Canelo Alvarez Named an Executive Producer on “The Long Game”

Canelo Alvarez is embracing his artistic side…

The 33-year-old Mexican boxing great and entrepreneur will serve as an executive producer on the film, The Long Game, which earned the SXSW Narrative Spotlight Audience Award in 2023.

Canelo AlvarezThe feature, directed by Julio Quintana, opens in theaters nationwide on April 12.

The Long Game, inspired by the book Mustang Miracle written by Humberto G. Garcia, follows the true story of five young Mexican American caddies in 1955 who created their own golf course in the middle of the South Texas brush country. Despite outdated and inferior equipment and no professional instruction to begin with, they would go on to compete against wealthy, all-white teams and win the 1957 Texas State High School Golf Championship.

It stars Jay Hernandez, Dennis Quaid, Cheech Marin, Julian Works, Paulina Chavez, Jaina Lee Ortiz, Brett Cullen and Oscar Nuñez. Quintana penned the script alongside Jennifer C. Stetson and Paco Farias.

The Guadalajara-born boxing star is an avid golfer himself and has his golf apparel line “No Golf, No Life” collection.

“From the first time I saw The Long Game I was inspired to give whatever support was needed. I connected with The Long Game on so many levels and I am excited for the public to know more about true stories within the history of sports that haven’t been told.” Alvarez tells Deadline in a statement.

He added, “I’m proud to be part of a team that is sharing the story of five Mexican-Americans with determination, drive and passion to create their own journey. This film is an inspiration for the golf community and the world.”

Mucho Mas Media and Bonniedale Entertainment teamed up to release the film in theaters.

“We are thrilled to have Canelo come on board The Long Game and bring his insight, passion and voice to help get the word out about this powerful and inspirational movie. Not unlike the film, Canelo’s journey is symbolic of a true underdog story,” shared MMM Co-Founder Javier Chapa.

Eva Longoria’s “Flamin’ Hot” Among SXSW Film & TV Festival Audience Award Winners

Eva Longoria’s latest project is a flamin’ hot hit in Texas…

The 48-year-old Mexican American actress, producer and director’s directorial debut feature Flamin’ Hot was among the audience award winners revealed Monday for the 31st SXSW Film & TV Festival.

Eva LongoriaFlamin’ Hot, which stars Jesse Garcia in the sometimes true tale of the man behind the “flamin’ hot”-branded chip revolution, was named the Audience Award winner in the festival’s Headliners section. The film, from Searchlight Pictureswill debut June 9 on both Hulu and Disney+.

Julio Quintana’s The Long Game won for Narrative Spotlight, Rocío Mesa’s Tobacco Barns won the Visions Audience Award Winner prize.

Today’s awards were handed out across 10 film lineups, three Episodic sections for TV content and six short film sidebars.

Among the TV-side winners is the Season 2 premiere of Rafael Casal’s Starz’s Blindspotting was tapped as best of in TV Spotlight.

RELATED: SXSW 2023: All Of Deadline’s Movie Reviews

Here’s the complete list of Audience Awards winners:

Film Program

HEADLINERS
Audience Award Winner: Flamin’ Hot
Director: Eva Longoria; Producer: DeVon Franklin; Screenwriters: Linda Yvette Chávez, Lewis Colick

NARRATIVE FEATURE COMPETITION
Audience Award Winner: 
Mustache
Director/Screenwriter: Imran J. Khan; Producers: Christina Won, Jessica Sittig, Christopher Storer, Tyson Bidner

DOCUMENTARY FEATURE COMPETITION
Audience Award Winner: Geoff McFetridge: Drawing a Life
Director/Producer: Dan Covert; Screenwriters: Erik Auli, Dan Covert, Amy Dempsey, Tara Rose Stromberg

NARRATIVE SPOTLIGHT
Audience Award Winner: 
The Long Game
Director: Julio Quintana; Producers: Javier Chapa, Ben Howard, Marla Quintana, Dennis Quaid, Laura Quaid; Screenwriters: Julio Quintana, Jennifer C. Stetson, Paco Farias

DOCUMENTARY SPOTLIGHT
Audience Award Winner: 
The Herricanes
Director: Olivia Kuan; Producers: James Lee Hernandez, Brian Lazarte, Lisa France, James Short, Olivia Kuan, Justin Baldoni, Andrew Calof

VISIONS
Audience Award Winner: 
Tobacco Barns
Director/Screenwriter: Rocío Mesa; Producers: Olmo Figueredo González-Quevedo

MIDNIGHTERS
Audience Award Winner: 
It Lives Inside
Director: Bishal Dutta; Producers: Raymond Mansfield, Sean McKittrick; Screenwriters: Bishal Dutta, Ashish Mehta

GLOBAL
Audience Award Winner: 
Ek Jagah Apni
Directors: Ektara Collective; Producers: Ektara Collective, Lotus Visual Productions; Screenwriters: Rinchin, Maheen Mirza

24 BEATS PER SECOND
Audience Award Winner: Louder Than You Think
Director: Jed I. Rosenberg; Producers: Jeffrey Lewis Clark, Brian Thalken, Kelly Thomas; Screenwriters: Jed I. Rosenberg, Greg King

FESTIVAL FAVORITES 
Audience Award Winner: No Ordinary Campaign
Director: Christopher Burke; Producer: Tim Rummel, Christopher Burke

Shorts Film Program

NARRATIVE SHORTS COMPETITION
Audience Award Winner: Closing Dynasty
Director/Screenwriter: Lloyd Lee Choi; Producers: Jon Hsu, Lloyd Lee Choi

DOCUMENTARY SHORTS COMPETITION
Audience Award Winner: Nǎi Nai & Wài Pó (Grandma & Grandma)
Director: Sean Wang; Producers: Sean Wang, Sam Davis

ANIMATED SHORTS COMPETITION
Audience Award Winner: Sandwich Cat
Director/Screenwriter: David Fidalgo; Producers: Daniel Rodriguez, Laura Doval, Gonzalo E. Veloso

MIDNIGHT SHORTS COMPETITION
Audience Award Winner: Dead Enders
Directors: Fidel Ruiz-Healy, Tyler Walker; Screenwriters: Fidel Ruiz-Healy, Tyler Walker, Jordan Michael Blake, Conor Murphy; Producers: Raven Jensen, Amanda Crown, Gregory Barnes, Conor Murphy, Nico Alvo, Jordan Michael Blake, Eduardo Ruiz-Healy

TEXAS SHORTS COMPETITION
Audience Award Winner: Breaking Silence
Directors: Amy Bench, Annie Silverstein; Producers: Monique Walton, Amy Bench

MUSIC VIDEO COMPETITION
Audience Award Winner: Drew Ashby – ‘HER’
Directors: Chris Scholar, Bevin Brown; Producer: Bevin Brown

TV Program

TV PREMIERES
Audience Award WinnerThe Luckiest Guy in the World
Director: Steve James; Producers: Zak Piper, Steve James

TV SPOTLIGHT
Audience Award WinnerBlindspotting Season 2 Premiere
Showrunner: Rafael Casal, Directors: Rafael Casel, Jess Wu Calder; Producers: Rafael Casal, Daveed Diggs, Jess Wu Calder, Keith Calder, Emily Gerson Saines, Ken Lee, Tim Palen

INDEPENDENT TV PILOT COMPETITION
Audience Award WinnerNotarize Me
Director: Erika Rankin; Screenwriters/Producers: Erika Rankin, Brigitte Valdez

XR Experience

XR EXPERIENCE COMPETITION
Audience Award Winner: JFK Memento
Director: Chloé Rochereuil; Producer: Victor Agulhon

XR EXPERIENCE SPOTLIGHT
Audience Award Winner: MLK: Now is the Time
Director: Limbert Fabian; Producers: Matthew O’Rourke, Sulivan Parker; Screenwriter: Andrina Wekontash Smith

XR EXPERIENCE SPECIAL EVENTS 
Audience Award Winners (tie):

Neo-Wulin: The Era of Black Ark
Director/Screenwriter: Guanyu; Producers: Chenchenchen, Bingbing Wang

Ristband
Directors: Anne McKinnon, Roman Rappak

Soundwaves: A Metaverse Music Concert
Directors: YOOM, Active Theory