Amid raging national debate, new competition highlights experiences of young people

LOS ANGELES – The first-ever awards for a new student film competition about immigration were awarded Monday night, at the closing gala of the Los Angeles Latino International Film Festival.

Sponsored by the Los Angeles County Federation of Labor and UNITE HERE, the union of hotel and food service workers, Cortos Y Fuertes/Short & Strong is adding the creative best among young voices to the national dialogue on immigration reform.

The winner of Best Overall in Cortos Y Fuertes/Short and Strong was "Soledad," a film narrated by a spoken-word performance in which a young woman grapples with the haunting emotions of her mother’s deportation.

"Soledad" is a creation of Undeportable Productions, a team of UCLA students and alumni, who received a $2,000 cash award on stage last night with Edward James Olmos and Marlene Dermer, co-founder of LALIFF.

As the United States stands on the brink of major federal action–or inaction–on an immigration overhaul, Cortos Y Fuertes/Short and Strong challenged participants to explore the effects of immigration on their families and communities in a 3-minute video.

First and second prizes were also awarded to students in each of three categories: under 13; 14 to 17; and 18 and over. Shot on handheld video cameras and smart phones, the films came from young people of many backgrounds across the country.

A panel of celebrity judges, including Hilda Solis and Dolores Huerta, selected the winners from among incredibly thought-provoking and moving films. All the submissions are available to view at shortandstrong.com.

The Los Angeles County Federation of Labor, AFL-CIO, is the second largest Central Labor Council in the country, representing over 300 unions and hundreds of thousands of working women and men. Learn more at launionaflcio.org.

UNITE HERE represents over 250,000 people who work throughout the U.S. and Canada in the hospitality, gaming, food service, manufacturing, textile, laundry, and airport industries. UNITE HERE Local 11, an affiliate of UNITE HERE, represents over 20,000 workers in hotels, restaurants, airports, sports arenas, and convention centers in Southern California. Learn more at unitehere.org.

Members of Undeportable Productions are available for interviews in English and Spanish. Contact Leigh Shelton: 213-481-8530 ext. 253 or 323-533-3864.