. Their homepage still describes the competition as open — so if you were planning to enter, contact them before you start work.
How to Plan For It
- Block out March 17–21, 2027 — Wednesday to Sunday
- The middle weekend is March 19–21, which is where the bulk of any festival's best programming lands
- Follow Media Arts Center San Diego for the lineup and ticket release
- Expect pass tiers, since one containing 11 tickets is already referenced
- Check the venue before you book anything — it isn't published yet
Good to Know
- The dates are firm. March 17–21, 2027, stated plainly on their own site.
- It's a Wednesday start. Not the Thursday or Friday opening most festivals use.
- Nothing else is live yet — venue, prices and lineup are all still to come.
- Don't use the current ticket link. It points at the 2026 platform.
- Passes will exist — an 11-ticket pass is already referenced as a prize.
- It's a nonprofit festival, produced by Media Arts Center San Diego.
Why It's Worth It
San Diego sits on the busiest land border crossing in the Western Hemisphere, and this festival is the clearest cultural expression of what that actually means. Thirty-four years, four thousand films, three hundred and fifty thousand people.
Most cities would build a tourism campaign around a festival with those numbers. Here it mostly runs on word of mouth — which is a reason to put the dates in your phone now rather than discovering it two days before it ends.
March 17 to 21, 2027. Five days. Write it down.
For more things worth doing, browse our events calendar.
Frequently Asked Questions
When is the San Diego Latino Film Festival 2027? Wednesday, March 17 through Sunday, March 21, 2027 — five days.
Which edition is it? The 34th Annual.
Who runs it? Media Arts Center San Diego, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit.
Where is it held? The venue isn't published on their 2027 site yet.
How much are tickets? No ticket or pass prices are published yet. A pass tier containing 11 tickets is referenced in their poster competition, so passes will be available.
How big is the festival? The organisers say more than 4,020 films and videos have screened across its history, with over 350,000 attendees.
Can I still enter the poster competition? The published artwork deadline was October 1, 2026, which has passed — though their homepage still describes it as open. Contact them before entering.
How do filmmakers submit? Submissions are handled through FilmFreeway rather than the festival's own website.
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