What started off as a simple student festival focused on work coming from Latino creators has grown to become one of the best-known film festivals in the Spanish-speaking world.

Now in its 25th year, the San Diego Film Festival will continue to showcase and celebrate the beauty of Latin America and its cultures through 160 film screenings and a series of events for all ages throughout participating venues.

Featured events for the 25th San Diego Film Festival will include panels with filmmakers, celebrity meet and greets, and a virtual reality salon.

Festival activities kick off with the Opening Night Party at Cafe Sevilla on Thursday, March 15, which will gather attendees at the red carpet in a dress-to-impress affair featuring a live DJ and music.

Annual favorites such as the Sabor Latino food festival, which features the best in cuisine from both sides of our border region, and the Sonido Latino concert series will also be part of the 2018 edition of the festival.

Panels with filmmakers will provide an opportunity for aficionados to interact and ask about what goes into making a complete cinematic work and get up close and personal to learn more about festival guests.

But of course, the films are the main draw to a a film festival, and this year’s edition of the San Diego Film Festival will feature over 160 works ranging from shorts to feature-length works.

The reels will begin rolling on March 15 when DIgital Gym Cinema screens Argentine documentary “Abrazos Imborrables,” which narrates the resurgence of tango in the southernmost country in Latin America and how this dance has spread around the world.

Other standout films being showcased include Mexican dramedy “Camino A Marte,” mystery thriller “La Cordillera” from Argentina, and “Zama,” which involved 11 countries in its production and features Daniel Gimenez Cacho as a lead.

Every year, the San Diego Film Festival provides a platform to project Latin American artists to the world. In its 25-year span, more than 285,000 people have been able to enjoy works which narrate the realities of Latin America and its people.

The San Diego Film Festival will run from March 15 to 25.