The Georgia Latino International Film Festival (GALIFF), presented by the Georgia Latino Film Alliance (GALFA), has announced its 2026 honorees ahead of a 15th anniversary celebration at Atlanta’s Fox Theatre on September 30, 2026. The awards recognize established and emerging Latino talent, with Mexico serving as the festival’s 2026 Guest Country of Honor.
Academy Award nominee Yalitza Aparicio will receive the Pepe Serna GALFA Icon Award. Aparicio gained international recognition for her debut performance as Cleo in Alfonso Cuarón’s Roma, which earned her an Academy Award nomination for Best Actress. Her recognition carries additional significance as Mexico is the festival’s 2026 Guest Country of Honor, connecting the anniversary celebration in Atlanta with Mexican cinema and storytelling.
Actor, filmmaker, and producer Roberto Sanchez will receive the Pepe Serna Excellence in Filmmaking Award. Working both in front of and behind the camera, Sanchez has built a 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 growth of Latino representation in entertainment.
Leonard Najar will receive the Revelation of the Year Award, which recognizes an emerging talent and new voice in the entertainment industry. Sandy Hernandez will receive the Rising Star Award, highlighting an emerging artist and the promise of a new generation of Latino talent. These awards reflect GALIFF’s focus on creating opportunities for audiences and industry professionals to discover emerging Latino talent alongside established artists.
The festival 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.”
Márquez continued, “That is what we want every recipient of a Pepe Serna Award to understand. Excellence comes with purpose and with a responsibility to leave the door wider open for the generation that follows.”
The 2026 honorees represent different stages of the journey toward greater Latino representation: established artists whose careers helped expand representation, working filmmakers continuing that progress, and emerging voices preparing to shape what comes next. The Georgia Latino International Film Festival runs from September 30 to October 4, 2026, in Atlanta, Georgia.
Sponsors and partners include Presenting Sponsor The Fox Theatre, 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.
The Georgia Latino Film Alliance is a nonprofit organization dedicated to advancing Latino filmmakers and storytellers through education, professional development, exhibition, and industry access. GALFA produces the annual Georgia Latino International Film Festival and year-round initiatives designed to expand opportunities for Latino creatives and strengthen their participation in Georgia’s film and entertainment industry. For more information, visit https://www.galiff.org.
