Congressman Joaquin Castro Launches National Call for Latino Films to Nominate for National Film Library

U.S. Congressman Joaquin Castro is working to get more Latino films preserved…

The 48-year-old Mexican American politician, who has represented Texas’s 20th congressional district in the U.S. House of Representatives since 2013, has teamed up with members of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus to launch a nationwide call for Latino films to nominate for the National Film Registry.

Joaquin CastroThe U.S.’s preeminent archive of films with cultural, historic or aesthetic significance is essential in preserving cinema. Every year, the Librarian of Congress adds 25 new movies to the registry after reviewing titles nominated by the public and conferring with National Film Preservation Board members and Library film curators.

As of 2023, there are 24 Latino films on the National Film Registry, less than three percent of the 850 movies in the registry.

“Since the earliest days of cinema, Latino actors, writers, directors, and creatives have made extraordinary contributions to American filmmaking,” said Congressman Castro. “As the Library of Congress works to preserve the films that shaped American culture, public nominations will put a spotlight on the Latino-driven films that have sold out theaters and defined generations. As we launch this year’s push for inclusion, I look forward to hearing from folks across America about the Latino films that have made an enduring impact on their lives.”

Most recently, the NFR added: “Cyrano de Bergerac” (1950), starring Puerto Rican actor José Ferrer, the first Latino ever to win an acting Oscar, and “The Ballad of Gregorio Cortez” (1982) with Edward James Olmos. Other notable inclusions are “West Side Story” (1961), “La Bamba” (1987), “Selena” (1997) and “Real Women Have Curves” (2002).

To be eligible, films must be at least 10 years old. To qualify for nominations to the Library of Congress, submissions must be received by August 3.

Some titles the Library of Congress might consider include Guillermo del Toro’s adult-fantasy drama Pan’s Labyrinth (2006), Peter Sollet’s independent New York film Raising Victor Vargas (2002) and Alfonso Cuarón’s coming-of-age masterpiece Y tu mamá también (2002).

Suggestions may be submitted at Congressman Castro’s website.

Blake Jenner to Star in Netflix’s Social Thriller Anthology Drama Series “What/If”

Blake Jenner has landed a new gig…

The 26-year-old Cuban American actor and Glee star has been cast as the male lead in What/If, Netflix’s social thriller anthology drama series starring Renée Zellweger and Jane Levy.

Blake Jenner

From Revenge and Swingtown creator Mike Kelley, the series is written by Kelley, directed by Phillip Noyce and produced by Page Fright, Atlas Entertainment and Compari Entertainment in association with Warner Bros. Television.

What/If explores the ripple effects of what happens when acceptable people start doing unacceptable things. Each season will tackle a different morality tale inspired by culturally consequential source material, and the power of a single fateful decision to change the trajectory of an entire life.

The 10-episode first season focuses on two struggling newlyweds, scientist-entrepreneur Lisa (Levy) and EMT Sean (Jenner), who accept a powerful woman’s (Zellweger) ethically perilous proposition to secure a badly needed financial windfall. All actors have one-year deals.

Jenner first gained acclaim on the second season of The Glee Projectwhich he won, landing him the role of Ryder Lynn onGlee. He also recurred on SupergirlJenner most recently starred in the indie heist film American Animals. His feature credits also include The Edge of Seventeen andEverybody Wants Some!!

This weekend, Jenner finished out a run as Chrisitian to Peter Dinklage’s Cyrano in Goodspeed MusicalsCyranoa new take on the Edmond Rostand classic Cyrano de Bergerac adapted by Erica Schmidt in collaboration with members of indie alternative band The National.

Centineo to Star in Cyrano de Bergerac-Inspired “Sierra Burgess Is a Loser”

Noah Centineo is reporting for Loser duty…

The 20-year-old Latino actor, who stars on Freeform’s The Fosters, has joined the cast of Sierra Burgess Is a Loser.

Noah Centineo

Centineo replaces Ben Hardy, who originally was attached to the project.

Directed by Ian Samuels, the modern Cyrano de Bergerac film stars Shannon Purser as Sierra, who is intelligent and creative but not exactly the shallow definition of high school pretty. When an unexpected romance forms in a case of mistaken identity, Sierra must team with the popular girl in order to win her crush.

Kristine Froseth, RJ Cyler and Will Peltz co-star in the film, which was written by Lindsey Beer.

Centineo will appear in Season 2 of AwesomenessTV’s T@gged.

U.S. Postal Service Honors Ferrer on Special Stamp

He was the first Hispanic actor to win an Academy Award… And, now José Ferrer is getting the stamp of approval as a “distinguished American.”

The life and accomplishments of the Puerto Rican actor, director, writer, musician and producer—who died in 1992 at the age of 80—have been commemorated on a First-Class Forever stamp by the U.S. Postal Service as part of its Distinguished Americans stamp series.

Jose Ferrer Postage Stamp

The portrait featured on the stamp is an oil painting by Daniel Adel of Cold Spring, NY, based on a photograph of Ferrer under the art direction of Antonio Alcala of Alexandria, VA, who designed the stamp.

Ferrer—whose career spanned the worlds of theater, film, television and music—is considered to be one of the most accomplished talents of his generation. Along with being the first Latino to win an Oscar, Ferrer won several Tony Awards for his work on the Broadway stage and performed in more than 60 movies.

Jose Ferrer

Arguably his most famous role was that of Cyrano de Bergerac for which he won both a Tony Award for Best Actor (1947) and the Oscar for Best Actor (1950) for his film portrayal of the same role. He remains one of the few actors to ever win both awards for playing the same character on stage and on film.

“Today, the Postal Service is pleased and proud to bestow upon Jose Ferrer — a groundbreaking Latino movie, theater and television performer and the first Puerto Rican actor to succeed in Hollywood — a new commemorative Forever stamp,” said Marie Therese Dominguez, vice president, Government Relations and Public Policy for the U.S. Postal Service. “Throughout an acting career that spanned more than half a century, Ferrer played a wide range of roles on both Broadway and on the silver screen. His accomplishments extended to many other genres of entertainment. He acted on radio, performed as an opera singer; co-authored a libretto and was a composer. And, as if all this weren’t enough, Ferrer wrote for theater and television, and directed and produced numerous plays, both on and off Broadway.”

Ferrer’s family moved from Puerto Rico to New York City when he was six. Always an excellent student, he passed the Princeton University entrance exam at age 15, but was considered too young to attend and spent a year in a boarding school in Switzerland. He entered Princeton at age 16 and graduated with the class of 1933. He conducted postgraduate work at Columbia University with the intention of becoming a language teacher. However, he had discovered his love of acting while in college, and in 1935, made his first appearance on Broadway, a one-line part in the play, A Slight Case of Murder.