Courtesy of theflama.com

Among non-Latinos and those unfamiliar with details beyond the headlines, any mention of the lack of Latino representation at the Academy Awards, or other major ceremonies triggers almost an instant reaction. Opponents of this argument often regard  the recent achievements of Alfonso Cuarón and Alejandro G. Iñárritu as a way to invalidate any complaints. Ever since these two outstanding directors earned their statuettes, an illusion was created regarding the inclusion of Latinos at cinema’s most renowned awards show.

The Guadalajara International Film Festival, also known as FICG, took place March 9-16. FICG is a cultural event of great relevance for the city as one of the showcases for the appreciation, diffusion, promotion and distribution of Mexican and Ibero-American cinema. Now in its 33rd year, the festival featured some of the best creative work and highlighted some of the strongest professionals in the industry today.

Image courtesy of Jim Smeal/REX/SHUTTERSTOCK

Gina Rodriguez will produce and star in Netflix’s romantic comedy “Someone Great.”

Jennifer Kaytin Robinson will direct from her own script, marking her feature directorial debut.

The producers are Paul Feig and Jessie Henderson of Feigco, Anthony Bregman and Peter Cron of Likely Story, and Rodriguez through her I Can and I Will Productions. Feigco’s Dan Magnante, Likely Story’s Stefanie Azpiazu, and Robinson are executive producing. Emily Gipson of I Can and I Will is co-producing.

Image Courtesy of https://www.launchscreenplay.com/

Well, here’s one way a kid could pay off those nagging student loans. The Launch, a fellowship co-founded by producers Jason Shuman and Zachary Green, has set an international Million Dollar Screenplay Competition for college students. Its mission: “To find the next generation of great screenwriters from around the world.”

Image courtesy of UTA

Vida showrunner and executive producer Tanya Saracho has signed a three-year overall deal with Starz. Under the pact, Saracho will develop new projects for the network and continue as showrunner and executive producer on the upcoming Latinx drama series Vida, set for premiere May 6 on the premium cabler.

Here at NALIP we are proud to see an emergence in recognition in Latinx talent as more film festivals such as Sundance, Tribeca, and South by Southwest exhibit these works and give independent creators access to a greater audience. The following  is a list of upcoming independent films written and directed by Latinx content creators from the United States, plus some additional works from Latinx individuals who while not born in the United States, still convey a powerful message through their work. We recognize that these films are all diverse in the internal and external struggles they bring to light as well as the vast range of genres each one partakes in. Given the different production stages, budgets, and amount of time needed to make these films, they further exemplify the flexibility of independent Latinx filmmakers when honing their craft. While underrepresentation of minorities persists to be an obstacle that all of Hollywood needs to work together to combat, NALIP sees the conversation growing stronger every year.