We celebrate the artistry and diversity of Latin American cinema – stories born from creativity, courage, and a rich sense of identity.
At the London Latino Film Festival™, we don’t believe in passive viewing. We make Latin American stories impossible to ignore – amplifying voices too often overlooked, confronting audiences with truth and beauty, and turning film into an experience that lingers long after the credits roll.
Our cause is to elevate the stories and perspectives that define Latin America – its creativity, its complexity, its humanity. We celebrate cinematic heritage while championing bold new voices, creating a space in London where audiences connect with the richness of Latin American culture through film.
1. Authenticity
We present films that reflect the true heart of Latin America – its triumphs, struggles, and contradictions – without dilution or gloss.
2. Cultural Legacy
We honour Latin America’s cinematic history while connecting it with the present, ensuring classics and contemporary works coexist in dialogue.
3. Pragmatic Excellence
We deliver the very best Latin American films to London audiences with rigour, care, and attention to the realities of production, exhibition, and storytelling.
4. Generosity of Culture
We bring London the richness of Latin American cinema—sharing its stories, creativity, and heritage as a cultural gift to the city.
5. Courageous Curating
We take bold programming decisions, championing underrepresented voices and challenging audiences to engage with difficult, provocative, or unseen perspectives.
6. Boundary-Breaking Impact (Diversity & Inclusion)
We don’t just screen films; we disrupt the cultural landscape by creating space for Latin American people & stories that are overlooked, ignored, or undervalued – we do not conform to tokenistic or superficial diversity agendas.
Jacqueline Arenal is a renowned Cuban actress, recognised for her versatility and strong presence in both film and television. Throughout her extensive career, she has worked with iconic directors including Humberto Solás, Gerardo Chijona, Enrique Álvarez, Paolo Consorti, Fernando Pérez, and Lars Von Trier/Jørgen Leth. She has appeared in key films such as El siglo de las luces (1992), Un paraíso bajo las estrellas (2000), Miradas (2001), Havana Kyrie alongside Franco Nero, El mundo de Nelsito, and The Five Obstructions, showcasing her ability to take on complex and diverse roles. On television, she gained international recognition for her role as Leonor Moscote in the Netflix series One Hundred Years of Solitude, based on Gabriel García Márquez’s masterpiece. Currently, she continues to strengthen her career with roles in contemporary productions such as the Netflix series Medusa, where she portrays Esperanza Mebarak, adding to a broad filmography that reflects her deep commitment to Latin American art and culture.
Oscar Martínez is an Argentine-Spanish actor, author, and theatre director (he was granted honorary Spanish nationality in 2021) who has been based in Madrid since 2020.
Since the age of 21, he has built an extensive and successful professional career, filled with recognition across film, theatre, and television. He has won Best Actor awards in all three disciplines in Argentina—many of them multiple times—as well as several major international honours.
Selected Film Awards:
Four Sur Awards from the Argentine Film Academy, four Silver Condor Awards from the Argentine Association of Film Critics, Silver Shell at the San Sebastián Film Festival (2008, Empty Nest), Volpi Cup at the Venice Film Festival (2016, The Distinguished Citizen), Platino Award for Best Ibero-American Film Actor (2017), Fénix Award (2017), two Silver Biznagas at the Málaga Film Festival, and the Ciudad del Paraíso Award for lifetime achievement (2020).
Among more than 30 films: The Truce, Empty Nest, Wild Tales, Captain Koblic, Carlos Saura’s The South, The Weasel’s Tale, The Distinguished Citizen, Toc Toc, Live Twice, Love Once, Official Competition.
He became a member of the Argentine Academy of Letters in 2017 and serves as a corresponding member of the Royal Spanish Academy.
His first three plays achieved notable success in Argentina and internationally. His fourth play, still unpublished, will premiere in Madrid in 2025 under his own direction.
In 2017, Editorial Planeta (under its Emecé imprint) published his book Ensayo General – Notes on the Actor’s Craft.
Jorge Perugorría is a Cuban actor, director, and cultural advocate, internationally acclaimed for his role in Strawberry and Chocolate, the first Cuban film to receive an Academy Award nomination for Best Foreign Language Film. Over his career, he has appeared in more than 60 films across Latin America and Europe, and has directed notable works including Amor Crónico and Se Vende. He is also the founder of the Isla Verde International Film and Environment Festival, and is widely respected for his dedication to promoting Latin American culture and cinema.
Charles McDougall is a British television director and producer renowned for his work on critically acclaimed series including The Office (U.S.), House of Cards, The Good Wife, Parks and Recreation, Sex and the City, Queer as Folk, and The Tudors. He won a Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Directing for a Comedy Series for the Desperate Housewives pilot in 2005 and a BAFTA for the drama Hillsborough. His recent projects include directing and executive producing the HBO Max series Julia and the mini-series Three Little Birds. Charles McDougall has taught for several consecutive years at the Escuela Internacional de Cine y Televisión (EICTV) in San Antonio de los Baños, Havana, where he has shared his expertise in directing and visual storytelling with emerging filmmakers. His ongoing involvement with the EICTV has made him a valued contributor to the school’s international faculty and creative training programmes.
From an early acting career, James went on to the city, before finding a niche in the educational development space, and subsequently the film industry. As a recognised actor and Film Producer, with a slate including feature films and feature documentaries, he received BAFTA and Emmy recognition with Featuristic Films, across feature films and feature documentaries. A TEDx speaker, and multi-published author and editor, James frequently is asked to present on the global stage and is an advocate for helping young people follow their ambitions.
Today, with 20-years of experience, he continues to support Independent Film in the UK whilst aligning twin interests, working as a Global Ambassador for UK Education alongside Embassy’s, Governments, NGOs and private institutions to develop educational partnership corridors and promote brand UK. He is currently part of the board of directors and ambassador of the Lucy Gwatidzo Foundation, developing schools in Zimbabwe.
With an MBA in Finance and Strategy, he brings to the Board of the London Latino Film Festival™️, strong leadership and governance and a career narrative rooted in the abiding belief that whilst stories are re-runs of those which have gone before, that doesn’t lessen the need to tell them. It heightens the need to continuously update them.
Bio coming soon
Trained at the National Theatre School of Havana, Ketty Rodriguez is a Latina actress, dubbing director, and narrator with experience in film, television, and voice projects. She has stood out as casting director and supervisor of the Latin American Spanish dubbing for Hollywood films such as Robin Hood, Winchester, and Father Figures, among others, and for directing the legendary actress Rita Moreno in the Spanish-language version of the first season of the Netflix series One Day at a Time.
Her most recent project includes the Cuban film Performance, in which she plays the lead role, a film which is currently in post-production. Ketty is also a voice-over actress and the narrator of the audiobook Everyone Leaves by Wendy Guerra.
Javier Torres is a Cuban-born cultural leader, creative producer, and advocate for Latin talent in the UK. With more than two decades working across international performing arts and creative sectors, he has built his career on elevating dance voices, developing talent, and strengthening cultural visibility on global stages.
Today, Javier serves as Managing Director of the Carlos Acosta Dance Foundation and Acosta Dance Centre in London, where he leads skills development programmes, artist training initiatives, and community engagement that empower the next generation of creative leaders. His work champions equitable access to cultural education and pathways into the creative industries, particularly for young Londoners of Latin heritage.
A committed cultural strategist, Javier holds an MBA specialising in creative leadership and a UNITAR–ICD Executive Diploma in Cultural Diplomacy. As a Fellow of the Royal Society of Arts (FRSA) and member of UNESCO’s International Dance Council (CID), he contributes to shaping policies that promote diversity, artistic innovation, and civic participation in the arts.
Javier brings to the London Latino Film Festival™ CIC a powerful combination of international vision, community focus, and sector experience, ensuring the festival not only entertains but influences culture, opens doors, and amplifies the voices that London needs to hear.
Maria Asuncion Cancela Silva is a cultural connector and community builder dedicated to fostering relationships across diplomatic, cultural, and creative sectors. Her work bridges embassies, artistic communities, international organisations, and emerging talent, promoting meaningful exchanges and cross-cultural understanding.
Known for uniting diverse voices around shared values, Maria has collaborated with institutions across Europe and Latin America, helping elevate cultural projects and community initiatives. With a strong interest in writing and storytelling, she has developed reflective pieces that explore identity, culture, and belonging, adding a personal and human dimension to her cultural engagement.
She is currently developing Maria’s NetLife, a personal initiative designed to strengthen connections among creative, diplomatic, and entrepreneurial communities through cultural programming and collaborative opportunities.
As an actress and storyteller, I’ve always believed in the power of cinema to bridge cultures and celebrate identity. The London Latino Film Festival was born from a desire to showcase the richness, diversity, and passion of Latin American voices on screen right here in the heart of London.
The festival is a space for filmmakers, audiences, and communities to come together — to share stories that move us, challenge us, and remind us of how deeply connected we are through art and experience.
— Ketty Rodriguez
As a Cuban and advocate for Latin American culture, I’ve always believed in the power of film to unite our community and strengthen our shared identity. The London Latino Film Festival was created to be a celebration and gathering point for the Latino community in London, a vibrant space where our voices, stories, and rhythms come alive.
The festival stands as a cultural home and representation of our people, a joyful and empowering celebration that honours who we are, connects us through cinema, and reminds us of the strength and beauty of our community.
— Javier Torres
Natali Juste Simmonds is a British/Spanish fiction author and founder of storytelling consultancy, Loom Narrative. Natali began her career in glossy magazines before gaining her CIM qualification and managing campaigns for brands such as Nike, Chivas Regal, Sugar Puffs, and The Savoy. As Natali Simmonds, she writes dark and twisty novels that have been translated into four languages, with her debut, Good Girls Die Last, being turned into a TV series by STV. Natali has her own ‘Creativity & Balance’ column in Kings College London’s Inspire The Mind magazine, she lectures for Raindance Film School, Jericho Writers, and the Professional Writers Academy, and in 2022 she was shortlisted for the RNA Fantasy Award. In her role at the London Latino Film Festival, Natali combines her passion for storytelling and film, along with her experience in sales, marketing, and brand development, working alongside brand partners and sponsors to amplify the very best of Latin stories.
Sangeeta has over 20 years of experience in the financial services sector, spanning law, marketing, and sustainability. She specialises in strategic communications with a focus on conservation and sustainable finance and has built strong cross-sector partnerships globally. Notably, she co-led the Green Horizon Summit working for the City of London Corporation ahead of COP26 in collaboration with the World Economic Forum, reaching over 300,000 views. She was also a Senior Advisor to the Cayman Islands Government Representative to the UK and co-produced a docu-series called One Planet Insights. A frequent speaker and moderator on the international stage, she also hosts her own YouTube channel, The Laudus Lounge. As Environmental Programme Lead for LoLaFF, she will draw upon her extensive experience and networks to lead the development and delivery of the festival’s environmental strand, putting the spotlight on issues pertinent to the Caribbean and Latin America and shaping a programme that combines powerful storytelling with real-world impact. Her work is driven by the belief that film can do more than inform — it can move, inspire, and catalyse action.
With a professional journey spanning from Uruguayan higher education to the heart of the UK’s Latin American non-profit sector, Sofia Miranda brings a unique, multidisciplinary perspective to the London Latino Film Festival. As a Latin American migrant herself, Sofia’s work is deeply rooted in community. She is a doctoral researcher in Critical Discourse Analysis and Social Movements, a lens she brings to her work in cultural advocacy and social inclusion. Her career began in creative communications, where she led design teams and curated large-scale events that bridged the gap between academic institutions and the wider public. Today, her expertise ranges from the technical aspects of fundraising and project evaluation to the creative delivery of cultural programmes. She is committed to ensuring that Latin American stories have both the space and the sustainable, inclusive platforms they deserve in the UK.
Natali Juste Simmonds is a British/Spanish fiction author and founder of storytelling consultancy, Loom Narrative. Natali began her career in glossy magazines before gaining her CIM qualification and managing campaigns for brands such as Nike, Chivas Regal, Sugar Puffs, and The Savoy.
As Natali Simmonds, she writes dark and twisty novels that have been translated into four languages, with her debut, Good Girls Die Last, being turned into a TV series by STV. Natali has her own ‘Creativity & Balance’ column in Kings College London’s Inspire The Mind magazine, she lectures for Raindance Film School, Jericho Writers, and the Professional Writers Academy, and in 2022 she was shortlisted for the RNA Fantasy Award.
Bio coming soon
Bio coming soon
Bio coming soon
