CHANGING THE NARRATIVE
OUR DECADE LONG JOURNEY
Founded in 2015 by acclaimed Latino filmmaker and photographer Danny Hastings, our festival has been the pioneering platform dedicated to spotlighting the rich diversity and creativity of Latino and Latina filmmakers and artists in the United States.
For our 11th annual edition, we are thrilled to announce a special partnership with NEON16 Led by creative entrepreneur Lex Borrero and Latin super producer Tainy. This partnership marks a significant milestone for our festival, bringing together expertise, passion, and power to further elevate the voices of Latino filmmakers and artists.
WHO WE ARE
NEON16
NEON16 is an entertainment media company founded by industry leader Lex Borrero and Puerto Rican producer and artist Tainy, the mastermind behind some of music’s most iconic hits. Recognized as the leading curator of culture in the Latin media space and voted the #6 Most Innovative Music Company by Fast Company in 2025, NEON16 is an ecosystem of disruptive creatives reshaping the perception, positioning, and narrative of Latin culture in media today. Operating across label, management, publishing, TV & film, and agency services. NEON16 empowers its creatives and community while pushing the boundaries of creativity and musical expression while redefining culture and setting new standards in entertainment.
DANNY HASTINGS
Hastings has shot and designed an unprecedented number of album covers for some of the biggest names in the music industry, and worked alongside artists as diverse as Nas, Taylor Momsen, Marc Anthony, Wu Tang, Eminem, and Jay-Z to name a few. Utilizing his wide network and personal expertise of cinematography (studied at NYU), the young sage began directing music videos, commercial, short films and feature films soon after. In 2015, Hastings started the annual Official Latino Film Festival to provide opportunities to Latino filmmakers and actors in the U.S. due to the lack of representation of his community in film and TV. He was able to land partnerships with HBO, Verizon Media and DIAGEO for the festival.
BOARD MEMBERS
Lex Borrero
Co-Founder/CEO of NEON16, Ntertain Studios, AM16 Agency
Billboard 40 Under 40.
Top Latin Power Player in 2023.
Collaborations with artists like J Balvin, Maroon 5, Bad Bunny, and Justin Bieber, resulting in over 500 million records sold worldwide and numerous Billboard Hot 100 hits.
Tommy Mottola
Co-Founder of NTERTAIN
Former chairman and CEO of Sony Music Entertainment.
Creator of The Latin Explosion signing and developing Gloria Estefan, Ricky Martin, Shakira, Jennifer Lopez and Marc Anthony.
Credited on the discovery and guidance on careers from Mariah Carey, Celine Dion, Beyonce, Bruce Springsteen, Barbra Streisand, Will Smith and Aerosmith among others.
Danny Hastings
Co-Founder of NVISION Festival
Co-Founder of NVISION festival (formerly: The Official Latino Film Festival).
Director of several album covers including Jay-Z, Wu-Tang, Marc Anthony.
Photography exhibitions at Museum of Modern Art, The Annenberg Space for Photography, The Kennedy Center, and Art Basel.
Gerry Rojas
Founding board member of NVISION and former CMO at NTERTAIN
Led brand strategy and cultural partnerships for NEON16, Ntertain Studios, and AM16.
Spearheaded collaborations with major brands like Coca-Cola, Lexus, Audible, and Amazon Music, positioning NTERTAIN as a leader in Latin culture and entertainment.
Amplified Latino identity through storytelling and experiential events, including co-producing the NFL’s debut game in Brazil.
Selection Committee
AS SEEN ON
