NALIP is proud to announce the finalists for the Shorts Film Program of the second annual Latino Lens Festival and Showcase taking place October 30th at the Avalon Hollywood. After hundreds of submissions and much consideration, NALIP has chosen the four films to be featured during our Shorts Presentation. They are: 'Toyed' by Jorge "Jokes" Yanes, 'Mosca' by Lizette Barrera, 'Disco Inferno' by Alice Waddington (produced by Yadira Ávalos) and 'Blast Beat' by Esteban Arango.

In 'Toyed' a young graffiti artist in Miami circa 1991 risks it all to compete against a mysterious new rival in Jorge "Jokes" Yanes' film. Yanes is a writer and Emmy-winning editor, specializing in music videos, narratives and documentary form. 'Toyed' was written by Yanes and J. Bishop.

Lizette Barrera's 'Mosca' tells the story of a wayward teen who revisits her hometown to reconnect with her cousin, despite her aunt's wishes. Barrera co-wrote the script with Renier Murrillo and the film is produced by Jazmin Diaz and Rebecca Jackson.'Mosca' was featured in the 23rd Annual Austin Film Festival and was an official selection of the Women in Texas Film Festival 2016 where Barrera won the Filmmakers to Watch award.

A weary hell minion is on a mission to rescue her boss, but the Devil is not ready to get back to her daily routine in Alice Waddington’s ‘Disco Inferno.’ Writer-Director Alice Waddington’s profoundly vivid vision pours itself into her creations and evidently so in ‘Disco Inferno’. The film was produced by Mexican producer Yadira Ávalos, and is making the rounds at festivals around the world.

Two Colombian immigrant brothers, Carly and Mateo, try to tackle the culture shock of the United States, a family member's deportation and their mother's affair in 'Blast Beat.' Esteban Arango cowrote the film with Erick Castrillon. The short was an official selection for The International Competition at Clermont-Ferrand Short Film Festival 2016.

The Latino Lens Festival & Showcase aims to display a wide range of voices and narratives that are crafted by Latino content creators, in the hopes of advancing the exposure and accessibility of Latino-crafted cinema, television and art forms. This year the event will feature workshops, panels and screenings aimed to prepare content creators for the future of entertainment.