Ethan van Thillo, founder and executive director of Media Arts Center San Diego, reflecting on what led him to a career in arts and film, pinpointed two pivotal movies his dad took him to as a kid: “Koyaanisqatsi” and “Amadeus.”
“They showed me the power of the visuals mixed with music,” van Thillo said. “I just love films in that sense that it brings everything together — the music, art direction, the visuals, the costumes — you name it. I think that’s what makes (films) so special.”
This love of films and the admiration for the art and culture of Latin America eventually led him to start the San Diego Latin Film Festival, which celebrates its 33rd edition March 18 to 22 and takes place at the AMC Mission Valley and Digital Gym Cinema.
This year’s festival will highlight 147 films from countries including Spain, Peru, Mexico, Chile, Brazil, Argentina and the U.S. The five-day event also features a workshop on ethical storytelling, a master class on directing with vision, a student film showcase, an awards show and Latin musicians performing each day.
Van Thillo said one of the highlights for him at this year’s festival is the documentary “American Pachuco: The Legend of Luis Valdez,” which tells the story of a director and playwright who is recognized for initiating Chicano films.
“We want attendees to have fun and see the celebration of culture and identity,” van Thillo said. “We constantly want to show films that really show the humanity and hopefully teach others empathy, especially now. We want the films we present to combat negative stereotypes that, unfortunately, are just constantly being betrayed in mainstream media, Hollywood, and of course, our federal government.”
The desire to show empathy to different cultures and admiration for the Latino community comes from van Thillo’s upbringing in San Clemente. His mom was a bilingual school teacher, and van Thillo said she would take him on her after-school visits with her migrant students and families.
“She was one of those teachers who kind of went the extra mile,” van Thillo said. “She taught (everyone) about the love for learning, education and social justice. She really was my mentor.”
Van Thillo started his first film festival while attending the University of California, Santa Cruz. He gravitated toward Latin American studies because he spent lots of time going to Mexico with his parents and friends growing up.
He also said at UC Santa Cruz, he learned more about Latin American history, social justice movements in the 1960s and Cesar Chavez and met an “incredible” professo,r Armando Valdez, who taught him about Chicano films and how to put together a film festival. Van Thillo said he assembled three film festivals and wrote his thesis on how to organize a Chicano film festival.
In 1994, van Thillo established the San Diego Latino Festival, and in 1999, founded the Media Arts Center San Diego, which acts as an educational hub for multimedia production. The center teaches people of all ages how to produce films, videos and tell stories through visual media. It also hosts summer camps, produces content for outside businesses and has its own theater called the Digital Gym, which showcases independent films.
“I started the nonprofit Media Arts Center San Diego, based on the success of the San Diego Latino Film Festival and now acts as the umbrella over the festival,” van Thillo said. “The Media Arts Center is also rooted in the early teachings from my mom and this idea of empathy, social justice, and in our case, we use film and video to promote social justice and to bring people together to celebrate the diversity of communities. I believe film, video and art in general can really be a powerful way to bring people together.”
Another area close to van Thillo’s heart is Barrio Logan, just a few blocks from Digital Gym Cinema. He said it’s his “go-to neighborhood” when he is looking for something to do or has friends coming into San Diego.
Here are the places he recommends visiting in Barrio Logan.
Ethan van Thillo is the founder and executive director of Media Arts Center San Diego, which puts on the San Diego Latino Film Festival. (Diana G. Soto)
Q: Where is your favorite dining option?
A: Mujeres Brew House is always a favorite in Barrio Logan. After seeing great art at Bread and Salt, nothing better than to enjoy the great beer and food vendors at Mujeres Brew House.
The facade of Libélula Books & Co in Barrio Logan on Wednesday, March 4, 2026. (Kristian Carreon / The San Diego Union-Tribune)
A variety of books are offered at Libélula Books & Co in Barrio Logan on Wednesday, March 4, 2026. (Kristian Carreon / The San Diego Union-Tribune)
Ocho hangs out on its cat tree at Libélula Books & Co in Barrio Logan on Wednesday, March 4, 2026. (Kristian Carreon / The San Diego Union-Tribune)
A variety of books are offered at Libélula Books & Co in Barrio Logan on Wednesday, March 4, 2026. (Kristian Carreon / The San Diego Union-Tribune)
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The facade of Libélula Books & Co in Barrio Logan on Wednesday, March 4, 2026. (Kristian Carreon / The San Diego Union-Tribune)
Q: What is your favorite small retail business or pop-up vendor to support?
A: Libélula Books is a special place to find new work and classics. (A) one-of-a-kind bookstore that’s so welcoming. I graduated from UC Santa Cruz with a strong importance of social justice, celebrating diversity, books by women (and) LGBTQ+ authors, so to me, it’s just a wonderful space that San Diego really needs. I’m so happy that it opened with so many reading options.
People gather for Chicano Park Day in Barrio Logan on April 19, 2025. (Ariana Drehsler / For The San Diego Union-Tribune)
Q: Where is your favorite open space?
A: Chicano Park shows you the power and beauty of art as a way to bring communities together. Plus, it is an amazing example of what community organizing looks like and celebrates artists, Chicano history and a community that fought to preserve and create a space for residents of all ages to enjoy, despite the freeway and what city officials at that time wanted. The community fought back to create a vibrant park that is now a national cultural landmark.
Q: Where is the best piece of artwork?
A: The relatively new Anastasio Hernandez Rojas mural is an important reminder of the power of art to document and preserve stories that otherwise would not be addressed by mainstream media. It is also a sad reminder that the current atrocities being committed by ICE/Border Patrol are not new to our border families and immigrant communities. If you’re looking west towards Coronado, you should be able to see it (inside Chicano Park). The Chicago Park Museum is on the right, and it’s near the skate park.
A view of the Chicano Park Museum, featuring work by Ramsès Noriega, on Thursday, Sept. 11, 2025 in San Diego, California. (Alejandro Tamayo / The San Diego Union-Tribune)
Q: Where is your favorite entertainment attraction or historic landmark?
A: The Chicano Park Museum, to me, seems to be one of the newer gems. It’s become a vibrant space with the galleries that they have and the different exhibits they host. It’s an important space for celebrating not just Chicano Park, but really Chicano art and exhibiting. And they also have workshops as well, like a DIY photography workshop that they had over the summer.