The Georgia Latino International Film Festival (GALIFF), presented by the Georgia Latino Film Alliance (GALFA), has announced its 2026 honorees as it prepares to celebrate its 15th anniversary with a special event at Atlanta’s Fox Theatre on Wednesday, September 30, 2026, at 6 p.m. The recognition of Academy Award nominee Yalitza Aparicio, actor and filmmaker Roberto Sanchez, emerging talent Leonard Najar, and rising star Sandy Hernandez underscores the festival’s growing role in shaping Latino representation in entertainment and highlights the strategic importance of intergenerational mentorship in an industry where Latino voices remain underrepresented.
Yalitza Aparicio will receive the Pepe Serna GALFA Icon Award, recognizing her cultural impact following her Academy Award-nominated debut in Alfonso Cuarón’s Roma. Her honor carries added significance as Mexico serves as the festival’s 2026 Guest Country of Honor, connecting Atlanta’s anniversary celebration with Mexican cinema and storytelling. This pairing elevates the festival’s international profile and reinforces the cultural and economic ties between Georgia’s film community and Mexico’s thriving creative sector.
Roberto Sanchez will receive the Pepe Serna Excellence in Filmmaking Award for his multifaceted career spanning acting, filmmaking, and production. His recognition reflects GALIFF’s commitment to honoring Latino artists who have built lasting careers while contributing to the continued growth of Latino representation. By celebrating a working filmmaker, the festival signals that sustained creative labor—not just breakout moments—is essential to diversifying the industry’s storytelling pipeline.
Leonard Najar will receive the Revelation of the Year Award, and Sandy Hernandez will receive the Rising Star Award. These honors reflect GALIFF’s commitment to creating opportunities for audiences and industry professionals to discover emerging Latino talent alongside established artists. Recognizing Najar and Hernandez as part of the 15th anniversary honorees highlights the organization’s focus on supporting the next generation of storytellers, ensuring that the progress made by earlier artists continues to open doors for those who follow.
GALIFF will also recognize actor, artist, mentor, and humanitarian Pepe Serna, whose career and commitment to supporting Latino artists inspired the awards that bear his name. “Pepe Serna represents the kind of excellence we want these awards to stand for,” said Dr. José Márquez, CEO and founder of the Georgia Latino Film Alliance and Georgia Latino International Film Festival. “He was a trailblazer when there was barely a road to follow. But his legacy is about more than an extraordinary career. It is about using success to create opportunity for others.”
“That is what we want every recipient of a Pepe Serna Award to understand,” Márquez continued. “Excellence comes with purpose and with a responsibility to leave the door wider open for the generation that follows.”
The 15th anniversary celebration and festival, running September 30–October 4, 2026, in Atlanta, are supported by presenting sponsor The Fox Theatre, along with Olé Mexican Foods, Fulton Films, VensureHR, 222Creative, Women in Film and Television Atlanta (WIFTA), Georgia Films, the DeKalb Entertainment Commission, HispAtlanta, Dr. Erick Pagan, ADCO Tax Services, Dr. Peirluigi Mancini, Cinefi, and the Georgia Latino Film Alliance. These partnerships demonstrate broad institutional backing for Latino filmmaking in Georgia, which has become a major production hub. By investing in both established and emerging talent, GALIFF and GALFA are working to expand professional and creative opportunities for Latino artists while strengthening their participation in Georgia’s film and entertainment community. The 2026 honorees represent different stages of that journey: established artists whose careers helped expand representation, working filmmakers continuing that progress, and emerging voices preparing to shape what comes next.
