Christopher Nolan’s The Odyssey has become one of the year’s biggest box office successes, earning $264.1 million and demonstrating once again that audiences will show up for epic storytelling. But beyond the impressive numbers is another story worth celebrating—one that has often been overlooked in Hollywood.

This time, Latinos weren’t simply part of the background. They were cast in meaningful, high-profile roles throughout one of the year’s biggest studio films.

Among the star studded cast lead by Matt Damon, Zendaya, and Anne Hathaway, are Academy Award winner Lupita Nyong’o as Helen of Troy and John Leguizamo as Eumaeus. Other Latinos cast are Jimmy Gonzales as Cepheus, Jesse Garcia as Menetus and Maurice Compte as the Steward of Menelaus, and Shiloh Fernandez, as First Trojan. Their presence signals a noticeable shift in how major studio tentpole films are beginning to reflect the audiences that have long supported them.

For decades, Latino advocacy organizations, community leaders, and entertainment journalists have argued that inclusion isn’t just the right thing to do—it’s smart business. U.S. Latinos have consistently ranked among the nation’s most frequent moviegoers, yet they have rarely seen themselves represented in proportion to their economic and cultural impact.

The Odyssey offers a compelling example of what happens when that equation begins to change.

No actor has championed Latino representation more consistently than Leguizamo. Throughout his career, he has used his platform—and his production and media ventures—to create opportunities for Latino talent and to connect directly with Latino audiences. Seeing him in a prominent role in one of Hollywood’s biggest releases carries significance beyond the screen. It reinforces the message that Latino actors belong in major studio films, not as token additions, but as integral parts of the story.

The film’s outreach also extends beyond casting. Star Matt Damon, (Odysseus), whose wife is Argentine, has embraced Spanish-language interviews while promoting the film, connecting with Latino audiences in a way that feels authentic rather than performative. Those moments matter. They acknowledge a moviegoing audience that has too often been treated as an afterthought despite its enormous influence at the box office.

Hollywood has spent years discussing diversity. The Odyssey demonstrates what inclusion can look like when it moves beyond conversation and into action.

Christopher Nolan deserves credit for assembling a cast that reflects a broader range of talent without making diversity the headline. Instead, it simply becomes part of telling a richer story. That’s exactly what audiences have been asking for.

The lesson is clear. Casting a wide net that includes Latino and other actors of color in leading and featured roles doesn’t diminish a blockbuster—it strengthens it. It broadens its appeal, expands its reach, and acknowledges the audiences who have long helped make Hollywood successful.

The success of The Odyssey won’t end the conversation about representation, but it provides another data point supporting what many have said for years: when Hollywood intentionally includes Latinos on screen and in its marketing, audiences respond.

Representation isn’t charity.

It’s good storytelling.

And as The Odyssey is proving at the global box office, it’s also good business.

For marketing & box office analysis read our 1st ? The Latino Box Office Effect™ HERE

The post Christopher Nolan’s The Odyssey Rakes in $264.1 Million Opening Weekend — With Epic Latino Talent Inclusion first appeared on .

There is an interesting story unfolding behind Christopher Nolan’s The Odyssey—and it has less to do with mythology than with marketing.

For years, Latino actors cast in major studio films have often found themselves promoted almost exclusively through Spanish-language media, unless you are in the very rare of having reached heights of a Jennifer Lopez, participation in the broader publicity campaign has frequently been limited, creating the perception that Latino audiences are a niche market rather than a core part of a film’s success.

With The Odyssey, that appears to be changing.

John Leguizamo, who portrays Odysseus’s loyal swineherd Eumaeus, and Lupita Nyong’o who was born to Kenyan parents in Mexico and claims citizenship in both Mexico and Kenya, have been highly engaged throughout the film’s mainstream marketing campaign. Nyong’o was also on the mainstream talk shows Jimmy Fallon and the Jimmy Kimmel Show promoting the film.

Leguizamo has appeared alongside stars Matt Damon, Anne Hathaway, Zendaya and the rest of the cast at the New York premiere, participated in national press interviews, and joined promotional events that reach audiences far beyond traditional Latino media.

That visibility matters.

It signals that a Latino actor in a significant supporting role can be an integral part of a blockbuster’s overall marketing strategy—not only the face of its outreach to Spanish-language outlets.  They marketing power in both languages – the whole breath of the U.S. Latino audience, who according to the Latino Donor Collaborative “The U.S. Latino audience is one of the most powerful and significant economic and cultural demographics worldwide”.

Leguizamo was also involved with the promotion of this film through MiTu (NGLmitu) , a digital media company he co-founded and is a key creative force.

The collaboration between Universal Pictures and mitú was a targeted promotional campaign to build buzz for The Odyssey.

The “mitú partnership” utilized several specific creative elements to engage Latino audiences before the film’s July 17, 2026, theatrical release.

Iconic Lines in Spanish: The marketing campaign featured the stars of the movie reciting iconic or dramatic lines from the film in Spanish.

Cultural Creators & Influencers: The campaign utilized in-house mitú creators (such as Claudia Pineda) to highlight the epic themes of the film and connect them to the Latin experience

By discussing The Odyssey through a culturally relevant lens, this connects the film to an audience that has long demonstrated its value at the box office.

John Leguizamo reflect on his own odyssey in Hollywood –  fighting for Latino representation:

The numbers support paying attention. 

U.S. Latinos account for roughly 24% of all domestic movie ticket sales while representing about 19% of the U.S. population. They are America’s most frequent moviegoers, yet Hollywood has often struggled to market major films to them in authentic ways—or to include them meaningfully on screen.

Leguizamo’s involvement in the marketing campaign is particularly significant because it reflects the work of someone who has spent more than three decades pushing Hollywood toward greater inclusion. Since his groundbreaking one-man show Mambo Mouth premiered in 1991, he has consistently challenged stereotypes, explored Latino identity, advocating for broader representation across film, television, and theater. His involvement in initiatives such as NGL (New Generation Latino) and MiTu further demonstrates that his commitment extends well beyond acting.

Christopher Nolan deserves major props. At a time when many corporations have retreated from diversity initiatives, Nolan assembled an international cast that includes people of color in meaningful roles without making diversity the film’s defining message – rather being inclusive. The casting of Lupita Nyong’o has generated public pushback from conservatives, but Nolan has demonstrated the confidence to cast based on his creative vision rather than outside pressure.

Whether The Odyssey ultimately can encourage the big studio adopting the nuanced marketing of films to people of color and including them in their marketing remains to be seen. But it does present an opportunity to test a question Hollywood has been asking for years: When Latino audiences see themselves represented on screen and are intentionally included in a film’s mainstream marketing campaign, do they respond at the box office?  There have been studies by the Latino Donor Collaborative to prove that this is in fact true.  Their 2026 study foud that marketing to and representing U.S. Latinos is not a moral appeal, but a major growth strategy that unlocks significant revenue. Their 2026 data reveals that engaging this demographic is a direct path to company-level financial performance and growth.

That is precisely the question this new Latin Heat column, The Latino Box Office Effect, will explore.

Because representation is only part of the story.

The other part is investigating whether inclusion translates into audience engagement—and ultimately, into box office success.  The Odyssey is the perfect film for the case study.

The post ‘The Odyssey’ May Become Hollywood’s Next Representation Case Study first appeared on .

Bel Hernandez Castillo

After five years in the making, the award-winning documentary Ugly Little Monkeys is entering its next chapter—on its own terms.

Directed by David E. Valdez and Enrique Castillo, the documentary has enjoyed a successful film festival run, earning multiple honors including Best Directors and Best Documentary. Now, rather than following a traditional distribution path, the filmmakers have chosen a strategy that reflects a growing movement among independent creators: owning their distribution and maintaining direct control over their audience.

Ugly Little Monkeys, the documentary that chronicles the birth of the youth mariachi movement in the United States, begins its distribution journey today.

Maintaining control of their documentary’s distribution was important to Valdez and Castillo, so they chose OnTheHiway, a global streaming platform that allows filmmakers to manage their own releases while retaining ownership of audience data and revenue streams.

OnTheHiway does indeed provide the tools for filmmakers to control their distribution, audience data, pricing, and revenue streams –  however it does not automatically provide the audience, marketing, or discoverability that traditional distributors sometimes bring.

Unless you are a big studio film, the marketing and distribution usually falls on the filmmakers. No streaming platform, distributor, or VOD service can provide the one thing every film needs most: audience awareness. Distribution makes a film available. Marketing makes it discoverable.  

According to Jon Reiss, distribution strategist and author of Think Outside the Box Office: The Ultimate Guide to Film Distribution and Marketing for the Digital Era, “50% of your time and resources should go into connecting that film to an audience. In today’s crowded content landscape, discoverability has become one of the greatest challenges facing independent filmmakers. A film cannot succeed if audiences don’t know it exists.”

He argues that filmmakers must stop viewing distribution as a post-production task and instead build audience engagement into the filmmaking process from the beginning.

Castillo and Valdez understood early in the production process that audience-building begins long before a film reaches distribution. One of their most strategic decisions was inviting Academy Award-nominated actor, director, and producer Edward James Olmos to join the project as Executive Producer. Having worked together with Olmos on several film and television projects, Castillo knew that Olmos not only shared a passion for preserving Latino cultural heritage but also brought immediate credibility and visibility to the documentary.

Olmos’ involvement became a valuable marketing asset throughout the film’s journey. His name help attract attention to the project from its earliest stages, while his continued support has helped raise the documentary’s profile among both industry professionals and general audiences. Today, Olmos introduces the film on its streaming platform release, lending his voice and endorsement to the project. He has also participated in key screenings, including a high-profile presentation at the Directors Guild of America in Los Angeles, helping generate awareness and audience engagement.

For independent filmmakers, the lesson is clear: marketing is not something that begins when a film is finished. By intentionally building relationships, securing influential advocates, and creating promotional opportunities throughout production, filmmakers can lay the foundation for a successful release long before distribution begins.

Highlighting other choices that added to the storytelling of the documentary included reaching out to artists and talents who could speak to the context of the documentary or in some cases, first hand to the storyline of an Irish Catholic priest who gathers a handful of small town kids and forms the first youth mariachi group in the United States. Those interviews are some of the key elements that now serve to market the film among not just in the U.S. but worldwide.  

• Within the first five minutes of the documentary, mariachi music is established as a worldwide phenomenon through a montage of mariachi ensembles performing the classic “La Negra” in Japan, Italy, Poland, the United Kingdom, Croatia, Portugal, China, and New Zealand. Their participation later helped generate screenings of the documentary through Mexico’s Consulates in their respective countries.

• The interview with Grammy Award-winning singer-songwriter Linda Ronstadt provides one of the documentary’s most insightful perspectives, having grown up in Tucson and knowing about the Changuitos Feos/The Ugly Little Monkeys. Ronstadt helped introduce mariachi music to mainstream American audiences through her landmark album Canciones de Mi Padre, which became one of the best-selling non-English-language albums in U.S. history.

• The interview of Grammy Award winning Ruben Fuentes, a legend in Mariachi music and musical director of the world famous Mariachi Vargas the Tecalitlán.  He also was a producer of Ronstadt ‘s Canciones de Mi Padre.  He was interviewed at his home in Mexico City before his passing.  He credited Los Changuitos Feos—The Ugly Little Monkeys—with helping popularize and elevate mariachi music throughout the United States while introducing generations of audiences to the artistry of Mariachi Vargas.

• Adding to all this, Co-director Enrique Castillo who is also an actor, narrated the documentary. Castillo’s recognizable voice and decades-long acting career, most notable as Montana in Taylor Hackford’s Blood in Blood Out, have also become valuable promotional assets, drawing audiences to screenings where he regularly participates in post-film discussions and Q&A sessions.

• A special screening in Tlalpan, Mexico, hosted by the Mexican Consulate, demonstrated the film’s international appeal. Audiences enthusiastically embraced the story of a youth organization that helped preserve and expand Mexican culture in the United States and beyond. The reception has already opened doors for additional screenings throughout Mexico.

At every the screenings what resonates with audiences is the storytelling.  Ugly Little Monkey tells the story of a group of young boys from Tucson, Arizona, some who didn’t even know Spanish or how to play an instrument, who then went on and became world class musicians and singers in spite of the obstacles.

Several of the members of the group grew up to lead world class Mariachi groups of their own, one of those groups is the renown Mariachi Cobre that has been playing at Epcot Center in Orlando, Florida for over 30 years.  Several other members went on to teach Mariachi music at schools and universities.

We experience the story through the eyes of the one-time innocent kids, now grown men, who share their unforgettable journey about an Irish Catholic priest who gathers a handful of small town kids, some as young as nine years old and forms the first youth mariachi group in the United States. A priest who brought much joy and pain to their journey.  Through all the music, the magic, the pain and the triumph, it is the music that triumphs. 

More than simply documenting a musical ensemble, Ugly Little Monkeys explores how mariachi became a bridge between cultures, communities, and countries. Through performances and interviews, the film demonstrates how youth mariachi programs have flourished across the United States and beyond, inspiring young musicians while preserving an important cultural tradition.

For Valdez and Castillo, the journey of Ugly Little Monkeys is far from over. Through a combination of direct-to-consumer streaming, community screenings, and international cultural partnerships, the filmmakers are demonstrating that independent documentaries can find audiences while retaining ownership of their story.

The marketing of the film continues, even after its streaming premiere, through screenings.  One of the most significant upcoming public screenings will take place at LéaLA, the largest Spanish-language book fair and literary festival in the United States. Open to the public, this special community screening will take place on September 24 at LA Plaza de Cultura y Artes in Downtown Los Angeles as part of the festival’s programming. Adding to the celebration will be a performance by the members of the current Changuitos Feos/Ugly Little Monkeys mariachi group. The group will be flown in from Tucson to perform live for attendees.  

This screening represents precisely the kind of strategic audience development that independent filmmakers increasingly rely upon—bringing the film directly to communities already invested in its subject matter. 

In many ways, the path chosen by Ugly Little Monkeys mirrors the message at the heart of the film itself: preserving cultural traditions while creating new opportunities for future generations. By embracing innovative distribution models and continuing to engage audiences in person, the filmmakers are ensuring that the legacy of the Original Changuitos Feos/Ugly Little Monkeys—and the enduring power of mariachi music—will continue to resonate for years to come.

While many filmmakers wait until a film is completed to think about distribution, Ugly Little Monkeys demonstrates the value of building audiences throughout the production process. Every interview, festival appearance, community partnership, and cultural connections became part of a long-term marketing strategy that is now helping the film reach audiences around the world.

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For more than two decades, Juan Pablo Raba has built a career that few Latino actors have successfully navigated. From becoming a household name in Latin America’s telenovela world to earning respect in Hollywood dramas such as Narcos, Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D., Six, and The Marksman, the Colombian actor has steadily expanded his reach across languages, genres, and continents. Today, he finds himself at the center of one of television’s most talked-about franchises, portraying Joaquin Jackson in Paramount+’s hit series Dutton Ranch.

For longtime fans of Raba, the journey feels both remarkable and fitting.

Long before stepping onto the sprawling Texas landscapes of Dutton Ranch, Raba captivated audiences throughout Latin America in popular Colombian and Venezuelan telenovelas. His breakthrough came during the golden era of serialized Latin television, starring in productions such as Mi Gorda Bella, which became one of the most successful telenovelas of its generation and established him as a leading man throughout the Spanish-speaking world.

Like many Latino actors who dream of crossing into the U.S. market, Raba faced the challenge of reinventing himself. Rather than relying on his telenovela fame, he studied acting in New York and gradually built an English-language résumé that showcased his dramatic range. The result was a career marked by versatility—playing soldiers, law enforcement officers, political figures, and complex antiheroes.

Now, in what many are calling television’s modern-day Western “telenovela,” Raba has found a role tailor-made for his strengths.

The Jackson Family’s Steady Hand

In Dutton Ranch, Joaquin Jackson serves as the eldest son and presumed heir to the powerful Jackson family empire led by ranch matriarch Beulah Jackson, portrayed by Academy Award nominee Annette Bening. Joaquin is the responsible sibling—the man constantly cleaning up family crises while protecting the legacy of the famed 10 Petal Ranch.

Unlike his volatile younger brother Rob-Will, Joaquin is disciplined, strategic, and deeply committed to the family business. Much of the show’s family tension revolves around Joaquin’s efforts to preserve stability while navigating the chaos created by those around him.

As the series unfolds, viewers quickly discover that Joaquin is far more than a ranch executive. He is Beulah’s confidant, fixer, and, in many ways, the emotional glue holding together a fractured family.

Beulah and Her Children: A Family Built on Loyalty and Conflict

At the center of Dutton Ranch stands Beulah Jackson, the formidable Texas ranching queen whose influence extends far beyond the boundaries of her land. Her relationships with her children form one of the show’s most compelling storylines.

Joaquin occupies a unique position within the family dynamic. He is often portrayed as the loyal son who bears the weight of responsibility while managing the fallout created by his younger brother Rob-Will. Their relationship reflects the classic sibling rivalry that has become a hallmark of the Yellowstone universe.

Adding another layer to the family drama is Oreana, Beulah’s granddaughter, whose rebellious spirit frequently clashes with the expectations placed upon her by the family legacy. Together, Joaquin, Rob-Will, and Oreana represent different visions of the future of the Jackson dynasty.

For Beulah, preserving the ranch is everything. Yet the question looming over the series is whether her children and heirs share that same commitment—or whether the family’s internal divisions will ultimately threaten the very legacy she has spent a lifetime building. Recent episodes have intensified that conflict, particularly as Beulah contemplates succession and the future leadership of the ranch.

The Vaquero (The Cowboy)

What makes Raba’s casting especially significant is that Joaquin Jackson is not written as a stereotype. He is sophisticated, powerful, flawed, and central to the narrative. 

In a genre historically lacking Latino representation, Raba’s presence reflects the reality that the “vaqueros” (the Cowboy) were part of the Southwest long before Americans traveled West.  Mexico’s native vaqueros where the blueprint for the “American cowboy”. Raba’s presence comes full circle to reflecting a reality not fully known.  Mexicans were the originators to the ranching culture across Texas and the American Southwest.

The role also allows Raba to bring decades of experience in serialized storytelling to a franchise that thrives on family conflict, loyalty, betrayal, and power struggles—the same ingredients that make telenovelas a global phenomena.

In many ways, Dutton Ranch is today’s version of a telenovela: larger-than-life families, generational battles, forbidden loyalties, and dramatic twists that keep audiences coming back week after week. The only difference is that the setting is a cattle ranch instead of an hacienda.. 

From Bogotá soundstages to the dusty roads of Texas, Raba’s career has come full circle—proving that great storytelling and acting transcends language, genre, and borders.

Seeing Juan Pablo Raba ride at the center of the Dutton Ranch universe is more than another career milestone. It is a reminder that Latino talent continues to shape the biggest stories on television, one ranch at a time.

Dutton Ranch, the Yellowstone spin-off series, airs Episode 7 (“Den of Sin”) on Fridaym June 19. New episodes premiere at 12 a.m. PT / 3 a.m. ET on Paramount+ and air on Paramount Network at 8 p.m. ET/PT. The nine-episode first season follows Beth and Rip’s new life in Texas.

The post Juan Pablo Raba’s Journey to ‘Dutton Ranch’ first appeared on .

By Bel Hernandez Castillo

The beloved comedy ’57 Chevy is getting a fresh new ride. An all-new ensemble adaptation of the hit play will make its debut at Long Beach City College’s Jenni Rivera Performing Arts Center beginning May 21, 2026, bringing to life a heartfelt and hilarious immigrant story that has already captivated audiences across Southern California and the Southwest.

This is a hilarious story of a daydreaming immigrant boy, his stern Mexican father, and their family’s beloved ’57 Chevy.  

Originally performed as a one-man show starring Ric Salinas (of the acclaimed comedy ensemble Culture Clash), ’57 Chevy became a theatrical favorite during its acclaimed run at the Los Angeles Theatre Center before touring throughout the region. Critics praised the production as “a hilarious trek” (Los Angeles Times), “profoundly satisfying” (L.A. Weekly), and “an evocative coming-of-age masterpiece” (Su Teatro News). During the 2020 pandemic shutdown, San Diego Repertory Theatre even adapted the production into a filmed streaming presentation for audiences at home.

Now, playwright and four-time SoCal Emmy Award-winning writer Cris Franco is reimagining the production in a bold new way. Expanding from a solo monologue into a full ensemble piece, the new version features 17 actors portraying more than 30 colorful characters drawn from Franco’s bicultural childhood growing up between Mexico City, South Central Los Angeles, and the San Fernando Valley.

The transformation from solo performance to ensemble production was sparked by Franco’s longtime collaborator and friend, Valerie Dunlap. Believing the story could become even richer through a larger cast, Dunlap encouraged Franco to expand the script so that more performers—and more audiences—could connect with its humor, heart, and cultural authenticity.

“As a boy, the only thing larger than my big familia was my fantasy life fueled by endless hours of watching American television,” Franco shared. “It’s going to be a blast seeing a full cast step into my imagination and tell the crazy-but-true stories about our Chevy that brought our family from Mexico City to our first home in South Central L.A., and later to the San Fernando Valley.”

Shortly after completing the new script, Dunlap shared it with Rick Greaver at Long Beach City College, who introduced the work to Senior Faculty and Professor of Theater Arts Anthony Carreiro. After viewing the filmed version and reading the expanded adaptation, Carreiro immediately recognized the production’s significance for LBCC’s diverse student body.

“One hoped the ensemble version would attract theater groups, high schools, and colleges,” Dunlap explained. “And that’s exactly what happened.”

With nearly 60 percent of LBCC students identifying as Latino, the play offered student actors the rare opportunity to portray culturally authentic Latino characters spanning generations—from Mexican immigrants newly arrived in the U.S. to Chicanos fully immersed in American culture.

“I have directed many productions at the college, and every time I’ve found a play that speaks directly to our community, I’ve seen the joy in students who recognize themselves in the story,” Carreiro said. “That is exactly what is happening with this wonderful play.”

The production will be staged in the Little Theater at LBCC’s new Jenni Rivera Performing Arts Center and directed by acclaimed actor, choreographer, and director Jessica Berón. For Berón, the rehearsal process has been both emotionally resonant and wildly entertaining.

“We’ve had fascinating conversations about how memories feel and even how they sound,” Berón said. “That exploration led us into choreography, physical comedy, stunts, and so much playfulness. There are moments in rehearsal where we laugh so hard it takes time to recover and continue working.”

At its core, ’57 Chevy is a loving portrait of a bilingual, bicultural Mexican-American family navigating the promise and contradictions of the American Dream during the 1950s through the 1970s. Franco fills the play with vivid details from his childhood: plastic-covered living room furniture, strict immigrant parents, inventive Spanglish phrases, crowded family homes, and the unforgettable image of “Gringo Stalker Jesus”—the blue-eyed portrait of Jesus seemingly watching every move inside Latino households.

But beneath the comedy lies a timely and deeply human message.

“What makes America great is its culture of opportunity,” Franco explained. “It allowed immigrants like my father—and so many others—to pursue their dreams through hard work, sacrifice, and hope.”

Berón believes the play’s themes feel especially urgent today. Although the story takes place decades ago, the backdrop includes the Civil Rights Movement, anti-war protests, and ongoing debates surrounding immigration and identity.

“These students recognize the parallels between that era and the world we’re living in now,” Berón noted. “The play highlights the challenges immigrants face while also celebrating what connects us across cultures.”

Excitement around the production has continued building across campus, with students and faculty alike praising the energy surrounding rehearsals. The ensemble cast is led by Abraham Figueroa as Junior, Danny Rangel as Dad, Frania Dueñas as Mom, and Juliana Medina as Young Junior, alongside Alexis Frisch, Alyssa Hilton, Elizabeth Aoshi, Catherine Fuentes, Celvin Reyes, Miguel Yozov, Nicholas Paddit, Nichole Mendez, Noah Cisneros, Olin Archuleta, Paola Ovalle, Quinn Hicks, and Travis Johnson.

As opening night approaches, Franco says the production captures the youthful wonder and optimism that shaped his memories growing up in America.

“Because the story is told through the eyes of a wildly imaginative nine-year-old boy, the play sparkles with innocence, joy, and humor rarely seen onstage today,” Franco said. “I’m proud families can experience together what it was like to be an immigrant at a time when the American Dream still felt possible for hardworking newcomers.” For tickets and show information, visitLBCC ’57 Chevy Show Information

The post The Reimagining of The Latino Comedy ’57 Chevy’ at Long Beach City College first appeared on .

In a strategic move that underscores the accelerating demand for short-form storytelling, Great American Media has partnered with Minivela to develop, distribute and monetize a slate of premium micro-dramas aimed at U.S. Latinos and Latin American audiences.

The alliance—announced April 8 in New York during ANA GrowthFronts—will anchor the launch of Pure Flix Familia, a new Spanish-language and bilingual destination focused on faith- and family-driven content, set to debut later this year.

The partnership is notable within the evolving vertical video ecosystem: it represents one of the first Latino-centric ventures creating culturally specific content in English and bilingual formats, positioning both companies at the intersection of mobile-first consumption and underserved Hispanic audiences.

Minivela is the first bilingual vertical shorts platform serving the U.S. Latinos and Latin American markets, Brilla Media co-founder and former Hispanicize CEO Manny Ruiz is its Chief Executive Officer.

A Mobile-First Bet on Cultural Relevance

The collaboration combines Pure Flix’s established base in values-driven entertainment with Minivela’s creator-led, mobile-first production model. The result is a pipeline of vertical-format micro-dramas tailored for audiences increasingly consuming content on smartphones.

As part of a multi-project agreement, Minivela will produce original IP as well as adaptations from Pure Flix’s existing library—reimagined specifically for short-form vertical viewing. Content will be produced across key production hubs including Miami, Los Angeles, New York and locations throughout Latin America.

“We’re excited to build Pure Flix Familia with a highly creative partner that shares our commitment to meaningful storytelling for Latino audiences,” said Bill Abbott, President and CEO of Great American Media, about the strategic alignment.

Data-Driven Development Meets Creator Economy

A key component of the partnership is the use of Pure Flix’s proprietary audience data to inform development decisions—an increasingly critical advantage in the fragmented streaming landscape. The companies will also collaborate on distribution opportunities and content acquisition strategies aimed at scaling reach among Latino viewers.

Beyond content, the alliance opens the door to integrated brand partnerships, giving advertisers new ways to engage audiences through culturally resonant storytelling rather than traditional ad formats.

Expanding Latino Creative Opportunities

For Minivela, the deal represents both scale and mission alignment as Co-founder Carlos Ponce highlighted the creative upside: “This creates opportunities for Latino writers, directors and creators to bring their voices into purpose-driven storytelling.” Ponce is also set to star in upcoming projects under the Pure Flix Familia banner.

“We’re focused on delivering stories that truly entertain, inspire and connect,” said Co-founder Manny Ruiz, added that the partnership stands apart in a crowded micro-drama space often driven by volume.

The micro-drama format—short, serialized content optimized for mobile viewing—has seen rapid growth globally, but remains relatively underdeveloped for U.S. Larino audiences, particularly in the faith and family segment.

With this move, Great American Media continues to build a multiplatform ecosystem targeting audiences seeking values-based entertainment, while Minivela strengthens its position as a leading creative and production partner in the vertical content space.

The launch of Pure Flix Familia later this year will test the viability of this hybrid model—combining bilingual storytelling, culturally specific narratives and mobile-first distribution—at a time when Latino audiences remain both one of the fastest-growing and most underserved segments in streaming.

The post Minivela and Great American Media Teams Partner to Launch Micro-Dramas Aimed at U.S. Latinos first appeared on .

Thirty years ago, Latino representation at the Academy Awards was almost invisible. In the mid-1990s, nominations for Latino artists were almost non existent and often limited to a single acting nod or a film from Latin America competing in the international category. Hollywood’s biggest night rarely reflected the depth of talent emerging from Latino communities in the United States and across Latin America.

The 98th Academy Awards, set for March 15, 2026 at the Dolby Theatre in Hollywood, feature 13 Latino creatives recognized across acting, producing, writing, and animation categories. The nominations highlight the continued global influence of Latinos talent in both studio and independent filmmaking.

Fast-forward to the 98th Academy Awards, and the picture—while still imperfect—shows meaningful progress. This year’s nominees include 12 creatives, from actors to casting Directors

What we can say is that there has been some progress.

Throughout the 1990s there were only three Latinos who garnered an Academy Award nomination in the actor category. That is three actors in ten years: Andy Garcia (Best Supporting Actor, The Godfather Part III, 1990), Rosie Perez (Best Supporting Actress, Fearless, 1994), and Brazilian actress Fernanda Montenegro (Best Actress, Central Station, 1998), who was the first Latina nominated in that category.

Fast-forward to the 98th Academy Awards, and the picture—while still imperfect—shows meaningful progress. This year’s nominees include a historic Best Actor nomination for Wagner Moura, and a secont Oscar nomination for Oscar winner Benicio del Toro (for Traffic). However this year there is a strong showing behind the lens beginning with multiple nominations for visionary Mexican filmmaker Guillermo del Toro. It is behind the scenes that Latino creatives are ceating and shaping major studio projects and independent film, including producer Yvett Merino and filmmaker Adrian Molina in the animated feature category — and more.

Compared with three decades ago—when Latino nominees could often be counted on one hand—the 2026 slate reflects a broader presence across acting, producing, writing, and directing. It’s a that there is more projects employing Latinos, or they themselves are creating the projects. There is definitely a stronger presence of Latino actors and behind the scenes creative, with an increasing move from the margins into the creative center of global filmmaking.

Yet the progress tells only part of the story. One glaring absence remains: Latinas. Despite a year rich with powerful performances and acclaimed films by Latina creatives, women of Latin American descent are largely missing from the nomination roster.

As Hollywood celebrates this year’s nominees, the conversation inevitably turns to the question that continues to echo through awards season: whose work is still being overlooked? But that is for another article.

For now we celebrate all the the Oscar nominees and draw your attention to the 2026 Latino Oscar nominees, from on-screen talent, to behind the camera. And the nominees are…

2026 Actor Oscar Nominees

ACTORS

Benicio del Toro

Nomination: Best Supporting Actor — One Battle After Another

Academy Award winner Benicio del Toro received his third career nomination for his role in Paul Thomas Anderson’s ensemble drama One Battle After Another. One of the most respected Latino actors in Hollywood, del Toro first gained global attention with films such as The Usual Suspects and Traffic, the latter earning him an Oscar. His career has spanned major franchises (Sicario, Star Wars: The Last Jedi) and auteur-driven cinema.

Oscar history:

• Nominations: 3
• Wins: 1 — Best Supporting Actor for Traffic (2001)

Wagner Moura

Nomination: Best Actor — The Secret Agent

Brazilian actor Wagner Moura earned a historic nomination for his performance as a political dissident navigating Brazil’s military dictatorship in The Secret Agent. Moura first gained international recognition starring as Pablo Escobar in the Netflix series Narcos, after becoming one of Brazil’s most acclaimed actors through films such as Elite Squad and Elite Squad: The Enemy Within. Known for his politically charged roles and directing work, Moura continues to bridge Brazilian cinema with Hollywood productions.

Oscar history:

• Nominations: 1
• Wins: 0

Notably, Moura becomes the first Brazilian man ever nominated for Best Actor.

Producing, Writing & Directing

Juan Arredondo

Nominations:

• Best Documentary — Armed Only with a Camera: The Life and Dath of Brent Renaud

Colombian photojournalist and professor Juan Arredondo earned a 2026 Oscar nomination for Best Documentary Short Film Armed Only with a Camera: The Life and Death of Brent Renaud. Arredondo, who was severely wounded in the 2022 Ukraine attack that killed his colleague, produced and edited the film to honor Brent Renaud’s legacy.

Oscar history:

• Nominations: 1
• Wins: 0

Guillermo del Toro

Nominations:

• Best Picture — Frankenstein
• Best Adapted Screenplay — Frankenstein

Mexican visionary Guillermo del Toro continues his remarkable awards legacy with multiple nominations for his gothic reimagining of Frankenstein. Del Toro is widely celebrated for blending dark fantasy with emotional storytelling in films such as Pan’s Labyrinth, The Shape of Water, and Guillermo del Toro’s Pinocchio. His work has made him one of the most influential filmmakers to emerge from Mexico’s modern cinematic wave.

Oscar history:

• Nominations: 8+ (across producing, directing, and writing)
• Wins: 3
  • Best Director — The Shape of Water (2018)
  • Best Picture — The Shape of Water (2018)
  • Best Animated Feature — Guillermo del Toro’s Pinocchio (2023)

Yvett Merino

Nomination: Best Animated Feature — Zootopia 2 (Producer)

Producer Yvett Merino has become one of the most prominent Latina executives in animation. As a producer at Walt Disney Animation Studios, she previously won the Oscar for Encanto, the globally celebrated musical inspired by Colombian culture. With Zootopia 2, Merino continues her work shepherding large-scale animated storytelling within the Disney system.

Oscar history:

• Nominations: 2
• Wins: 1 — Best Animated Feature for Encanto (2022)

Nidia Santiago 

Nomination: Little Amélie or the Character of Rain (Producer)

Multiple award- winning producer for the animated short Little Amélie or the Character of Rain including an Oscar. In her productions we find the titles Chulyen, histoire de corbeau by Cerise Lopez and Agnès Patron (nominated for the Emile Awards 2017); Negative Space by Ru Kuwahata and Max Porter (FIPRESCI Award at the Annecy Festival, Grand Prix at Animamundi (Brazil), nominated for the Oscars in 2018.

Oscar history:

• Nominations: 2 – Negative Space (Produer)
• Wins: 1 — Best Animated Feature for Negative Space (2018)

Adrian Molina

Nomination: Best Animated Feature — Elio (Co-Director)

Adrian Molina is best known as the co-director and co-writer of Pixar’s Coco, which celebrated Mexican culture and became a global box office success. Molina returned to Pixar’s director’s chair with Elio, a sci-fi adventure about a boy mistakenly identified as Earth’s ambassador to an intergalactic council.

Oscar history:

• Nominations: 3 (including writing and animated feature categories)
• Wins: 2
  • Best Animated Feature — Coco (2018)
  • Best Original Song — “Remember Me,” Coco (2018)

Beyond the acting and directing categories, Latino talent continues to make a significant impact behind the camera, shaping the visual, technical, and sonic elements of some of the year’s most talked-about films.

Ken Diaz

Oscar Nomination: Best Makeup and Hairstyling — Sinners

Veteran makeup artist Ken Diaz earned an Academy Award nomination for his work on the genre-bending supernatural drama Sinners. Diaz, known in Hollywood for his expertise in character transformation and special makeup effects, helped create the film’s striking visual aesthetic alongside collaborators Mike Fontaine and Shunika Terry. The nomination places Diaz among the few Latino artists recognized in the Academy’s makeup branch in recent years. He has three Primetime Emmys for his work as a make-up artist in television and an overall of six nominations. With the Sinners nomination that makes him a three time Oscar nominee My Family/Mi Familia (1996) and Dad (1990). The chances of a “third time is the charm” just might work out.

Oscar history:

• Nominations: 3
  • Best Make-up – Mi Family/My Family (1996)
  • Best Make-up – Dad (1990)
• Wins: 0

Jose Antonio Garcia

Oscar Nomination: Best Achievement in Sound Mixing, One Battle After Another

 José Antonio García a renowned Oscar-nominated and awarded sound engineer Mexican known for his work on major films like Argo (2012), Roma (2018), and the 2025 film One Battle After Another. He has received multiple Acadmey Award nominations for Best Sound Mixing throughout his career.

Oscar history:

• Nominations: 3
  • Best Achievement in Sound Mixing, Roma (2019)
  • Best Achievement in Sound Mixing, Argo (2013)
• Wins: 0

Felipe Pacheco

• Nominations: 3
  • Best Make-up – Mi Family/My Family (1996)
  • Best Make-up – Dad (1990)
• Wins: 0

Nomination: Best Sound — Sinners

Costa Rican–born sound editor Felipe Pacheco received an Oscar nomination as part of the sound team for Sinners. A Berklee College of Music graduate, Pacheco has built a reputation in Hollywood for his work on large-scale productions and streaming series, including the acclaimed Apple TV+ series Severance. His nomination reflects the increasingly global nature of sound design teams in modern filmmaking.

Oscar history:

• Nominations: 1
• Wins: 0

Juan Peralta

Oscar Nomination: Best Achievement in Sound Mixing, One Battle After Another

Juan Peralta is an American sound engineer.^[2] He was nominated for an Academy Award in the category Best Sound for the film F1.^[3]. Hia other credits include  Avengers: Endgame (2019) and Doctor Strange (2016).

Adolpho Veloso

Nomination: Best Cinematography — Train Dreams

Brazilian cinematographer Adolpho Veloso earned a historic nomination for his atmospheric photography on Train Dreams. Known for his painterly visual style and ability to capture expansive natural landscapes, Veloso became one of the few Brazilian cinematographers ever nominated in the category, bringing international attention to his work.

Oscar history:

• Nominations: 1
• Wins: 0

Gabriel Domingues

Nomination: Best Casting — The Secret Agent

Brazilian casting director Gabriel Domingues received an Oscar nomination for assembling the ensemble of The Secret Agent. His work recreating the political and social landscape of 1970s Brazil through casting was widely praised and marks recognition in the Academy’s newly introduced casting category.

Oscar history:

• Nominations: 1
• Wins: 0

Additional, although not an Oscar nominee Danya Jimenez is a Mexican American screenwriter and LMU alumna who, alongside writing partner Hannah McMechan, co-wrote the 2025 hit animated film KPop Demon Hunters which is a two time Oscar nominee. Released on Netflix, the musical action-comedy became a global phenomenon, ranking as the platform’s #1 most-watched movie. The duo was named to Variety’s 2025 screenwriters to watch list. 

The progress from three decades ago is undeniable. Latino artists today are directing Oscar-winning films, leading global franchises, and shaping Hollywood’s creative future. Yet the absence of Latina nominees in 2026 is a reminder that the industry’s evolution remains incomplete. Until the Academy’s ballot consistently reflects the full spectrum of Latino talent—women included—the celebration will always carry a note of unfinished business.

The post Banner Year: 13 Latinos Nominated for an Oscar in 2026 first appeared on .

Los Angeles audiences will have an opportunity to witness art used as a powerful form of activism when Constance Marie and eight other actors take to the stage to read monologues inspired by true stories of families and communities affected by ICE.  Malice: Stories of Injustice, a special two-night theatrical event at the Odyssey Theatre Ensemble.

The monologues are inspired by real stories and written by Vivianne Nacif and Juan Pablo Oubina 
Directed by Vivianne Nacif.

Performances will be on March 10 at 8PM (Constance Marie will perform on this day) and March 11 also at 8PM. The performances feature nine monologues inspired by real-life stories of individuals affected by immigration enforcement actions. The fundraising event is designed inform and create community around the topic of immigration, not only as a theatrical experience but as a fundraiser with all proceeds going to help support and aid immigrant detained and/or their families.

Post-show discussions after each day’s performance will give the audience an opportunity to engage with the cast, writers, directors and discussions and learn what and where help will be provided for immigrants navigating the new challenges they face with ICE raids.

In addition to Marie, the actors (and the roles they will play) donating their time and talent to these two day charitable performances include:

Eduardo Enrikez – Francisco (Paletero) 
Angelines Santana – Linda (Tamalera) 
Alejandro Cardenas – Andry Hernandez (make-up artist) 
Iran Daniel – Alma (Home Health aid worker) 
Eduardo Enrikez – Marcos (Gardner) 
Constance Marie English performance only – Angeles (Agricultural worker) 
Vivianne Nacif   – Mariana (Jazmin’s mom) 
Alex Peña – Antonio (Daca Recepient-uber driver) 
Maria Jimena Gastelum -Sofia (US citizen College Student) 

All proceeds from the performances will benefit Mar Vista Voice and West Los Angeles Rapid Response Network, grassroots groups working on the front lines to provide legal aid, emergency response alerts, and community support for families impacted by ICE detentions.

The evening brings together actors who will portray the voices of individuals whose lives have been directly affected by immigration enforcement. Rather than statistics or headlines, the monologues present deeply personal narratives that reveal the human impact of policy.

“These monologues are based on are real people,” said Marie. “They’re not numbers or talking points. Many of them have lived in this country for decades and contributed enormously to the communities they live in.”

Marie will perform during the English-language performance on March 10, portraying an agricultural worker whose story reflects the experiences of many essential laborers. The Spanish-language performance will take place March 11, bringing the stories to Spanish-speaking audiences.

Among the characters represented are long-time residents, workers, and even a DACA recipient studying law whose life was disrupted by detention.

Art as Action

For Marie, whose decades-long career includes iconic roles in films like Mi Familia and Selena and starring as Angie Lopez on George Lopez (2002–2007) and Regina Vasquez on Switched at Birth (2011–2017) and most currently in TV showrunner Gloria Calderon Kellett’s With Love, working on Malice reflects her belief that storytelling can play a role in social awareness and community engagement.

“The antidote to despair is action,” Marie said. “People can protest, they can donate, they can post online — and this performance is another way to take action. Creative resistance is important right now.”

Audience members are encouraged to attend, bring friends, and engage with the community through the event and enjoy an evening is meant to be both moving and empowering.

For Marie, being part of this creative fundraiser is more than doing a monolough of another persons’ real life experineces with ICE — it is personal. “The hardest part for me is being in a country where I am a citizen but because the color of my skin i’m asked for my papers. I’m indigenous but because i’m brown I have to worry about the racial profiling that’s happening.”

Malice: Stories of Injustice performances will take place at the Odyssey Theatre in Los Angeles with two performances:

• March 10 — English-language performance (featuring Constance Marie)
• March 11 — Spanish-language performance
• Time: 8:00 PM

Tickets and donation information can be accessed through Constance Marie’s Instagram, @GoConstance, where a link and QR code are available for purchasing tickets or contributing to the cause, or at The Odyssey Theater website. Donations can also be made online at the Odyssey Theater Support Page, However, make sure to to indicate your donation is restricted funds to be used only for Malice charities.

Marie leaves us with an ecnouraging thought, “Right now many people feel overwhelmed. But community is the answer. Remembering our humanity and our shared stories are essential.”

The post Constance Marie On The Power of Creative Resistance Thru The Arts ‘Malice: Stories of Injustice’ first appeared on .

In the crowded field of documentary shorts this awards season, the Oscar nominated The Devil Is Busy stands out not through spectacle, but through access and immediacy. Executive produced by award-winning journalists Soledad O’Brien and veteran producer Rose Arce, the film directed by Geeta Gandbhir and Christalyn Hampton offers a clear-eyed portrait of reproductive healthcare in America after the 2022 reversal of Roe v. Wade. directed by 

The result is one of the most quietly powerful entries in this year’s Oscar race—and a reminder that the debate over reproductive rights is no longer theoretical, but unfolding daily at clinic doors across the country.

When the U.S. Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade in 2022, it didn’t just change the law—it erased half a century of protections that women in the United States had fought to secure.

“It was really back at the end of 2022 that we started thinking.  If this happens, if in fact Roe v. Wade is no longer the lay of the land, what could we do”, explained O’Brien on the urgency to “do something” immediately after the law was overturned. 

“There is actually a very strong Latina connection to all of this”, Arce points out. “During the Supreme Court oral arguments Supreme Court Justice Sonia Sotomayor asked the question of the Court, “Will this institution survive the stench this creates?”  Aware of the challenge ahead, O’Brien and Arce understood the mission and went to work producing the documentary. They approached the Ford Foundation and it was a Latina, Sonia Enriquez and Darren Walker who both said, yes to the funding.  “Once we had the film, a Latina executive at HBO was the one that said ‘OK…I am gong to run this’.” The Devil Is Busy has been streaming on HBO Max since September 23, 2025.

Powerfully, the film arrives guided by Latina leadership behind the scenes, bringing journalistic rigor and emotional clarity to a subject that too often gets reduced to political slogans. 

Filmed in cinéma vérité style, the 30 minute documentary short unfolds over the course of a single day, inside a women’s healthcare clinic in Atlanta.  Tracii, the facility’s head of security, navigates the daily reality of protecting patients and staff amid ongoing protests and heightened threats – from security sweeps of the premises to escorting patients inside while safeguarding their anonymity. 

For more than five decades, American women lived with the protections established under Roe v. Wade. The Devil Is Busy starkly contrasts that era with the new reality many patients face navigating restrictive state laws and an increasingly hostile climate surrounding reproductive care. 

Rather than relying on political commentary, the filmmakers keep the camera trained on the human infrastructure holding the system together. Tracii emerges as the film’s emotional anchor—part protector, part counselor. The documentary avoids polemics in favor of observation, allowing viewers to witness the emotional and operational toll on the staff tasked with ensuring women can still access basic healthcare.

The film’s power lies in this juxtaposition: routine healthcare operating under extraordinary pressure.

At a brisk half hour, The Devil Is Busy is compact but potent filmmaking. In an awards season often dominated by sweeping global stories, this short opts for a focused lens on a single clinic, a single day, and a single gatekeeper standing between patients and the chaos outside.

The post REVIEW: Oscar Nominated Short ‘The Devil Is Busy’: Powered by Latina Vision And Urgency first appeared on .

Nosotros and NBCUniversal are signaling a decisive shift in how Latino talent is developed and presented for the industry. With Season 5 of Ya Tú Sabes, the long-running incubator has fully transitioned from a traditional showcase model into a cinematic short-form pipeline—culminating in the crowning of The Comedian as this year’s top winner and positioning the program as a serious launchpad for writers and actors ready for film and television.

What began in 2020 as a challenge from NBCUniversal Launch to rethink the traditional actor showcase has evolved into a fully realized creative pipeline. Initially launched as the Ya Tú Sabes Monologue Slam, the program emphasized original writing and live performance. Over time, it expanded into fully produced stand-alone scenes selected through a competitive process, under a new name, Ya Tú Sabes Monologue Shorts.

Nosotros and NBCUniversal have marked that evolution and raised the bar once again with the explosive fifth season of Ya Tú Sabes, unveiling a bold new evolution of the long-running Latino talent incubator—one that trades the traditional stage showcase for cinematic pieces designed to reflect the professional readiness of Latino talent when given meaningful resources and production value.

“In a year shaped by a difficult national climate for Latinos, support for arts programs like this was far from guaranteed,” said Joel M. Gonzales, President of Nosotros. “We’re deeply grateful to NBCUniversal and the NBC Launch program for standing with us when sponsorships were tight. What Season 5 represents is how much this program has grown over the past five years—and how Latino artists continue to create opportunity, break through, and tell our own stories on our own terms.”

Emerging as Season 5’s creative breakthrough and top winner with judges and audiences alike, is The Comedian, written by stand-up comic José Maestas and powerfully performed by actor Richard Eick. This piece amplifies the Ya Tú Sabes’ core mission: spotlighting Latino writers and actors through original work rooted in universal themes—while steadily expanding the scale and seriousness of the platform.

A sharply observed and emotionally layered piece, The Comedian draws directly from Maestas’ personal experience to explore the duality of life on and off the stage—the persona versus the person. Its resonance was immediate, quickly becoming one of the most talked-about monologue shorts of the season for its depth, honesty, and cinematic execution.

“Across a lineup of powerful shorts, one of the strongest examples was the winner, The Comedian,” said Gonazlez, adding “The writing and performance stood out immediately and reflect the level of depth and readiness that exists in our community when the opportunity is real.”

The Ya Tu Sabes Monolouge Shorts premiered live at the Ricardo Montalbán Theatre this past December, streaming simultaneously on the Nosotros YouTube channel, with Audience Choice voting closing on December 31 declaring writer Cristal González Ávila and actor Mariana Belén as the  Audience Choice winners for Ropa Sucia.

Industry-Level Execution

Season 5’s six monologue shorts were led creatively by Hector Felix, who served as director, editor, and cinematographer, establishing a cohesive visual language across the entire showcase. The project was produced by Gonzales and co-produced by Nosotros Creative Director Juan Munevar, with creative collaboration from Joaquin F. Palma, writer/director of the program’s first three seasons—bridging the initiative’s roots with its cinematic future.

This year’s highly noted celebrity ambassador judges underscored the program’s industry credibility, include Julian Works (The Long Game, Jimmy), actor/producer Nicholas Gonzalez (La Brea, The Good Doctor), producer/director Ben DeJesus (Leguizamo Does America), actor/director Jon Huertas (This Is Us), and Larry Laboe, Executive Director of NewFilmmakers LA. They were joined by NBCUniversal executives and a broad cross-section of casting directors, agents, managers, publicists, and industry professionals.

What’s Next?

Looking ahead, the Season 5 monologue shorts—led by The Comedian and Ropa Sucia—will be submitted as stand-alone short films to film festivals, extending their life well beyond the showcase and expanding visibility for the participating writers and actors across the festival and industry landscape.

Winners will receive cash prizes and sponsored access to key industry leaders, including NBCUniversal executives, casting directors, agencies, and senior writers and producers—solidifying Ya Tú Sabes not just as a showcase, but as a tangible bridge to career advancement.

With Season 5, Nosotros and NBCUniversal have made a clear statement: when Latino artists are given space, resources, and respect, the results are not just promising—they’re cinematic.

The post EXCLUSIVE: Nosotros and NBCUniversal Crown Season 5 ‘Ya Tú Sabes’ Winner as Program Goes Fully Cinematic first appeared on .