By Andrea Nunez-Gamboa

In a rare occurrence, two Latino-themed films—Clika and The Dreamer Cinderella—competed at the box office this past January 23. The films simultaneous release offers a revealing look at how marketing strategies that address similar markets operate at opposite ends of the industry spectrum, namely studio-backed campaigns with substantial resources versus the limited marketing budget of independent films.

It is well documented that U.S. Latinos are the most avid moviegoers in the U.S. This matters not only because the film industry is experiencing sustained declines in movie attendance—limiting the discovery of new films and talent—but also because Latino audiences represent untapped economic potential.

A 2023 McKinsey’s research study found that the US film industry might generate an additional $12 to $18 billion annually if Latino cultural representation in films increased,. 

Latinos account for roughly 30% of the U.S. economy with a collective GDP that would rank as the fifth largest in the world, according to The Latino Donor Collaborative, a think tank that produces yearly studies on the filmgoing habits of U.S.Latinos  The disconnect between economic power and the industry’s representation of Latinos raises a persistent question: Why does Latino visibility in U.S. films remain so limited?

It is a complicated answer that includes the lack of studio greenlighting for Latino projects, smaller budgets, and limited marketing support. As a result, many Latino filmmakers turn to the independent route, where little to no funding is allocated to marketing. By the numbers, the disparity is striking: The ratio between a studio film’s marketing budget and an independent film’s is approximately 87 to 1.   

Sol Trujillo, co-founder of the Latino Donor Collaborative (LDC) and former Fortune 200 CEO, argues that Hollywood studios are leaving billions of dollars on the table by failing to produce and properly market content for U.S. Latinos. Based on the 2024 LDC U.S. Latinos in Media Report, Latinos  purchase 24% to 29% of all box office tickets, yet remain one of the most underrepresented groups on screen.

Same Opening Week, Different Budgets

The simultaneous release of the two Latino themed independent films Clika and The Dreamer Cinderella, represented a strong moment for Latino representation in cinema this past January. Led by Mexican American directors, producers, and actors, both projects reflected contemporary cultural themes. However, their markedly different production and marketing resources set the stage for contrasting box office trajectories.

Clika, a music drama directed by Michael Greene and produced by Jimmy Humilde, follows Chito (Jay Dee), a small-town musician whose viral success propels him into the world of corridos tumbados, a subgenre of regional Mexican rap music. Distributed in 522 theaters, the film benefited from the backing of Columbia Pictures, a Sony subsidiary with a robust marketing infrastructure. Given Sony’s existing ties to Humilde’s Latin record label Rancho Humilde, the project aligned seamlessly with the company’s brand ecosystem.

The Dreamer Cinderella tells the story of Xochitl, a fruit vendor whose life changes when a filmmaker casts her as the subject of a daring bet, revealing her as a hidden star. Directed and produced independently Dr. Ruiz Productions with first time director Dr. Jose Luis Ruiz, this independent film was distriubted in only 16 theaters by Atlas Distribution. The difference in marketing visibility between these two films is stark, but as the performance data will show, scale is not the only strategy at producers’ disposal to drive attendance.

Measuring Momentum, Not Scale

Trying to evaluate each film’s marketing effectiveness by comparing their total box office gross ticket sales would be unfair. Between January 23 and January 27, Clika earned $1,520,455 while The Dreamer Cinderella earned $8,880—a differential that reflects their vastly different scales of distribution. Instead, it is more equitable to compare the percentage changes in daily gross ticket sales respective to each film. This approach highlights momentum rather than reach, an especially useful lens for independent films whose full box office data is often underreported. While these limitations make a fully precise picture difficult, the figures still offer a meaningful basis for interpretation.

Takeaway: Clika

Clika’s performance data shows relatively moderate fluctuations, meaning the film experienced smaller declines following opening day and steadier rebounds throughout the opening week. This suggests consistent brand recognition and predictable audience reach. Even when attendance dips, the film’s structural visibility helps cushion the decline later in the week, allowing it to recover audience attendance by the following weekend.

This performance can be attributed to an ongoing baseline marketing presence supported by a studio-led campaign and a distributor such as Columbia Pictures/Sony. The strategy included a strong digital footprint, paid social media exposure, radio and podcast interviews, and billboard placements, which are elements that align with the comprehensive distribution and promotional approach typically associated with major studio releases.

Takeaway: The Dreamer Cinderella

The Dreamer Cinderella’s performance during opening week, by contrast, is characterized by sharp declines followed by a dramatic rebound, with its highest upward growth occurring on January 27 the last day of the theatrical run. This trajectory suggests a performance closely tied to marketing pushes, particularly those driven by community-based promotion, with targeted theaters, universities, film festivals, paid social media and community partners.

“…when the audience is targeted correctly, they respond.”

As an independent film, the key insight here is clear: When marketing aligns with audience outreach, the response is powerful. The spike in performance shows that when the audience is targeted correctly, they respond. Independent films can perform well, as audience interest often exists, but tailored marketing is required to make a meaningful difference during opening week.

In the case of The Dreamer Cinderella, there was an intentional effort to invest independent dollars into marketing, almost as a case study to test the idea that even modest marketing spending can influence performance and drive attendance.

Dr. Ruiz Productions joined forces with Entertainment Media Specialist to launch a groundbreaking case study of with The Dreamer Cinderella, and Latino independent film marketing. Modeled after major studio marketing strategies—but without the luxury of nine-figure budgets.  The Independent Latino Film Marketing Campaign (ILFMC) study harnessed the power of grassroots community outreach, mobilizing Latino organizations nationwide and reaching out to independent thaters to screen the film through a film distributor and community engagement. Together all helped build a smart, targeted, community-driven release strategy. 

FINAL THOUGHTS

“Ultimately, this analysis suggests that budget size matters less than how resources are allocated. As Latino audiences continue to grow and drive box office revenue, films made for these communities must be paired with marketing strategies that recognize their value and meet them where they are.”

The opening-week data makes one point clear, namely that marketing determines whether Latino audiences show up, not whether they exist. Clika’s steadier performance reflects sustained visibility, whereas The Dreamer Cinderella’s volatility reveals untapped demand that can be activated when outreach is strategic.

For Latino films, especially independent films, success is not a question of scale but marketing precision. When marketing investment is culturally informed and strategically deployed, independent projects can compete with large-scale commercial releases. In a market as powerful as the Latino audience, marketing is not optional. It is the difference between invisibility and impact, something that Latino movies should consider to gain a foothold in the film industry.

Ultimately, this analysis suggests that budget size matters less than how resources are allocated. As Latino audiences continue to grow and drive box office revenue, films made for these communities must be paired with marketing strategies that recognize their value and meet them where they are.

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The life of legendary Hollywood actor and internationally renowned artist Pepe Serna is revealed in Pepe Serna: Life Is Art, a one-hour documentary film directed by Luis Reyes will be available for streaming on Apple TV, Amazon, Google Play, and Vudu on February 21, 2024. Told by Serna himself, the documentary follows his lengthy acting career and artistic life and provides viewers with a rare opportunity to discover previously unseen and unknown sides of the actor’s journey. 

With over 100 film and television credits, Serna is most recognized for his iconic role opposite Al Pacino in the classic film Scarface as Ángel Fernández, whose grisly demise is one of the most memorable in cinema history. Born in Corpus Christi, Texas in 1944, Serna built a career from the ground up and appeared in films such as Car Wash with Richard Pryor, Postcards from the Edge with Meryl Streep, The Jerk with Steve Martin, and Academy Award-winning director Alexander Payne’s Downsizing with Matt Damon. 

Eva Longoria and Edward James Olmos, both longtime friends of Serna, provide personal insight and perspective on his versatility and longevity as an actor and artist alongside Cheech Marin, Gloria Calderón Kellett, Luis Valdez and many others.

Throughout his journey, he has inspired countless Latino artists to follow in his footsteps by delivering powerful performances for filmmakers such as Brian De Palma, Clint Eastwood, John Schlesinger, Dalton Trumbo, Roger Corman, Henry Hathaway, William Friedkin and Dick Donner. 

Serna’s career is a testament to how far Latinos have come in Hollywood. He has indisputably claimed a reputable place in one of the world’s most competitive industries for his story-telling abilities and unique drive to empower not just Latinos but also other underserved communities. 

His recent memoir “Life is Art” recounts his motivational story from humble beginnings and offers life-changing lessons to overcoming adversity. “Life is Art” is available now for purchase here.

In addition to Hollywood success, Pepe is a visual artist whose paintings have been exhibited in galleries around the world. He also conducts motivational and improvisational workshops in high schools nationwide.

The documentary received awards in 2022 including Best Documentary at the Official Latino Film and Arts Festival, and the Poppy Jasper International Film Festival, Audience Award at the San Diego Latino Film Festival, and Festival Prize at the South Texas International Film Festival.

Most recently, Serna can be seen in Eva Longoria’s feature directorial debut Flamin’ Hot and on Amazon’s TV series With Love.

For additional information on Pepe Serna: Life Is Art, please visit: 

Website: https://www.pepeserna.net

Facebook: @https://www.facebook.com/pepesernanews/

Instagram: @https://www.instagram.com/pepefied11/

Purchase the book today Here

Cast: Luis Valdez (Playwright, director Zoot Suit, La Bamba), Edward James Olmos (Oscar-nominated actor & director), Eva Longoria (actor, producer & director), Gloria Calderón Kellet (showrunner on “One Day at a Time,” “With Love”), David Ansen (former Newsweek film critic), Cheech Marin (of the comedy duo Cheech and Chong, actor & art collector) and Robert Beltran (actor, Cmdr. Chakotay in Star Trek: Voyager TV series)

Produced By: Kayvon Derak Shanian, David Méndez and Isaac Artenstein 

Executive Produced by: David Damian Figueroa 

Directed By: Luis Reyes

Run Time: 1 hour and 2 minutes

Rating: Not rated

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By Bel Hernandez

Getting distribution for their film, Beneath Us was the impetus for the Georgia-based Vital Pictures/NME distribution platform headed by Luis Guerrero (Armored, You’re Not Alone, 100 Feet Below Hell) and Chris Lemos (Armored, Beyond the Lights) who are also principles of the Vital Pictures productions.

“After showing Beneath Us to every major studio, it became clear to us that while everyone understood that the Latinx audience is the fastest growing and highest per capita movie-going cohort, there was little desire for anyone to get behind this film – a film with the attributes that many companies publicly said they were hoping to find,” Guerrero explained. “So we did something which is true of many Latinos when doors are shut in their faces, we built it for themselves; we built our own home with doors that we have the keys to.”

Executive produced by actor/producer Jay Hernandez (Magnum P.I.) Beneath Us, a horror/thriller opened on March 6th and did well, ranking 27th on the box office charts — for an independent film it’s an accomplishment to even get on the list which usually takes millions of marketing dollars they don’t have. The film which is in both English and Spanish dialogue is being distributed in major Latino U.S. markets by NME.

Latinos who make up 24% of the filmgoing audience over index when it comes to horror/thriller movies. “Even with that staggering reality that the Latinx audience is a vital part of the new mainstream, we are noticeably absent in entertainment,” Lemos told us. “There simply isn’t any studio label or brand tailored to the English-dominant Latinx audience with films made by Latinx filmmakers.

Making his directorial debut was Max Pachman from a screenplay he wrote with Mark Mavrothalasitis. Beneath Us is about the American Dream that becomes a nightmare for a group of undocumented day laborers hired by a wealthy couple. What they hope to be their biggest payday turns into a terrifying fight for survival at the couple’s secluded mansion, and those thought to be helpless must prove they can’t be discarded so easily.

Aside from industry veterans Guerrero and Lemos, Vital Pictures team includes industry Will Knochel, Kevin Casebier, and Brad Friedlander.

Guerrero and Lemos have over 20-years each of experience in the industry with each independently producing for the last five. Their experience was honed at some of the major studios in Hollywood including Paramount Pictures, Sony/Screen Gems (where we executive produced the action/thriller Armored), Warner Bros., and two other now-defunct companies that were still dynamic for their vision, Maya Pictures, and Relativity Media. 

Beneath Us stars Lynn Collins (John Carter, X-Men Origins: Wolverine, Discovery’s Mini-series Manhunt: Unabomber), James Tupper (HBO’s Big Little Lies), Rigo Sanchez (TNT’s Animal Kingdom, Disney’s MacFarland USA, and newcomer Josue Aguirre.

NME which stands for New Mainstream Entertainment and is a Vital Pictures’ label that will focus specifically on movies made by and for the Latinx audience here in the US.  “The ‘New Mainstream’ is a term coined to represent the Latinx contribution and inclusion in American society, being that we are now the largest minority group in the country and are responsible for a GDP that would be the 8th largest standalone economy in the world,” he said.

Beneath Us is just the beginning for a slate of films planned to release under the NME banner. Vital Pictures will release three films this year, two of which will be through the NME label, a psychological horror film You’re Not Alone (NME/Vital), directed by Eduardo Rodriguez, followed by the WWI-set drama thriller, Clay Kickers (Vital Pictures).

“Our plans are to release four to six films per year beginning in 2021 going forward. These will be a blend of original productions and acquisitions for both Vital and NME,” Guerrero enthused. “All our films will be released exclusively in theaters nationwide before becoming available on VOD, subscription platforms, and other sequent windows.”

Luis Guerrero is repped by Ziffren Brittenham and is a Vital Pictures producer. Chris Lemos can be contacted via email, chris@vital-pictures.com. Jay Hernandez is repped by ICM Partners and Alchemy Entertainment, manager. Rigo Sanchez is repped by Agency for the Performing Arts (APA), and Josue Aguirre is repped by Momentum Talent and Literary Agency, and Velocity Entertainment Partners (VEP), manager.

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Star Wars: The Rise Of Skywalker with Oscar Isaac as Poe Dameron rose to number one movie on opening weekend earning a massive $176 million in ticket sales at the North American box-office. It is the third biggest opening of a movie in 2019 behind Avengers: Endgame and The Lion King.  

Latinos are soaring into a galaxy far…far away on the Big screen and audiences are taken with the dashing resistance pilot Poe Dameron portrayed by Isaac in the current Star Wars film trilogy.  

Isaac is only the third Latino actor to embody an iconic Star Wars character in the 9th film francishe that previously included Diego Luna as rebel spy Cassian Andor and Jimmy Smits as Senator Bail Organa, father of Princess Leia. Most recently Pedro Pascal has become a fan favorite along with Baby Yoda as the title character of The Mandolorean in the new Disney Plus streaming series Star Wars spin off.

With its multi-cultural cast and mythic status, The Rise Of Skywalker is proving a potent movie formula for success.  

Isaac is reunited with Rey (Daisy Ridley) and Finn (John Boyega) in this climatic  film that also co-stars Adam Driver and Kelly Marie Tran.    

Billy Dee Williams returns after 38 years since The Empire Strikes Back as smooth talking Lando Calissian along with Anthony Daniels as CP-30, Mark Hamill as Luke Skywalker and the late Carrie Fisher is resurrected through computer technology and previously unused footage from the prior films to appear as Princess Leia under the direction of JJ Abrams.

“ It was fun to get out of the fighter cockpit and join my friends in this adventure together but also to shed light on Poe’s past and learn that he isn’t quite as squeaky clean as you might think.” remarked Isaac in a recent interview.

The 40 year old Guatemalan born actor will continue with further Sci-Fi adventures with an important role in visionary director Denis Villenueve’s upcoming film adaptation of Frank Herbert classic’s classic novel Dune set for release in December 2020 from Legendary entertainment.The Rise Of Skywalker is the last installment in the current trilogy that began with 2015’s The Force Awakens. It is the ninth film in the Star Wars Legacy that began 42 years ago with the original created by George Lucas.

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The Terminator franchise, always has an eye towards the future and there is certainly no future without Latinos and this franchise knows it. In two of the most pivotal roles in Terminator: Dark Fate, rising star Gabriel Luna is the new unstoppable Terminator Model Rev-9 sent from the future to kill Dani Ramos, the future leader of the human resistance who is played by newcomer Natalia Reyes. The audience is loving it to the tune of $29 million and topping the weekend’s boxoffice list at #1!

Luna and Reyes have the star power of one of the first Badass women in film Linda Hamilton who returns as Sarah Connor. At 64 years of age, she puts some 40-year-olds to shame. The original Terminator Arnold Schwarzenegger, also makes a comeback and the film is all four of theirs to own.

The movie is partly set in a devastated Mexico City of the future and it brings in three Latinx actors to help usher in the new Terminator franchise era.

Luna’s Terminator rarely speaks and his presence is intended to instill fear and be a real threat to Arnold Schwarzenegger’s Terminator-T800. The 36-year-old Luna has an on screen knockdown, drag on-fight with the 72-year-old original Terminator star Schwarzenegger who is a formidable foe. 

A native of Austin, Texas, Luna is best known as Robbie Reyes, the Ghost Rider in the Agents of Shield TV series and as Tony Bravo in the El Rey series Matador.  

The movie also stars Linda Hamilton returning to the sixth film in the action franchise from the original Terminator2 as Sarah Connor.  Hamilton and director Tim Miller cast Reyes, a young Columbian actress with extensive film and television work in Latin America for the key role of Dani as it echoed Connor’s own story. 

The other Badass female role goes to Mackenzie Davis (Blade Runner 2049). Together the three lead actresses were invincible. “Natalia, Mackenzie, and I formed a really amazing triangle and if one of us would have been weak, the whole thing would have come tumbling down,” Hamilton explained.

In a recent interview with EW, Reyes remarked about the film, “I love that it just shows diversity without really trying. And I think that is actually different to what we are seeing around; it’s showing the world as it is, and it makes me really proud of the movie.”

Mexican actor Diego Boneta co-stars as Miguel Ramos.  Boneta appeared in the film Rock of Ages and in the Luis Miguel biographical Spanish language limited series about one of Mexico’s most iconic singer, which aired on Telemundo.

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Jennifer Lopez in her best role in years as Ramona, the hard-edged Bronx single mother and top strip club dancer in the hit film Hustlers, might just clinch an Oscar nomination as best supporting actress come award season.

In a year where there was a dearth of Latino talent represented in major theatrical feature films, (the exception being Dora The Explorer and Alita: Battle Angel) only Antonio Banderas is being talked about as a potential Oscar nominee in the Best Actor category for his performance in Pedro Almodovar’s Pain and Glory. Banderas has already won the Best Actor prize at the Cannes Film Festival this past May.

A strong Oscar campaign on Lopez’s behalf by the film’s producers and distributors should ensure at least a nomination for the veteran Latina actress who at age 50 is a true superstar and internationally recognized as one of the most beautiful and talented women in the world. 

Hustlers is Lopez’s biggest-grossing live-action film of her career, with a domestic box-office total gross to date of $104 million according to Box Office Mojo with an additional $32 million in worldwide earnings. 

Produced by Benny Medina (under Lopez’s own Neuyorican productions) and directed by Lorene Scarfia, from her own script, Hustlers was made on a $20 million dollar budget and is already profitable.

Based on a true-life incident featured in a 2015 New York Magazine article, Hustlers is about a group of New York City strippers, led by Lopez’s Ramona, who orchestrate a plan to scam their wealthy Wall Street clients after the 2008 recession.  

Beyond its box office success, Hustlers is also one of those rare movies starring diverse women of color which also inclueds Constance Wu (Crazy Rich Asians), Cardi B., Lizzo, Kiki Palmer, Julia Stiles and Lili Reinhart.  Wu as the neophyte Dorothy plays well against Lopez’s hardened but sympathetic Ramona and they give each other ample support under the sensitive and stylish direction of Scarfia, one of the few women in Hollywood to helm a major feature film.  Sixty-seven percent of the film’s audience has been made up of women, 36% Caucasian, 27% Hispanic, 26% African-American, and 11% Asian/other. 

Lopez is currently at work in New York City starring in a new romantic comedy Marry Me, a Universal feature film starring in the role of Kat Valdes opposite Owen Wilson with Sarah Silverman and featuring Columbian pop star Maluma.

Hustlers is distributed by STX.

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Hustlers, is based on a true story of a group of women strip club dancers who turn the tide on their exploitative Wall St. patrons is a raw, in your face drama centered around the relationship between two women from different backgrounds. It’s a fast-paced female-driven story about working-class women and their struggles to make ends meet and the revealing reasons why. No Magic Mike sexist fantasy bullsh%t here, this is an in your face no-nonsense real deal. It also functions as an expose of a seedy, glitzy “Flesh and Flash” world, where business transactions involve lap dances and champagne rooms for high-end clients with lots of disposable cash and $100,000 credit card limits. 

As alluded to in the film by one of the characters, it’s nothing but the American way, no different from Wall Street business commodity transactions and the satisfaction derived from monetary gains.

Jennifer Lopez is Ramona Vega, a single mother from the Bronx who has scored the key to success in the high-end strip club in New York City.  develops a friendship with Destiny, a neophyte girl at the club, superbly played by Constance Wu (Crazy Rich Asians). 

 Destiny was abandoned at an early age and lives alone with the aging and ailing grandmother who raised her. Ramona mentors and then partners up with Destiny in order to further expand and exploit their clientele with a Latina/Asian Duo.  

Life is good until the financial crisis of 2008 hits and the bottom falls out of the business The extravagant lifestyles they have attained is no longer. They are forced to return to their working-class lifestyle.  Soon after Ramona devises a plan to fleece their former and new strip club patrons as a recovery looms.   

Lopez gives a startling portrayal as the self-assured but vulnerable Ramona whose presence is central to every scene she’s in. With a hard edge New York take-charge Bronx attitude and brilliant makeup, hairstyles and outfits she creates a rarely seen Latina lead character.

At 50 years of age, Lopez is an amazing testament to physically fit womanhood when she struts her stuff in a pole dancing sequence and instructs Destiny on the finer points of dance.  

The role of Ramona also gives Lopez the opportunity to reveal what drives this mature experienced single mom who has gone through some hard knocks and uses her smarts and physical assets to make her way in life and raise her daughter. She seems to have brought something of her own life experience to her portrayal, which had film critics at the Toronto Film Festival, where it premiered, talking about an Oscar nomination for  Best Actress or Best Supporting Actress. The film is told from Destiny point of view as she lets herself be taken under Ramona’s wing as if guiding a younger version of herself.

The audience gets revealing glimpses into the other women’s lives saddled with deadbeat husbands, incarcerated boyfriends, dead-end jobs, jealous lovers and family estrangements.

In that sense, they should both receive Oscar nominations because they both work off each other’s strong and very different portrayals. 

Lopez’s Ramona is one of the few leading multi-layered complex American characters of Latin descent to be seen on American screens in a long time in contemporary feature films.

Hustlers features a multi-ethnic diverse cast of women including Cardi B., Lili Reinhart, Lizzo, Keke Palmer, Madeline Brewer Dawson, and Trace Lysette. Writer-director Linda Scarfaria understands, and has a firm directorial grasp on the material and brings female insight and vision to the film in which women literally take center stage. Men are central to the story but they are on the periphery. 

Lopez is one of the producers of the film along with her longtime manager/producer Benny Medina and Will Ferrell. 

Hustlers hustled in $33.2 million dollars in box-office receipts during this past weekends’ opening making it a hit and the best live-action film opening of Lopez’s career to date.  

According to the Hollywood Reporter. the audience was overwhelmingly 67 % female of which 27% were Hispanic ticket buyers. Hustlers is sure to be a most talked-about film for quite some time.

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