LATIFF 2026 brought together filmmakers, media figures, local leaders and audiences for a successful program led by Madwoman’s Game, Pillars of Power and a biographical project inspired by the life of artist Sir Daniel K. Winn.
CULVER CITY, Calif. — The Los Angeles Tribune International Film Festival concluded its second edition following a successful series of sold-out screenings, red-carpet appearances, media interviews, live music and community-centered programming in Culver City.
Known as LATIFF, the festival welcomed filmmakers, artists, producers, business leaders, members of the media and Southern California audiences for a program designed to celebrate independent storytelling while expanding the role of a modern news organization within the cultural landscape.
The festival’s second year represented a significant step forward for the event and for The Los Angeles Tribune, which has continued to move beyond the traditional boundaries of newspaper publishing through film production, live events, leadership programming and multimedia storytelling.
Los Angeles Tribune CEO and festival founder Dr. Moe Rock joined Dr. Emily Letran and other invited leaders on the red carpet as filmmakers and guests gathered for screenings, conversations and celebrations throughout the festival.
Organizers reported sold-out shows and strong engagement across the program, with the event drawing attention from local media, creative professionals and community leaders.
A Diverse Flagship Lineup
Among the festival’s featured projects was a biographical feature film and multimedia production adapted from the early life and memoir of Vietnamese-American artist Sir Daniel K. Winn.
The project explores identity, survival and Winn’s childhood in 1970s Vietnam, presenting a deeply personal account of the experiences that shaped his life and artistic vision. By combining biography, history, visual art and cinema, the production reflected LATIFF’s interest in stories capable of crossing cultural and creative boundaries.
Another flagship selection was Madwoman’s Game, a 2026 feature documentary executive produced by Keanu Reeves. The project brought a prominent documentary presence to the festival and contributed to a program that moved between personal stories, cultural subjects and larger questions about the human experience.
The festival also screened Pillars of Power: The Hidden Secret Behind Achieving Greatness, a 2026 self-development documentary directed by Moe Rock and Dawna Campbell.
The film reunites several original co-stars from the influential 2006 film The Secret, bringing them together two decades later to examine the internal principles associated with leadership, personal development and sustained achievement.
Rather than focusing solely on external measures of success, Pillars of Power considers the beliefs, habits and personal disciplines that influence how individuals lead themselves and others. Its appearance at LATIFF also carried particular significance because the documentary was developed through LAT Films, the production division connected to The Los Angeles Tribune.
The screening illustrated the organization’s expanding identity: not only reporting on developments within media and entertainment, but also creating original work and providing a platform on which that work can be experienced by an audience.
More Than a Series of Screenings
The festival extended beyond the theater itself.
Red-carpet arrivals, media interviews, music, filmmaker introductions and networking opportunities helped create an atmosphere that combined the accessibility of a community gathering with the presentation of an emerging international film festival.
Local leaders and members of the Southern California creative community participated alongside visiting filmmakers and media professionals, giving the event a broader civic and cultural dimension.
That combination has become central to LATIFF’s positioning. While many festivals concentrate exclusively on screenings and awards, the Los Angeles Tribune International Film Festival has sought to connect cinema with leadership, journalism, entrepreneurship and public conversation.
The result was an event that functioned simultaneously as a showcase for independent films, a meeting place for creative professionals and a demonstration of how an established media brand can convene people around original storytelling.
From the Newsroom to the Big Screen
The success of LATIFF 2026 also reinforced the festival’s defining theme: From the newsroom to the big screen.
For The Los Angeles Tribune, that phrase represents more than a promotional line. It reflects a broader strategy in which a newspaper organization can report the news, produce original media, develop public events and create new opportunities for filmmakers and cultural leaders.
The festival’s second edition showed that those areas do not have to operate independently.
Journalism can provide context. Film can create emotional connection. Live events can bring audiences and creators into the same room. Together, they can give stories a longer life and a wider cultural reach.
The presence of sold-out audiences was therefore important beyond the immediate success of individual screenings. It demonstrated an appetite for a festival that combines independent cinema with media visibility, leadership and community participation.
Building Momentum for the Future
As LATIFF moves beyond its second year, its central opportunity will be to build upon the momentum created in Culver City while continuing to attract distinctive films and credible creative partners.
The 2026 festival established a strong foundation by balancing high-profile involvement with personal, independently produced stories. It also demonstrated that audiences remain interested in theatrical experiences when those experiences offer something more than a conventional screening.
For the filmmakers, LATIFF provided an opportunity to present their work before engaged audiences and media representatives. For guests and local leaders, it created a setting in which entertainment, culture and community could intersect. For The Los Angeles Tribune, it represented another stage in the organization’s evolution from a traditional publishing institution into a broader multimedia platform.
With sold-out shows, a diverse flagship lineup and a visible presence within the Southern California creative community, the second Los Angeles Tribune International Film Festival marked a major success for its organizers and participating filmmakers.
The newsroom did not simply cover the story.
It helped bring the story to the screen.
