LA Latino International Film Festival: Edward James Olmos stresses importance of Latino storytellers

LOS ANGELES (KABC) -- The L.A. Latino International Film Festival (LALIFF) is teaming up with "On The Red Carpet" to spotlight Latino storytellers during Hispanic Heritage Month.

The stories featured at the festival cover a wide range of relevant topics and complex emotions. We sat down with the people leading the effort - including the effort, including living legend, Edward James Olmos.

"It's really important that we realize that these are the future, and there's some beautiful, beautiful films here all the way around," Olmos said.

ABC Owned Television stations' "On The Red Carpet" is spotlighting seven of those films and the storytellers behind them.

MORE | On The Red Carpet Presents Latino Storytellers Spotlight on LALIFF

Diana Cadavid, LALIFF's film director, was tasked with finding the stories

"It was a very enthusiastic process in the sense that we were getting to see the power of the voices of Latino storytellers, not only in Latin America, but most importantly. within the U.S.," Cadavid said.

The films include drama, comedy, and animation. The topics range from the experiences of unhoused people to LGBTQ stories told through older generations.

Watch Anabel Munoz's full report above.