April Monthly Film Festival

Use discount code APRILCPART2026 for 10% off any and all ticket purchases

NewFilmmakers Los Angeles (NFMLA) hosts its April Monthly Film Festival, which features four InFocus programs: InFocus: Puglia presented in partnership with the Apulia Film Commission, InFocus: Immigration and two InFocus: Asian Cinema programs, including InFocus: Southeast Asian Cinema curated in collaboration with CAPE. The festival’s opening reception is officially sponsored by Trojan Entertainment Network (TEN). TEN connects USC entertainment alumni through education, career development, and professional networking. Learn more today!

The day begins with InFocus: Puglia, a collection of new and provocative work by short film directors from the Italian region of Puglia that spans genres and highlights the diversity of locations available in Puglia. “InFocus: Puglia” is a project created by the Apulia Film Commission Foundation and Puglia Region using resources from POC Puglia 2021/2027, Thematic Area 6. Culture, Intervention Line 6.2. The program is also supported by Mònde – Festa del Cinema sui Cammini.

The day continues with InFocus: Southeast Asian Cinema, a selection of films spotlighting Southeast Asian filmmakers programmed in partnership with CAPE, one of the world’s longest-running non-profit organizations creating opportunities and driving change for Asian and Pacific Islander success in Hollywood. For almost 35 years, CAPE has advanced representation in film and television by championing people, stories, and culture.

Next, InFocus: Asian Cinema spotlights Asian and Asian-American talent and storytelling from around the world. This collection covers childhood escapades, family dynamics, the lengths we can be driven to by the desire to fit in, the enthusiastic preservation and sharing of culture, unhinged martial dynamics, heart-wrenching near misses, and standing up to fight for a brighter future.

The night concludes with InFocus: Immigration, a collection of films that tell stories of immigration, the contributions of vibrant immigrant communities, the experience of living between cultures, being far from loved ones, and the brutality of both exploitation and immigration enforcement.

NFMLA showcases films by filmmakers of all backgrounds throughout the year, across both our general and InFocus programming. All filmmakers are welcome and encouraged to submit their projects for consideration for upcoming NFMLA Festivals, regardless of the schedule for InFocus programming, which celebrates representation by spotlighting various communities of filmmakers as part of the NFMLA Monthly Film Festival. This project is made possible in part by grant support from the City of Los Angeles Department of Cultural Affairs (DCA), and the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA).

The South Park Center is an ADA compliant venue and is wheelchair accessible. We request captioned films from all filmmakers participating at our Festival. For any accessibility needs, please send a request to info@nfmla.org at least 72 hours prior to the event.

Schedule Details
Program #1 – InFocus: Puglia
12:00 PM – 12:45 PM – Pre-Reception
12:45 PM – 2:15 PM – Program
2:15 PM – 2:30 PM – Audience Q&A

Program #2 – NFMLA x CAPE InFocus: Southeast Asian Cinema
2:30 PM – 3:00 PM – Pre-Reception
3:00 PM – 4:30 PM – Program
4:30 PM – 4:45 PM – Audience Q&A

Program #3 – InFocus: Asian Cinema
4:45 PM – 5:15 PM – Pre-Reception
5:15 PM – 7:15 PM – Program
7:15 PM – 7:30 PM – Audience Q&A

Program #4 – InFocus: Immigration
7:30 PM – 8:00 PM – Pre-Reception
8:00 PM – 9:30 PM – Program
9:30 PM – 9:45 PM – Audience Q&A