Hastings went on to become one of the most sought-after photographers of New York’s Golden Age of hip-hop. His lens captured now-iconic covers for Wu-Tang Clan, Nas, Cypress Hill, Gang Starr, Big Pun, and many others. "At one point, I was probably one of the most in-demand photographers in New York," says Hastings. "But I was Latino, and a lot of doors were closed in front of me. People of color were not getting the opportunities. If it wasn’t for hip-hop embracing me, I don’t know what my path would’ve been."
After shooting more than 100 album covers, Hastings felt the need to pivot. He studied film, only to find a new set of barriers. "I wasn’t American enough for Hollywood, and I wasn’t Latino enough for the Latino market," he says. "My content was in Spanglish, from the Bronx, from Queens. Nobody knew where to place me."
It was precisely that rejection that sparked Hastings' idea for the Official Latino Film Festival, which would later evolve into the NVision Latino Film & Music Festival. He didn’t know anything about running a film festival when he founded it in 2015. "I literally went on FilmFreeway, opened it up, and we got a hundred submissions," he remembers. "I took a thousand dollars out of my pocket."
A Festival With Three Homes
In its first decade, the festival nurtured emerging Latino filmmakers ignored by the mainstream. Now, in 2025, NVision is entering a new chapter. After establishing roots in New York and California, the festival is debuting in Miami on September 5 and 6 at Silverspot Cinema."Miami is a port city, a tropical sancocho where you have everyone — Cubans, Dominicans, Mexicans, Colombians," Hastings explains. "We’ve had a home in New York, we’ve had a home in California, and now, for the first time, we have a home in Miami. That makes us unique."
This year’s lineup signals a step up in prestige. Alongside shorts from emerging filmmakers, NVision will screen award-winning features from Cannes, Tribeca, Toronto, and San Sebastián. The crown jewel is the U.S. premiere of La Ola (The Wave), the new film by Chilean director Sebastián Lelio, who won an Academy Award for A Fantastic Woman (2017) and will attend a Q&A at the festival. "You’re going to see the growth of this incredible filmmaker," Hastings says of the director's latest film.
Four Percent
Hastings says the festival's latest iteration underscores its evolution. "For ten years, our mission was to nurture the emerging filmmaker. This year is different. We’re bringing heavy hitters. When you get accepted to NVision now, the industry knows you’re a serious filmmaker."That said, the festival isn't abandoning mentorship. Expert panels on topics like distribution and film score composition will still be part of the deal.
The festival’s transformation is powered in part by its partnership with Neon16, the Miami-based incubator founded by producer and entrepreneur Lex Borrero. Known for his work with Tainy, Bad Bunny, and Karol G, Borrero has expanded his influence beyond music into television, film, and multimedia projects.
"I conceptualized Neon16 when I moved to Miami in 2019," Borrero explains. "I saw an opportunity — there wasn’t enough representation of urban Latino culture here. The key to success has been identifying opportunities, being courageous enough to take the risk, and creative enough to do something that resonates."
He adds that he wants Latin filmmakers to take over the culture in much the same way other cultural exports have. "The growing interest in Latin music is a testament to its impact on the global stage," he says. "Now we want to amplify Latino filmmakers in the same way."
The statistics highlight the urgency: less than four percent of Latinos make it onto the big screen, and fewer than two percent work behind the camera. For Hastings, those numbers are unacceptable.
"It takes effort to ignore us," he says bluntly. "The Latino population is so big, you have to work hard not to include us. That’s why I created this festival."
NVision Latino Film & Music Festival. Friday, September 5, and Saturday, September 6, at Silverspot Cinema, 300 SE Third St. #100, Miami. Tickets cost $49.99 to $129.99 via nvisionfestival.com.
