Tag Archives: Latino

Becky G Performs Oscar-Nominated “The Fire Inside” from “Flamin’ Hot” During Oscars

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Becky G brings the fire to the 2024 Oscars…

The 27-year-old Mexican American rapper/singer performed “The Fire Inside,” the Academy Award nominated track from the Eva Longoria-directed film Flamin’ Hot, at Sunday’s Oscars.

Becky GDiane Warren penned the inspirational track for the film about Richard Montañez, the Frito-Lay janitor who became an executive after inventing Flamin’ Hot Cheetos.

Ahead of the ceremony at the Dolby Theater, Longoria talked about the excitement her directorial debut getting some recognition at the Academy Awards.

“I have goosebumps. I can’t believe it. I can because Diane Warren wrote the song, so she’s a genius and Becky G is a genius,” Longoria told Laverne Cox on Live from E! red carpet coverage. “Their performance tonight… You will never be more proud to be a Latino and a Chicano, but Becky’s thought and love that she put into this performance tonight is going to blow everybody away. She has some special guest from Inglewood.”

She continued, “We don’t ever get this platform. We, people of color, we don’t really get this stage. We wanted to bring our whole community with us tonight. We wanted to thank everybody for watching the movie [and] making it a success.”

Flamin’ Hot starred Jesse García as Richard Montañez and the cast included Annie González, Emilio Rivera, Vanessa Martínez, Hunter Jones, Dennis Haysbert, Tony Shalhoub, Pepe Serna, Bobby Soto, Jimmy Gonzales, Matt Walsh and Brice Gonzalez.

Gato Grande Options Ana Reyes’ “The House in the Pines” for Television Development

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Ana Reyes’ acclaimed work is getting the Hollywood treatment…

Gato Grande, an Amazon MGM Studios company, has optioned the rights to the Latina New York Times bestselling author’s novel The House in the Pines, for television development.

Ana Reyes

The psychological thriller centers on a woman, who armed with only hazy memories, long ago witnessed her friend’s sudden death and has since spent her life trying to forget, sets out to track down answers. What she uncovers, deep in the woods, is hardly to be believed.

The House in the Pines was on the New York Times Bestseller list for over two months, and was a pick for Reese’s Book Club when it was published in January 2023.

Forbes magazine named it one of the top five bestselling fiction titles of the first half of 2023.

House in the PinesThe House in the Pines is Reyes’ debut novel. She has a Master of Fine Arts from Louisiana State University and teaches creative writing.

Gato Grande, an Amazon MGM Studios company, is a bi-cultural production company in Los Angeles and Mexico City focused on developing premium content that elevates Latino voices for mainstream markets.

Gato Grande mines unique stories, talent, and IP from across cultures with the expertise needed to sell in Latin America and the U.S.

The House in the Pines paperback will be released on December 5, 2023.

America Ferrara to Receive Groundbreaker Award at Critics Choice Association’s Celebration of Cinema & Television: Honoring Black, Latino and AAPI Achievements

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America Ferrara is receiving a special Critics Choice honor…

The 39-year-old Honduran American Golden Globe– and Emmy-winning actress is among the honorees for the Critics Choice Association’s Celebration of Cinema & Television: Honoring Black, Latino and AAPI Achievements.

America FerreraHosted by Nicco Annan, the event is slated for December 4 at the Fairmont Century Plaza.

Unlike last year, when the CCA held separate ceremonies for Black, Latino and AAPI Achievements, this year, because of the strikes, the CCA is presenting a one-time-only combination show, featuring more than 20 honorees who created some of this year’s most acclaimed films and television shows.

“For the last few years, the CCA has hosted individual Celebrations of Black, Latino and AAPI Cinema & Television. CCA will return to individual shows in 2024, but doing this special celebration allows us to continue the CCA’s tradition of supporting inclusion and creativity in our industry,” said CCA CEO Joey Berlin. “I am extremely proud to recognize this diverse group of honorees together on this one special night.”

This year’s honorees include:

Emmy Award-winning actor and producer Edward James Olmos who will receive the Icon Award for his incredible career including Zoot Suit, Selena, Stand and Deliver, Blade Runner, Miami Vice and most recently FX’s Mayans M.C.

Emmy Award-winning actress, producer and advocate Sheryl Lee Ralph will receive the Career Achievement Award for her extensive work in film & television with over 100 credits including ABC’s Abbott Elementary as well as Instant Mom, Ray Donovan, Moesha, Sister Act 2: Back in the Habit, Mistress, The Distinguished Gentlemen and To Sleep with Anger.

The Comedy Trailblazer Award will be bestowed upon comedian and actor Ken Jeong, whose notable credits include The Masked Singer, The Afterparty, Community, Crazy Rich Asians, I Can See Your Voice and The Hangover franchise.

Emmy Award-winning actor Jeffrey Wright will be honored with the Visionary Award for his performance in Orion Pictures/Amazon MGM Studios’ American Fiction.

Emmy- and SAG Award-winning actress America Ferrara will accept the Groundbreaker Award for her performances in Warner Bros.’ Barbie and Sony Pictures/Black Bear Pictures’ Dumb Money.

Oscar-nominated Charles D. King will receive the Producer Award for his most recent work on Netflix’s They Cloned Tyrone.

Award-winning director, producer, actress and advocate Eva Longoria will be recognized with the Breakthrough Director Award (Film) for her feature directorial debut, Searchlight Pictures’ Flamin’ Hot.

Greta Lee will receive the Actress Award (Film) for her performance in A24’s film Past Lives, while Colman Domingo will be recognized with the Actor Award (Film) for his performance in Netflix’s Rustin.

The Ensemble Award will be awarded to Taraji P. Henson, Danielle Brooks, Fantasia Barrino, H.E.R., Halle Bailey, Phylicia Pearl Mpasi, Domingo and Corey Hawkins for their performances in Warner Bros.’ The Color Purple.

Actress Da’Vine Joy Randolph will be honored with the Supporting Actress Award (Film) for her performance in Focus Features’ The Holdovers.

Emmy-nominated narrative filmmaker and documentarian Allen Hughes will be celebrated with the Documentary Series Award for his work directing FX’s Dear Mama.

Oscar-nominated filmmaker and playwright Kemp Powers will be honored with the Animation Award for his directorial work on Sony Pictures’ film Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse.

Animator and filmmaker Makoto Shinkai will accept the International Animation Award for Crunchyroll/Sony Pictures’ film Suzume.

Actor and producer Damson Idris will receive the Actor Award (TV) for his performance in FX’s Snowfall.

Current Emmy-nominated actress and comedian Jessica Williams will be recognized with the Supporting Actress Award (TV) for her performance in Apple TV+’s Shrinking.

Actor Oscar Montoya will be honored with the Supporting Actor Award (TV) for his performance in Starz’s Minx.

Breakthrough Performance Awards will be bestowed upon Teyana Taylor for her performance in Focus Features’ A Thousand and One, Emmy-nominee Camila Morrone for her performance in Prime Video’s Daisy Jones & The Six, and Charles Melton for his performance in Netflix’s May December.

Current multiple Emmy-nominated director and writer Lee Sung Jin will be honored with the Breakthrough Director Award (TV) for his work on Netflix’s series Beef.

Receiving the Rising Star Awards will be Xolo Mariduena for his performance in Warner Bros.’ The Blue Beetle, and current Emmy nominee Keivonn Woodard for his performance in HBO’s The Last of Us.

A&E Orders Docuseries “The Chicano Squad” About Jim Montero & His Historic Houston PD Homicide Unit

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The work of Jim Montero and his squad is headed to television…

A&E has given a green light to The Chicano Squad (working title), a four-hour docuseries chronicling the U.S.’s first all-Latino homicide unit dedicated to tackling Houston’s soaring Latino homicide rate in 1979.

The Chicano SquadThe series is slated for premiere sometime in 2024.

The Chicano Squad is produced by Jupiter Entertainment and Bender Brown Productions for A&E.

Developed for Jupiter by Chris Spry, The Chicano Squad tells the story of the men who for the next three decades would earn the trust of the community and the department, becoming one of the most highly decorated law enforcement units in the history of Houston. Their story will be told by through first-hand accounts of the original squad members and those impacted by their work.

“The Chicano Squad were a groundbreaking group of law enforcement officers who broke down barriers and served their community with distinction,” said Elaine Frontain Bryant, Executive Vice President and Head of Programming for A&E. “This documentary will tell the untold story of the Chicano Squad, from their humble beginnings to their trailblazing work building trust between the police and the communities they served.”

Decades of disregard and corruption inside the Houston Police Department led to widespread police brutality and hundreds of unsolved homicides in the city’s Latin neighborhoods. One officer –Montero – has a vision to form a unit uniquely designed to solve them. In 1979, Montero and five bilingual Mexican American department rookies were given just 90 days to solve all open Latin murder cases, regain the trust of the community, and assist in any new crimes involving Spanish-speaking people.

With no prior homicide experience, unchecked racism and discrimination at all levels of the department, a corrupt police union, the highest crime rate in the country, and an immigrant community that is distrustful of the police, this first–of-its-kind unit of crime fighters lacked experience in homicide investigation and were forced to learn on the job. After 90 days, The Chicano Squad members ultimately proved they belonged and successfully cleared 80% of their cases. What started as an experiment became a permanent and crucial part of Houston Police Department.

Featuring new interviews with original members of the group, including Montero, Jose Selvera, Raymond Gonzalez, U.P. Hernandez and Cecil Mosqueda, the documentary series will explore how these men revolutionized community policing and went on to be an integral division in the Houston Police Department for decades, serving as the inspiration for other squads around the country.

Mario Diaz serves as showrunner, director, and executive producer.

A+E Networks holds worldwide distribution rights.

Kali Uchis Teams Up with El Alfa & City Girls’ JT to Release New Single “Muñequita”

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Kali Uchis is getting all dolled up…

The 29-year-old Colombian American singer/songwriter has joined voices with El Alfa and JT of City Girls to release the sultry new single “Muñequita.”

Kali Uchis

Each bring their dynamic energy to kick off a new summer anthem.

“I love bringing artists together that you’d least expect,” said the Grammy winner in a press release. “El Alfa is a Latino legend and JT is someone I’ve admired forever. Both of them are known for their summer hits and high energy, so I’m incredibly excited to bring them together for a fun, sexy song like this.”

Produced by Mazzarri and FABV, “Muñequita” is the first single that will lead to Kali Uchis’ upcoming Spanish-language album.

The singer recently wrapped up the first leg of her sold-out Red Moon In Venus national tour.

Johnny Sibilly Signs with Creative Artists Agency (CAA)

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Johnny Sibilly has new representation…

The 35-year-old Cuban & Dominican American actor has signed with Creative Artists Agency (CAA).

Johnny SibillyBest known for his role as Wilson on the first two seasons of HBO Max’s Emmy-winning comedy series Hacks, Sibilly will return for Season 3 this year.

Sibilly previously starred as Noah Hernandez in the Peacock Original series, Queer As Folk.

He has also appeared opposite CAA client Billy Porter in the FX series Pose, and alongside CAA client Liza Koshy in YouTube’s Liza On Demand.

As a content creator, Sibilly is a fervent advocate for LGBTQ+ and Latino rights, growing a considerable social following as a result of his progressive and comedic voice that includes his popular online character, “Julissa.”

He has also partnered with brands including Viktor&Rolf, AT&T, 21 Seeds, Smirnoff, Abercrombie & Fitch, Nissan, Oculus and Bonobos.

John Leguizamo to Receive Impact Award at This Year’s Miami Film Festival

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John Leguizamo is being honored for his impact…

The 62-year-old Colombian actor, comedian and film producer will receive the Miami Film Festival‘s Impact Award on March 11.

John LeguizamoLeguizamo’s new MSNBC series Leguizamo Does America will screen ahead of the award presentation. The festival’s upcoming 40th edition runs from March 3-12.

Leguizamo has more than 75 film, theater and television credits, including Romeo + Juliet, Moulin Rouge!, Summer of Sam and as the voice of Bruno on Encanto. Most recently, he co-starred in Mark Mylod’s film The Menu.

The Emmy winner is next set to star alongside Toni Collette in Prime Video’s The Power.

Following his MFF Impact award, Leguizamo will premiere his directorial debut, Critical Thinking, at the 2023 SXSW Film Festival. In addition to his Emmy award, Leguizamo has received a Drama Desk award and a special Tony award for his one-man show, Latin History for Morons.

Leguizamo Does America follows the actor as he travels from San Juan, Puerto Rico to East Los Angeles while making a few surprising stops along the way. In addition to celebrating and honoring Latino history, culture and food, Leguizamo will speak with Latino actors, the Latino immigrants who transformed the city of Chicago, as well as the indigenous people of Puerto Rico. Leguizamo Does America will premiere on MSNBC on April 16 at 10 p.m.

In addition to Leguizamo, the Miami Film Festival will honor Nicolas Cage with the Variety Legend & Groundbreaker Award, Diego Luna with the Variety Virtuoso Award and Nicholas Britell with Art of Light Composer Award, presented by Alacran Group.

The complete Miami Film Festival program is available at miamifilmfestival.com.

Carlos V. Gutierrez’s “Barton Creek” Biopic One Step Closer to Production

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Carlos V. Gutierrez is one set closer to beginning work on his next project…

Producer John Martinez O’Felan has secured financing and set his next project, Barton Creek, a Latino-led and LatinX inclusive feature biopic written and directed by the award-winning Cuban-American director.

Carlos V. Gutierrez,,The feature follows the triumphant life story of Cuban political exile and innocence project participant Carlos Lavernia, who was wrongfully convicted to life in prison and spent 15 years behind bars before being proven innocent.

Lavernia is a Havana-born immigrant and former Cuban soldier imprisoned in Fidel Castro’s Cuba before being sent on the Mariel Boatlift of 1980 to live in the U.S in exile. While in his early 30’s, he settled in Austin, Texas, where he began his new life. After hanging out at a local landmark known as the Barton Springs Pool area, an area hot-spot known for day drinking at the time, Lavernia finds himself questioned by authorities for predatory crimes based on his racial identity. Having issues with PTSD from his past life, Lavernia has a manic episode during questioning, leading to greater suspicion. With a police sketch as the only key evidence, Lavernia is arrested and detained. After inadequate representation by a court-appointed attorney, he was convicted to life in prison based on the color of his skin and his lack of proper English.

Throughout his 15-year conviction, Lavernia maintained his innocence and methodically taught himself English and gained knowledge of the legal system in the prison’s law library, self-representing yearly appeals to only meet rejection until 1999, when he eventually wrote Johnny Cochran, which led to an introduction to Barry Scheck, Lavernia’s case was finally reopened for DNA evidence review, new technology at the time, and overseen by Barry Scheck and the Innocence Project.

During the review process, his legal team discovered that the evidence used in Lavernia’s case, which was supposed to be destroyed, was somehow lodged in a file cabinet and preserved — a miracle that led to Lavernia’s exoneration, making national and international headlines, only for Lavernia to later wait in holding for five more years while the U.S Immigration office cleared his green card status, to avoid being sent back to Cuba.

O’Felan, under his Mankind Entertainment banner, and Gutierrez will produce through Rite of Passage Pictures LLC, a new Austin, Texas-based shingle set up with local entrepreneur Jay Lamy, to develop stories based on human struggles that are inspiring, enlightening, or encouraging through their central characters.

O’Felan says, “Beyond the wrongful conviction based on racial profiling, Mr. Lavernia’s life journey represents a greater humility and perseverance which leads to good overpowering evil. Coming from a Latin American country, His story offers a crucial representation of the struggles of Latino history in 1980s America, and stories like these are inspiring and essential and need to be heard.”

Casting on Barton Creek is now underway with an eye toward fast-tracking production in Austin and Colombia in early 2023.

Gutierrez is a Miami-born Cuban-American filmmaker who attended film school at Tufts University, where he was awarded a Graduate Fellowship to New York University’s Master Film Program. While at NYU, he won the DGA Student Film Awards for Best Latino Filmmaker and the Grand Prize in the HBO Latino Film Festival Short Film Contest. He was honored by the AMPTP with a Student Academy Award nomination for his short film Wet Foot, Dry Foot, leading his work to become selected and win the Showtime Network’s Latino Filmmaker’s showcase. Gutierrez’s feature indie film debut Locked In starred Mena Suvari and was released by Saban Films / Paramount, and recently wrapped his second feature Stay Safe, which is currently in post-production.

Wilmer Valderrama Partners with John Pollak to Launch Latino Talent Agency ‘Allied Management Group’

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Wilmer Valderrama is hoping to expand Latino voices in Hollywood.

The 42-year-old Venezuelan and Colombian American actor, producer and activist has joined forces with former NBCUniversal executive John Pollak to launch Allied Management Group.

Wilmer Valderrama The company is focused on partnering with, collaborating, and representing new and existing Latino voices across traditional and digital media.

Pollak and Valderrama are co-founders and co-owners of L.A.-based AMG.

After two decades in the entertainment business as both a global distribution head and producer, Pollak will oversee day-to-day operations.

Clients include Dhana Media, the company led by producers Mari Urdaneta and Liliana Moyano who are behind Amazon’s scripted series Maradona: Blessed Dream and Univision’s The Jenni Rivera Story, Tuti Loor, showrunner of CNN’s Searching for Mexico with Eva Longoria, and L Word writer Maria Renee Prudencio.

Valderrama is the latest actor to make the move into management; last year, Kenan Thompson launched Artists for Artists and formed a joint venture with McKeon/Myones Entertainment.

“Latino talent has traditionally been relegated to the Latin American arm of major Hollywood companies but thanks to an exciting industry shift bolstered by the rise of global streaming platforms, they are now a major part of the general US market. Our mission will be to champion current talent and discover new voices who can help create content that is relatable to all audiences including the 200% demographic – consumers who see themselves as both 100% American and 100% Latino,” Pollak told Deadline.

Added Valderrama, “As a community, it is vital that we see ourselves on screen – it shapes both how we see ourselves and how others see us. However, the reality is that there’s an undeniable void of authentic stories being told by Latino voices and through the perspective of our creators. I am so excited to partner with John and the rest of the AMG team. Together we will discover and cultivate new voices, and help our talent deliver fresh, authentic Latino storytelling to audiences in the US and around the globe.

AMG’s roster of clients includes the following Latino creators:

Dhana Media (Maradona: Blessed Dream/Amazon; The Jenni Rivera Story/Univision), led by producers Mari Urdaneta and Liliana Moyano;
Crea84U (Borrego/Paramount), led by producers Monica Gil-Rodriguez and Julie and Phantoms’ Jaime Aymerich;
TDO (Rebelde/Netflix; Corazón Contento/Amazon) led by producer Paulette Bensussen;
Writer Maria Renee Prudencio (L Word/Showtime);
Writer Ricardo Avilez Mozota (Las Vocales/Vix; Fake/Netflix; El Galan/Disney);
Writer/Director Marcelo Tobar (Ana/Pantaya; Amarres/HBO Max; and
upcoming No Culpes al Karma/Netflix);
Director Alejandro Hartmann (Carmel: Who Killed Maria Marta?/Netflix);
Showrunner Tuti Loor (Searching for Mexico with Eva Longoria/CNN; Now and
Then/Apple TV);
Showrunner Moira Noriega (Ultimate BeastMaster/Netflix; Essential Heroes: A Momento
Latino Event/CBS Special; Treasure Truck/Nickelodeon);
Author Andrew Paxman (Jenkins of Mexico; El Tigre: Emilio Azcárraga y su imperio
Televisa with co-author Claudia Fernández)

New projects and clients will be announced in the coming weeks.

Edward James Olmos to Take Part in Biden Inaugural Committee’s “Latino Inaugural 2021: Inheritance, Resilience, and Promise” Event

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Edward James Olmos is preparing to celebrate the resilience and promise of the Latino community in the United States…

President-elect Joe Biden’s inaugural committee has announced a Tuesday night event, featuring the 73-year-old Mexican American actor, director, producer, and activist, that shines a spotlight on the Latino community.

Edward James Olmos

Entitled Latino Inaugural 2021: Inheritance, Resilience, and Promise, the event will be hosted by Eva Longoria.

It will feature appearances by Olmos, Lin-Manuel Miranda, John Leguizamo, Rita Moreno, Ivy Queen and Becky G.

There also will be performances from Gilberto Santa Rosa and Gaby Moreno, featuring David Garza, Emilio Estefan and All-Star Tejanos United – Stefani Montiel, Jose Posada, Shelly Lares, DJ Kane and Mariachi Nuevo Santander from Roma High School.

Emilio Estefan produced a performance of One World, One Prayer by the Wailers, featuring Skip Marley, Farruko, Shaggy and Cedella Marley.

The event will take palace on Tuesday, January 19 at 9:30 pm ET

 

It’s part of a series of events that will highlight the nation’s diversity, including the AAPI Inaugural Ball: Breaking Barriers, celebrating the Asian American and Pacific Islander communities; and We Are One, celebrating Black Americans.