There is power in numbers, and if that is so, with the new partnership between novela and film star Carlos Ponce, Brilla Media, Numatec, and Chicano Hollywood, who are launching Minivela, it is a power move in the right direction. Minvela is their digital shorts joint venture launching in January 2025 aimed to set in motion a bold new era for American Latino filmmakers, creators, and advertisers. The announcement was made at the 26th annual ANA Multicultural Marketing & Diversity Conference in Las Vegas earlier this week.

Minivela is an American Latino-owned and operated company dedicated to producing advertiser-supported digital shorts created by Latino filmmakers and creators with a target audience of primarily American Latinos ages 18-34. Initially the streaming content verticals will range from 10 to 90 minutes. A key pillar of Minivela’s approach is to catapult select narratives into independent features or series utilizing the innovative, adtech-powered approach.

“This is a groundbreaking journey that we believe will empower Latino storytellers and drive U.S. Hispanic digital advertising for years to come,” said Manny Ruiz, who serve as the Chief Creative Officer and Executive Producer of the joint venture alongside Ponce, who will also write and direct select Minivelas. ““Our focus is on consistently producing universally appealing stories with a vision that extends beyond Minivelas.  A key pillar of our innovative approach is to catapult select narratives into independent features or series.”

“When the Hollywood system is undergoing a much-needed reboot, Minivela represents a beacon of hope, experimentation, and opportunities for Latino creatives at a time” said Ponce.  Adding that the Latino-owned venture will address the representation gap for our community organically, and that our operations are driven by pioneers in Latino social media, digital media, and adtech.

The family-friendly digital films will be accessible free on Minivela’s YouTube, and social media channels, as well as thru adtech conglomerate, Numatec’s distribution partnerships.  Combined with Brilla Media’s Nuestro Media network, brand sponsors will be able to secure USH audiences effectively across digital, CTV, and other platforms.

 The West Coast production arm of the company and a cornerstone of Minivela is Chicano Hollywood, the influential L.A.-based production, media, and magazine company that produces the annual Elevate conference for Latino filmmakers.

Chicano Hollywood is already producing one of the platform’s early bets, a feel good romcom called “Cholita Takes L.A.” that is being directed by a rising Chicana director. Cholitas, Cholos, and Cholas shine in this story about a young Bolivian luchadora and aspiring fashion designer who journeys to L.A. to care for her ailing grandmother—only to discover she must also overcome culture clashes and personal challenges on her path to unexpected love.

“Minivela is putting deeds before words, and that’s something the Latino film community will root hard for, and why we’re a proud partner,” said Johnny Murrillo, founder and CEO of Chicano Hollywood.  “It’s also critical to note that for Minivela, the projects must be Latino-produced but the stories must appeal to audiences universally even outside our core Hispanic community.  We have some fun ones lined up!”

Angela Sustaita-Ruiz, chairwoman of Brilla Media, the parent company of Minivela, expands on the mission of the venture, “We’re going to push boundaries and prove that you can be creative and positively provocative without leaning on the usual violent drug dealers, and other tired tropes that diminish our community.”

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Slated for Sat., May 29 from 6 to 9 p.m., the fest’s music headliners include reggaeton artist Jay Wheeler, norteña group La Original Banda Limon, urbano star Rafa Pabon, pop singer Tefi Valenzuela and L.A.-based band La Santa Cecilia. Other confirmed performers are Dafne, Diego Latoo,  El Chapo de Sinaloa, Grupo G, ICC, Jessi Uribe, Jawn Darko, Lady Vixxen, Los Dioses del Ritmo, Los Wizzards, Melanie Pfirrman, Paola Jara, and Yanet Guadalupe. 

A well-known “artivist” and movie star, Dawson is a co-founder of Voto Latino, a nonprofit that encourages young Latinos to vote and get politically involved, and has also supported various causes from the environment to farmworkers. Coincidentally, she was cast as Dolores Huerta in the 2014 biopic Cesar Chavez about the late labor union leader, which won her a special achievement Alma Award. Her film and TV credits include Sin City, Rent, Seven Pounds and the series Jane the Virgin. She will star in the upcoming series Ahsoka Tano, a spinoff of the series The Mandalorian.

Barrera, who got her start in the U.S. as one of the leads on Starz’s Vida. Soon after the series was canceled, Barrera landed the lead in the upcoming musical feature, In The Heights, based on Lin-Manuel Miranda’s Tony Award-winning musical. The Mexico-born artist starred in telenovelas like Siempre Tuya Acapulco and Tanto Amor before coming to the U.S. She also co-stars in the upcoming installment of the horror franchise Scream. 

The fest’s fashion segment is curated by Adriana Pavon, a Mexican designer and founder of México Cultura y Orgullo, a nonprofit initiative supporting indigenous artists.

Cinco de Mayo LA will also feature a comedy skit by MexicanGueys, an L.A.-based duo composed by cousins Jairo Orozco and Bryan Rojo of the podcast Spilling the Frijoles. 

The fest will also include mixology segments and recipes, highlight the importance of getting the COVID vaccine and spotlight In the Heights, the movie.

A production of Brilla Media, the event is presented by the Latino Community Foundation and will raise funds for the California Rural Legal Assistance, a legal aid nonprofit serving farmworkers.

“Cultura, Musica y Arte – it’s the medicine we all need right now, and that’s why LCF is honored to support the Cinco de Mayo LA Festival,” says Jacqueline Martinez Garcel, LCF’s CEO. “As we celebrate, let’s also make sure our loved ones get vaccinated. We miss those fuerte abrazos!”

The festival will be broadcast on the VMe national network, Viva Live TV’s OTT platform and streamed on the Facebook fan pages of Spanish Broadcast System stations like New York’s La Musica Mega 97.9 and 93.1 Amor, Los Angeles’s 97.9 La Raza and Mega 96.3, Miami’s El Zol 106.7, Zeta 92 and Ritmo 95.7, San Francisco’s 93.3 La Raza, Maria Marin Live and Cinco de Mayo L.A., among others.

Organizers hope the fest will also be am in-person in the streets of Los Angeles next year in addition to its webcasting.

Other festival sponsors are Converse, WSS, Disney and Pixar’s upcoming animated film Luca, the Friends of the National Museum of the American Latino and MyCajita.

Strategic partners, producers and media allies for this year’s Cinco de Mayo L.A. festival include EsTiempo, Latin Heat Media, Viva Live TV, The Cerro Group, La Plaza de Cultura y Artes, Dustelli Music. 

For more information, visit https://www.cincodemayola.com.

Featured Photo: Melissa Barrera (Credit: Barrera IG) and Rosario Dawson (Credit: ABC)

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