New York Latino Film Festival Founder Talks This Year's Line Up and Premiering "Charm City Kings"

From September 14th-20th, The New York Latino Film Festival (NYLFF) returns with entertaining offerings in the forms of drive-in/in-person experiences and virtual programming. The Festival kicks off with Habla Now, which is the fifteenth segment of HBO Latino's award-winning Habla series. The documentary features introspective glimpses into the lives of talents such as Singer, Actress and Activist Amara La Negra, Olympian Laurie Hernandez, and Actress Diane Guerrero, as well as many more.

On Thursday, September 17 will be the New York City premiere of Charm City Kings, which is inspired by the documentary 12 O' Clock Boys. Seeking to belong, fourteen-year-old Mouse wants to join a Baltimore group of dirt bikers called the Midnight Clique. The film is directed by Angel Manuel Soto and written by Sherman Payne, with a story by Chris Boyd, Kirk Sullivan, and Academy Award winner Barry Jenkins as well as featuring the acting talents of Jahi Di'Allo Winston, Meek Mill, William Catlett, and Teyonah Parris.

Also joining the lineup is John Leguizamo's Critical Thinking, which chronicles the true story of five Latinx and Black Teens striving to excel despite attending a high school in a dangerous Miami neighborhood. With the help of an inspiring teacher, they venture to earn a spot in the National Chess Championship. The film is written by Dito Montiel and features John Leguizamo, Rachel Bay Jones, and Michael Kenneth Williams.

Audiences can also except the return of FUTURO, NYLFF's digital series, which features virtual talks about social activism, the business of content, and a showcase of new web series. This year, The Quintessential Gentleman will be the sponsor of the digital conference. The conference will consist of four panels; A Silla at the Table (presented by La Nueva Link), She is the Future, Like a Boss and Digital Social Activism.

We recently spoke with Calixto Chinchilla about founding NYLFF and what we can look forward to this year.

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