There are more Latino movies, made by Latino filmmakers and more people interested in Latino cinema.

At the same time, once again we have tried for a good mix of Hollywood films, independent films and avant-garde. Ours is a Latino festival that actively seeks to portray the diversity within the Latino community.

It's an honor to close the festival with a feature-length film made by a participant in the Student Film Festival. A circle is closed. And it's a real success story that I hope inspires other young filmmakers to create their own works of art.

I wouldn't say we're the most important Latino film festival in the country, but we have improved our quality year after year.

Sometimes the media bombard us with hair-raising news that turn the border into something distant, even when we live in a border city like San Diego.

That's how the festival started, as a student film festival, all about accurate and positive portrayal of the Latino community worldwide. Those core values are still very much part of the festival today.