In November 2011, the North Carolina Latin American Film Festival marks its 25^th anniversary. Founded in 1986, the North Carolina Latin American Film Festival celebrates the power and artistry of Latin America's film and audiovisual production. Its mission is to provide a space in North Carolina for Latin American images, sounds, and stories to reach a wider audience. From documentaries that depicted the darkest moments of Latin American history during the rise of dictatorships, to feature films that portrayed the intimacies, complexities and rhythms of everyday life, our audiences have been exposed to a wide range of critical and responsible narratives of the region.

This year the festival will feature a series focused on one of the most pressing contemporary challenges facing the region: narco-trafficking and the related themes of violence, corruption, in/justice, and migration. The festival will look at the hemispheric context of these realities using films, documentaries, art exhibits, oral histories, panel discussions, lectures, and open forums, with a special focus on Mexico. Our goal is to create discussion and understanding of this sensitive issue while examining how Latin Americans are responding.