The lead role of Jaime Reyes (AKA “Blue Beetle”) is portrayed by the talented Xolo Maridueña known to audiences from his role in the TV show Cobra Kai.  Blue Beetle also boasts a remarkable cast that includes George Lopez (Lopez vs. Lopez), Elpidia Carillo (Predator), Academy Award-nominated actress Adriana Barraza (Babel, Rambo: Last Blood), Harvey Guillen, newcomer Belissa Escobedo (American Horror Story, The Baker and the Beauty), Raoul Max Trujillo (Mayans M.C.), and Hollywood star Susan Sarandon (Bull Durham, Thelma & Louise). Additionally, the renowned singer Becky G lends her voice to the film as “Khaja-Da.”

The community screening, totally funded by the presenting entities, comes at a crucial time for the film industry, with the Screen Actors Guild (SAG/Aftra) currently on strike, the talent of the film are not able to promote the opening of the film.  That is when the organizations saw the need to rally support for Blue Beetle, a groundbreaking movie that holds significant importance for the future of Latino representation in Hollywood. This film showcases Latinos in a positive light, breaking barriers and paving the way for more inclusive storytelling in the entertainment industry. A special effort was made to include groups of student to attend because they will see themselves represented on the big screen.

In a city where Latinos make up 50% of the population, three screenings alone are not enough to spread the word. Latin Heat Media and HCSB are committed to ensuring that more individuals and in particular the students, have the opportunity to enjoy the film at the screening and be empowered by seeing a superhero who looks like them. The response has been overwhelming.  An hour after posting the free tickets on social media, all tickets were gone.

Bel Hernandez, President/CEO of Latin Heat Media and Chair of HCSB’s Arts and Entertainment Committee, emphasizes the importance of engaging the Latino audience in supporting films that authentically represent their community. “The power of the Latino audience has not always been fully tapped, especially when it comes to movies as important as Blue Beetle. The studios must involve and market to our community. Warner Bros., the studio releasing this film, hasn’t always had a stellar track record with Latino-focused film marketing. It’s time to see a commitment to our community and an  adequate marketing investment if they wish to access our significant consumer buying power.”

According to the Motion Picture Association (MPA), Latinos who comprise 19% of the population, accounted for 29% of movie tickets sold in 2020, and this trend continues to grow. Latin Heat Media and HCSB’s Arts and Entertainment Committee are dedicated to promoting awareness of projects with Latino participation, aiming to increase the visibility of the Latino representation in the entertainment industry.

The community screening of Blue Beetle promises to be an unforgettable event, celebrating diversity and unity, and inclusivity, and hopefully, a catalyst for more audience to go see it on their own.

The post FREE Community Screening in Support of ‘Blue Beetle’ Starring Xolo Mariduña first appeared on .

First-look streaming of the Dolores Huerta episode of The David Damian Show Premieres on latinheatcinema.com

TV Producer David Damian Figueroa and Latin Heat Media (LHM) announced an exclusive multi-year content creation partnership that includes the production of his talk show, The David Damian Show (TDDS) and the first-look streaming of one the episodes on latinheatcinema.com, Latin Heat Media’s OTT platform.

Executive produced, and hosted by Figueroa, The David Damian Show (TDDS) presents unique profiles of thought and creative leaders; entertainment professionals, sports figures and trendsetters in technology, social media, arts, culture and social movements. The Dolores Huerta episode, an in-depth interview of civil rights activist Dolores Huerta, will premiere on LatinHeatCinema.com in time to coincide with the celebration of her upcoming 89th birthday on April 10th.

Six other episodes of The David Damian Show have been shot and ready for distribution, they feature veteran actor Pepe Serna (Man From Reno, Scarface), actors Nicholas Gonzalez (ABC’s The Good Doctor) and Jordi Vilasuso (Young and the Restless), artist Yolanda Gonzalez, photographic documentarian George Rodriguez, and Paul Schrade, activist who was also shot the day Robert Kennedy was assassinated during his presidential campaign.

Both Figueroa and Bel Hernandez, President/CEO of Latin Heat Media, LLC understand that digitization has permanently reshaped the global TV and film distribution platforms. Latinheatcinema.com was created to meet the demands of the revenue stream revolution with relatable content which targets U.S. Latinos.

“It is exciting and rewarding to partner with David Damian. We are both like-minded individuals that believe that to see shows that highlight our community, we need to create them,” said Hernandez. “We have the ability to cultivate our audience base — U.S. Latinos — who are a $1.5 trillion dollar consumer market, with relatable content on our LatinHeatCinema streaming platform.”

According to a study by The Latino Donor Collaborative, the U.S. Latino gross domestic product (GDP) represents $2.13 trillion — larger than the GDPs of Italy, Brazil, India and Canada. If U.S. Latinos were a country, they’d be the seventh largest economy in the world.  With this in mind, Latin Heat Media is looking to target the most contextually-relevant brands for its OTT content, which is a perfect fit for brands in auto, banking, beverage, retail, confectionary, electronics, telecom, airline, fashion, sports, game developer, and the telecommunication industries.

“The TV and film landscape is changing in a Latino way.  It makes sense to partner with Latin Heat,” said Figueroa . “I truly believe that it’s just a matter of time before a TV, film or streaming studio discovers that Latin Heat has not only the credibility, but the ability to create content, stream it, and recruit talent.”

Figueroa is readily recognized as influential in shaping Latina and Latino popular arts through his work in film, television, music production, and publicity.  “I have made meaningful relationships throughout my decades-long career and I’d like to give my audience the same opportunity to learn and be inspired from these amazing folks I have met along the way,” Figueroa stated.

As one of the producers for the documentaries The Harvest/La Cosecha, and executive producer of Food Chains, Figueroa helped raise money and also headed the marketing campaign of both films.  His ability to bring like-minded celebrities to causes, as exemplified when Eva Longoria came on board as one of the executive producer on Food Chains, has been effective in championing the mission of all included.

The genesis for The David Damian Show originated from Figueroa’s Facebook Live which launched in 2016.  He produced 39 live episodes, one of them with Longoria and many of high profile friends, which have garnered over 200 thousand views.

In addition to The David Damian Show, Figueroa is developing two more shows with Latin Heat Media. ThriftStore Score,  a show about the treasure troves to found at the local thrift store; and I Was there, an interview show which documents historic movements in our country’s history by the person who mobilized hundreds, if not thousands of people to create social change.

Figueroa’s work in the entertainment industry has spanned from that of child farmworker in Arizona to a respected national leader. For over a decade he worked in the entertainment industry and was successful in bridging meaningful relationships between celebrities, non-profit organizations, and social movements. He was the associate producer of the documentary film, The Harvest/La Cosecha and executive producer of the critically acclaimed documentary, Food Changes, which premiered at The Berlin Film Festival in 2014. Both films were in collaboration with Eva Longoria and Eric Schlosser (Fast Food Nation).

Hernandez is a co-founder of Latin Heat, first printed entertainment trade focused on Latinos (www.LatinHeat.com). She produced her first talk show, Let’s Talk in 2009, then went on to create and executive produce KCBS/KCAL9’s HOLA LA! She currently produces TheTrendTalk TV for METV Networks, The David Damian Show and the outdoor festival LATINAFest under her company Latin Heat Media, LLC

The post “The David Damian Show” & Latin Heat Media Partnership is Just the Tip of the OTT Iceberg first appeared on .