Actress celebrates the legacy of Fright Night Part Two with a newly restored 4K screening at Milagros Cinemas in Norwalk, CA, as retrospectives spotlight a career spanning cult horror, acclaimed cinema and independent film.

Long before the Scream franchise introduced a new generation of horror heroines, Latina actress Julie Carmen was carving out her own place in the genre, proving that women could be more than victims in a story designed to frighten them. With a career that moves fluidly between horror, drama, comedy and independent cinema, Carmen helped establish a legacy that deserves renewed recognition.

Now, as retrospectives of her work bring several of her films back to theaters in the United States and Europe, Carmen is experiencing a well-deserved moment of rediscovery. Her cinematic journey includes such diverse titles as Robert Butler’s Night of the Juggler, John Cassavetes’ Gloria, Robert Redford’s The Milagro Beanfield War and John Carpenter’s In the Mouth of Madness. This week, the spotlight turns to Fright Night Part Two, the 1988 cult horror sequel in which Carmen portrayed the unforgettable vampire Regine Dandridge.

On Wednesday, October 14, Carmen will appear alongside director Tommy Lee Wallace at Milagro Cinema in Norwalk, California, for the Los Angeles premiere of a newly restored 4K version of Fright Night Part Two, sourced from an original 35mm print. The screening begins at 7:30 p.m. and offers audiences an opportunity to revisit a film whose devoted following has grown over the decades.

Event: Fright Night Part Two — Los Angeles Premiere in restored 4K
When: Wed., Oct. 14, 2026, at 7:30 p.m.
Where: Milagro Cinema, Norwalk, CA
In person: Actress Julie Carmen and director Tommy Lee Wallace
Tickets: milagrocinemas.com

For Carmen, the appearance is about more than revisiting a role. It is also an opportunity to celebrate independent art-house cinemas, connect with longtime fans and help bring overlooked films back into public view.

Before the Modern Scream Queens, There Was Regine Dandridge

Carmen’s portrayal of Regine Dandridge occupies a distinctive place in horror history. In Fright Night Part Two, she plays a powerful vampire whose elegance, intelligence and menace make her far more than a conventional antagonist. Regine commands the screen, turning the traditional horror dynamic on its head and giving the film a formidable female presence.

The character offers a compelling point of comparison with the women who have since become synonymous with contemporary horror, including Jenna Ortega and Melissa Barrera, whose work in the Scream franchise helped bring a new generation of audiences to the genre.

To add a little perspective, the Los Angeles Times, noted recently that “Latinos represent a major driving force in the horror film audience, accounting for roughly 29% of theatrical horror ticket buyers“. Julie Carmen’s role in Fright Night Part Two should have been a clue way back then that Latinos love horror flicks. But then again Hollywood has never been known to get it right when it comes Latino leads, even when the boxoffice tells a different story.

Carmen’s place in that lineage merits a closer look. As a Latina actress working in Hollywood in the 1980s up to the present, she brought a commanding presence to a genre that has not always offered Latina performers complex, central roles. Regine Dandridge was not simply someone to fear or rescue. She was a force driving the story.

Calling Carmen a trailblazing Latina scream queen is therefore more than a catchy description. It is an invitation to reconsider who helped shape horror’s evolution and whose contributions deserve to be remembered alongside the genre’s better-known icons.

A Cult Classic Finds Its Way Back to the Big Screen

The renewed attention surrounding Fright Night Part Two is itself a remarkable story.

Released in 1988 as a continuation of the hit 1985 original, the sequel developed a devoted cult following over the years, with fans keeping its reputation alive through online communities and YouTube. Yet, despite its popularity, the film became remarkably difficult to find.

That changed when distributor Michael Felsher of Red Shirt Pictures undertook the complicated task of untangling the film’s rights, reportedly involving 18 different rights holders. The search also led to an original 35mm print that had been misfiled at the Academy Film Archive.

The discovery made possible the restoration that is now touring the country through Synapse Films, bringing the film back to theaters in 4K and allowing audiences to experience it on the big screen again.

Carmen has been participating in screenings and premieres along the way, lending her presence to the revival and supporting the independent cinemas making these events possible.

The Norwalk engagement brings together Carmen and Wallace for a special Los Angeles-area screening that celebrates not only the film’s return, but also the enduring relationship between filmmakers, performers and the audiences who refuse to let cult cinema disappear.

Tickets and screening information are available at Milagro Cinema.

A Career That Defies One Genre

While Regine Dandridge remains a memorable entry in Carmen’s filmography, her career cannot be contained within horror.

Her work spans films with markedly different sensibilities, including Night of the Juggler, Gloria, The Milagro Beanfield War and In the Mouth of Madness. Together, these titles reflect the range of a performer who has moved between mainstream productions, independent cinema and films that have gained renewed appreciation through retrospectives.

Carmen’s upcoming appearance at the Academy Museum underscores that continuing relationship with film history. On October 19, she is scheduled to participate in a Q&A following a screening of John Carpenter’s In the Mouth of Madness, in which she starred opposite Sam Neill.

She also serves on the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences’ Marquis Committee, spearheaded by Sean Baker and Samantha Quan, whose film Anora earned major recognition in the awards world.

These activities reflect an artist engaged not only in her own body of work, but also in the broader effort to preserve, present and celebrate cinema.

Taking Regine Dandridge on the Road

The renewed life of Fright Night Part Two extends well beyond Southern California.

Carmen is scheduled to participate in additional events, including a Detroit premiere at the Redford Theatre, where she is being flown in for a screening and Fright Night Part Two costume ball. The film’s revival also includes a New Orleans premiere at the Prytania Theatre, accompanied by a three-day celebration of Regine Dandridge and the film’s legacy, with special effects makeup artist Bart Mixon among the participants.

The itinerary reflects the enthusiasm of a fan community that has kept the film alive and the value of giving audiences opportunities to encounter classic and cult films in a theatrical setting.

For independent cinemas, these events offer more than a screening. They create a shared experience around films that might otherwise remain difficult to access, connecting generations of moviegoers through the stories and characters that have endured.

Giving a Trailblazer Her Due

Hollywood has become more attentive to the contributions of women in horror, and the success of performers such as Ortega and Barrera has helped renew conversations about representation in the genre. But the history did not begin with the latest franchise installment.

Carmen’s Regine Dandridge belongs in that larger conversation. Her performance arrived at a time when opportunities for Latina actresses were more limited, yet she created a character whose power and presence have continued to resonate with audiences.

The retrospectives celebrating her work offer a chance to look beyond a single cult role and appreciate the breadth of a career that crosses genres, generations and national borders. They also raise a larger question about film history: How many pioneering performances have remained outside the spotlight simply because the industry has been slow to recognize the artists behind them?

For Julie Carmen, the answer is unfolding on theater screens once again.

The October 14 screening at Milagro Cinema is an opportunity to celebrate Fright Night Part Two, meet the actress who brought Regine Dandridge to life and recognize a Latina performer whose place in horror history deserves a more prominent chapter.

Carmen’s filmography and upcoming appearances can also be explored through her Substack and Regine Dandridge website.

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The Oscar-nominated Spanish actor takes on one of history’s most controversial figures in a new film directed by Paul Mignot, with a screenplay by Oscar nominee Nicholas Kazan. Production is underway in Paris.

Antonio Banderas is stepping into one of history’s most complex and controversial roles of the journey of a man that changed the course of the existing lands.

The Spanish-born, Academy Award-nominated actor will portray Spanish conquistador Hernán Cortés in Cortés, an ambitious historical epic to be produced by Utopai Studios and Ex Machina Studios. French filmmaker Paul Mignot will direct the feature from a screenplay by Oscar-nominated writer Nicholas Kazan, with producer Marco Weber overseeing the production.

Announced today in Paris, the film brings together an internationally acclaimed creative team to revisit a defining and deeply consequential chapter in the history of Mexico and the Americas.

The project has been more than 35 years in the making, with Kazan’s screenplay offering a deeply human exploration of one of history’s most consequential encounters. Now, with Banderas at its center, the long-anticipated epic is moving forward through a production model that combines traditional filmmaking with next-generation production technologies.

A Conquistador, an Indigenous Woman and a Turning Point in History

Set in 1519, Cortés follows a restless Spanish soldier whose hunger for glory drives him to seize command of an expedition to the Yucatán and sail without authorization from Cuba.

After reaching the coast of what is now Mexico, Cortés encounters Marina (patterned after the real life indigenous woman Malinche Cortes actually encountered), an enslaved Indigenous woman whose extraordinary linguistic abilities make her indispensable to his campaign. As he builds alliances and uses faith and fear to advance his conquest, Marina witnesses his transformation from an ambitious outlaw into a man who sees himself as a messianic figure.

The story places Marina at the center of a historical collision shaped by power, ambition, cultural conflict and conquest—an encounter whose consequences continue to resonate throughout Mexican and Latin American history.

For audiences, the film offers an opportunity to revisit this pivotal period through a character-driven narrative that explores not only the man who led the expedition, but also the Indigenous woman whose linguistic skills and position made her a crucial figure in his advance.

Antonio Banderas Brings a Powerful Screen Legacy to the Role

Banderas has built an international career portraying characters defined by intensity, complexity and charisma. His casting as Cortés reunites his commanding screen presence with a historical figure whose legacy remains the subject of debate.

The actor earned an Academy Award nomination and won Best Actor at the Cannes Film Festival for his acclaimed performance in Pedro Almodóvar’s Pain and Glory. His extensive filmography includes The Mask of Zorro, Desperado, Evita, Philadelphia, The Skin I Live In and the beloved Puss in Boots franchise.

He also earned Primetime Emmy Award nominations for portraying artist Pablo Picasso in Genius: Picasso and Mexican revolutionary Pancho Villa in And Starring Pancho Villa as Himself.

His experience portraying historical figures, combined with his ability to bring humanity to larger-than-life characters, makes this latest role a significant addition to his career.

Banderas will perform the role under Mignot’s direction, with production already underway in Paris and additional filming scheduled in Spain.

An Ambitious Vision for a Historical Epic

“Cortés is exactly why we built Utopai Studios,” said Cecilia Shen, co-founder and CEO of Utopai Studios. She described the project as an opportunity to bring together Kazan’s screenplay, Mignot’s cinematic vision and Banderas’ ability to bring humanity to the film’s central character.

Marco Weber, producer of Cortés and CEO and co-founder of Ex Machina Studios, emphasized the importance of believable, complex characters in historical storytelling.

Weber said Banderas brings a commanding yet deeply human dimension to Cortés, while Mignot’s vision will help translate Kazan’s screenplay into a film that seeks to bring the breathtaking world-building with an intimate human story.

The partnership also reflects the studios’ commitment to combining filmmaker-led creative work with evolving production technologies.

Mignot’s directing credits include the historical feature Vaincre ou Mourir and the award-winning short All Blood Runs Red. His experience also extends to international campaigns for major brands, including BMW, Porsche, Audi, Lexus, Jeep, L’Oréal, Louis Vuitton and Emporio Armani.

Kazan brings a distinguished screenwriting résumé to the project. He received Academy Award and Golden Globe nominations for his adapted screenplay for Reversal of Fortune. His other writing credits include Frances, Patty Hearst, Matilda, Fallen and Bicentennial Man.

Together, the director, screenwriter and lead actor will tackle a historical narrative that demands both cinematic scale and a nuanced examination of human ambition and its consequences.

Global Distribution Plans Announced

Utopai Studios and Ex Machina Studios will co-produce and co-finance the film, with each company taking responsibility for sales and distribution in designated international territories.

Utopai Studios will oversee sales and distribution in the United States, Canada, Asia, the Middle East and Africa. Ex Machina Studios will handle most of Europe, Latin America, Australia and New Zealand.

For Latin American audiences in particular, the film’s subject matter carries significant historical and cultural weight, making its eventual release and interpretation a point of interest for the region.

Additional casting announcements and production details are expected at a later date.

As Cortés moves from a screenplay decades in the making to a major international production, one of Spain’s most recognizable actors is preparing to embody a figure whose actions helped reshape the history of Mexico—and whose legacy remains anything but simple.

Latin Heat will continue to follow developments on Cortés as production progresses.

The post BREAKING NEWS: Antonio Banderas To Star as Hernàn Cortés In Historical Epic Drama first appeared on .

In Los Angeles, a Spanish-language book festival is about much more than books. It is about memory, identity and the right to hear yourself—and your history—reflected in the language you speak.

There are cities where Spanish is spoken.

And then there is Los Angeles.

After Guadalajara, Los Angeles is home to one of the largest concentrations of people from the Mexican state of Jalisco. It is a city where Spanish is not simply a language carried across a border; it is woven into neighborhoods, family histories, music, food, faith, art and the everyday rhythm of life.

That reality gives the annual LéaLA Spanish-Language Book Fair & Literary Festival a significance that extends far beyond the pages of the books gathered inside LA Plaza de Cultura y Artes.

For four days, September 24–27, the 11th annual LéaLA transformed the historic downtown Los Angeles cultural campus into a gathering place for Spanish-language literature, poetry, music, visual arts, film, entertainment and, perhaps most importantly, memory.

This year’s theme—“The Stories That Unite Us Speak Spanish”—felt particularly resonant at a moment when the Spanish language itself can become a target of political and cultural anxiety.

LéaLA offered a different message: Spanish is not something to apologize for.

It is something to preserve.

It is something to celebrate.

And for thousands of children growing up in Los Angeles, it is something that belongs to them.

A Language Is More Than Words

“After Guadalajara, the biggest majority of ‘jaliscienses’ live in Los Angeles. We want to keep the culture and language alive,” said Marisol Schulz Manaut, director of LéaLA.

That statement captures the larger purpose behind the festival.

Preserving Spanish in Los Angeles is not simply about ensuring that another generation can read a book in Spanish. It is about maintaining a connection between generations—between the grandmother who tells stories in Spanish, the parent who understands the language but may not speak it confidently, and the child who is negotiating what it means to be Mexican American, Latino, bilingual or bicultural in a city where cultures constantly intersect.

At LéaLA, those connections were made tangible.

The festival welcomed 13,780 attendees, while its collaboration with the Los Angeles Unified School District extended the program into classrooms and brought approximately 2,000 elementary and middle school students from 36 schools into contact with Spanish-language literature and cultural programming.

On opening day alone, more than 700 LAUSD students arrived at LA Plaza.

For many of them, the festival became something of a cultural playground—an environment where Spanish was not merely a language spoken at home or studied in school, but the language of imagination.

Children painted, played, listened to stories and encountered authors whose books and experiences reflected pieces of their own worlds.

And their parents played, too.

Because LéaLA understands something important about cultural preservation: it cannot be imposed. It has to be experienced.

Where Memory Becomes Literature

Memory was at the heart of this year’s festival.

“Our lives are shaped by memories,” Schulz Manaut said. “In the various sessions that make up our literary program, we will explore the role of remembrance and memory in literature.”

That philosophy extended beyond the festival’s conversations.

For the first time, LéaLA introduced “The Voice of Memory,” a writing contest created to preserve the anecdotes, lessons, traditions and memories passed from one generation to another. The winning entries were recognized during the festival’s final day.

It was a fitting addition.

Because oral history is often where cultural memory begins.

Long before a family story becomes a book, it is told around a kitchen table. It is repeated at birthdays and holidays. It is remembered differently by each generation. Details disappear. Others become embellished. But somehow the story survives.

That survival is cultural continuity.

And in a city as large and culturally complex as Los Angeles, preserving those stories becomes an act of belonging.

From Books to Mariachi: A Story About Survival

Perhaps nothing illustrated that idea more powerfully on opening day than the pairing of the documentary Ugly Little Monkeys with a live performance by Los Changuitos Feos de Tucson.

The documentary is based on a book by one of the youth who participated in the youth mariachi group Los Changuitos Feos.  Directors  Enrique Castillo and David Valdez based their documentary on this group, chronicling the extraordinary history of the first youth mariachi group in the United States.

Their story is complicated.

It is a story about young people breaking cultural ground in 1960s America. It is also a story marked by betrayal and trauma after the priest who helped bring the young musicians together was later exposed as a sexual predator.

Yet the story does not end there.

The young musicians survived.

The music survived.

And the cultural legacy survived.

The film’s screening followed by a performance from today’s young musicians of the same group created an extraordinary bridge between past and present: the children who once had to fight for space in American cultural life and a new generation standing on the same stage decades later.

The symbolism was difficult to miss.

The “ugly little monkeys” had grown up.

And their music had traveled.

For LéaLA, it was an especially appropriate story to tell—a reminder that cultural memory is not simply about remembering what happened. It is about deciding what deserves to be carried forward.

A Literary Community Takes Root

The festival’s literary program brought together approximately 30 writers, poets and creators, including Carmen Boullosa, Mónica Lavín, Sara Poot-Herrera, Verónica Gerber, Mónica Nepote, Cecilia Eudave, Benito Taibo, Antonio Ortuño, Julia Santibáñez, Alejandro Rosas, Bernardo Fernández “Bef,” Rodrigo Morlesin and Joselo Rangel, among others.

More than 348 publishing catalogs were represented across 33 exhibition and sales spaces, reinforcing LéaLA’s identity not only as a literary festival but as a true Spanish-language book fair.

That distinction matters.

Los Angeles is often described as a city of entertainment. Hollywood dominates the global imagination of the city. But LéaLA offers another narrative: Los Angeles as a center of Spanish-language intellectual and literary life.

Its programming also reached beyond the festival grounds. Students and teachers engaged with authors including Benito Taibo and Flor Aguilera, while the Cabaret Capricho troupe brought performance into the educational experience.

Ten workshops led by the University of Guadalajara’s Letras para Volar team explored family history, emotions, legends, nature and cultural roots. Educators participated in a workshop focused on identity and vernacular literacies.

The goal was not simply to teach Spanish.

It was to demonstrate what Spanish makes possible.

Building Something Permanent

Perhaps the most consequential developments of LéaLA 2026 were not confined to the four-day festival.

The University of Guadalajara announced a permanent space for its Carlos Fuentes Bookstore, while the establishment of the Sor Juana Inés de la Cruz Institute, to be directed by scholar Sara Poot-Herrera, signals a deeper commitment to creating a permanent intellectual and cultural presence in Los Angeles.

That may ultimately be LéaLA’s most important contribution.

Festivals end.

Books remain.

Institutions remain.

And memories—when they are intentionally preserved—can become part of the foundation for what comes next.

Luis Gustavo Padilla Montes, president of the University of Guadalajara Foundation USA, described LéaLA’s original mission as bringing Spanish-language books and literature closer to Los Angeles and creating a gathering place centered around the language.

By that measure, the mission has evolved from aspiration into reality.

The Importance of Belonging

There is something quietly powerful about watching hundreds of children walk into a cultural institution and discover that their language is not peripheral.

It is central.

That their stories are worth telling.

That the books on the shelves are written in the language their grandparents may have spoken.

That poetry can sound like the conversations they hear at home.

That mariachi can belong on a stage alongside literature.

That Spanish is not merely a language of the past—but a language of the future.

At a time when speaking Spanish can sometimes be treated as evidence that someone does not belong in America, LéaLA offers an entirely different proposition.

You belong. And your language belongs, too.

That is why LéaLA matters.

It is a book fair, yes.

It is a literary festival.

It is a cultural gathering.

But at its deepest level, it is an act of remembrance—and an act of resistance against forgetting.

The stories that unite Los Angeles do, indeed, speak Spanish.

And LéaLA is making sure the next generation continues to hear them.

LéaLA Returns in 2027

The 12th annual LéaLA Spanish-Language Book Fair & Literary Festival will take place September 23–26, 2027, at LA Plaza de Cultura y Artes, 501 N. Main St., Los Angeles.

For more information, visit LéaLA.

The post LéaLA 2026: “The Stories That Unite Us Speak Spanish” first appeared on .

The Dominican multi-hyphenate producer discusses representation, humanitarian work and the mentors like Forest Whitaker who shaped her Hollywood journey.

Jessica Medina has spent years on Hollywood’s big productions. She has worked on Marvel and DC projects and films with Forest Whitaker, John Travolta, John Cena, and Liam Neeson. Now, the Dominican actress is taking on some of the biggest opportunities of her career while increasingly using her platform to create opportunities for others.

Medina stars in the film Divided, her first leading film role, while also stepping behind the camera as a producer. Through her production company, JM Films, she is developing a television series dealing in part with human trafficking and says she wants to create more opportunities for Latinos and people who aren’t often represented on screen.

Away from entertainment, Medina serves as U.S. Director for Heaven’s Kitchen, helping the humanitarian organization provide food, clothing and other resources to communities around the world, including in her native Dominican Republic.

Jessica Medina Takes the Lead in Divided

For Medina, Divided represents an opportunity she had spent years working toward: the chance to show what she could do with a character who remains central to a story from beginning to end.

Asked how the opportunities she’s receiving today compare with earlier in her career, Medina said:

“Oh my God, it’s so different now because people really are able to see what I really can do. And I’m able to do more work and show my skill set. For Divided, I got a whole script, from the beginning all the way to the end, 98 pages. And to me, that was amazing, like a big deal, because I usually used to get a couple of lines, you know. But with Divided, I was from the beginning of the movie all the way to the finish. And as an actor that’s been doing this for a while, that was a big deal, for real.”

Medina plays Isabella, a deeply religious woman whose devotion to her family ultimately reveals a much darker side of the character.

The role also arrived at an extraordinary moment in Medina’s life. She says she was in the hospital when Brely Evans called her about the project.

“I was actually in the hospital when I booked this job, literally almost dying. And it was like 12 o’clock at night and Brely called me. She’s like, ‘Hey, I’m thinking about you. Do you want to play this role?’ She sent me the script. Isabella was so interesting because she was a woman of God, but at the same time, she was somebody that would do anything for her family, especially her husband.”

That duality allowed Medina to explore emotional territory she hadn’t previously been given the opportunity to show.

“You see the rage, the different beats as a woman of God, but at the same time, if you see the movie, you can see the other dark side of Isabella, which, me personally, I think every human definitely has that side of them. We have our good side, but also we have our dark side. I think for me to show that was interesting because, you know, you have to go to places from your past. I’m glad I did it because it pushed me as an actress to do something that I never did before.”

Divided also gave Medina her first opportunity to serve as a producer, something she credits Evans with making possible.

“Brely gave me my first opportunity of being a producer, and I’m so grateful for her because she’s an amazing person. It was very interesting to play so many parts and just to see the end product. It’s like a baby, you’re so proud of it. We did it, and it was so quick, everything. It was just interesting to see the final product and so many details that people don’t understand about what it is to be a producer.”

JM Films, Latino Representation and Human Trafficking

Producing is becoming much more than another credit for Medina.

Through JM Films, she says she wants to create opportunities for Latino performers and others who have traditionally struggled to find space on screen.

“I opened my production company, JM Films, with the idea of creating opportunities for Latinos and people that you don’t usually see on the screen, and for everybody, literally. For the outcasts and people that you will never see. So I’m proud of that.”

Medina is already developing a television series through the company that she wrote and plans to produce and star in. She said discussions with potential investors are underway.

“Now I’m creating a TV series. Actually, we’re talking with a few investors. I wrote the whole TV show. I’m producing it, and I’m starring in it too. So we’re working on that.”

The series incorporates human trafficking and cartel activity into a story based in Atlanta. Medina says JM Films is focused on stories inspired by things that happen in the real world.

Human trafficking, in particular, is an issue Medina says has personal significance because of experiences from earlier in her life.

“I think certain things I lived in my personal life when I was younger and the things I’ve been through, I think people need a voice, somebody that can really speak on that issue, especially in Atlanta, that people really don’t talk about. To me, that is really important, you know, because there are so many kids and people out there that have been trafficked.”

As a Latina, Medina says she is particularly interested in drawing attention to trafficking affecting Latino women and children and encouraging others with platforms of their own to become involved.

“I think as a Latina, in our community, we need a strong voice because there are so many Latino kids and women out there getting trafficked. A lot of people don’t know about that. If I can help speak on it, if I can tell the community or the government, ‘Hey, this is what’s happening,’ I think people will pay attention, and other Latinos in Hollywood or politics can really help our community, or any community that is having this issue.”

Medina pointed to Eduardo Verástegui and Sound of Freedom as an example of a Latino filmmaker using entertainment to bring attention to human trafficking.

“Definitely, the movie Sound of Freedom, that was produced by Eduardo Verástegui. Just seeing a Latino, and he’s a Christian too, produce an entire movie about human trafficking in Latin America, but based in the United States. That story is based on a real story because I did my research. I was really impressed with the job he has done and he continues to do. So he’s definitely one of my biggest inspirations, besides my personal reasons for writing these stories.”

Medina’s Humanitarian Work With Heaven’s Kitchen

Medina’s desire to help underserved communities isn’t limited to the stories she wants to put on screen.

As U.S. Director for Heaven’s Kitchen, Medina says she has helped the organization reach families across Venezuela, El Salvador, the Dominican Republic, Costa Rica, Colombia and Pakistan.

“What we’re doing in Heaven’s Kitchen is we are feeding hundreds of thousands of people and families all over the world. We’ve been to Venezuela, El Salvador, Dominican Republic, Costa Rica, Colombia, Pakistan. We go to different countries and we feed them, we give them clothes, and we actually help them become professionals and learn a skill set. For me as a human being, I just want to help a little and just help people in general. That’s the bottom line.”

Medina became involved after she began researching nonprofits and was introduced to Chef Roberto Mendoza. Discovering another Latino who shared many of her values and humanitarian goals immediately resonated with her.

“Somebody introduced me to Chef Roberto, and he’s a Latino as well. So to me, that was like, ‘Oh my God, a Latino that believes in the same concept as I believe.’ I think we can come together and create this beautiful thing. We just kind of united, two powerful people with the same cause and the same beliefs in God and helping families and kids. That’s how it started. And I’m so grateful to be part of this nonprofit.”

The organization’s work has also allowed Medina to give back directly to communities in the Dominican Republic, including her hometown of La Romana.

But Medina says her ambitions for the organization extend well beyond her home country.

“I think the more we can do, open schools, help with health, anything. Not just in my country, Dominican Republic, but we have done a lot there. We are helping La Romana, Puerto Plata. We have helped in different cities in the Dominican Republic, my country. But it’s not just my country. We just want to help the whole planet, if we could. That’s what I want, to continue helping.”

Medina also encouraged people interested in Heaven’s Kitchen to become involved themselves.

“If people want to donate, they can go to the website. If they want to talk to me or have any type of question, or anybody wants me to help out in some type of way, I’m here too.”

Mexicali Shows Audiences a Different Side of Medina

Alongside Divided, Medina recently appeared in Mexicali, reuniting her with director Luke LaFontaine and producer Jesse Johnson, collaborators she says she has worked with on several films.

For Medina, one of the attractions was getting the opportunity to shed the glamorous image audiences may associate with some of her previous roles.

“Oh my God, they’re great friends. They’re amazing, talented individuals. So talented, so kind, so humble. I’ve already done a few movies, like four movies with them. Actually, Luke called me, and this is what I love about this part, because usually people are used to seeing me sexy and running around. In this part, I got no makeup. I was just playing a humble farm girl that gets killed and shot.”

Medina says LaFontaine specifically wanted the role to showcase another dimension of her acting.

“It was so much fun because Luke was like, ‘Well, I want people to see your talent, how talented you are, because you really are. This is not a pretty part. This is more of a real part.’ And I was happy to do it. I think it looks amazing.”

Medina also appears in the first season of Love Don’t Pay the Bills, another recent project she encouraged audiences to seek out.

Forest Whitaker, Ty Walker and the Mentors Who Helped Medina

Medina has worked with major names throughout her career, but when asked which collaborators have left the greatest impression on her, she immediately returned to Forest Whitaker.

The Academy Award winner met Medina early in her career and encouraged her to leave Miami and pursue acting in Los Angeles. Medina previously described Whitaker as someone who continued to inspire her years after that initial encounter.

“First and foremost, Forest Whitaker was my first mentor and somebody that really changed my life and my career, who I still respect. Ty Walker gave me so many opportunities, my first stunt coordinating opportunity, and kind of mentored me into what producing is too. So I’m blessed to know him and to call him a friend. And another amazing big director, Joe Carnahan, who also mentored me and told me a few things, that I’m valuable. I can call them friends, not just colleagues. They’re amazing.”

For Medina, Ty Walker represents a different stage of that journey. By then, she had already established herself as a performer, but Walker gave her opportunities to begin taking on greater responsibility behind the camera, including her first opportunity in stunt coordination.

She also credits Walker with helping introduce her to producing, something that has since become an increasingly important part of her career.

“Ty Walker gave me so many opportunities. He gave me my first stunt coordinating opportunity, and he also really helped mentor me as I started learning about producing and understanding that side of filmmaking. That was important for me because it gave me the opportunity to grow and start doing more than what people were already used to seeing me do. He helped open that door for me and gave me the opportunity to learn. I’m very blessed to know him and to be able to call him a friend.”

That evolution can now be seen in Medina’s own work, as she increasingly balances performing with producing and developing projects of her own.

Joe Carnahan Reminded Medina of Her Value

Medina separately points to Joe Carnahan as another filmmaker who became an important mentor. For Medina, one of the things that stayed with her was Carnahan reminding her of the value she already brought to the industry.

“Joe Carnahan is another amazing director who mentored me. He talked to me about the business and reminded me that I’m valuable and that what I bring to this industry has value. Sometimes you need someone who has that experience to remind you of that and help you see it in yourself. That meant a lot to me. And now I’m fortunate that I can call him a friend, not just a colleague. That’s something I’m very grateful for.”

Jessica Medina’s Advice to the Next Generation of Latino Actors

After years of navigating Hollywood herself, Medina has a simple message for the next generation of Latino performers: don’t allow the industry to erase what makes them different.

“I would say don’t lose yourself. Always be yourself. A lot of the time when you get in the business, you’re going to hear a lot of no’s, and you’re going to hear a lot of, ‘You have to change this, change that.’ But always be yourself, be unique. I think by you being yourself and believing in yourself and what you bring to the table, because everybody is different, what you bring to the table originally is what’s going to make you different from the different actors.”

It’s advice informed by Medina’s own experiences entering the industry with a stronger accent and encountering people who had specific ideas about how a Latina actress was supposed to look and sound.

“I remember when I started, I still have an accent, but my accent was stronger. I didn’t look like Salma Hayek, so a lot of people were like, ‘Well, you need to get rid of the accent. You need to look this way.’ So one thing I think that really worked for me was being authentic and just being yourself. Believe in yourself and what you can do and who you are.”

For Medina, the qualities young performers can sometimes be pressured to change may ultimately be the same qualities that distinguish them.

“I think for the new generation out there, boys and girls, just be you and don’t let it change you. You’re going to see good things happening, because whatever it is that you bring to the table is what’s going to set you apart from the rest.”

From leading Divided to building JM Films and expanding her humanitarian work, Medina is using each new opportunity to create space for stories and voices that have too often been overlooked. And after years of learning from those who opened doors for her, she is increasingly focused on holding those doors open for the next generation.

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World premiere explores faith, family, immigration and Chicano life in California’s San Joaquin Valley

Los Angeles – The Latino Theater Company will present the world premiere of Speaking in Tongues, a new play by MacArthur “Genius Grant” recipient Luis Alfaro that turns its focus to the people, faith and tensions of a small Mexican-American agricultural community in California’s San Joaquin Valley.

Commissioned by Latino Theater Company and developed through its Circle of Imaginistas playwriting group, Speaking in Tongues will run October 17 through November 15 at the Los Angeles Theatre Center in Downtown Los Angeles, with previews October 15 and 16. José Luis Valenzuela directs.

Alfaro draws heavily on the geography and culture of the San Joaquin Valley, incorporating references to real communities, local businesses and regional traditions—from nearby McFarland and Tipton to Taqueria El Sol De Jalisco, La Barca Bakery and the Visalia Mall. Even the region’s distinctive “Tule fog” becomes part of the play’s sense of place.

The setting is particularly personal for Alfaro, a Chicano playwright born and raised in Los Angeles and the son of farmworkers from California’s San Joaquin Valley. His work has frequently explored the intersections of identity, labor, immigration, family and the relationship between people and the land.

Alfaro received a fellowship from the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation, commonly known as the “genius grant,” recognizing exceptional creativity in his field. His extensive body of work includes Electricidad, Oedipus El Rey, Mojada, Delano, The Travelers, Body of Faith, Aztlan, Bruja and Straight as a Line. His plays have been produced by theaters throughout the United States, Latin America, Canada and Europe.

He previously served as associate artistic director of Center Theatre Group at the Music Center of Los Angeles County and is currently an associate professor at the University of Southern California.

Speaking in Tongues continues Alfaro’s ongoing exploration of communities often underrepresented on the American stage, placing a distinctly Chicano experience at the center of a story about faith, power, family and resilience.

Set inside a Pentecostal church on the edge of a cornfield in Earlimart, California, the play follows a congregation navigating faith, family, gender, immigration and a rapidly changing community.

At the center is Hermana Romie, played by Evelina Fernández, whose husband—the church’s pastor—has mysteriously disappeared. For years, Romie has secretly written his sermons while suppressing her own voice and talents to preserve the church’s patriarchal traditions.

As immigration raids threaten the community and Romie’s daughter, played by Esperanza América, prepares to leave for a secular life in Los Angeles, Romie begins to claim her own authority. Alongside Lucy Rodríguez as Hermana Cubby, Sal López as Hermano Mando and Geoffrey Rivas as Hermano Tico, the congregation confronts questions of faith, belonging and collective survival.

The production features scenic design by Prairie T. Trivuth, lighting design by “Lee” Xinyuan Li, sound design by Robert J. Revell, projections by Yee Eun Nam, costumes by Samantha Jo Joffray and choreography by Urbanie Lucero.

Speaking in Tongues opens Saturday, October 17 at 8 p.m. and runs Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays at 8 p.m. and Sundays at 2 p.m. through November 15. Preview performances are October 15 and 16 at 8 p.m.

The Los Angeles Theatre Center is located at 514 S. Spring St., Los Angeles, CA 90013.

The Latino Theater Company, which operates the City of Los Angeles-owned Los Angeles Theatre Center, has produced hundreds of plays and created thousands of jobs since taking over operations of the Downtown venue in 2006. The City recently extended the company’s lease for an additional 30 years, through 2056.

For tickets and additional information, call (213) 489-0994 or visit Latino Theater Company.

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Free Opening Night screening brings film, literature, music and Mexican-American history together at LA Plaza de Cultura y Artes and the performance of Los Changuitos Feos de Tucson Youth Mariachi

LéaLA Spanish Language Book Fair & Literary Festival will open its 11th edition with a free screening of the award-winning documentary Ugly Little Monkeys – A True American Story on Sept. 24 at LA Plaza de Cultura y Artes in downtown Los Angeles.

Organized by the University of Guadalajara Foundation USA, LéaLA has built its reputation as a leading celebration of Spanish-language books, authors, arts and culture in Los Angeles. This year’s opening-night program expands that mission by demonstrating how stories can move across artistic disciplines — from the page to the screen and ultimately to the stage.

Admission to the three day festival is absolutely free with an added benefit to school children who are bused to participate in the book festival workshops, author readings and performances. Speaking with Marisol Schulz — Director, LéaLA, she expressed, “The greatest joy for me is to see the faces of the children and to know that they can say ‘I saw great authors speaking in my language’.

Directed by David E. Valdez and veteran actor and filmmaker Enrique Castillo, Ugly Little Monkeys chronicles the remarkable rise of Los Changuitos Feos de Tucson, the youth mariachi group that emerged from Tucson’s Mexican-American community in the 1960s and went on to international acclaim.

But the documentary is about far more than mariachi.

It explores identity, cultural pride, community, ambition and the Mexican-American experience through the story of young musicians who challenged stereotypes and opened doors for generations that followed.

The film features Edward James Olmos, Linda Ronstadt and Rubén Fuentes, as well as Ernesto Portillo Sr. and 19 original Changuitos. Wilfred Arvizu, author of Bless Me Father for You Have Sinned, which is the source material for the documentary, will also be in attendance at the opening-night event.

LéaLA’s decision to open its 2026 festival with the documentary gives that history a new platform — connecting the written word, filmmaking and live music in a single evening.

Following the screening, members of Los Changuitos Feos de Tucson will perform live, bringing the music that helped define their extraordinary journey to a new generation.

Opening Night LéaLA Schedule

4:00 PM — Welcome and opening remarks by LéaLA representatives
4:30 PM — Ugly Little Monkeys directors introduce the film
4:40 PM — Screening of Ugly Little Monkeys – A True American Story
6:30 PM — Live performance by Los Changuitos Feos de Tucson
7:00 PM — Cocktail reception

“I’m proud of this film and very grateful that this documentary was made,” said Olmos who also served as Executive Producer of the documentary.

The opening-night program brings together film, literature, music and Mexican-American history, reflecting LéaLA’s mission to amplify Spanish-language storytelling and Latino cultural voices.

The screening is free and open to the public. INFO HERE: https://lea-la.com/programa/

LéaLA 2026 runs Sept. 24–27 at LA Plaza de Cultura y Artes.

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American International Short Film Festival Returns to Los Angeles With 46 Films From 30 Countries

LOS ANGELES — The American International Short Film Festival (AISFF) returns to Los Angeles September 14–17 with 46 short films representing 30 countries, featuring industry panels, filmmaker networking and a live entertainment program, giving AISFF an international scope while maintaining its focus on emerging talent and short-form storytelling.

The festival, held at City Club Los Angeles, is partnering this year with the Alliance of Women Directors (AWD) as part of its programming focused on emerging filmmakers and women working behind the camera.

Founded by David Meiselman, AISFF positions short filmmaking as an entry point for emerging directors, writers, actors and producers looking to build audiences and industry connections.

“A short film can be a filmmaker’s calling card, but getting that film in front of the right people can change the trajectory of a career,” Meiselman said. “We created AISFF to give filmmakers a place where their work can be seen, their voices can be heard, and where they can make the connections that can move their careers forward.”

The festival’s international selection spans genres including drama, comedy, documentary, animation, horror, science fiction, thriller and music video, with awards recognizing filmmaking and performance across multiple categories.

On Wednesday, September 16,  AISFF will combine industry programming with an evening of live entertainment. The afternoon will feature a series of industry panels, culminating at 4 p.m. with a conversation featuring Peter Baxter, founder of the Slamdance Film Festival. 

The entertainment lineup includes musical performances by Adelaide Pilar and Las Chingonas, followed by a fashion presentation featuring Los Pachucos of Fullerton. The evening will also feature a burlesque performance by Ruby Champagne.

AISFF’s partnership with the Alliance of Women Directors further emphasizes opportunities for women filmmakers and visibility for women working in directing.

The combination of film screenings, industry programming and live performance gives AISFF a broader festival format, bringing filmmakers and audiences together beyond the traditional screening schedule.

For participating filmmakers, the festival’s four-day program includes screenings, networking opportunities, industry discussions and awards recognizing work across a range of categories.

AISFF 2026

American International Short Film Festival
September 14–17, 2026
City Club Los Angeles
Los Angeles, California

?? TICKETS ARE ON SALE NOW. Film fans, filmmakers and industry professionals can get tickets and view the complete festival schedule at AISFFLA.org.

Don’t miss four days of international short films, filmmaker conversations, industry panels and live entertainment in Los Angeles.

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LOS ANGELES — Independent bilingual comedy Comedia Del Adri has won Best TV Pilot and Best International Film at the Comedy Film Festival, as well as the Audience Award at FilmGate Miami, ahead of its Hollywood premiere at the TCL Chinese Theatre.

The Spanish-English series, written by and starring Adrian Manzano and directed by Chase Bradburn, will screen September 12 as part of the inaugural Indiewood Film Festival.

The 30-minute pilot is designed as the first episode of a nine-episode series following Adri, a middle-aged Mexican-Colombian comedian rebuilding his life and career in Mexico City. His relationship with Bella, a younger German woman, brings questions of family, identity and cultural differences into the story.

Manzano stars as Adri alongside Dilara Foscht as Bella, Alejandra Herrera as Maria, Byungsun Kim as Ramon and Mabel de la Luz. Manzano and Samira Mekibes Meza serve as producers.

The TCL Chinese Theatre screening takes place three days before the start of Latino Heritage Month on September 15 and is part of the inaugural Indiewood Film Festival’s independent film and television program.

Manzano said the project’s bilingual format and focus on Latino characters were central to its development.

“We’re making this show while ICE raids are tearing through our neighborhoods and Latinx families are living in fear of being separated,” Manzano said. “Getting to tell our own stories, in our own languages, and to laugh at ourselves instead of being laughed at, matters more right now than it ever has.”

Manzano, a Queens, New York native, is a writer, actor and filmmaker whose previous credits include the feature Sex, Love & Salsa, which received awards at international festivals including the Montreal Latino Film Festival and Stattkino Festival in Zurich. The film is currently in development as a television series.

His other credits include writing and directing The Gradua and writing Ilegítimo, which was sold to Panama’s Jacobo Silvera Productions. In 2026, he appears in Hard Redemption with Lou Ferrigno and Dustslickers.

The Hollywood screening gives Comedia Del Adri a showcase at one of the city’s best-known theatrical venues following its recent festival recognition.

‘COMEDIA DEL ADRI’
Indiewood Film Festival
September 12, 2026
TCL Chinese Theatre — Hollywood

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LOS ANGELES — Filmmaker Joaquim Adrià Pujol is bringing his acclaimed documentary Màquina to Hollywood, with the 90-minute film set for its Los Angeles premiere Sunday, September 13 at 9:45 p.m. during the Indiewood Film Festival.

The Spanish- and English-language documentary takes an unflinching look at addiction, alcoholism and generational trauma through an unusually personal lens: Pujol documents his own father and brother as they travel across the American West in an aging Winnebago en route to Colorado for ibogaine-assisted addiction treatment.

What could have been framed as a conventional addiction-recovery documentary instead becomes an intimate family drama — one that asks difficult questions about responsibility, codependency and the emotional toll of trying to save someone you love.

Pujol directs, produces and shoots the film, placing himself directly inside the story alongside his father, Xavi Pujol Berlanga, and brother, Marcel Enric Pujol. The result is a portrait of a family confronting its history in real time, with the filmmaker capturing the arguments, awkward silences, humor and tenderness that accompany their journey.

Even the vehicle becomes part of the narrative.

As the aging Winnebago repeatedly breaks down along the route, it emerges as a visual metaphor for a family struggling to keep itself moving forward.

Màquina also avoids presenting psychedelic-assisted treatment as a simplistic answer to addiction. Instead, the film examines what happens before, during and after the decision to seek help — and the complicated emotional terrain occupied by the people surrounding an addict.

That approach has already drawn critical attention. Film Threat gave the documentary a 9/10, calling it “a parade of stunning visual metaphors for the struggle with addiction.” The film has also received positive reviews from DMovies and High on Films.

At its heart, however, Màquina is a father-and-son story.

Pujol’s decision to make himself part of the film allows the documentary to move beyond the traditional observer role, confronting the inherited wounds, family dynamics and blurred boundaries that can accompany addiction. The film explores the difficult distinction between supporting someone and becoming consumed by their struggle.

The Los Angeles premiere comes as the documentary continues to build attention for its raw, observational approach and its refusal to package recovery into an easy Hollywood narrative.

The film features Xavi Pujol Berlanga, Marcel Enric Pujol, Joaquim Adrià Pujol, Charles B. Shaw, John Dias, John Anthony Dias, Hana Farky, Dennis Bouverie, Gerardo Ortiz, Bryan Davis and Shawn Johnson.

Vesta Tu?kut? produces alongside Pujol, with Silvija Vilkait?-Ramanausk? editing and acclaimed composer Jozef van Wissem providing the score. Pujol also serves as cinematographer.

Màquina is a 2025 U.S. documentary, presented in English and Spanish, with a runtime of 90 minutes.

Maquina — LOS ANGELES PREMIERE

Indiewood Film Festival
Sunday, September 13, 2026
9:45 p.m.
Hollywood, California

For Pujol, the journey at the center of Màquina is ultimately about more than addiction treatment. It is about the machinery of family itself — how it breaks down, how people carry one another, and whether something damaged can still be repaired.

The post Joaquim Adrià Pujol’s Addiction Doc ‘Màquina’ Set for LA Premiere at Indiewood Film Festival first appeared on .

By Bel Hernandez Castillo

LOS ANGELES — The 2026 Indiewood Film Festival is bringing two distinctly bicultural stories to Hollywood this September, with Del Zamora’s Chicano drama The Last Brown Beret and Varahi Pooja Mallipamula’s provocative dramedy IMPURE set to screen at the iconic TCL Chinese Theatres.

The films arrive at the festival following notable festival recognition and represent two generations and cultures grappling with identity, tradition, activism and the pressures of societal expectations.

‘The Last Brown Beret’

Written and directed by Del Zamora, The Last Brown Beret will make its Los Angeles premiere September 14 following its Grand Prize – Best Feature win at the 2026 Golden State Film Festival.

Inspired by Alfredo Ramos’ stage play The Last Angry Brown Hat, the film revisits the legacy of the Chicano civil rights movement through a group of former Brown Beret activists who reunite decades after their days of organizing and activism.

Following the funeral of a former member, the men gather in the garage where they once planned protests and debated how to change the world. Their reunion forces them to reckon with the movement they helped build, the sacrifices they made and the battles that remain unresolved.

Starring Daniel E. Mora, Randy Vasquez, Vance Valencia, Linda Lopez, David Castro, Karen E. Wright and Zamora, the film blends political history with an intimate exploration of friendship, aging, identity and the complicated legacy of activism.

The Last Brown Beret is presented by Nestorita Limited in association with Con Safos Production.

‘IMPURE’

Three days later, on September 17, IMPURE will make its Los Angeles premiere, bringing a very different—but equally personal—bicultural story to the festival.

Written and produced by Varahi Pooja Mallipamula and directed by Nishanti Evani, the dramedy centers on Sandhya, a 25-year-old woman from a traditional Telugu family whose wedding is called off after her ex-boyfriend publicly reveals that she is not a virgin.

The incident sparks a viral social-media controversy when Sandhya’s American cousin, Veera, speaks out against the double standard surrounding female sexuality. With Indian-American artist Raja Kumari amplifying the video, Sandhya becomes the target of public scrutiny and cultural judgment.

Set in Visakhapatnam, IMPURE uses comedy, romance and friendship to tackle female sexuality, patriarchy, marriage, reputation, family expectations and the complicated process of defining oneself between cultures.

The film stars Yashna Muthuluri, Mallipamula, Sai Krishna and Abhijith Sreenath, with Raja Kumari serving as music director and appearing in a cameo.

At the heart of IMPURE is a provocative redefinition of its title: “IMPURE” becomes “I’M PURE.”

Two Films, Two Generations, One Cultural Conversation

While The Last Brown Beret looks backward at a generation that fought to change society, IMPURE examines the cultural expectations confronting a younger generation determined to define itself.

Together, the films underscore the breadth of independent cinema—and the power of filmmakers to bring stories of identity, heritage and social change to the Hollywood screen.

Both films will screen as part of the 2026 Indiewood Film Festival at the TCL Chinese Theatres in Hollywood.

The Last Brown Beret
Los Angeles Premiere — September 14, 2026

IMPURE
Los Angeles Premiere — September 17, 2026

Indiewood Film Festival
TCL Chinese Theatres — Hollywood, California

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