Industry veteran Axel Caballero has been tapped as CEO of the Latino Film Institute, the organization founded by actor and advocate Edward James Olmos.
The Latino Film Institute runs a number of prominent events and artistic development programs, including the annual Los Angeles Latino International Film Festival, the Youth Cinema Project and LatinX in Animation.
Caballero brings a long resume in TV and film to the role. He was previously the head of the National Association of Latino Independent Producers. He has served as an executive at Warner Bros. Discovery and HBO, and he also ran the OneFifty Content unit within WB Discovery.
“As our industry is rapidly changing with technology motoring, LFI is quickly adapting to new challenges and opportunities, Axel is uniquely poised with his background as a disruptor and innovator to bring LFI and our Latino community to the next level at this pivotal moment,” Olmos said.
Caballero signs on as LFI also adds two new board members: Netflix executive Pete Corona and Ivette Rodriguez of AEM Marketing and LA Collab.
“I am incredibly honored to join the Latino Film Institute, embracing powerful creative mediums as well as the importance of forward thinking skills training and education programs to amplify our voices, and narratives that resonate with our vibrant and rich cultural tapestry,” Caballero said. “Together, we’ll illuminate untold stories and ignite a powerful and accurate portrayal of our community as industry leaders and innovators.”
LFI’s annual film festival in Los Angeles launched in 1997 and was relaunched after a dormant period in 2018.