María Elena Salinas is hoping to inspire this year’s graduates…
The National Association of Hispanic Journalists (NAHJ) will host a virtual graduation celebration on June 6 to commemorate the organization’s graduating college seniors, and the 65-year-old broadcast journalist, news anchor and author will give the keynote address.
Following social distancing recommendations dictated by the CDC, graduations across the country to date have been altered, canceled, postponed or held virtually.
The nation’s largest association for Hispanic journalists will honor NAHJ member college graduates on Saturday, June 6 at 1:00 pm ET.
Multiple commencement addresses will be given by industry leaders in the field to share advice and words of inspiration to the Class of 2020.
In addition to Salinas, who is considered the “Voice of Hispanic America,” students will also hear from Maria Hinojosa, José Díaz-Balart, Fin Gómez, Robert Hernandez, Obed Manuel-Estrada, Joy Diaz and more.
“Our mission is to help the professional advancement of Hispanics in the news industry,” said Alberto B. Mendoza, NAHJ Executive Director. “We focus heavily on our students and are committed to being there from the beginning of their careers.
The 36-year old professional soccer striker, whose full name is Frederico Chaves Guedes, is leaving Cruzeiro to return to his previous team Fluminense FC,and he’s announced plans to cycle the 600 kilometers to join his new club.
Fred signed a two-year contract with Fluminense over the weekend and a day later announced he was setting off with a support team on a charity cycle from Belo Horizonte to Rio de Janeiro.
“The objective is to receive hampers of basic foodstuffs for 4,000 families on this trip to the Fluminense training center that I am starting today,” Fred said on Instagram, where he has 2.6 million followers.
“I am counting on you during this solidarity trip. I’m cycling and you are donating from your homes and we’re all in this together for a bigger cause.”
Fred, who became the third highest scorer in Fluminense’s history in his previous spell between 2009 and 2016, left Cruzeiro, who were relegated to Brazil’s Serie B last season.
Brazilian football was suspended in March and the state championships have yet to restart, while some Rio clubs resumed non-contact training on Monday.
News Nation, the three-hour prime-time block of live news debuting September 1 on WGN America, has set its on-air talent lineup, with the Latino meteorologist making the grade.
Anchoring weeknight broadcasts from 8:00 pm to 11:00 pm will be Joe Donlon and Marni Hughes, accompanied by breaking news anchor Rob Nelson and Ramon as the chief meteorologist.
A Texas native, Ramon previously worked as part of the KVUE Storm Team since October 2009. He has earned the Seal of Approval from both the American Meteorological Society and the National Weather Association. He has also received the Texas Associated Press award for Best Weathercast.
Nexstar Media Group, which took control of WGN America after its $4.1 billion acquisition of Tribune Media in 2019, announced plans for the news overhaul several months ago. The company is aiming to leverage its leading station group portfolio as well as the carriage of WGN America in 75 million pay-TV homes to provide an alternative news outlet that it bills as being free of bias.
News viewership has been surging in 2020 and the fall election is apt to continue the trend. In the years leading up to the Nexstar deal, WGN America’s programming lineup was defined by prestige dramas like Underground and Manhattan.
“Our on-air anchors and reporters, as well as those guiding the off-camera news-gathering process, are
award-winning journalists who understand the importance of being objective,” said Sean Compton,
EVP of WGN America. “They reflect the diversity of our country and will be the backbone of News Nation, as WGN America begins charting a new course in television news, designed for the millions of viewers across the U.S. who want their news to be accurate, fair and without opinion.”
Jennifer Lyons, a former WGN news director in Chicago, is overseeing News Nation as VP of News for WGN America.
Futbol Club Barcelona has enquired about the 19-year-old Spanish footballer’s situation at Manchester City as they line up a potential move to bring the defender back to Camp Nou, according to ESPN.
Manchester City was quick to knock back Barca‘s initial approach, with high-ranking executives at the English club making it clear that Garcia isn’t for sale.
Team manager Pep Guardiola is especially fond of Garcia and, while ManCity hope to sign a new centerback this summer, they also want to keep him involved as part of the first-team squad.
However, there is also an understanding at the club that the uncertainty over Guardiola’s long-term future could become a problem at some point. Players are also in the dark and with two years left on his contract, Garcia is in a strong negotiating position.
This provoked Barca to ask about his availability during recent talks between the two clubs regarding a possible swap deal involving right-backs Nelson Semedo and Joao Cancelo.
Garcia was considered one of the brightest prospects in Barca’s La Masia academy when he decided to leave in 2017 to join Premier League champions Manchester City,
Guardiola handed him his full debut in a League Cup game against Leicester in 2018 and he has made 11 appearances this season, starting twice in the league and once in the Champions League.
He’s also been capped five times by Spain under-21s and Barca have followed his development closely since he left three years ago.
A number of different sources at Barca said the club view Garcia as a “good fit” centerback for the team’s style of football. He was brought up on the club’s philosophy and one of his major strengths is his ability on the ball.
Barca, who missed out on Matthijs de Ligt to Juventus last summer, have been searching for a central defender for a long time as they contemplate a future without Gerard Pique, who turned 33 in February.
Manchester City’s reluctance to sell makes a move for Garcia this summer unlikely, especially as Barca expect to be less active in the transfer market due to the effects the coronavirus pandemic has had on their budget. They will focus on their main target, Inter Milan striker Lautaro Martinez, and will not have money left over to invest elsewhere.
But sources tell ESPN that Barca will not give up on Barcelona native Garcia in the long-term and will continue to monitor his situation as he moves into the final two years of his contract at the Etihad Stadium.
Edward James Olmos is celebrating a Latin music legend.
The 73-year-old Mexican American actor, director, producer, and activist has teamed up with Tito Puente’s familia to bring the story of the legendary Puerto Rican musician to the world in a series of projects, including film, television and VR content.
Known as the “King of Mambo,” Puente was a six-time Grammy winner, and received many other accolades before he died in 2000.
Olmos is working with Puente’s son, Tito Puente Jr., producer/writer Damon Whitaker, music artist/producer David Guzman, and his own son, director/producer Michael D. Olmos, to bring the projects to life.
The Olmos team will be producing the project alongside Whitaker and Guzman, with Tito Jr. advising throughout the process.
The team is developing a docuseries featuring never-before-seen images and footage from the family’s estate to create a feature film that focuses on Puente’s struggle to bring Latin music to the mainstream.
A VR musical experience and a tribute album with contemporary artists covering classic Tito Puente songs are also on the pipeline.
“We are thrilled to finally have the story of Tito Puente come to life, thanks to the vision of Mr. Olmos and his team. The history of Tito Puente through his extensive career and timeless music will be told and shared with fans of all generations young and old,” said Tito Puente Jr. “We hope to inspire audiences around the world with his story and his rich musical legacy. Eddie is a huge fan of my dad’s music and was the one who gave the eulogy at my dad’s funeral.”
Born in the barrios of New York City, Puente served in the military and went to Juilliard on the G.I. Bill, and fought for the rights of his fellow Afro Latin and African American musicians to play alongside him in segregated clubs.
“This will be the greatest Tito Puente experience ever. I want this story to celebrate life and hope, especially in these dark times,” said Olmos. “Tito’s story is timeless because it shows the entire world that you can start from humble beginnings, but through your passion, discipline and hard work — and a great sense of humor — you can still change the world.”
Olmos is best known for his television roles on Miami Vice, Battlestar Galactica and Mayans MC, and his film roles in Stand and Deliver, American Me and Selena.
The 50-year-old Afro-Guatemalan American Broadway and television/film actor has thrown his hat in the ring as a candidate for the 2020 Academy of Motion Pictures Arts and Sciences’ Board of Governors.
Domingo, who appeared on AMC’s Fear the Walking Dead, is among the candidates in the Actors category.
In the Writing branch, Gregory Nava is in the running. The 71-year-old Mexican/Spanish American writer and filmmaker’s former projects include El Norte, Selena and Bordertown.
The winner in each branch will be chosen directly from these entries rather than whittling it down to four finalists in each, as has been done in the past.
The winners for the 17 open slots on the 54-member board will be chosen by preferential balloting, just like Best Picture race at the Oscars. Voting is underway with ballots due back June 5.
The Actors branch is the largest in the Academy and has drawn the biggest field of contenders for the one spot available. Domingo is running against incumbent governor Whoopi Goldberg and past governor Ed Begley Jr.
Here’s the full list of nominees by branch (* = incumbent):
Actors Michael Lee Aday Ed Begley, Jr Robert Carradine Nicolas Coster Colman Domingo Richard Dreyfuss Spencer Garrett Bruce Glover Whoopi Goldberg* James Keach Stacy Keach Peter Kwong Jodi Long Tim Matheson Joe Pantoliano Lou Diamond Phillips Andrea Riseborough Andrew Stevens Rita Wilson
Cinematographers Kerry Barden Richard Hicks Margery Simkin Debra Zane Andrzej Bartkowiak Richard P Crudo Svetlana Cvetko Steven Fierberg Michael Goi Janusz Kaminski Newton Thomas Sigel Eric Steelberg Kees Van Oostrum Amelia Vincent Roy Wagner Mandy Walker*
Directors Niki Caro Scott Cooper Ava DuVernay Reginald Hudlin Kasi Lemmons Michael Mann Philippe Mora Kimberly Peirce* Brett Ratner Peyton Reed Jason Reitman Frances-Anne Solomon Lewis Teague
Documentary Kate Amend* Geralyn Dreyfous Karen Goodman Lauren Greenfield Tom Neff
Executives Pam Abdy Victoria Alonso Michael W Barker Thomas Bernard Mark C Canton Erica Huggins David Linde* Mike Medavoy James W Morris Gianni Nunnari Stephen Strick Patrick Wachsberger
Film Editors Mark Helfrich Michael Jablow Nancy Richardson Stephen Rivkin David Rosenbloom Paul Seydor Terilyn A Shropshire
Makeup Artists and Hairstylists Linda Flowers
Marketing and Public Relations Stephen D Bruno Kevin Goetz Barry Dale Johnson Michael Kaplan Christina Kounelias* Robert A Levine Michele Robertson
Music Charles Bernstein* Paul Chihara George S Clinton John C Debney Sharon Farber William Goldstein Jan A P Kaczmarek Emilio Kauderer Carole Bayer Sager
Producers Khadija Alami Jason Blum Lawrence David Foldes Jennifer Fox Lynette Howell Taylor Steven-Charles Jaffe Robert Lantos Lori McCreary Chris Moore Michael Peyser Michael S Phillips Peter Samuelson Michael Shamberg Jeffrey Sharp Richard W Stevenson Irwin Winkler
Production Design Marcia Hinds Geoffrey A Kirkland John A Kuri Carolyn A Loucks John Muto Rusty Smith Melissa Stewart Wynn P Thomas* Thomas A Walsh
Short Films and Feature Animation Jon Bloom Edwin Catmull Ron Diamond Chris Donahue Raul Garcia Matthew Gross Tom Sito* Erik Smitt Chris Tashima
Sound Bobbi Banks Teri E Dorman* Nicholas Eliopoulos Scott Gershin Mark Mangini F Hudson Miller Victoria Rose Sampson Mark P Stoeckinger Bruce Tanis Randy Thom
Visual Effects Robert Blalack Rob Bredow Brooke Breton Richard Edlund* Jonathan Erland Jeffrey M Kleiser Jeffrey A Okun Helena Packer Joshua Pines Theresa Ellis Rygiel Rick Sayre
Writers Carl A Gottlieb Larry Karaszewski* Gregory Nava John Ridley Howard A Rodmam
Arantxa Sánchez-Vicario is getting unraveled stateside…
Shout! Studios has acquired North American rights across several platforms to Unraveling Athena: The Champions of Women’s Tennis, the feature documentary directed by Francis Amat that chronicles the lives and drives of the sport’s most iconic stars past and present, including the 48-year-old former tennis star.
Sánchez-Vicario, a former World No. 1,was inducted into the International Tennis Hall of Fame in 2007. She won 14 Grand Slam titles during her career: four in singles, six in women’s doubles, and four in mixed doubles. Sánchez-Vicario also won a bronze medal at the 1992 Barcelona Games and a silver medal at the1996 Atlanta Games.
In addition to Sánchez-Vicario, the inspirational documentary features interviews with the likes of Billie Jean King, Martina Navratilova, Chris Evert, Evonne Goolagong, Pam Shriver, Martina Hingis, Monica Seles, Kim Clijsters, Caroline Wozniacki, Ana Ivanovic, Justine Henin, Jelena Jankovic, Victoria Azarenka, Bethanie Mattek-Sands,Sania Mirza, Dinara Safina and Tracy Austin.
It highights their perseverance, trials, and, tribulations and achievements, offering insight into the mind of a pro athlete and what it takes to make a champion.
Shout! Studios is eyeing a multi-platform bow later this year.
“Unraveling Athenadelivers a long overdue and immensely entertaining celebration of the women who earned their rightful place in the pantheon of tennis champions,” Shout! Studios VP Acquisitions Jordan Fields said. “What it means to strive, to endure, to move past disappointment and fight another day — these are the lessons of sport but also of life, so this uplifting film is widely relatable.”
The 45-year-old Colombian film director and screenwriter, a director on Netflix’s Narcos and Narcos: Mexico, will helm Scott Free and AGC’s thriller Panopticon, based on the Black Listscript by Emily Jerome.
The film, according to the official synopsis, will follow “rising hedge fund manager Chase who hears about a little known financial gold mine called PCC Correctional, an Arizona based private prison system that racks up huge profits. She decides to go all in to advance her career but it soon becomes clear that it’s a bad bet in every way except return on investment. On a tour of the prison she realizes that the inmates are running the show. Chase starts a dangerous game as she tries to fix things in order to save the jackpot she’s reaping for herself and her firm.”
Production is slated to begin in fall 2020, and active casting is ongoing.
Baiz’s previous film credits include Roa, The Hidden Face and Sin Amparo.
YouTube’s flagship scripted series Cobra Kai, starring the 18-year-old Cuban, Mexican and Ecuadorian American actor, will be heading to a new streaming platform for its upcoming third season.
YouTube is in the process of releasing Season 3 of the popular show to producing studio Sony Pictures Television amid a move away from premium original scripted programming.
Sony Television is shoppingCobra Kaito other outlets, with all major streamers expressing interest, including Netflix and Hulu, who lead the short list of contenders for the Karate Kid sequel series, according to Deadline.com.
The new outlet will have access on a non-exclusive basis to the first two seasons of the show for fans to catch up. That has been part of the negotiation with YouTube, which had ownership in and exclusive global rights to the first two seasons under the original license agreement with Sony Television.
The freshman season of Cobra Kai was a massive breakout hit, topping 55 million YouTube views for Episode 1 and ranking as the sixth-most Google-searched TV show in 2018.
Season 2 picked up following the shocking cliffhanger featuring the return of John Kreese (Martin Kove). When a new rivalry between opposing dojos is born in the aftermath of Cobra Kai’s controversial win at the All Valley Championships, Daniel (Ralph Macchio) realizes his next countermove is to open his own karate training school called Miyagi-Do, in honor of his mentor Mr. Miyagi.
Cobra Kai is written and executive produced by Josh Heald, and Jon Hurwitz and Hayden Schlossberg. Together, the trio conceived the new Karate Kid storyline that picks up decades after the original film.
Heald, Hurwitz and Schlossberg showrun the series and direct the bulk of the episodes.
In addition to Macchio and Mariduena, who portrays Miguel Diaz, the series also stars William Zabka, Courtney Henggeler, Tanner Buchanan and Jacob Bertrand.
The half-Chilean filmmaker has agreed to develop and direct the Good Films Collective’s The Execution.
The narrative drama focuses on the murder of Jamal Khashoggi, the Saudi Arabian-born dissident and Washington Post columnist who was killed and dismembered after entering the Saudi Consulate in Istanbul to get a marriage license.
The film will explore how it happened, why it happened and what happened in the aftermath.
Petter Skavlan is attached to write the script.
Espinosa’s previous directing credits include Safe House, Life, Child 44 and Easy Money.
His next project to hit the big screen is the upcoming film Morbius with Jared Leto.
Khashoggi was killed by a Saudi hit team that was closely connected to Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman.
