The 8th Annual New York International Latino Film Festival (NYILFF) announces its Premieres line-up of the latest and best in U.S. Hispanic and Latin American cinema. The festival runs from July 24 - 29, 2007, and the premiere films feature some of the most impressive talent in the industry, such as Wilmer Valderrama, Kate del Castillo, Eduardo Verástegui, Manny Perez and Victor Rasuk.

More than just a film festival, NYILFF showcases more than 80 U.S. and international feature films, documentaries, and shorts. Industry panels and special events such as Dominican Night, Cinema Under the Stars, NYILFF New Music Showcase, NYILFF Vanguard and NYILFF Family Day demonstrate the festival's dedication to providing a wide milieu of culturally relevant programming. The six-day schedule of events highlights the full range of Latino culture, targeting different segments of the community.

"This year's Latino filmmakers have pushed their talent to the next level. We're excited not only to be back but to return with such a strong roster of films and events we hope everyone will enjoy. It's going to be an exciting summer," said NYILFF executive director Calixto chinchilla. He added, "There is increasing recognition of Latino talent in film-making, from Oscar nominations to lead roles in popular television shows. The festival is proud to provide another forum to demonstrate the influence Latinos presently possess in scriptwriting, directing, and acting."

Opening this year's festival is Trade, directed by Marco Kreuzpaintner and starring Kate Del Castillo, Kevin Kline, Cathleen Gati, Alicja Bachleda, Cesar Ramos and Paulina Gaitan. Spotlighting the increasing traffic of people across international borders, Trade focuses on a 13 year-old girl from Mexico City, Adriana (Gaitan) who is kidnapped by sex traffickers, setting into motion her 17 year-old brother Jorge's desperate mission to save her.

El Cantante, directed by Leon Ichaso, starring Jennifer Lopez and Marc Anthony, wraps up the festival as its Closing Night presentation, sponsored by mun2, the bilingual network for young Latinos. The highly anticipated film is the dramatic biography of Puerto Rican salsa pioneer Hector Lavoe. The film follows Lavoe's (Anthony) passionate relationship with Puchi (Lopez) and his quick ascent to international fame. Lavoe's fast rise is matched by his tragic fall, fueled by the salsa star's struggle with drugs and his own personal demons.

This year's list of premieres also includes: Bella, El Muerto, and Adrift In Manhattan.

For more info about the festival films, special activities, or to purchase tickets (available as of June 25), visit the festival's website at www.NYLatinoFilm.com.