Image courtesy of Variety

Rosario Dawson has joined season 2 of “The Mandalorian” in a role which will have “Clone Wars” fans brimming with excitement.

The “Briarpatch” star has been cast in the guest starring role of Ahsoka Tano, Variety has confirmed. Tano is Anakin Skywalker’s apprentice and one of the central characters in the popular animated “Star Wars” series. This will mark the character’s first live-action appearance, after being voiced by Ashley Eckstein on all seven seasons of “Clone Wars,” the final season of which is currently airing on Disney Plus.

Season 2 of “The Mandalorian” is slated to drop on Disney Plus this Fall, after showrunner and creator Jon Favreau confirmed that a second season was on the way late last year. Favreau also previously revealed that Carl Weathers, who plays Greef Carga in the series, is set to direct an episode of its sophomore season.

The series is set after the fall of the Empire and before the emergence of the First Order, following the travails of Mando (Pedro Pascal) in the outer reaches of the galaxy far from the authority of the New Republic. Season 1 ended with Mando flying off in search of Baby Yoda’s home planet. Precisely how Dawson’s Tano fits into the equation will be interesting to see, especially given all the events that take place between the end of the Clone Wars and the fall of the Empire.

Read more at Variety. 

Fuse Media is currently seeking a Production Coordinator to provide operational and technical support to the production management team. This entry-level position will prepare and deliver assets to various departments within Fuse and external partners. The ideal candidate will have experience handling a wide range of administrative, production and technical related tasks and be able to work well in a busy multi-faceted environment of constantly changing priorities.

Tribeca Postponed: What Comes Next?

By: Carlos Aguilar

Uncertainty reigns over the film world today. From major studios to independent art house theaters, the fallout from the COVID-19 global emergency has prompted cancellations, lay offs, and truncated productions, without a clear path to recovery. New initiatives that adapt to the fast-changing landscape have emerged—VOD distribution and online film festivals—but on an individual level, there are countless creators now in a frightening limbo.  

In the days following the devastating announcement that Austin’s South By Southwest would not take place this year, inevitably, a slew of festivals across the country and the world followed suit. However, as of now, New York’s Tribeca Film Festival (originally scheduled for April 15-26), another high-profile stop in the circuit, has decided to postpone and reassess options for later dates rather than forgo the 2020 calendar altogether.

Read the full article here.

Delayed Not Diminished: Latinx Filmmakers Grapple with the Impact of the SXSW Cancellation 

By: Carlos Aguilar

A heartbreaking reminder of the fragility of the independent film ecosystem, the cancellation of Austin’s banner festival South By Southwest (SXSW), due to COVID-19 concerns, has left hundreds of artists with heightened uncertainty about the future of their projects that were set to debut there or amplify their exposure.  

A number of works from Latinx filmmakers are among them, including Ángel Manuel Soto’s Baltimore-set “Charm City Kings” to John Leguizamo’s “Critical Thinking, many of which were counting on SXSW as a pathway to distribution. 

Ángel Manuel Soto, Michael Arcos, and Cristina Costantini at Sundance 2020

“We depend on film festivals and press reviews to be the ‘for sale’ sign to the world,” said David Alvarado, the director behind “We Are As Gods” whose production company Structure Films doesn’t sell their features until they are completed to retain creative independence. “This SXSW implosion certainly unraveled the first steps to distribution in a profound way,” he added. 

Repercussions of this prolonged disruption of the industry, with several others events cancelled and release dates move, can’t quantified in full yet, but the instant consequences include a bottleneck of films crowding whatever festivals do take place later in the year with some having to reconsider if a prestigious world premiere remains in the cards. 

“One of the problems we have is the concentration of power in a very small number of festivals, so if you’re looking for distribution your options are very narrow,” noted Brazilian director Mario Furloni, whose feature “Freeland” was headed to Austin. ““This affects smaller budget films that don’t have distribution partners much more than bigger films,” continued Furloni. 

Read the full article here.

Lin Manuel’s Big Bet is here to Change the Numbers

Historically, representation of the Latinx community has been almost non-existent within the entertainment industry, and looking at the current data today there has been very little progress. The National Association of Latino Independent Producers (NALIP) and USC Annenberg Inclusion Initiative recently collaborated on a study called Latinos in Film: Erasure On Screen & Behind the Camera Across 1,200 Popular Movies, breaking the top-grossing films of 2007-2018. The study revealed that only three percent of those films featured Latinx leads/co-leads within the 12-year span. Two upcoming films are set to make a revolutionary shift to those numbers and the current status quo. 

The musical phenomenon, “Hamilton”, written and composed by Lin Manuel Miranda, will be in theaters on October 15th, 2021. Miranda has brought the story of Alexander Hamilton and his untimely death to life by reimagining the founding fathers as brown and black faces and by using catchy hip-hop tracks to help the story along. The theatrical release of “Hamilton” will be unique, as it isn’t an adaptation of the musical, but rather a “live capture” of the musical featuring the original cast. According to Variety, Disney has purchased the rights to the stage film for a whopping 75 million dollars, and per Deadline this is the most expensive single film acquisition in industry history.

Disney paid a notable price tag for the rights to the stage film, but they didn't just purchase a stage film: the industry powerhouse purchased a potential franchise that could continue to give them revenue for years to come. Disney also plans to put the film on its streaming platform, Disney+, in the future. It is critical to note that having the rights to the stage film will provide an upper hand if the musical were to be adapted into a motion picture, thus opening the door for revenue to skyrocket. 

Read more here.

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In July 2019, as Deadline reported, The Black List partnered with  NALIP, The Latin Tracking Board, Mijente, The Nathan Cummings Foundation, Remezcla and UnidosUS to create the very first Latinx List for feature screenplays.

This February, The Black List has partnered up with NALIP, The Latin Tracking Board, The Untitled Latinx Project, and Remezcla to create a call for submissions for the inaugural Latinx TV List, which will focus on one-hour and half-hour original pilots written by at least one Latinx writer and featuring a Latinx or Latin American character in a prominent role. 

Filmmakers and content creators are invited to submit a script for consideration by uploading it to The Black List website during the month of February 2020.

Submissions will be accepted until April 29, 2020. Only one-hour and half-hour original pilot submissions will be considered for this opportunity (no webseries, please.)

Writers selected for the Latinx TV List will be notified of their placement in Spring 2020, with a public announcement to follow. 

Please submit your scripts to https://blcklst.com/education/opportunities/81

Read the Deadline Article here!

Requirements: 

-Writers should be Latinos residing currently in the US - any country of origin or other status is fine

Questions? Don't hesitate to reach out to The Black List:

General Questions: General@Blcklst.Com
Support Or Report A Problem: Support@Blcklst.Com

Hulu Original Documentaries is seeking an Administrative Assistant to join our growing Originals team. As an Administrative Assistant at Hulu, you will materially impact the productivity and efficiency of the Original Documentaries team. 

The NALIP Media Summit Coordinator works closely with the NALIP’s Executive Director, Projects Director, and Board of Directors to execute the largest media event for the Latinx community that aligns with NALIP’s mission and vision of promoting, advocating and creating opportunities for Latinos in entertainment. 

The NALIP Media Summit is a 4-day conference that brings together industry professionals and filmmakers to promote and advance Latinx and diverse content creators in media, behind and in front of the camera. The Media Summit is NALIP’s staple event and remains the largest and most prestigious gathering of Latinx content creators in America. We celebrate the convergence of media and the inclusion of Latinxs as one within the general market.

The National Association of Latino Independent Producers (NALIP), a 501(c)3 non-profit organization, is currently seeking to fill the position of the Latino Media Market (LMM) Coordinator. The coordinator is responsible for implementing and coordinating every aspect of the Latino Media Market program, that takes place during the NALIP Media Summit.

The Latino Media Market is a 2-day event, during the NALIP Media Summit, where selected filmmakers participate in pitch meetings with industry executives, agents, distributors, funders, and mentors to advance their current project.

 Cine Sony and the National Association of Latino Independent Producers are teaming again to launch the second annual Voces Nuevas, their short film contest for aspiring filmmakers throughout the U.S.

Eligible filmmakers ages 18 and up who reside in the U.S. can submit short films ranging from from two to 20 minutes in length from now through March 8. Projects can be submitted to https://filmfreeway.com/cinesonyvocesnuevas

“Last year, Voces Nuevas had over 300 filmmakers submit everything from comedies to thrillers to dramas, confirming our belief that there is so much deserving talent out there,” said Jeff Meier, SVP and General Manager, U.S. Networks, at Sony Pictures Television. “We are excited to join forces with NALIP and once again provide a platform to show audiences the talent and creativity of emerging filmmakers.”

Voces Nuevas aims to discover and celebrate emerging film talent while providing a new resource for content development. Entrants will compete for the chance to win $10,000 plus airfare and accommodations for up to five nights in Los Angeles for the opportunity to meet with Sony Pictures Television executives and have their short films air on Cine Sony, the premier movie channel for the bicultural U.S. Latinx audience. The winner also will be awarded a scholarship to the 2020 NALIP Media Summit, and the winning film will screen at the Summit’s short film showcase as well as on the Sony Lot.

Judges reviewing submissions include actor, producer and activist Wilmer Valderrama; actor-producer Nicholas Gonzalez; writer-director Catalina Aguilar Mastretta; producer Lalo Alcaraz; director Jorge Gutierrez; and senior creative executives from Sony Pictures Entertainment.

“NALIP is ecstatic to once again partner up with Cine Sony for the second annual Voces Nuevas short film competition, and we look forward to expanding the impact of this partnership to benefit the development of Latinx creatives,” said NALIP Executive Director, Ben Lopez. “We are confident that this joint effort to elevate Latinx narratives will bring us closer to a more inclusive industry.”

Read more at Deadline

Every year during NALIP's Season Of Giving, we strive to support the advancement of LatinX and underrepresented communities through our many programs such as NALIP Media Summit, Latino Lens™, Latino Media Fest, Diverse Women In Media Initiative and more.  

In 2019, we dedicated Season of Giving to the Diverse Women In Media Initiative. We highlighted powerful influential women and emerging professional women from NALIP internships. 

At our 2019 Diverse Women In Media Forum, we connected, promoted and provided mentorship for content creators and executive professionals to advance their careers. Together we provide resources to the next generation in the entertainment industry.

2019 Diverse Women In Media Forum was an empowering day filled with thought-provoking panels, an engaging mentorship session, and a few moments to recognize women in the industry for their work in helping to create a more inclusive space for women of color and underrepresented communities.

Before working with Upright Citizens Brigade (UCB), Irene volunteered at NALIP as a Digital Volunteer for 2018 NALIP Media Summit, Interned for 2018 Latino Media Fest, Volunteer Coordinated at the 2018 Diverse Women In Media Forum, and spearheaded the pre-production of future NALIP podcasts.

Before working with NBCUniversal Media, LLC as an Assignment Editor, Vania served NALIP as a communications intern in the Spring of 2018.

From a communications intern at NALIP to News Assignment Desk intern at TMZ, NALIP makes it possible for diverse creatives, like Sharon, to pursue their professional development in entertainment and media.

Before working with The Whitehouse Post, Stephanie served NALIP as a Digital Intern for NALIP events including: the NALIP Media Summit ’18 (NMS), Diverse Women In Media Forum ’18, Digital Roundtables, and Sundance, eventually evolving into a Digital Production Associate.

Watch more testimonials on our youtube page! 

Gloria Calderón Kellett has never been one to shy away from controversial topics like LGBTQ+ relationships and toxic masculinity. She has created roles that steer clear of Latinx stereotypes as showrunner of “One Day At a Time,” and continues to amplify Latinx voices both behind the camera and on screen. We presented her with the Industry Pioneer award at our 20th Annual NALIP Media Summit. 

We are pleased to continue supporting influential women of color like Calderón Kellett who have created space for strong Latinx characters.

Actress, producer, activist, entrepreneur, and so much more, Zoe Saldana is the epitome of a true star in Hollywood. She has built her reputation as a versatile and respected actor by choosing roles that she feels passionately about. NALIP had the pleasure of awarding Zoe with the Outstanding Achievement in Film at the 2017 NALIP Latino Media Awards!

We are thrilled to continue honoring powerful influential women like Zoe who have positively portrayed strong female characters. 

Stephanie Allain produces award-winning films by women and writer-directors of color that make headlines, launch careers and shape the cultural landscape. From producing films like Hustle and Flow, Dear White People, and Leimert Park to directing the LA Film Festival for five years, Allain has utilized her experience working with celebrated artists as well as their tens of thousands of attendees to further diversity and inclusion in entertainment. She was able to share her insight on our Producer’s Panel at our 2018 Diverse Women in Media Forum.

View More Powerhouse Women we featured on our social media!

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For more information about the Diverse Women in Media Initiative, visit nalip.org/dwimi. 

Support our programs and future internships programs by visiting nalip.org/donate. 

How to Help Puerto Rico

Our Puerto Rican family was hit with one of the most devastating earthquakes on January 7th, by a 6.4 magnitude quake followed by a 6.0 magnitude aftershock. Having been recently affected by Hurricane María in 2017, recovery efforts are still ongoing and proven more vital than ever. 

According to CNN, over a third of the island's utility customers had no water service following the quake, and much of the island temporarily lost power. Much of the power outages and damage is concentrated around Puerto Rico's southern coast, which was the epicenter of the quake. Mayita Meléndez, the mayor of Ponce on the island's southern coast, said that eight people had been reported injured and one 77-year-old man had been killed in the intense tremors, CBS reported. The 6.4 magnitude quake followed smaller seismic events that had been felt on the island since the last week of December.

Puerto Rico needs your support during this time of recovery.

How You Can Support Puerto Rico

Foundation for Puerto Rico

Foundation for Puerto Rico, a 501(c)(3) non-profit founded in 2011, creates opportunities that drive social and economic development in Puerto Rico, with a focus on the visitor economy and transforming the island into a global destination.

Read more and donate here

RS Events for Life

RS Events for Life is a non-profit 501(c)(3) accredited organization that helps kids in need be for health issues, education or living conditions. RS Events for Life is also invested in helping control the overpopulation of stray dogs in the Island of Puerto Rico. Founded by Roselyn Sanchez - the Foundation produces yearly events identifying children's hospitals in need, communities in need and dog shelters in need.

Read more and donate here

Donate To The Hispanic Federation: Unidos

In the aftermath of Hurricane María, the Hispanic Federation launched its Unidos program, which partnered with local grassroots organizations, foundations, businesses, and individuals to ensure that emergency relief was able to have long-term positive impacts on Puerto Rico. Donations help fund both first responders and sustainable contributions to local community organizations.

Read more & donate here

Donate To Americares

The medical aid organization Americares played an important role in helping Puerto Ricans recover from the trauma of Hurricane María, according to ABC News. In 2018, the organization expanded its programming on the island through the Americares Puerto Rico Mental Health Services, and they are currently accepting emergency donations as they prepare to aid in earthquake relief efforts.

Read more & donate here

Donate To World Central Kitchen

The World Central Kitchen, dedicated to providing food-based first response services, is already preparing to assist in the aftermath of the most recent quakes. According to founder chef José Andrés writing on Twitter, generators and solar power are already being put to use to bring emergency food aid to people across Puerto Rico. The organization is accepting donations for emergency relief.

Read more & donate here

Donate To Puerto Ricans In Action

A fiscally sponsored 501c(3), PRiA's mission is to ensure the vibrant future of the Puerto Rican people by strengthening Puerto Rican identity, communities, and connection with Puerto Rico. Our goals are to be the central organizer for the Puerto Rican community in Los Angeles and to ensure everyone on the island has access to clean drinking water.

Read more & donate here

How NALIP is Supporting Puerto Rico

The NALIP community is working to raise awareness and funds for Puerto Rico - read all about how they're working towards disaster relief efforts:

NALIPster Nino Alicea

As a part of NALIP’s Latino Lens™ Workshop Series, the second workshop of 2019 took place March 2nd, "Last Looks with Nino Alicea." Participants had the chance to learn about the art of production design as well as help with a great cause as proceeds benefited Nino’s Puerto Rico Relief Fund.

"I would like to manifest of a day when we ALL put our “granito de arena”. That would be a glorious day!" - Nino Alicea

NALIPster Angel Manuel Soto

Angel Manuel Soto is an L.A. based Puerto Rican who is a longtime NALIP supporter and showcased his first film, "La Granja" as at NALIP's Latino Lens Showcase. He is an award-winning filmmaker and the director of “Charm City Kings,” to premiere at Sundance on Monday, January 27th. 

"NALIP is a unifying org and force in the industry and hopes the strength of our community can come together and support Puerto Rico at this vital time." -Angel

NALIPster Rebecca Murga

Rebecca Murga is an award-winning filmmaker who works in Los Angeles as a writer and director. She is currently working on a documentary, "CAT5," about Puerto Rico, post Hurricane María and the resilience Puerto Ricans have exhibited in the face of adversity.  Rebecca was also the recipient of the National Association of Latino Independent Producers (NALIP) grant announced at Sundance 2015.  

Check out "CAT5" here

NALIPster Veronica Falcon

For our upcoming workshop this Sunday with Queen of the South's very own Veronica Falcón, NALIP will be donating a portion of the proceeds to Puerto Rico relief efforts.

Join us - purchase your pass here!

Guillermo Del Toro amongst others were featured in a recent Quibi keynote intro Wednesday morning at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas.  This was the first time that Quibi has shown their innovative platform to an audience — and the audience at CES was enjoying it. 

Accompanying Del Toro in this intro video was Steven Spielberg, Antoine Fuqua, Peter Farrelly, Catherine Hardwicke and Reese Witherspoon. 

Check out the video above and read more about the keynote and what Quibi's Katzenberg and Whitman had to say, here. 

Image Courtesy of THR

Parasite, one of the most acclaimed movies of 2019, is heading to HBO as a limited series.

Bong Joon Ho, who wrote and directed the Palm d’or winner and Oscar hopeful, is teaming with Adam McKay, whose recent work The Big Short and Vice has earned him multiple awards nominations.

Deals are not done but talks are underway with HBO, which came out on top of a bidding war with Netflix for the rights.

Parasite followed the poor but cunning Kim family as they ingratiated themselves into the lives of their wealthy employers, the Park family. The relationship between the two clans went through several twists and ultimately ended up having deadly consequences.

It is unclear if the limited series will be some sort of follow-up to the movie or an English-language remake.

Read more at The Hollywood Reporter

As NALIP celebrates its 20th anniversary, we invite you to join us in taking a look at how we have used this year to honor the past and build the future of this organization. 

READ OUR YEAR IN REVIEW REPORT HERE!

Here is a little sneak peak of what to expect! 

NALIP AT FESTIVALS 

NALIP MEDIA SUMMIT

Last Call Rate: $285

Be the first to secure your spot for the 2019 Diverse Women in Media Forum at our Last Call Rate! 

Your pass gives you access to the incredible sessions that #DWIMF19 has to offer, including our networking mixer at the end of the night. 

Passes do not include access to mentorship sessions. A purchased pass is required to be eligible for mentorship sessions.

Non-members who purchase their pass at the member rate will be required to pay the difference in rates prior to the forum or on-site in order to be admitted.

Image Courtesy of Deadline

Vida star Chelsea Rendon is set to join Shameless in a recurring role as Anne, the charismatic — and dangerously fun — new coworker of Carl (Ethan Cutkosky) at Captain Bob’s. Early on, the two have contentious relationship but then she shows Carl a different perspective on being poor on the South Side.

The tenth season of the William H. Macy-fronted series from Warner Bros. TV picks up six months after last season’s finale with Frank (Macy) using his leg injury to collect as many prescription drugs as possible and his exploits leading him to an old friend. Meanwhile, Debbie (Emma Kenney), emboldened by the $50,000 left to her by Fiona, has stepped in as the new matriarch, ruling over the Gallagher household with an iron fist. Lip (Jeremy Allen White) navigates his relationship with a newly affectionate Tami (Kate Miner). Carl (Ethan Cutkosky) has to decide what to do with his life as he finishes military school and heads back to the South side. Liam (Isaiah) is committed to learning more about black history and culture under the tutelage of V (Shanola Hampton) as Kev (Steve Howey) faces an identity crisis. Gallavich returns this season as Ian (Monaghan) and Mickey (Noel Fisher) rekindle their romance in prison as both cellmates and lovers.

Shameless returns for its tenth season Sunday, November 3 on Showtime.

Read more: Deadline

Photo Courtesy of Deadline. 

Oscilloscope Laboratories has acquired U.S. rights to the critically acclaimed immigration feature The Infiltrators. Directed by Alex Rivera and Cristina Ibarra, the film made its world premiere earlier this year at the Sundance Film Festival where it went on to won the Audience Award: NEXT and the NEXT Innovator Prize. Oscilloscope is set to release the feature in theaters before streaming on digital platforms.

“Many films have focused on the suffering of immigrants in America, but we wanted to tell a different story—one not of victims, but of visionaries,” said Rivera and Ibarra. The film is produced by Ibarra and Rivera along with Darren Dean and Daniel J. Chalfen.

Read more about the film here: deadline.com

Photo Courtesy Of Marvel Studios

Tessa Thompson's Valkyrie looks to be breaking ground for Marvel Studios as its first out LBGTQ hero.

In the aftermath of Avengers: Endgame, Valkyrie assumed the role of ruler of New Asgard, the town populated by refugee Asgardians. “As new king [of Asgard], she needs to find her queen. That will be the first order of business," said Thompson during Marvel Studio's Hall H Panel at Comic Con.

Read more at HollywoodReporter.com

As a leading organization in the advancement of Latinx creators across many media platforms, NALIP has been a constant support in assisting content creators like writers, directors, producers and other industry professionals to find their passion and get their step in the industry. With the help of NALIP, many people have the ability to find their voice and voice their opinions.

The roundtable conversation will be conducted across the United States of many types of content creators that came from a variety of different types of background. They have became the inspiration all over the world in the media and other entertainment platforms. We hope you are inspired by these content creators’ stories as much as they have inspired us!

For 20 years, NALIP has acknowledged the work of the individuals who represent talent both in front of and behind the camera. We have continuously looked at how we look to support agents and managers who are actively working towards a more inclusive industry. As active proponents of inclusion on various levels of entertainment, this roundtable discussion will lock in on the importance of meaningful representation in mainstream media and share their experiences in identifying emerging talent. These agents and managers will also discuss their experience being a part of the NALIP community, what their journeys into the industry were like, and what they believe the future will bring.

Watch the Agents & Managers Roundtable!

NALIP’s mission to serve the Latinx community encompasses the understanding that having a space to connect and share ideas is an essential element to generating an accurate representation of our community within the industry. It is through our NALIP programs that we are making the effort to create, promote, and distribute diverse and inclusive content. With our programs, NALIP looks to build on previous residential instruction programs and growing incubation efforts by supporting filmmakers with direct content production in order to address the need for diverse content and creators in the industry.

Watch the NALIP Program Fellows Roundtable!

From its inception, NALIP has worked towards making the entertainment industry a more diverse and inclusive industry that acknowledges and understands content made by and for underrepresented communities. In recent years, the dialogue surrounding the homogenous makeup of the film critic community has led to criticism of the field itself, begging the question: Where is the disconnect? According to a study done by Dr. Stacy L. Smith at USC, white male reviewers write about 62% more reviews than women of color. In this roundtable discussion, prominent figures in the film critic community will take a look at the current state of the industry and share how the NALIP community is creating a new industry standard.

Watch the Film Critics Roundtable!

From its conception, NALIP has been motivated by the way in which content creators in public media play a vital role in society in that they help audiences engage in a broader and more nuanced view of the world. Throughout our 19 years at NALIP, we have honored filmmakers in public media through a variety of core programming such as our Public Media/Documentary Labs which dates back from our Santa Fe days to our more current initiatives such as the Beyond Graduate Digital Incubator. This round table discussion will explore the different ways in which NALIP has strived to create a community within the unscripted space in the past,  ways in which NALIP is engaging with the speakers in present day, and what those who work in non-fiction landscape hope to see within the coming years as they develop new content in a changing industry

Pamela A. Aguilar is Senior Director of Programming and Development for PBS. She identifies, develops and oversees the production of original Primetime content in arts, culture, nature, science, history and independent film. She works closely with Latino Public Broadcasting, to develop the nationally broadcast documentary series, VOCES and with co-producing partners like VOX Media, the BBC, and with producing member stations like WGBH, WNET and TPT. Her latest project, No Passport Required with Chef Marcus Samuelsson (VOX), is a multi-platform docu-series that celebrates America’s diverse cultural mosaic. Other credits include, Big Pacific, narrated by Daniel Dae Kim (NHNZ), The Wonders of Mexico, narrated by Anthony Mendez, 9 Months That Made You (BBC), and the Emmy nominated In Defense of Food. Pamela a member of NALIP’s Diverse Women in Media Advisory Committee, a graduate of The New School University in New York City and hails from the Golden State of California.

Lorena Manríquez is an award-winning independent filmmaker based in Los Angeles. While living in Jackson, Mississippi, Lorena volunteered to serve as president of the board of the Crossroads Film Society in the early 2000s, and became inspired to make films herself.  She began working on her first feature documentary, Ulises’ Odyssey, and was the recipient of a number of film industry fellowships, including the NALIP Producers Academy, the CPB/PBS Producers Academy, the IFP Rough Cut Lab, and Firelight Documentary Lab. Ulises’ Odyssey screened at international festivals, and had its broadcast premiere on PBS in 2015 on WTTW Chicago.  Ms. Manríquez’ film Siqueiros: Walls of Passion was awarded two California Documentary Project grants by Cal Humanities, ITVS Diversity Development Fund, ITVS Open Call funding, Latino Public Broadcasting Public Media funding, and Firelight Media Next Step funding. She has directed and produced two short documentaries for Field of Vision: Hopewell (2016), featured in The New Yorker magazine website, and Here I’ll Stay (2017) for the ‘Our 100 Days’ documentary series in partnership with Firelight Media.

In addition to her work as a filmmaker, Ms. Manríquez is a Senior Professional Engineer at Shannon and Wilson Inc. in Los Angeles.  She is a native of Santiago, Chile, and holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Geophysics and Physics Engineering from Washington and Lee University, and a Master of Science in Civil Engineering from Virginia Tech.

Alan Dominguez (founding partner, Loco Lane Filmworks) recently wrapped production on a documentary short for the Beyond Graduation series in conjunction with NALIP, World Channel, and Corporation for Public Broadcasting. He also directed a short doc, Clever (2016) - about the journey of a former MS13 member and his current work with youth. The film has been shown throughout the US as well as the Morelia International Film Festival in Mexico and was executive produced by Oscar winning documentary filmmaker, Daniel Junge. Domínguez also finished a short doc, Borderball (2016), about the difficult journey of Mexican-born baseball players to the Major Leagues in the USA. He also directed and edited Photos of Angie (2011), an hour-long documentary about the murder of Angie Zapata, a transgender teenager whose murder was the first successful prosecution of the murder of a transperson as a hate crime. He is also a film educator and founder of Loco Lane Filmworks, which produces content for non-profits, educational institutions, and political candidates.

As a reporter and documentary filmmaker, Chelo has worked for over two decades exposing stories of sexual exploitation and trafficking. Born in Spain, she worked in Japan in documentaries for NHK Enterprises and became Tokyo’s and then Los Angeles’ correspondent for Spain’s El Mundo daily. In 1995, she moved to California and in 2002, Canal+ Spain turned her first reportage on child trafficking in the Himalayas into the documentary film Tin Girls. She created several short documentaries, producing/directing Sol in America: A Modern-Day Tale of Sex Slavery, and producing Through the Wall, a short documentary about a family divided by the US/Mexico border, official selection at Doc NYC and winner of the 2106 Imagen Awards. As an impact producer, Chelo has presented the award-winning Sands of Silence: Waves of Courage documentary on sexual violence and trafficking she produced/directed at the United Nations, the European Parliament, colleges from Oxford to Yale, deported moms and refugees in Mexico, and prisons in Spain and California, to both survivors and perpetrators. Chelo is pre-production of a documentary on sexual violence offenders serving time. Her work has been published, among others, by Geo, El Mundo, El País, The Malibu Times, The Huffington Post, Documentary magazine, and The Guardian.

Iliana is a filmmaker based in Austin, Texas and Mexico City. She was born and raised in El Paso, Texas by Mexican immigrant parents. A former Bill Gates Millennium Scholar, she holds an MFA in film production and directing from UCLA. She is the recipient of numerous awards, including the Steven Bochco Fellowship, the Hollywood Foreign Press Award, the Edie and Lew Wasserman Fellowship and the National Hispanic Foundation of the Arts Scholarship, among others. Her MFA thesis film, Child of the Desert, won Best Short Film and the Texas Award at the Oscar qualifying 2012 USA Film Festival. She was a 2013 Film Independent Project Involve Directing Fellow and was selected for the 2013 TransAtlantic Talent Lab in Reykjavik, Iceland. In 2014, she was selected for the Sundance-sponsored Latino Screenwriting Project with her script, Paper Birds Learn to Fly. Iliana has directed short documentaries, fiction shorts and a narrative fiction feature, Detained in the Desert, which had its world premiere at the 2012 Los Angeles Latino International Film Festival. In 2017, Firelight Media awarded her an Impact Producer Fellowship. In 2018, she was selected as a Berlinale Talent and most recently co-directed a short documentary, An Uncertain Future, with Chelsea Hernandez. The short has screened at the 2018 SXSW Film Festival and won a Jury Award for Best Texas Short. It has also screened at the 2018 Aspen ShortsFest where it won the Youth Jury Award. Iliana is currently in early production of her first feature documentary, Julian.

Not only are Latinx producers prominent, loyal and important in today’s industry, but they have become one of the largest demographics in the society. They’re ability to tell a story and connect to their audience are unteachable. The stories that they created like Coco and Jane the Virgin are so relatable that it creates a deep impact on the audience and outside the Hispanic culture as well.

NALIP has been helping the Latinx producers by constantly building and promoting their content all across the media platforms. For over 18 years, NALIP continues to provide professor development, community building and mentoring to help start many content creators.

Telemundo is creating a new bilingual digital production studio called Fluency Plus. Fluency Plus’s vision is to create a mixture of Spanish and English content to tap into what marketers called the “200-percenters”, which are 100 percent Latino and 100 percent American. 

Fluency Plus will produce content such as web and social-first series, miniseries, alternative, comedy and 360-degree virtual reality experiences. Fluency Plus will create two dramas called Love Clicks and Quinceañera. They will include a telenovela called Much Ado About Nada. For the foodies, they will produce Secret Salsa and Today’s Special. For those that enjoy the latest gossip and keeping up with celebrities, they will create a daily celebrity show MVTO. Lastly, for those that want to stay up-to-date with the latest in tech and innovation, Fluency Plus will produce a show that will focus on Hispanic inventors called No Inventes.

To read more about Fluency Plus, click HERE.