La Femme International Film Festival is Happening This Weekend!
3 min read
Comedienne Sandra Valls to MC Award Show after successful Broadway run of “Real Women Have Curves: The Musical”
LOS ANGELES, (October 16th, 2025) The 21st Annual La Femme International Film Festival will once again be honoring the best and brightest work of female actors, writers, producers and directors. The festival will run through the weekend at the LA LIVE Regal Theatre, culminating with a Sunday night award show. In addition to programming 110 films and 20 screenplays and pilot scripts, the festival will also offer a weekend of panels on Saturday and Sunday, World Premieres and Special Screenings as well as networking events overseen by Founder and Festival Director of LA Femme.org Leslie LaPage. Key sponsors for the 21st edition include SAG Women’s Committee and Green Light Women, Ron Ash LLC, who are sponsoring the opening night party.
Sandra Valls, who has been the awards show MC for 18 years, is back after her Broadway run of “Real Women Have Curves.” In addition to providing great humor, Valls will set the stage for the Best of the Fest awards in categories of animation, documentary, live action features and shorts, music videos, commercials and screenplays. Veteran actress Donna Pescow will receive the festival’s Lifetime Achievement Award for her significant performances on Film and TV.
Who is Sandra Valls?
Sandra Valls is a bold, hilarious, and unapologetically proud Latina comedian, actor, singer, and writer from Laredo, Texas. Bursting into Broadway at age 59, Sandra made her debut in 2025 in Real Women Have Curves: The Musical as the unforgettable Prima Fulvia, earning rave reviews and helping the production secure two Tony Award nominations.
Off-Broadway, she co-wrote and starred in the smash hit Latina Christmas Special at New York’s iconic SoHo Playhouse, blending humor and heart in a cultural celebration that became a sensation.
A fierce advocate for the Latine/x, LGBTQIA+, and women’s communities, Sandra has toured nationally with Lezberados and Queer Queens of Qomedy and shared the stage with legends like Melissa Etheridge and Eva Longoria. Her TV appearances include The Latin Divas of Comedy (Showtime), NickMom Night Out (Nickelodeon), One Night Stand Up (LOGO), Comics Unleashed (ABC), and HBO’s Habla!.
One of the Top 100 Women We Love
Recognized by Latina Magazine as one of the “Top 33 Badass Comics with Latin Roots” and honored by GO Magazine as one of the “Top 100 Women We Love,” Sandra is also a sought-after host, emceeing high-profile events such as TEDxWomen, the GLAAD Awards, La Femme International Film Festival, and the Task Force’s Creating Change Conference.
Named to Unidos’ Project VISIBLE Latinos LGBT list and honored by her hometown with the International Women’s Day Award, Sandra continues to inspire and uplift.
In January 2026, Sandra will be recognized by Women in Film & Television Texas as a Celestial Award honoree celebrating her outstanding contributions to media and entertainment, what it means to be brave, dream big, work hard for advancement, shatter glass ceilings, and reach for the stars in the big Texas sky. Sandra Valls is more than a performer. She brings truth, fire, and joy to every stage she steps on. She doesn’t just perform—she empowers.
Festival information:
LAFIFF’s schedule features a mixture of in-person and virtual screenings, networking opportunities and panel discussions. Tickets for all events can be purchased at La Femme 2025 Website.
All events will be at the LA LIVE Regal Cinemas, 1000 W. Olympic Blvd in downtown Los Angeles. Tickets can be purchased at EVENTIVE.
*Information courtesy LA Media Consultants. Check out their website LAMediaConsultants.com
