Two women who believed it was time to bring the Latina rom-com back to the big screen after a 20 years absence, not only succeeded with last years theatrical release of Say a Little Prayer, it is now also available on Amazon Prime Video and Apple TV. In celebration of Women History Month we spotlight filmmakers Nancy De Los Santos (Selena, Gotta Kick It Up) and Cristina Nava (Divorce Bait, In Other Words), the ladies that not only produced this feature but who are making major strides in the film industry giving voice to women in film.
De Los Santos and Nava, both members of the Writers Guild of America (WGA), are the writer and producer, respectively, of Say a Little Prayer, with an all-Latino lead cast,including Luis Fonsi, Vannessa Vasquez, Jackie Cruz, Vivian Lamolli, and Angélica María, capturing the rich and diverse experiences of Latinx communities, making a profound impact on the film landscape.
Nancy De Los Santos was born and raised on the Southside of Chicago and headed for trouble. She left Catholic high school for public high school and joined a Latina girl gang. One thing led to another, and she turned her life around, graduating from UT Austin and the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor. Nancy began her career in Chicago as producer of Roger Ebert and Gene Siskel’s film review program At The Movies. With her production guidance, the show was nominated for two national Emmy Awards.
She’s worked as Associate Producer on the iconic Latino features My Family and Selena, and written for television shows Resurrection Blvd., American Family, and East Los High. Nancy was invited to Equinox, the Sundance of Europe, where her feature script Answer To My Prayer (Which ultimately became Say a Little Prayer) was work-shopped with writer Nora Ephron. Nora invited Nancy to submit for the theatre production “Love, Loss, and What I Wore”. Nancy’s personal story about her old gang sweater was accepted for the play, which has been staged in New York, Los Angeles, Paris, and Mexico City, proving the adage… “It all comes around…”
As the first Latina elected to the Board of Directors at the WGA, De Los Santos’ contributions to the industry have not gone unnoticed. The Mexican American Cultural Education Foundation (MACEF) will honor her with the prestigious “Trailblazer in Screenwriting Illustrious Award” for her pioneering work, talent, and commitment to helping the Latino community exemplify those who are changing the narrative. The award ceremony is scheduled for April 27, 2025, during the 2025 Mexican-American Film and Television Festival and Awards to be held at the Harmony Gold Theater in Hollywood.
Nava is a producer, screenwriter, and director who made her directorial debut with the award-winning film Free Lunch in 2024. She also collaborates with her husband, Patrick Perez Vidauri, at Migrant Filmworks, which they founded in 2011. They are dedicated to producing innovative content for the growing U.S. Latino market. Additionally, they are founding members of a collective of mid-career filmmakers based in the U.S. committed to advancing, accelerating, and amplifying Latino-American storytelling.
Cristina Nava is co-founder of Migrant Filmworks overseeing development and production. A veteran screenwriter and producer of film and television, she has supervised massive international television series, as well as intimate feature films. She has produced shows for Nickelodeon, Telemundo, and many more. As a member of the Writers Guild of America, Cristina enjoys the challenge of adapting client’s ideas into fully formed screenplays. In 2020 Cristina took the client’s original concept and developed, wrote and produced the romantic comedy Divorce Bait starring Vannessa Vazquez (East Los High) and Justin Berti (Secret Lives of Housewives). This movie was acquired by the Samuel Goldwyn Company after a bidding war with Lionsgate.
Two visionary filmmakers whose innovative projects inspire audiences and are redefining cinematic storytelling that includes Latinos.
