Library of Congress Selects Gregory Nava’s “Selena” Among 25 Films for National Film Registry for 2021

Gregory Nava’s ode to la Reina de la Musica Tejana is being celebrated as an influential film…

The Library of Congress has unveiled its annual list of 25 films to make the cut for the National Film Registry, with the 72-year-old Mexican/Spanish American filmmaker’s Selena among this year’s selections.

Selena, Jennifer Lopez

This year’s list, considered among America’s most influential motion pictures, features titles spanning from 1902-2008.

The movies have been selected for their cultural, historic or aesthetic importance to preserve the nation’s film heritage.

Several, including Nava’s Selena, explore stories from diverse communities that often carry universal themes.

Selena, the 1997 biographical film of Tejano Music star Selena Quintanilla-Pérez starred Jennifer Lopez in her first major movie role.

Co-star Edward James Olmos told the Library of Congress that Selena “will stand the test of time… (It’s) a masterpiece because it allows people to learn about themselves by watching other peoples’ culture.”

Sylvia Morales’ 1979 film Chicana was also selected to be part of the registry this year.

The film traces the history of Chicana and Mexican women from pre-Columbian times to the present. It covers women’s role in Aztec society, their participation in the 1810 struggle for Mexican independence, their involvement in the US labor strikes in 1872, their contributions to the 1910 Mexican revolution and their leadership in contemporary civil rights causes. Using murals, engravings and historical footage, Chicana shows how women, despite their poverty, have become an active and vocal part of the political and work life in both Mexico and the United States

Three films on this year’s list directly addressed one of the most pressing issues of the day: racially-motivated violence against people of color. The Murder Of Fred Hampton (1971), Who Killed Vincent Chin? (1987) and Requiem-29 (1970) told stories of violence against Black, Asian and Hispanic Americans, respectively.

Requiem-29 documents the chilling inhuman treatment of 50,000 Chicanos by police and the death of L.A. Times journalist Ruben Salazar.

The 2021 roster of titles brings the total number in the registry to 825.

Said Librarian of Congress Carla Hayden, “Films help reflect our cultural history and creativity — and show us new ways of looking at ourselves — though movies haven’t always been deemed worthy of preservation. The National Film Registry will preserve our cinematic heritage, and we are proud to add 25 more films this year. The Library of Congress will work with our partners in the film community to ensure these films are preserved for generations to come.”

Select titles from 30 years of the National Film Registry are freely available online in the National Screening Room.

Films Selected for the 2021 National Film Registry (chronological order)

Ringling Brothers Parade Film (1902)
Jubilo (1919)
The Flying Ace (1926)
Hellbound Train (1930)
Flowers and Trees (1932)
Strangers on a Train (1951)
What Ever Happened to Baby Jane? (1962)
Evergreen (1965)
Requiem-29 (1970)
The Murder of Fred Hampton (1971)
Pink Flamingos (1972)
Sounder (1972)
The Long Goodbye (1973)
Cooley High (1975)
Richard Pryor: Live in Concert (1979)
Chicana (1979)
The Wobblies (1979)
Star Wars Episode VI — Return of the Jedi (1983)
A Nightmare on Elm Street (1984)
Stop Making Sense (1984)
Who Killed Vincent Chin? (1987)
The Watermelon Woman (1996)
Selena (1997)
The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring (2001)
WALL-E (2008)

Netflix Releasing Part 2 of Christian Serratos’ “Selena: The Series” in May

Christian Serratos is returning to the stage in May…

The 30-year-old half-Mexican American actress will continue to portray the legendary Tejano singer Selena Quintanilla in Netflix’s Selena: The Series on May 14.

Christian Serratos as Selena

“When Selena Quintanilla burst onto the Tejano music scene in the ‘80s, her dream was to make music that celebrated both her Latin roots and her Mexican-American upbringing. She ultimately brought these two worlds together, leaving behind a timeless legacy that still resonates with generations of fans around the world,” said Francisco Ramos, VP of Latin American Originals. “We had the same hopes when we released Selena: The Series in December on Netflix. We wanted to pay tribute to the young girl with big dreams and an even bigger voice, and honor her incredible rise from performing local gigs with her family to gracing some of the world’s biggest stages.”

Along with the date for part 2, the streaming platform tweeted that in its first four weeks, “25 million households sang ‘Como La Flor‘ along with Selena: The Series – and half of those fans came from the U.S.”

The show also reached Netflix’s Top 10 list in 23 countries including the U.S., Mexico, Argentina, Colombia, and Peru. Half of the fans came from the U.S., where it spent its first week in the #1 spot on the Top 10 list.

Part 1 of the series, which “explores Selena’s journey from singing small gigs to becoming the most successful female Latin artist of all time,” made its Netflix debut on December 4 starring Christian Serratos as the late Mexican-American singer.

“[Selena] created a path for herself when it was arguably difficult for Latinas,” Serratos previously told Billboard. “Being a woman in the industry is super tricky, but she managed to be incredibly powerful, strong, and resilient and [to] be a pioneer while being incredibly gracious, and I always thought that was so beautiful.”

Other cast members include Ricardo Chavira, who co-stars as Selena’s father Abraham; Gabriel Chavarria as her brother A.B.; Noemi Gonzalez as her sister Suzette; Seidy Lopez as her mother Marcella; and Madison Taylor Baez as young Selena.

The two-part series was released 23 years after the Gregory Nava-directed and Oscar-nominated film Selena starring Jennifer Lopez made its debut on the big screen.

Selena: The Series is produced by Campanario Entertainment and executive produced by Jaime Dávila, Rico Martinez, Suzette Quintanilla, Simran A. Singh, Hiromi Kamata, and Moises Zamora.

Colman Domingo Running for the Academy of Motion Pictures Arts and Sciences’ Board of Governors

Colman Domingo is ready to represent…

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

Colman Domingo

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*

Costume Designers
Molly Maginnis
Judianna Makovsky
Isis Mussenden*
Rita Ryack

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

Jennifer Lopez Signs Multi-Year Touring Deal with Live Nation

Jennifer Lopezis taking the show on the road…

The 50-year-old Puerto Rican superstar, who wowed a global audience of 100 million with her co-headlining Super Bowl Halftime Show, has signed a major multi-year touring deal with Live Nation.

Jennifer Lopez

“Jennifer Lopez has given fans spectacular live performances for decades through sold out tour dates and her Las Vegas residencies,” said Brad Wavra, senior vice president touring, Live Nation.

WhileJ.Lo‘s recent Super Bowl halftime performance was a highlight, Wavra says it’s Lopez’s2019 It’s My Party Tour (produced by Live Nation) that really cemented the partnership, featuring Lopez’s thrilling brand of signature pop hits, from “Ain’t Your Mama” and “El Anillo” to “Let’s Get Loud” and “Live It Up.”

“The demand to see Jennifer live is only growing,” Wavra said. “Live Nation is proud to be partnering with such a worldwide phenomenon for years to come.”

Lopez has established a career as an actress, producer, singer and entertainer with extensive projects in music, film and television with more than 75 million records sold globally, in addition to a cumulative worldwide box-office gross of more than $3 billion.

Lopez, who is the only female artist to have a No. 1 album and No. 1 film at the box office simultaneously, will next star in the movie musical Marry Me withOwen Wilsonand Colombian recording artist Maluma. The film is set in the world of pop music, which celebrates the unlikely romance between a pop star and a fan. 

Earlier this week, Lopez took the top prize forPollstar’Best Latin Tour(It’s My Party).

Lopez has returned for another season as the global face of Guessand has been appearing in global advertising campaigns for both Guess and the brand’s more fashion-forward label, Marciano. Lopez also has deals with Versaceand Coach, with more on the way.

Lopez was a Fly Girldancer on In Living Color before she decided to pursue an acting career in 1993. It was the 1997 film Selena, directed by Gregory Nava, that made her a household name and earned her a Golden Globenomination.

Lopez, who has millions of followers on social media, including more than 110 million on Instagram, is part of a new remix of the song “RITMO” — the 2019 single by the Black Eyed Peas and J Balvin.

Nava to Serve as Writers Branch Governor for the Academy of Motion Pictures Arts and Sciences

Gregory Nava is ready to represent …

The 66-year-old Mexican/Spanish American film director, producer and screenplay writer has been appointed to serve a governor by the Academy of Motion Pictures Arts and Sciences.

Gregory Nava

The Oscar-nominated scribe will serve as the governor of the Writers Branch.

Nava’s three-year term begins immediately.

“I’m proud of the steps we have taken to increase diversity,” said Academy president Cheryl Boone Isaacs. “However, we know there is more to do as we move forward to make this a more inclusive organization.”

The 51-member board of governors also appointed additional Academy members to each of the six Board committees that provide oversight to specific Academy areas: actor Gael García Bernal (Awards and Events), cinematographer Amy Vincent (Preservation and History), producer Effie Brown (Museum), executive Marcus Hu and animator Floyd Norman (Education and Outreach), executive Vanessa Morrison (Finance) and producer Stephanie Allain (Membership and Administration).

The board also reaffirmed its January 21 resolution to make sure Academy voters are active in the motion picture industry, defining active voters as those who have worked in the motion picture industry in the last 10 years, have worked anytime during three 10-year periods whether consecutive or not or have won or been nominated for an Oscar. Starting this spring, the branch executive committees will meet every two years to review their members and determine any potential reclassifications. The committees also will adopt an appeals process for members who may lose their voting privileges.

Lopez Receives Star on the Hollywood Rock of Fame

Jennifer Lopez is walking tall…

The 43-year-old Puerto Rican actress-singer and former American Idol judge was awarded a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame on Thursday, receiving the Hollywood Chamber of Commerce’s 2,500th star.

Jennifer Lopez Honored On The Hollywood Walk Of Fame

“I cried like almost 15 thousand times,” she said afterward. “It was so crazy. But I kept promising everybody I wasn’t going to cry and they were like, ‘Cry!’ ‘You’re not helping!’ But it was an amazing moment.”

With boyfriend, Casper Smart, and her twins Max and Emme by her side, Lopez was serenaded with praise from actor Keenen Ivory Wayans, rapper Pitbull, her Selena director Gregory Nava and actress Jane Fonda, with whom she co-starred in Monster-in-Law.

“She should have an entire block of stars,” said Fonda. “In my opinion, she’s only scratched the surface in what she’s capable of.”

Lopez relished the chance to “kind of walk down memory lane” with Wayans — “he’s the reason I moved to Los Angeles because I got that job as a fly girl” — and Nava, who put her in her first movie.
“You realize you’ve been at this for a long time and you’ve been fighting and getting it,” she said. “It’s a real kind of landmark day for me and I am just glad my family was here to share it with me.”

Jennifer Lopez's Star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame

Lopez, dressed brightly in a white top and a flowing peach skirt, became the first Latina actress to earn over $1 million for a role with the film Out of Sight.

With the simultaneous release of her second studio album J.Lo and her film The Wedding Planner in 2001, she became the first person to have a number one album and film in the same week.

With records sales of 75 million and a cumulative film gross of over $2 billion worldwide, Lopez is considered the most influential Hispanic performer in the United States.