Submission Deadline: Until January 15

The Mexican-American Cultural Foundation, a U.S. based non-profit organization dedicated to uplifting the Latino image in film and and television, will hold the 4th Edition of the Mexican-American Film and Television Festival  & Awards (MAFTF)  Saturday, April 19th and Sunday 20th, 2025, returning to its homebase at the Harmony Gold Theater in the heart of Hollywood. 

Filmmakers wishing to showcase their work at MAFTF are invited to submit now through our website  (www.MAFTF.org) where they can also find submission requirements. The final deadline for  submission is January 15^th , 2025. 

This year MAFTF continues its mission of amplifying the voices of Chicano/Mexican-American filmmakers with its theme Bridging Generations By Our Shared Roots: Somos De  Aquí Y Somos De Allá, which furthers their mission. The aim is to bridge the diverse experiences of Mexican born filmmakers and the Mexican-American/Chicano-born filmmakers, in an effort to showcase the nuanced difference and similarities which will foster communication, cultural awareness, and  shared identity through their projects.

The reality is, being Mexican-American fosters an opportunity to benefit from two rich cultures, shared experiences, and access to more perspectives that differ from one single  culture mindset. We are united, fierce, and resilient. 

MAFTF is a two day event with screenings of short films, features, and television content, culminating with the yearly Illustrious Award ceremony on April 20, 2025.  

“As we proudly announce the 2025 edition of the Mexican-American Film and Television Festival, I am reminded of the incredible success of our past three editions,” said MAFTF Director Dr. Jose-Luis Ruiz. “However, I am  also aware that despite our shared heritage, filmmakers from Mexico and  Chicano/Mexican-American filmmakers have not always collaborated as closely as we could. This year’s festival theme is a call to action – a reminder that by working together,  we can amplify our voices, share our stories, and celebrate our rich cultural diversity.

Dr. Ruiz, adds, “I am  excited to see the amazing work that will emerge from this collaboration and I invite all  filmmakers to join us on this journey.” 

MAFTF enlists a panel of judges consisting of Hollywood industry professionals who will be judging the submissions in the following categories: Best Film, Best Director, Best Short Film, Best TV Series, Best Male Actor, Best  Female Actress, Best Screenplay For Film, and Best Screenplay For TV.  

Our Illustrious awards honor Industry leaders and honor those in the industry pushing to change the narrative and how they go  above and beyond. Our past honorees have included producer Yvett Merino (Encanto), directors Patricia Riggen (G20, Miracles from Heaven), Writer/Director Luis Valdez (La Bamba/Zoot Suit), Frank Rodriguez, Head of Distribution at Amazon (MGM), and Producer Moctesuma Esparza (Selena).

Tickets will be available for purchase in early 2025.  Check our website at www.MAFTF.org

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In addition, they will highlight four Chingona Community members for their service to the community and for the greater good of women. Honorees include Jennifer Camacho, the first nurse hired by Athletics at the University of Southern California, Monique Barraza Gutierrez, founder of the Abigail Barraza Foundation, Adrienne Varela, Options for Learning State Preschool teacher, entrepreneur, and restaurant owner, Marie Brown of El Camino Family Restaurant in the City of Whittier.

The Chingona Community is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization dedicated to empowering women while giving back to the community through service, events, youth mentorship, and business networking.

For more information about the gala, visit https://www.chingonacommunity.com/events/chingona-community-quarterly-mtg-2ae8f-r8mgm-3jlfk

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The 24-year-old actress of Argentine descent defeated past Golden Globe and Academy Award winners Cate Blanchett and Nicole Kidman, who competed for their roles in Mrs. America and The Undoing, respectively. Taylor-Joy acknowledged both acclaimed actresses in her acceptance speech. She also prevailed over Normal People’s Daisy Edgar-Jones and Unorthodox’s Shira Haas, both of whom—like Taylor-Joy—were first time Golden Globe nominees.

However, in the case of The Queen’s Gambit star, she got two nods for the coveted award presented by Hollywood Foreign Press Association. She also vied for the Golden Globe for best actress in a motion picture musical or comedy for Emma. The award in that category went to Rosamund Pike for I Care a Lot.

A LONG WAY FROM ATLANTIS
The Golden Globe win is a big accomplishment for Taylor-Joy, who now has earned 11 awards and 26 nominations since her debut in the 2015 fantasy series Atlantis. Accolades started to roll in that same year with The Witch, a period horror film that won the actress nine film festival prizes. Other recent movies that have brought her recognition are Glass, Marrowbone, and Thoroughbreds.

Taylor’s Golden Globe was one of two awards for the series she leads. The Queen’s Gambit also took home the prize for best television limited series or motion picture made for television. 

The awards night also featured a few other Latino stars, including actresses Rosie Perez and Salma Hayek, who were presenters, as well as Lin-Manuel Miranda, whose Hamilton musical film was nominated in two categories—for best musical or comedy motion picture and for best actor.  

JANE FONDA’S MESSAGE
One of the biggest highlights of the event was the speech delivered by actress Jane Fonda while accepting the Cecil B. DeMille Award, honoring the outstanding contributions to the world of entertainment. Her subject: diversity in Hollywood.

“You know, we are a community of storytellers, aren’t we?,” said the On Golden Pond actress. “And in turbulent, crisis-torn times like these, storytelling has always been essential.”

Fonda talked about the power of stories and art to change hearts and minds and acknowledged the challenges one sometimes faces to understand people of diverse backgrounds at work and life. “But inevitably, if my heart is open, and I look beneath the surface, I feel kinship,” she said and called for more inclusivity in film and Hollywood. 

“So let’s all of us—including all the groups that decide who gets hired and what gets made and who wins awards—let’s all of us make an effort to expand that tent,” added Fonda, “so that everyone rises and everyone’s story has a chance to be seen and heard.”

GOLDEN GLOBE: COMPLETE LIST OF WINNERS

Best motion picture, drama:
Nomadland

Best actress in a motion picture, drama:
Andra Day, The United States v. Billie Holiday

Best actor in a motion picture, drama:
Chadwick Boseman, Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom

Best motion picture, comedy or musical:
Borat Subsequent Moviefilm

Best actress in a motion picture, comedy or musical:
Rosamund Pike, I Care a Lot

Best actor in a motion picture, comedy or musical:
Sacha Baron Cohen, Borat Subsequent Moviefilm

Best director, motion picture:
Chloé Zhao, Nomadland

Best supporting actress in a motion picture:
Jodie Foster, The Mauritanian

Best supporting actor in a motion picture:
Daniel Kaluuya, Judas and the Black Messiah

Best TV series, drama:
The Crown (Netflix)

Best actress in a TV series, drama:
Emma Corrin, The Crown (Netflix)

Best actor in a TV series, drama: 
Josh O’Connor, The Crown (Netflix)

Best TV series, musical or comedy:
Schitt’s Creek (Pop TV)

Best actress in a TV series, musical or comedy:
Catherine O’Hara, Schitt’s Creek (Pop TV)

Best actor in a TV series, musical or comedy:
Jason Sudeikis, Ted Lasso (Apple TV Plus)

Best limited series or TV movie:
The Queen’s Gambit (Netflix)

Best actress in a limited series or TV movie:
Anya Taylor-Joy, The Queen’s Gambit (Netflix)

Best actor in a limited series or TV movie:
Mark Ruffalo, I Know This Much Is True (HBO)

Best supporting actress in a series, limited series or TV movie:
Gillian Anderson, The Crown (Netflix)

Best supporting actor in a series, limited series or TV movie:
John Boyega, Small Axe (Amazon)

Best screenplay, motion picture:
Aaron Sorkin, The Trial of the Chicago 7

Best animated feature film:
Soul

Best foreign language film:
Minari (United States)

Best original score, motion picture:
Trent Reznor, Atticus Ross and Jon Batiste, Soul

Best original song, motion picture:
Io sì (Seen) from The Life Ahead

Featured Top Photo: Anya Taylor-Joy, left, reacts to winning best actress in a television limited series ‘The Queen’s Gambit.’ Oscar and Golden Globe nominee Rosie Perez announces the winner onstage at the 78th Annual Golden Globe Awards held at the Rainbow Room on February 28, 2021. Photo: Peter Kramer/NBC

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“The Pioneer Award acknowledges those individuals who have made extraordinary contributions to advancing the nonfiction form and providing exceptional vision and leadership to the documentary community,” says the IDA in a press statement, describing Firelight Media as “the premier destination for nonfiction cinema by and about communities of color.”

Firelight Media shared the award announcement on social media. “Beyond honor,” says a Facebook post and adds, “Thanks for the recognition and we will continue to do the good, important work on behalf of BIPOC (Black, Indigenous and People of Color) voices.

ACCLAIMED PRODUCTIONS
Since its foundation 20 years ago, the nonprofit has produced almost a film per year, with some winning Peabody and Sundance Film Festival awards. Its 2010 documentary The Black Panthers: Vanguard of the Revolution and Freedom Riders earned three Primetime Emmys. Most of its films center on the Black community and deal with social injustice, racism, history and inequality. 

A Firelight Media documentary, Shattering The Silences: The Case For Minority Faculty, takes a look at the success and distress of minority scholars in the humanities and social sciences at American universities, featuring professors who are African-American, Latino, Asian-American, and American Indian.

Firelight Media also offers a documentary lab, an 18-month fellowship for emerging filmmakers of color; and regional labs which support early-stage filmmakers in the American south, midwest, and U.S. Territories, according to its website.

Founded by two African American filmmakers, director Stanley Nelson (American Experience) and screenwriter Marcia Smith (Through the Fire: The Legacy of Barack Obama; Freedom Riders), Firelight Media’s executive team is approximately 25 percent Latino, including production manager Karla Rodriguez, artist programs coordinator Ximena Amescua and senior director of artist program Monika Navarro.

OTHER IDA HONORS
Firelight Media is one of six awardees of this year’s IDA Documentary Awards, which is celebrating its 36th annual edition. The other honorees are: 
— Primetime Emmy®-winning and Academy Award®-nominated filmmaker Sam Pollard (MLK/FBI, Four Little Girls, When the Levees Broke: A Requiem in Four Acts) with the Career Achievement Award;
— Filmmaker Garrett Bradley (Time) with the Emerging Documentary Filmmaker Award;
— Emmy® and Peabody Award-winning, Academy Award®-nominated Producer Regina K. Scully with the Amicus Award;
— Courage Under Fire Award goes to David France and the film team behind Welcome to Chechnya and activists David Isteev (The Russian LGBT Network) and Olga Baranova (Moscow Community Center for LGBT+ Initiatives) ; and
— Journalist Maria Ressa and the Filipino news network Rappler with the Truth to Power Award featured in A Thousand Cuts by Ramona S. Diaz.

The awards will be presented in a virtual ceremony in January of 2021.

The International Documentary Association is a Los Angeles-based nonprofit with a 40-year history of providing resources, creating community, and defending rights and freedoms for documentary artists, activists and journalists.

–CESAR ARREDONDO

Top featured photo: Firelight Media’s In The Making series screenshot, featuring Texas-born artist Vincent Valdez. Credit: PBS/Firelight Media.

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The 2020 Daytime Emmy Awards, will be airing live on television, on CBS, June 26, 2020. However, due to COVID-19, this year’s awards ceremony will be virtual. Hosting this year’s virtual awards ceremony is veteran Daytime Emmy host Mario Lopez.

The multi-talented Lopez, looks to be everywhere at once. While the Access Hollywood co-host just finished filming the Saved by the Bell reboot for the NBC Universal streaming service Peacock TV, Lopez is currently in Carson City, Nevada, filming the Lifetime’s Christmas rom-com Feliz NaviDad. This is one of the first movie sets to begin shooting since the initial Covid-19 outbreak. Lopez will be hosting the first televised Daytime Emmy Awards show, after a five-year on-screen hiatus.

Along with Lopez, Latino representation is visible as nominees in a diversity of categories from animation to talk show programs.

Highlighted Latino nominees/nominated Latino shows include:

Access Hollywood (Lopez)

Outstanding Entertainment News Show

Carmen Sandiego:

Outstanding Casting for an Animated Series or Special

Outstanding Directing for an Animated Program

Outstanding Sound Mixing for an Animated Program

Outstanding Special Class Animated Program

Café CNN

Outstanding Morning Show in Spanish

The Casagrandes

Outstanding Main Title for an Animated Program

Despierta America

Outstanding Morning Show in Spanish

Destinos

Outstanding Entertainment Program in Spanish

El Corazon de Sergio Ramos

Outstanding Entertainment Program in Spanish

Outstanding Main Title and Graphic Design for a Live Action Program

Outstanding Sound Editing for a Live Action Program

Elena of Avalor

Outstanding Casting for an Animated Series or Special

Outstanding Directing for a Preschool Animated Program

Outstanding Music Direction and Composition

Outstanding Original Song in a Children’s, Young Adult or animated Program

Outstanding Sound Editing for a Preschool Animated Program

Outstanding Sound Mixing for a Preschool Animated Program

Outstanding Writing for a Preschool Animated Program

Elena of Avalor: The Magic Within

Outstanding Special Class Animated Program

El Gordo y la Flaca

Outstanding Daytime Talent in a Spanish Language Program (Katrina Banda)

Outstanding Daytime Talent in a Spanish Language Program (Tanya Charry)

Outstanding Daytime Talent in a Spanish Language Program (Oscar Petit)

Outstanding Daytime Talent in a Spanish Language Program (Gelena Solano)

LOL: Last One Laughing

Outstanding Daytime Talent in a Spanish Language Program (Eugenio Derbez)

Outstanding Entertainment Program in Spanish

Nuesto Mundo

Outstanding Entertainment Program in Spanish

The People’s Court (Marilyn Milian)

Outstanding Legal/Courtroom Program

Un Nuevo Dia

Outstanding Morning show in Spanish

Vera’s Latin America: Panama

Outstanding Directing for a Singe Camera Daytime Program

The View (Ana Navarro)

Outstanding Informative Talk Show

Outstanding Informative Talk Show Host

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Beverly Hills, CA — Legendary actor, director, producer and philanthropist Edward James Olmos is the Industry Icon Honoree at The Caucus for Producers, Writers & Directors 37^th Annual Caucus Awards Dinner that will be held on Friday, November 15, 2019, 6:30 PM at the Skirball Cultural Center, 2701 N. Sepulveda Blvd, Los Angeles, CA 90049. 

Edward James Olmos’ career in entertainment spans over 50 years. He is an Emmy and Golden Globe winning actor, and has been nominated for an Academy Award® and Tony Awards. Olmos is best known to young audiences for his work on the SYFY television series Battlestar Galactica as Admiral William Adama. Although the series kept the actor busy during its run from 2003 through 2009, it didn’t stop him from directing the HBO movie 

Walkout in 2007, for which he earned a DGA Nomination in the Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Movies for Television category. 

Originally a musician, Olmos branched out into acting, appearing in many small theatre productions until portraying the iconic El Pachuco in Zoot Suit. The play moved to Broadway and Olmos earned a Tony nomination for the role, which he reprised in the 1981 film version. 

Olmos went on to appear in the films Wolfen, Blade Runner, and The Ballad of Gregorio Cortez before starring in that of Lieutenant Martin Castillo in the iconic 80’s television series Miami Vice. In 1988, the actor was nominated for an Academy Award® and won the Golden Globe for his portrayal of Jaime Escalante in Stand and Deliver. He directed and starred in his first motion picture, American Me, in 1992. 

Olmos’ passion for the arts grows every year, but he never forgets to give back to the dedicated communities that support him. He is an international advocate, spokesman, and humanitarian working with organizations such as Thank You Ocean, Project Hope Foundation, Children’s Hospital of Los Angeles, The Boy’s and Girl’s Club of America, The River Keepers, Dr. Andros’ Diabetic Foot Global Conference and he speaks up to 150 times a year in schools, universities, and corporations. 

Other credits as an actor include the motion pictures My Family/Mi Familia; Selena, and In the Time of Butterflies; notable television shows include The West Wing, PBS drama American Family: Journey of Dreams, and Dexter. He currently is bringing gravitas to Mayans, M.C., in its second hit season on FX networks. 

2019 Caucus Award Honorees Full List: 

Edward James Olmos | Actor/Director/Producer/Philanthropist | Industry Icon Award Gary Levine | President of Entertainment, Showtime Networks, Inc. | Executive of the Year Award Paul Miller | Producer/Director | Lifetime Achievement Award Michael Berk | Writer/Producer/Director | Distinguished Service Award Dr. Edna Sims | Publicist for The Caucus | Chairs Award Carolyn Strauss | Executive Producer | Producers Honor I HBO’s Game of Thrones, Chernobyl and Deadwood the Movie Brett Johnson | Writer/Producer | Writers Honor I Showtimes’ Escape at Dannemora Michael Tolkin | Writer/Producer/Director | Writers Honor I Showtimes’ Escape at Dannemora Amy York Rubin | Director | Directors Honor I Netflix’s Dead to Me 

James Pickens, Jr. star of ABC’s Grey’s Anatomy, will be the host for this wonderful evening. 

The Caucus is leading the evolution of television by providing a creative forum for Producers, Writers and Directors to explore the issues of the ever-changing landscape of content and exhibition.

Current members of The Caucus also include: Chuck Fries, JJ Abrams, Tom Hanks, Kevin Bright, James Burrows, Vin Di Bona, Loreen Arbus, Dennis Doty, Jim Hirsch, Robert Papazian, Tanya Hart, Chas Floyd Johnson, Norman Powell, Herman Rush, Sharon Arnett, and other leading producers, writers and directors. 

Follow The Caucus www.caucus.org https://www.facebook.com/caucus.org https://twitter.com/tvcaucus 

For ticket information and sponsorships opportunities, please contact Allison Jackson at caucus@allisonjacksonco.com or call 310.550.7719. 

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