Member News 6/17/2021
Posted by NALIP on June 18, 2021
NALIP is very proud the accomplishment of our talented members and fellow collaborators. Check out the latest on NALIP member news here!
Netflix’s ‘Maya and the Three’ Teases New Details at Annecy
Netflix
Emmy-Award-winning creator and director Jorge Gutierrez and his partner Sandra pitched “Maya and the Three '' at a dinner with individuals who would later form Netflix Animation. Fast forward, the highly anticipated four-and-a-half-hour Mesoamerican mythological epic limited series will premiere on Netflix this fall. This animated limited series is set in a mythical Mesoamerican-inspired world where Maya, a warrior princess, sets off on a journey to recruit three legendary fighters who she believes can help save the world of humankind from the gods.
Read more here.
How Kase Peña is creating a legacy of authenticity
Kase Pena, a writer, and director joined CNN to talk about her journey of establishing herself in the film industry as a trans woman of color. Pena explains that she was patient when it came to finding the fundings to make “Trans Los Angeles”. She wanted to make sure she had control of a narrative that too often has been out of the trans or Latinx community’s hand. She took matters into her own hands and raised $150,000 via fundraising and grants to make a part of the idea a reality. Kase Peña states, "I tell people, I don't care if I direct a movie with a $100 million budget tomorrow, I will always come back to tell the story of my community. This is how I started, and I care about the stories."
Read more: on CNN.
16 Latinos in Hollywood sound off on the industry’s representation problem
Evan Solano / For The Times
LA Times interviewed 16 leading Latinos in the industry about the state of Latino representation on-screen and their hopes for the future. Claudia Forestieri the creator of “The Gordita Chronicles” was one of the interviewees. This was her statement:
“Latinx families need to support their children pursuing jobs in this industry because it starts when you’re young. Because we need more talent of all different types of colors and social backgrounds. It’s this vicious cycle — often Latinos who have higher socioeconomic backgrounds tend to be the ones that mostly pursue careers in Hollywood because they feel financially secure. And then that just perpetuates us getting a certain look, or a certain type of story that may not necessarily be reflective of the Latino community as a whole. So, that’s something I for one would love to see — people of all different social classes and all different races and ethnicities within the Latino community pursuing writing and acting because we need it. Click here to read the response of the other 15 leading Latinos in the industry.
Danielle Sanchez-Witzel Inks Overall Deal With Netflix
Netflix has signed a multi-year overall deal with top comedy writer-producer Danielle Sanchez-Witzel. She will set up her own production banner and focus on original development for series and features in addition to supervising and executive producing other projects.came out of NBC’s diversity writing program, becoming one of the program’s biggest success stories. Sanchez-Witzel previously had overall deals at Universal TV, under which she did a stint as a co-executive producer on the NBC/20th TV comedy My Name Is Earl, and at CBS TV Studios, working on The Millers and developing.
Read more on Deadline.
‘Legacies’ & ‘Teen Wolf’ Actor Douglas Tait To Make Directing Debut On ‘Angel Baby
Jose Zakany/ Michael Allen/ Michael Justice
Douglas Tait (Legacies) will make his directorial debut on psychological thriller feature Angel Baby, starring Isabel Cueva (Aztec Warrior), Chris Browning (Agnes) and Rebecca De Mornay (The Hand That Rocks The Cradle). Financed by Fearful Pictures and produced by Cave Entertainment, the film is an original screenplay by Elisa Manzini and Rebecca Stahl with Douglas and Fred Tait serving as executive producers. Cinematography is by Alvaro Martin Blanco.
Ilana Peña
Courtesy of Ilana Peña
During the pandemic “Diary of Future President” filmed season 2 of their show. During this time Peña created a safe place for her cast and crew by practicing genuine empathy and compassion while telling this story. As her career grows, Ilena Peña has committed to supporting and empowering emerging writers to ensure they have the same opportunities she did. “Knowing that every single voice is valuable doesn’t just create a generous work environment, it legitimately makes every facet of a production stronger,” Ilena Peña stated.
Read more on Variety.