Patricia Cardoso to Take Part in Ava DuVernay’s ARRAY 360 Conversation & Screening Series

Posted on July 27, 2024 by Tom Castaneda

Patricia Cardoso is part of an array of Hollywood talent opening up about their work.

The Colombian filmmaker will participate in Ava DuVernay’s ARRAY 360 conversation and screening series, which is back for a fifth year.

In addition to Cardoso, the event will feature participation by Bill Duke and Ed Zwick over the next two months.

Starting on August 3, Cardoso will be kicking off the 2024 program at ARRAY’s Creative Campus in LA’s Historic Filipinotown with a screening of her Sundance Film Festival award winning 2002 film Real Women Have Curves.

The director, who helmed a May 30, 2018 episode of the DuVernay created OWN TV series Queen Sugar, will provide live commentary on the acclaimed picture for the Scene on Screen event.

Tickets for all the screenings and conversations are free, with registration starting 14 days before each event. So , go here to ARRAYPLAY to get those Real Women Have Curves tickets now.

Here’s the full ARRAY 360 schedule:

August 3
Scene on Screen with Patricia Cardoso
Live director commentary featuring REAL WOMEN HAVE CURVES (2002)

August 17
ARRAY Maestro: A Filmmaker Tribute for Bill Duke
Showcasing A RAGE IN HARLEM (1991), HOODLUM (1997) and DEEP COVER (1992) with a special fireside chat with Mr. Duke moderated by Ava DuVernay

September 14
Scene on Screen with Ed Zwick
Live director commentary featuring GLORY (1990)

September 28
Liberated Lit: Films for Banned Book Week featuring marathon screenings of Francis Ford Coppola’s THE OUTSIDERS (1983), Ang Lee’s BROKEBACK MOUNTAIN (2005) and Spike Lee’s MALCOLM X (1992)

September 29
Reel Retro: A Spotlight on Silent Cinema featuring the work of Black 7-27artists and activists.

Sergio Trujillo to Direct & Choreograph The Broadway-Bound “Studio 54 The Musical”

Posted on June 27, 2024 by Tom Castaneda

It’s a disco inferno for Sergio Trujillo…

The 61-year-old Colombian Tony Award-winning theater director, choreographer, dancer and actor will direct and choreograph the Broadway-bound Studio 54 The Musical.

Producers Robert Greenblatt and Neil Meron are developing the new work with a book by Chad Hodge.

The musical, which will feature a full playlist of hits from the disco era, will trace “the astonishing ascent and sudden downfall of the most legendary club in nightlife history.”

“Neil Meron and I started talking about the amazing story of Studio 54 as a possible series years ago,” said Greenblatt in an exclusive statement to Deadline, “but we finally came to our senses and realized we had the perfect musical right under our noses.”

Add Meron, “And with book writer Chad Hodge and the incredible Sergio Trujillo, who came of age during the disco dance craze in Toronto and New York, we have the perfect team to bring it to life.”

Casting details and production schedule are to be announced.

The synopsis: “In staggeringly short order, two scrappy impresarios turned an abandoned west side theater into the hottest club in the history of New York– utterly transforming music, nightlife, and celebrity culture in the process. It also transformed the lives of everyone who made it past the door, whether for one extraordinary night or every night. Until it all abruptly came to an end. Studio 54 The Musical will bring audiences past the velvet rope and into a world of unfathomable decadence, set to the thumping sound of the most iconic disco hits of the 1970s and populated by a cast of unforgettable characters, all having the time of their lives. Welcome to Studio 54.”

The legendary disco nightclub was opened by Steve Rubell and Ian Schrager in 1977 and quickly become a cultural sensation. Andy Warhol, Liza Minnelli, Truman Capote, Bianca Jagger and countless other celebrities made the venue their nighttime home-away-from-home, along with New York City’s most fabulous collection of gay, straight and trans nightclubbers. The club on West 54th Street in Manhattan is currently a Broadway theater operated by the Roundabout Theatre Company.

Trujillo has an impressive roster of Broadway credits, including Ain’t Too Proud, Memphis, Jersey Boys, The Addams Family, On Your Feet! and Summer: The Donna Summer Musical.

He was most recently Director/Choreographer of the new musical Real Women Have Curves, which debuted at American Repertory Theatre, and he served as choreographer for the upcoming movie musical Kiss of the Spider Woman starring Jennifer Lopez.

He was Emmy-nominated for his choreography for NBC’s Annie Live!

Patricia Cardoso Elected to Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences’ Board of Governors

Posted on June 10, 2024 by Tom Castaneda

Patricia Cardoso is ready to help govern…

The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences has announced its 2024-25 Board of Governors, with the Colombian filmmaker among those earning a seat.

Cardoso, best known for iconic film Real Women Have Curves, is among the list of new first-time governors.

In 2020, the award-winning filmmaker became the first Latina director to be included in the National Film Registry at the Library of Congress after her groundbreaking film “Real Women Have Curves” was added to the registry.

She was elected to the Directors Branch.

Jennifer Fox, who has produced the past several Governors Awards ceremonies, was elected governor of the Producers Branch.

Leaving the board from those positions are current Directors Branch Governor Susanne Bier and Producers Governor Jennifer Todd.

Other first-timers named today are K.K. Barrett for Production Designers, Chris Tashima for Short Films and Andy Nelson for the Sound Branch. Returning to the board after a hiatus is Lois Burwell from Makeup and Hairstylists branch.

Here are the incumbent governors re-elected to the 2024-25 board:

Rita Wilson, Actors Branch
Kim Taylor-Coleman, Casting Directors Branch
Paul Cameron, Cinematographers Branch
Eduardo Castro, Costume Designers Branch
Jean Tsien, Documentary Branch
Pam Abdy, Executives Branch
Terilyn A. Shropshire, Film Editors Branch
Laura C. Kim, Marketing and Public Relations Branch
Lesley Barber, Music Branch
Brooke Breton, Visual Effects Branch
Howard A. Rodman, Writers Branch

They will join returning governors Wendy Aylsworth, Dion Beebe, Howard Berger, Jason Blum, Rob Bredow, Ruth E. Carter, Megan Colligan, Paul Debevec, Peter Devlin, David I. Dinerstein, Ava DuVernay, Linda Flowers, Charles Fox, DeVon Franklin, Rodrigo García, Richard Gibbs, Donna Gigliotti, Jinko Gotoh, Chris Hegedus, Richard Hicks, Lynette Howell Taylor, Kalina Ivanov, Simon Kilmurry, Ellen Kuras, Marlee Matlin, Hannah Minghella, Daniel Orlandi, Missy Parker, Lou Diamond Phillips, Jason Reitman, Nancy Richardson, Stephen Rivkin, Eric Roth, Dana Stevens, Mark P. Stoeckinger, Marlon West, Janet Yang and Debra Zane.

As a result of this election, the 55-member Board comprises 53% women and 27% belonging to an underrepresented racial or ethnic group.

The Academy has 19 branches, each represented by three governors, except for the recently established Animation Branch, represented by two governors; the recently established Short Films Branch, represented by one governor; and the Production and Technology Branch, represented by one governor. Governors, including the board-appointed governors-at-large, may serve up to two three-year terms (consecutive or non-consecutive), followed by a two-year hiatus, after which eligibility renews for up to two additional three-year terms for a lifetime maximum of 12 years.

America Ferrera to Receive SeeHer Award at This Year’s Critics Choice Awards

Posted on December 18, 2023 by Tom Castaneda

America Ferrera has earned a special honor…

The 39-year-old Honduran American award-winning actress will receive the annual SeeHer Award at the 29th annual Critics Choice Awards during next month’s ceremony.

The award honors a woman who advocates for gender equality, portrays characters with authenticity, defies stereotypes and pushes boundaries.

Previous recipients include Viola Davis, Gal Gadot, Claire Foy, Kristen Bell, Zendaya, Halle Berry and Janelle Monáe in 2023.

Ferrera had a huge year co-starring in the year’s biggest box office blockbuster, Warner Bros’ Barbie, as well as Dumb Money. She received the Groundbreaker Award earlier this month at the Critics Choice Association’s Celebration of Cinema & Television: Honoring Black, Latino and AAPI Achievements.

She’s also was nominated for the Critics Choice supporting actress award as part of Barbie’s haul of a leading 18 nominations. Winners will be revealed in a ceremony set to air January 14 on the CW with Chelsea Handler hosting.

Ferrera, an Emmy winner for Ugly Betty, has acting credits that include Real Women Have Curves, The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants and Superstore. She also directed and executive produced both Superstore as well as Netflix’s Gentefied, and she is making her feature directoral debut with the adaptation of the bestselling novel I Am Not Your Perfect Mexican Daughter.

As an activist, Ferrera helped launch Poderistas, a digital lifestyle community and nonprofit to empower Latinas, and Harness, a community of artists, influencers and leaders focused on art and storytelling that creates a more equitable world.

She has been a keynote speaker at the Democratic National Convention and March for Our Lives among other events.

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

Posted on July 18, 2023 by Tom Castaneda

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.

The 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.

America Ferrera to Make Feature Directorial Debut with “I Am Not Your Perfect Mexican Daughter” Film Adaptation

Posted on February 24, 2021 by Tom Castaneda

America Ferrera is headed behind the lens…

The 36-year-old Honduran American Emmy– and Golden Globe-winning actress will make her feature directorial debut with an adaptation of the New York Times bestselling novel, I Am Not Your Perfect Mexican Daughter by author Erika Sánchez, who will serve as a co-producer on the film.

Anonymous Content and MACRO are producing the film, which will be released on Netflix.

Linda Yvette Chávez, the co-creator behind the Netflix and MACRO series, Gentefied, adapted the screenplay. Anonymous Content optioned the rights to the book under the company’s first-look deal with Aevitas Creative Management.

Released in 2017, the story follows Julia Reyes, the precocious and strong-willed teenaged daughter of first-generation Mexican immigrants. She often clashes with her more traditional parents, who wish she were more like her sister Olga, the platonic ideal of a Mexican daughter. However, when Olga is killed in a tragic accident, it is up to Julia to hold her family together.

“Years ago, I fell in love with Erika L. Sánchez’ stunning novel, I Am Not Your Perfect Mexican Daughter,” said Ferrera. “The depth, wit and searing intelligence of her writing, and her young Latina heroine, struck me to my core and left me wanting so much more. I am truly honored and humbled to direct Linda Yvette Chávez’s beautifully adapted screenplay. The opportunity to direct the work of these two incredibly talented Latina writers is a dream come true. I can’t wait to share this film with the many fans of the novel, and to introduce this funny, profound, and resonant story to the world.”

Ferrera rose to acclaim as a headstrong young Latina in Real Women Have Curves. She would later go on to win an Emmy and Golden Globe for her role as Betty Suarez on the ABC series Ugly Betty, which ran for four seasons. She can currently be seen in the sixth and final season of the NBC comedy, Superstore.

Ferrera Among 683 Stars Invited to Become Members of The Academy

Posted on June 30, 2016 by Tom Castaneda

America Ferrera is joining the Academy…

The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences has invited a record 683 people to joins its ranks, including the 32-year-old Honduran American actress, more than double last year’s 322 invitees.

Best known for her Golden Globe-, Screen Actors Guild Award and Emmy-winning role on ABC’s Ugly Betty, Ferrera has also starred in several acclaimed films including Real Women Have Curves, Under the Same Moon, End of Watch, Cesar Chavez and Lords of Dogtown.

The Academy was careful to include a breakdown by gender and race, with the new list comprising of 46% women, including Girl in Progess star Eva Mendes and Fast & Furious star Michelle Rodriguez, and 41% people of color, including Luis Guzman, Oscar Isaac and Spanish director J.A. Bayona.

“We’re proud to welcome these new members to the Academy and know they view this as an opportunity and not just an invitation — a mission and not just a membership,” Academy president Cheryl Boone Isaacs said in a statement. “This class continues our long-term commitment to welcoming extraordinary talent reflective of those working in film today. We encourage the larger creative community to open its doors wider and create opportunities for anyone interested in working in this incredible and storied industry.”

The new invitees include 28 Oscar winners, range in age from 24 to 91 and represent 59 countries.

Other Latinos invited to join AMPAS include Enrique Castillo, Sal Lopez, Marisa Paredes, Jacob Vargas, Daphne Zuniga, Ciro Guerra and Nicole Garcia.

Check out the complete list here.

Ferrera Signs with Creative Artists Agency (CAA)

Posted on January 19, 2014 by Tom Castaneda

It’s official! America Ferrera is a creative artist…

The 29-year-old Honduran American actress and former Ugly Betty star has officially signed with the Creative Artists Agency (CAA).

Before making move, Ferrera had been with ICM Partners for the past two-and-a-half years and had previously worked with Endeavor/WME.

Following her breakthrough performance in the indie drama Real Women Have Curves, Ferrera rose to superstar status on television as the lead of the ABC dramedy Ugly Betty, which earned her an Emmy and a Golden Globe.

Most recently, she has appeared in a recurring role on CBS’ drama The Good Wife.

For most of the past three years, since the series end of Ugly Betty, Ferrera had been focused on features and finishing college as her USC studies were interrupted by her casting on the ABC series.

Ferrera is attached to star in and executive produce Damascus, a one-hour drama set at CBS with put pilot commitment. Penned by Nick Osborne, it tells the story of a crusading nun (Ferrera) who practices law on behalf of the less fortunate.

Ferrera’s feature credits also include Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants and How To Train Your Dragon franchises, as well as the upcoming Cesar Chavez: An America Hero.

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