Editor

The Los Angeles Latino International Film Festival (LALIFF) is dedicated to presenting the best Latino films made in the US, Spain, the Caribbean, and Latin America. LALIFF is spearheaded by co-founders Marlene L. Dermer and Edward James Olmos, the acclaimed actor, director, and community activist.

The Festival was launched in 1997, growing from 42 films and an overall attendance of 5,000 people, to last year’s Festival with 15,000 attendees viewing 130 films (features, documentaries, and shorts), attending 10 panels, many workshops, with major corporate sponsorships from nationally recognized organizations.
The 2005 Festival runs from October 21 to 30 opening with a gala and Habana Blues presentation.
Havana Blues by Benito Zambrano. Cast includes: ALBERTO YOEL GARCIA, ROBERTO SANMARTIN, YAILENE SIERRANNN
Synopsis:
Two young cuban musicians, Ruy and Tito share the same dream :to become famous and finally leave Havana. Ruy lives with Caridad and their two children. Although they still love each other, their relationship seems close to an end. Tito is on is own living with his grandmother. While in reheasals for their first big concert. They learn that two Spanish producers Martha and Lorenzo are in Cuba looking for new talents. Facing what might be the chance of a lifetime, they will have to conquer "the Spanish". This is the Spanish director's second feature-length film, after Solas (1999).
It is a look back at the twelve years he spent in Cuba, the country where he received his degree in filmmaking. "In Cuba, I loved, I created, I worked. I made a lot of friends, and surely a few enemies, Zambrano smiles.
In Havana Blues, he follows the adventures of Ruy and Tito, two young musicians who share a single dream: to become famous and leave Havana. They are rehearsing for their first major concert when they learn that two Spanish producers are expected soon in Cuba, to scout out new talents. It could be opportunity of a lifetime!

Benito Zambrano explained his approach to the film: "I couldn't possibly deal with a story that would be a vague criticism of Cuban reality. There were already far too many foreigners who took the liberty of telling the Cubans what was right and what wasn't. I didn't want to be as presumptuous as them. That's also why I felt like writing a story which was based on concrete Cuban reality and then expanded into issues as universal as possible - and entertaining at the same time. Thanks to everybody's commitment, and to in-depth archival research, we were able to provide a truthful enough representation of that extaordinary place which so often led to cliched representations."