The Latine Film and Theater Association is uplifting Latino voices on stage and onscreen.

LFTA is a student club focused on increasing Latino representation in theater and film by producing various short films and stage productions throughout the school year, said theater co-chair Sammy Andrade-Mayen. The rising second-year theater student added that the club emphasizes creating tangible work, which showcases members’ projects through events such as their annual Night of Cultura. What makes LFTA special, they said, is its celebration of Latino identity in the arts.

“It’s one thing to be a Latino in the film industry, but it’s another thing to make the film industry Latino,” Andrade-Mayen said. “We want to combine culture with our passion for the arts. … We want to see what a Latino project made by Latinos looks like.”

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One of the club’s main focuses is the short films it produces – a process that starts with outreach to gather script ideas from within and beyond the club, Andrade-Mayen said. After collecting ideas, they added that LFTA’s board picks a handful of scripts to produce, and the rest of the members determine casting, shooting locations and editing to bring the ideas to life. Casting calls, Andrade-Mayen said, are also open to anyone outside the club, while members are involved in the filmmaking process, from writing to editing.

A unique aspect to LFTA’s production process, said rising third-year psychology student Kenia Hidalgo, is that the club does not require prior film and theater experience from its members. The organization’s new co-chair added that many members first explored filmmaking and theater roles on LFTA sets.

“For our last film, our director of photography, it was their first time doing it,” Hidalgo said. “It is a lot of working together with those who are more experienced in the club. … They are able to come into the space and ask others who have done them before.”

The preparation process for Night of Cultura – LFTA’s annual showcase that presents short films and theater productions – takes months, added rising fourth-year philosophy student Jason Ruvalcaba. Club members devote fall and winter quarter to making films and preparing the theater productions, and the board provides logistics and supports the preparation process, Ruvalcaba, the co-chair of public relations, added. One of the biggest difficulties in planning such an event, Ruvalcaba said, is the limited preparation time because of the quarter system’s pace. However, he added that the club is willing to work overtime to ensure a smooth preparation process.

Through the topics of their short films and theater productions, LFTA blends art and politics, Andrade-Mayen said. They added that the club does not shy away from exploring topics such as racial identity, drug use and other social issues. Andrade-Mayen said LFTA also explores these subjects across a variety of genres, like with its recent comedic short film “The Closers,” which discussed challenges surrounding immigration enforcement in the United States.

Similarly, Ruvalcaba said another short film, “Beto’s Note,” explored the impact of alcoholism while examining how substance use can affect Latino communities. Hidalgo said the stories being pitched are up to the discretion of the writer, as the club aims to give writers the space they need to tell stories that matter to them. The club puts its resources toward amplifying stories that need to be reiterated within their community, Hidalgo added.

“We do find a great middle ground where art and politics do go hand in hand,” Andrade-Mayen said. “We can use politics to help improve our art, and we don’t shy away from making hard statements.”

What differentiates LFTA from other clubs is the way the community members feels open to express themselves, Ruvalcaba said. He added that it is weird not to be weird in the organization, as everyone has their own personality and can connect with each other over their experiences.

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Andrade-Mayen said finding a Latino community through LFTA has been crucial to their time at UCLA. They said they found themselves feeling isolated before finding the organization, but being able to meet other people who speak the same language and understand cultural references has made such a large school feel more like a home.

Andrade-Mayen, Hidalgo and Ruvalcaba all said their favorite memory with LFTA was the club’s annual beach bonfire, where members share stories and celebrate graduating seniors. Andrade-Mayen said the social is an opportunity for them to reminisce on both the work they’ve done throughout the year and the connections they made.

“It’s even more important to do these plays and to write these films because the way to gain empathy from those is to have others join in the experience – to feel the feelings, to feel the heartbreak, to feel just the dread,” Hidalgo said. “It reminds them that people are actually living it.”