NALIP Conference 7

	to purchase tickets for The Gala Awards. *THIS TICKET IS INCLUDED WITH REGISTRATION* The Gala Awards will be held on Saturday, March 11, 2006. This year’s Gala Award for Lifetime Achievement as a Producer goes to feature film producer David Valdes (ASSASSINATION OF JESSE JAMES, OPEN RANGE). The NALIP Lifetime Achievement Award for Advocacy goes to Helen Hernandez, Founder and President of the Imagen Foundation. And Outstanding Achievement Award goes to Moctesuma Esparza, founder of Maya Cinemas, a chain of mega-plex movie theatres in locations with a strong Latino presence. And, in 2006, the new ESTELA Award to recognize two rising and brilliant talents in the Latino media landscape. ESTELA Awards will go to filmmaker Rodrigo Garcia (NINE LIVES) and Marilyn Agrelo (MAD HOT BALLROOM). We look forward to seeing you at this years Gala Awards. CHECK BACK PERIODICALLY FOR FURTHER UPDATES! to purchase tickets for The Gala Awards.

	HONOREES
	Marilyn Agrelo MAD HOT BALLROOM proved to be the perfect vehicle for first time feature filmmaker Marilyn Agrelo’s directorial debut. With over 15 years of experience in the world of filmmaking and production, she jumped at the chance to create this critically acclaimed film with her friend, writer/producer Amy Sewell, that would be a love poem to New York, while also delving into the amazing contrasts being offered by the characters in the story. Born in Cuba, Agrelo came to the United States with her parents and three siblings at the age of 2 years old. Growing up in New York in a family that was culturally different than those of her peers shaped an early awareness of human themes which she continues to explore through her work. It was this sensibility that distanced MAD HOT BALLROOM from other films to make it the success it has become. Far from being a movie just about kids doing ballroom dancing, the film represents a poignant, humorous and uplifting window into humanity, with its myriad points of view and its realities and dreams. Critics and audiences have felt the same way about Agrelo and the film. A surprise box office hit in the summer of 2005, this film took in $8 million dollars which placed it at #7 in the “Top Ten All Time Box Office Documentary” films list. MAD HOT BALLROOM enjoyed a theatrical run of over 24 weeks in theatres - a feat unheard of for documentary films. Prior to MAD HOT BALLROOM, Agrelo worked on dramatic shorts (recently SMASH THE KITTY), fund raising films, and has developed interactive museum installations. Another non-fiction past work for Agrelo is THE ORBIS STORY, a short film about an international humanitarian project. She continues her research and filming on a very personal project entitled US AND THEM. This film is a documentary feature about her divided family and their contrasting truths and political beliefs. It is being filmed in both the United States and Cuba. Future projects include PECK, a feature film about a teenage boy and his journey for self-realization. PECK is scheduled to shoot in the summer of 2006. MAD HOT BALLROOM allowed Agrelo to connect with an amazing group of talented Latino-American kids underscoring her own cultural pride as a Cuban American raised in New York City making a living as an artist. She lives with her boyfriend, filmmaker Brian David Cange and their two cats in Park Slope, Brooklyn. Back to top

	Moctesuma Esparza Founder of MAYA CINEMAS Moctesuma Esparza, award-winning filmmaker, producer, entertainment executive and entrepreneur is well known for his contribution to the movie industry and his commitment to providing access and opportunities for Latinos in Hollywood. A partner in the highly successful Esparza-Katz Productions, he has worked with stars such as Robert Redford, Jennifer Lopez, Jimmy Smits, Martin Sheen and Halle Berry. Most recently, he produced WALKOUT, an upcoming HBO film based on the true life events of the 1968 Walkouts that happened at five East Los Angeles High Schools. The films stars Alexa Vega, Michael Pena and Efren Ramirez. Additional Production credits include: SELENA, INTRODUCING DOROTHY DANDRIDGE; GETTYSBURG; CISCO KID; THE PRICE OF GLORY; SELMA, LORD SELMA; THE BALLAD OF GREGORIO CORTEZ; and THE MILAGRO BEANFIELD WAR. He has won over 200 awards, including an Emmy for CINCO VIDAS and an Academy Award nomination for AGUEDA MARTINEZ - OUR PEOPLE, OUR COUNTRY. Born and raised in Los Angeles, California, Esparza has not forgotten his humble beginnings and is dedicated to giving back to his community. Esparza’s father, Francisco, came to the United States in 1918 during the Mexican Revolution from Jalisco, Mexico. He worked as a farm worker and railroad hand from Texas to Utah to California where he settled in Los Angeles. Esparza grew up with a strong sense of social justice and remembers the education, principles and values he learned from his father, and incorporated them in his lessons for his own children and all American Latino youth. As a UCLA student in the late 1960’s, Moctesuma Esparza played an active role in the student youth movement. He was a founder of MECHA, and leader in the famous Chicano Student Walkouts of 1968 for which he and 12 others were arrested. He was also present with a film crew at the August 1970 National Chicano Moratorium March against the Vietnam War. The footage he shot there eventually was incorporated into the film Requiem 29. For more than thirty years, Esparza has maintained his commitment to the Latino Community from his first ONLY ONCE IN A LIFETIME (1979) to one of his best-known films, SELENA (1997). But there is another side to this remarkable Latino producer. As an entrepreneur he acquired the franchise for the first all Latino owned cable company, Buenavision Cable TV in East L.A., which he built and operated. Moctesuma learned early on the business of art, he explains “I learned that a movie has to be made for a market, and film is truly a marriage of Art and Commerce”. Today, in addition to producing films he has also established a chain of movie theatre complexes, called Maya Cinemas. A life long entrepreneur and businessman, Mr. Esparza served as Chair of the Board of the New America Alliance Institute from 2000-2003, an organization of American Latino business leaders united to promote the economic advancement of the Latino Community in America from 2000. New America Alliance is organized on the principle that American Latino businesspersons have a special responsibility to lead the process of building the forms of capital most crucial to Latino progress – economic capital, political capital, human capital and the practice of philanthropy. Back to top

	Rodrigo Garcia Rodrigo Garcia grew up in Mexico City and attended the American Film Institute. His credits as director of photography include DANZON (dir. By Maria Novaro), MI VIDA LOCA (dir. by Allison Anders) and GIA (dir. by Michael Cristofer). His first feature film as writer and director was THINGS YOU CAN TELL JUST BY LOOKING AT HER. Other projects include TEN TINY LOVE STORIES, FATHERS AND SONS and NINE LIVES, the pilots of the HBO series CARNIVALE and the upcoming BIG LOVE, as well as episodes of SIX FEET UNDER and THE SOPRANOS. Back to top

	Helen Hernandez Founder and President of the Imagen Foundation Helen is the President and Founder of The Imagen Foundation. Prior to establishing the Imagen Foundation, Ms. Hernandez was the Vice President of Public Affairs for Embassy Communications (presently Sony Pictures Entertainment). Acting as this major television production company’s local and national liaison, she was most instrumental in developing and supervising various corporate programs that enhanced the company’s reputation in the national community for socially and culturally sensitive programming. The origins of the “Imagen” Latino Media Image Awards can be traced back to a 1983 meeting between Norman Lear, Helen Hernandez and the National Conference of Christians and Jews. It was at this meeting that the Imagen Awards were born. These Awards were designed to encourage portrayals of Latinos and Latino cultures in television and film. For the last twenty years, Ms. Hernandez has been the Executive Producer for the Imagen Awards. Over the years, the Imagen Foundation has honored such entertainment industry professionals such as Placido Domingo, George Lopez, Andy Garcia, Crisitina Saralegui, Antonio Banderas, Salma Hayek Phil Roman, Edward James Olmos, Bill Melendez, Rita Moreno, Jennifer Lopez and Hector Elizondo. Under her leadership, the Imagen Awards have become one of the most prestigious awards in the entertainment industry. These awards exemplify the best of what Hollywood can produce in portraying the image of Latinos and Latino culture. In 1995, the NCCJ turned the Awards over to Helen and a group of Latino entertainment industry executives to establish The Imagen Foundation. The mission of the organization is to provide access, education, and resources to Latinos in the industry or to Latinos looking to pursue careers in entertainment. In addition to the Awards, Imagen coordinates an annual Job Fair that is heavily supported by the industry as well as conducts national community workshops on careers in entertainment. Ms. Hernandez is a recognized guest speaker as indicated by invitations to lecture from prominent universities such as Northwestern University, Illinois; Michigan State University, East Lansing; University of Minnesota, Minneapolis; and University of Texas at Austin. Additionally, Ms. Hernandez has given testimony before the Federal Communications Commission as a conference panelist on “Women’s Ownership of Media Outlets,” the United States Commission on Civil Rights- “The Under Class,” and for the Congressional Select Committee on Aging. In 2004, Helen was presented a Congressional commendation which was read and approved in the Congressional Record for her work in the industry by Congresswoman Hilda Solis. She is currently a member of The Academy of Television Arts and Sciences. In addition, Helen serves on the Boards of Directors of Latino Public Broadcasting and WorkPlace Hollywood. Back to top

	David Valdes Feature Film Producer David Valdes is one of the film industry's busiest and most respected film producers. During the course of his long and diversified career, he has enjoyed successful collaborations with such noted filmmakers as Clint Eastwood, Francis Ford Coppola, Frank Darabont, Kevin Costner and has helped launch the careers of a number of popular actors. David most recently shot a western for Warner Bros. entitled THE ASSASSINATION OF JESSE JAMES by the Coward Robert Ford starring Brad Pitt and directed by Andrew Dominik (CHOPPER). Prior to JESSE JAMES he produced another western (independent) entitled OPEN RANGE directed by Kevin Costner and starring Robert Duvall, Annette Bening and Sir Michael Gambon that was released domestically by Disney. Prior to this project, David produced the re-imagining of THE TIME MACHINE based on the H.G. Wells' classic science fiction novel for DreamWorks and Warner Bros. In 2000, David received four Academy Award nominations (including one for Best Picture) for THE GREEN MILE. Other motion picture producer credits include TURLULENCE, featuring Ray Liotta and Lauren Holly; A PERFECT WORLD, starring Kevin Costner and Clint Eastwood; and THE STARS FELL ON HENRIETTA, with Robert Duvall and Aidan Quinn. He successfully teamed Clint Eastwood and Charlie Sheen in THE ROOKIE, and likewise paired Dudley Moore and Kirk Cameron in LIKE FATHER, LIKE SON. David served as the producer on PINK CADILLAC and on the last of the popular series of Dirty Harry movies THE DEAD POOL, which marked the feature film debuts of Jim Carrey and Liam Neeson. In total, Mr. Valdes has collaborated on seventeen (17) films with Clint Eastwood. David served as the sole executive producer on Clint Eastwood's acclaimed revisionist Western UNFORGIVEN, which won four Academy awards, including one for Best Picture; and Wolfgang Petersen's multiple Oscar-nominated hit IN THE LINE OF FIRE, starring Eastwood, Rene Russo and John Malkovich. He was also the executive producer on Eastwood's critically acclaimed biopic BIRD, starring Forest Whitaker, and White Hunter, BLACK HEART starring Clint Eastwood. Among the four movies he did with Francis Ford Coppola, most recently he served as the executive producer on the Vietnam War-era drama GARDENS OF STONE. Among his extensive television credits David cites his tenure as a director of the innovative series "Moonlighting", starring Cybil Shepherd and Bruce Willis, as his most challenging experience. He worked in all television formats; movies-of-the-week, series, commercials, and music videos before finding his niche as a producer of motion pictures. Born and raised in southern California, David earned a Bachelor of Theatre Arts degree from UCLA graduating magna cum laude. He began his film career as an assistant director working alongside such esteemed directors as Martin Scorsese, Wim Wenders and beginning his longtime association with Clint Eastwood and Francis Ford Coppola. Some of the films on which he worked as an assistant director include THE RAGING BULL, OH GOD! BOOK II, ANY WHICH WAY YOU CAN, HAMMETT, THE OUTSIDERS, RUMBLE FISH, SUDDEN IMPACT, and TIGHTROPE. He later segued into producing as an associate producer on Eastwood's PALE RIDER in 1984. He is a member of many organizations including the Academy of Motion Picture Arts & Sciences, the Directors Guild of America, the Producers Guild of America and the American Film Institute. Currently he sits on the Board of Directors for the Latino Theater Company (LTC) and is also a mentor to graduate students studying at the USC Peter Stark graduate producers program. Back to top