News & Updates

Robert Rodriguez & go90 Ink Programming Deal

Posted by NALIP on August 29, 2017

Long time NALIP supporter Robert Rodriguez and go90 are partnering up for animated short series and an independent filmmaking event inspired by Rodriguez’s career.

According to Deadline, the animated short series Explosion Jones, starring Michael Madsen, Jaylen Barron, Carl Weathers, James Hong, Danny Trejo and Vivica A. Fox, will debut September 5 on go90. Rebel Without a Crew, an independent filmmaking event to commemorate the 25th anniversary of El Mariachi, Rodriguez’s filmmaking debut, will begin production this fall.

Rebel Without a Crew is designed to mentor and inspire a new wave of independent filmmakers. Rodriguez created his first feature-length film El Mariachi on a budget of just $7,000. To mark the 25th anniversary of the film, Rodriguez will invite five amateur filmmakers to take on the same challenge.

Gloria Calderon Kellett Multi-Cultural Comedy Lands At CBS

Posted by NALIP on August 29, 2017

Image by: REX/Shutterstock

Great news for NALIP supporter, Gloria Calderon Kellet who has a pilot production commitment with CBS TV Studios for her semi-autobiographical History Of Them, a multi-camera/hybrid comedy she wrote. Calderon Kellet, is a co-creator/executive producer of One Day At A Time.

History Of Them is a multi-cultural (Latinx & white) romantic comedy about how two friends fell in love, narrated by their future daughter, using the couple’s social media from present-day (Instagram/Twitter/Facebook) as a guide. According to Deadline, this marks the first sale for Kellett under the overall deal she inked in June with Sony TV where she serves as executive producer/co-showrunner alongside Mike Royce on the studio’s praised Netflix comedy series One Day At A Time. The reimagining of the classic Normal Lear 1970s sitcom is in production on its second season. Kellett pulled from her own life experience in shaping the show about a Cuban-American family — her parents immigrated to America from Cuba during Operation Peter Pan.

Investing in Film Festivals is Key

Posted by NALIP on August 29, 2017

Chris O'Falt of IndieWire reports a change of development within the film industry. With the rise of big-budget tentpole projects (think Marvel Cinematic Universe), much of big studios’ budget and focus centers on these proven projects. While this is completely understandable (loyal fanbases, contracted high-profile talent, plots already drafted), original stories have seen a decreased efforts and funding from studios.

Film festivals have started to fill in the void, or as O’Falt notes, “an entire non-profit infrastructure has emerged to fill in the void left by a film industry that has never in its hundred-plus year history been less responsible for the health of American moviemaking.”

And that’s not an entirely bad thing. With the advents of programs like Sundance Institute, or even NALIP’s own Latino Lens Incubators, providing script-to-screen support and platforms to showcase projects after going through various layers of quality control, filmmakers have a full subsection of the industry to turn to. Latino Lens Incubators or Sundance Institute provide a unique almost mentorship to guide filmmakers through the entire process, while also providing a platform to the top executives in major studios.

LATINO MEDIA FEST PRESENTS JORGE GUTIÉRREZ ANIMATION MASTER CLASS

Posted by NALIP on August 25, 2017

The Latino Media Fest will take place on Sept. 26th and 27th at the AMC Century City 15, where director, Jorge R. Gutiérrez will be taking part of NALIP’s Animation Master Class. He received the TECH ARTS Innovator Award at the NALIP Media Summit last June for his comprehensive work in animation.

In 2009, Gutiérrez created and produced, with his wife and muse Sandra Equihua, the multiple Emmy Award-winning animated television series, "El Tigre, The Adventures of Manny Rivera" for Nickelodeon. In 2014, he wrote and directed "The Book of Life" for Reel FX and 20th Century Fox, nominated for a Golden Globe Award for Best Animated Feature Film. He's currently working on "Son of Jaguar" a Virtual Reality short film for Google Spotlight Stories and has begun developing "The Book of Life 2" and his Mexico/US border martial arts epic "Kung Fu Space Punch!".

Don't miss the Latino Media Fest! Blind Sale tickets will end on Monday, August 28, so be sure to purchase your tickets HERE.

Visit www.latinomediafest.com

View Latino Media Fest Trailer:

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Digital Streaming Big Enough for Both Disney and Netflix

Posted by NALIP · August 22, 2017

Seems there will be no slowing down when it comes to Digital Streaming platforms. With the announcement of Disney starting their own streaming service, with original content and ESPN sports programming. Not to mention the news of Netflix, landing major showrunner to an already successful slate, as an audience we are left to wonder what more is in store?

Variety reported that Disney will not renew their movie-output deal with Netflix but instead will start its own streaming service, starting with its content produced in 2019. However, as Reuters notes, Bob Iger, Disney CEO, made no comment on the status of Lucasfilm and Marvel Studios productions (despite rumors saying negotiations are underway for these properties).

Disney reports that it will launch two (2) streaming services, one will be focused on films and television shows. The other will be for sports, an ESPN service. Just next year, it will feature 10,000 sporting events annually, including Major League Baseball Games.

Kirk Acevedo and Gina Torres in TV Advancements

Posted by NALIP · August 22, 2017

Image by Warner Bros. TV

Puerto Rican Kirk Acevedo will be featured in the CW series “Arrow.” Acevedo will portray Ricardo Diaz, or Richard Dragon, an ex-con imprisoned for a crime he did not commit. His character’s inclusion in the DC series was teased during a Comic-Con panel by executive producer Marc Guggenheim.

Acevedo recently featured as a recurring character Dominick Ramos on “Kingdom” and Detective Ray Lopez on “Law & Order: Special Victims Unit.” He will also play a role in the latest installment of the horror franchise “Insidious.”

The sixth season of “Arrow” will premiere Thursday, October 12 on the CW.

“Hazlo como Hombre” Breaks Mexican Movie Records

Posted by NALIP · August 22, 2017

Image By Pantelion Films

Nicolás Lopez, director of Chilean box office hit “Sin Filtro,” again amasses success with the latest film, “Hazlo Como Hombre” (“Do It Like an Hombre”). Premiering on August 11, Variety reports the film earned $591,537 Thursday alone. In comparison, the biggest U.S. opening “Baby Driver” earned half of that, $239,565, and the biggest Thursday-night earnings of any Mexican film.

Nicolás Lopez is known for his work directing Eli Roth’s “Aftershock,” producing “The Green Inferno” and, of course, writing and directing “Sin Filtro.”

“Gravity” Director, Alfonso Cuaron, Leaves WME

Posted by NALIP · August 22, 2017

Image Source: REX / Shutterstock

Alfonso Cuaron left William Morris Endeavor (WME). He recently signed Anonymous Content for management. According to Deadline, this might come in part from his "long relationship with principal and producer Steve Golin, which grew out of 'Fallen Angels.'"

Alfonso Cuaron is known for winning the Best Director Oscar for critically-acclaimed “Gravity.” His work further includes films Gravity, Children of Men, A Little Princess and Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban.

To learn more, read Deadline.

Latinos Win Big at Teen Choice Awards

Posted by NALIP · August 22, 2017

At the 2017 Teen Choice Awards, Latinos scored awards in a variety of categories, highlighting the value of Latino talent in television, film, music and digital media. Below is the complete list of Latino award recipients recognized at FOX's Teen Choice Awards.

Starting off the list is NALIP's Outstanding Achievement in Film Awardee

Zoe Saldana - “Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2”

Teen Choice Sci-Fi Movie Actress

Tyler Posey - “Teen Wolf”

Teen Choice Summer TV Actor

Camila Cabello

Teen Choice Female Song - “Crying in the Club”

Teen Choice Female Artist

Teen Choice Female Hottie

Camila Mendes

Teen Choice Scene-Stealer - “Riverdale”

CNCO

Teen Choice Latin Artist

Luis Fonsi and Daddy Yankee - “Despacito”

Teen Choice Latin Song

Teen Choice Summer Song

Selena Gomez

Teen Choice Instagrammer

Don’t miss the annual Latino & Hispanic Cinema Film Festival

Posted by NALIP · August 22, 2017

You’re invited to join NewFilmmakers Los Angeles (NFMLA) and The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS) with presenting partners NALIP and SAG-AFTRA on Saturday, September 16th, 2017 for the annual NFMLA Film Festival InFocus: Latino & Hispanic Cinema event. The entire day of programming takes place at the Hollywood home of the Academy, The Mary Pickford Center’s Linwood Dunn Theater, and is part of the Academy’s participation in Pacific Standard Time: LA/LA.

The festival presents an incredible lineup of local and international films by world-class emerging filmmakers from the United States, Cuba, Spain, Peru, Guatemala, Venezuela and Mexico. Opening the three program event is a shorts program with stories that range from a young woman struggling with her identity on the verge of adulthood, a voiceless man given the chance to be heard, and a winner of the American Visa Lottery having to choose between individual opportunities and abandoning her family.

Read the rest of the press release on the website here.