By John Cádiz Klemack 

 WATCH THE VIDEO

Latino actor Eugenio Derbez made his mark on Hollywood history when he received his star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame Thursday morning, becoming the 88th Latino performer to receive the honor.

Fans came out in the hundreds to cheer on the film and television star in the midst of a push in Hollywood for more diversity.

"As Latinos, we come to the United States to work hard, to succeed," said Cindy Rocha, a fan. "I think it's an amazing thing for him."

Derbez said he's doing what he can to address the lack of Latinos in Hollywood as he crosses over from the Spanish-speaking market to mainstream Hollywood. He will star alongside Jennifer Garner and Queen Latifah on the big screen in "Miracles from Heaven," opening March 16.

"It's one of the few times you can watch a Latino on the big screen who's not playing a criminal or drug lord," said Derbez on his latest role.

Derbez made waves when he wrote, directed and starred in his 2013 film, "Instructions Not Included," which became the highest-grossing Spanish-language film in the country.

The large fan turnout on Hollywood Boulevard should be a sign for industry executives, said radio host Eddie Sotelo of "El Show de Piolín."

"Now they have to listen," Sotelo said. "They have to give us more opportunity."

"Diversity, it's everything about diversity," Derbez said. "They need to start opening their spaces to all kinds of people, not just white people."

 

WATCH THE VIDEO 

There needs to be more representation at the executive level as well in order to create more opportunities for minorities in the film industry, according to Axel Caballero, executive director of the National Association of Latino Independent Producers.

"The problem is the gatekeeper level — executives, the studios and network leadership," said Caballero. "We need to diversify that to get more opportunities; we have to have representation there."

Catch the VIDEO at NBC Los Angeles!

by Tim Gray

 

Jordan Strauss/Invision/AP

The Academy board of directors will gather March 15, their first meeting since the Feb. 28 Oscarcast. But don’t expect any decisions on changing the ceremonies or Oscar rules (e.g., the proposed return to 10 best pics) until summer. However, you can expect more decisions on inclusion/diversity next week — and in the months to come.

The Academy of Motion Picture Arts & Sciences never discloses its board agenda in advance. But when AMPAS made changes in voting rights on Jan. 21, the org said more changes are forthcoming. One or two seem likely to pass next week, with the third requiring a few months.

In the first move that had been announced, AMPAS will restructure the board, by adding three governors “in order to immediately increase diversity on the board.” There are currently 51 governors; the new trio will be nominated by president Cheryl Boone Isaacs and are subject to board approval, then serve a three-year term.

In the second move, the org will add new members to the executive and board committees; these people will not be governors, but will have a say in membership and governance. The goal is to bring in new voices with different POVs. Either of these moves — or both — can happen March 15.

According to bylaws, any restructuring of the board must be voted on by entire membership — or by the board, if they’re given notice 10 days in advance of the vote. So the addition of three governors can be voted on next Tuesday, assuming the governors were notified in advance.

The third proposal involves admission rules for new members, and that’s more complicated. Currently, each of the 17 branches sets its own criteria for new members. In most cases, the rules specify the number of recent films as well as billing in credits, among other criteria; many in the industry say that those rules are no longer realistic as the film landscape changes. The branches would need to weigh in before any board vote.

The Academy wants to make good on their vow to double the number of women and minorities by 2020. The issue of inclusion/diversity is not going away, and the Acad will continue to make moves on many fronts in the next few years. Hollywood investors, agencies and studios are the source of the imbalance in the film world, but as Boone Isaacs said in January, “The Academy is going to lead and not wait for the industry to catch up.”

Meanwhile, AMPAS and the board need to deal with damage control, both internally and externally. On Jan. 21, the board voted to shift some members to emeritus positions — i.e., they will retain membership, but without voting privileges. It will only affect a few hundred of the 6,261 current voters, but many members were vocal in their complaints that the Academy acted too quickly and that members should have been consulted.

Academy defenders say these changes had been discussed for a long time, so were not done hastily. (They also point out that elected government officials consistently vote on issues without consulting constituents, and that a poll of 6,000-plus members on every issue is time-consuming, and the Academy was under the gun in January.)

The internal criticism gave AMPAS more bad PR and it couldn’t have come at a worse time, after the #OscarsSoWhite controversy and the threatened boycott of the ceremonies by a few celebs.

Both critics and defenders within the Academy agree that another Town Hall is a good idea, to make sure concerns are heard and that complaints are addressed. The only Town Hall so far occurred May 4, 2013, at the Acad’s Beverly Hills headquarters, which was linked to gatherings in New York and the Bay Area.

The voting-rights issue comes down to a fundamental question: Is AMPAS an honor society for people with years of experience, or is it an organization that reflects the current film industry? If it’s the former, members would have voting rights for life and most members say with pride that the key element of membership is the right to vote (as well as the perk of receiving a supply of screeners).

On the other hand, many want the Academy to reflect world cinema, with an appropriate mixture of races, genders and cultures. This group thinks that if the Academy voters get more in sync with the world population, it will keep the Academy from becoming irrelevant, and the Oscar nominations will be less esoteric. They also hope that a policy of inclusion will set a positive example for the Hollywood industry, which does not reflect that broad range.

As for changes to the Oscar show in the wake of the 88th annual ceremony, the March 15 meet will no doubt include post-mortem discussions among board members. But traditionally, the Acad has several committees to address Oscarcast concerns; they will report to the board in June, when the board can decide whether or not to make changes.

 

Check this out on variety.com 

by Elizabeth Wagmeister

 

Scott Kirkland/Variety/REX/Shutterstock

Wilmer Valderrama is joining the cast of “Grey’s Anatomy.” 

The “That ’70s Show” alum will appear in a multi-episode arc, with his first episode set for early April in the current 12th season. Valderrama will play Kyle Diaz. Other than the character’s name, no other details on his role or storyline are available.

Valderrama currently stars in El Rey Network’s “From Dusk Till Dawn,” which has been renewed for a third season. He also starred in Fox’s “Minority Report” series this television season, but the show was effectively canceled, being cut after 10 episodes. Since “That ’70s Show,” on which he played Fez for all eight seasons, he has had a slew of guest arcs on other TV series including “Raising Hope,” “Suburgatory” and “Royal Pains.” Valderrama has been cast as series regular in CBS’s military drama pilot “Four Stars.”

This season, “Grey’s Anatomy” has featured a couple of new players including Martin Henderson and Samantha Sloyan, while Giocomo Gianniotti was upped to a series regular. The long-running medical drama was recently renewed for a 13th season.

Valderrama is repped by UTA and Silver Lining Entertainment.

 

Check this out on variety.com.

Outfest

NALIP’s Programs Associate Bryan Bravo will moderate a Q&A session with Director Flavio Florencio after the screening of his film Made in Bangkok at The Egyptian Theater in Hollywood March 5 at 5:00 p.m.

The documentary follows opera singer Morganna Love as she travels from Mexico to Thailand to try out for a prestigious transgender beauty pageant. The screening is part of Outfest Fusion LGBT People of Color Film Festival March 4-6.

Be on the lookout on our social media for a sneak peek!

 

More info on outfest.org

 

Chelo Alvarez-Stehle’s film Sands of Silence: Waves of Courage has brought awareness to a global community by illustrating cultural and systemic factors that reinforce the sexual abuse continuum. The film is a personal documentary about a filmmaker who, inspired by the transformation of the sex-trafficking survivors whose lives she is documenting, finds the courage to break the silence about sexual abuse in her own life.

Films like Sands of Silence utilize technology in a way that brings voice to the victims and survivors of sexual abuse and encourages audiences to take steps toward ending the culture of silence and stigma associated with sexual exploitation.

 

Check this out on forbes.com and sandsofsilence.org.