Rudy Lopez Negrete, who leads brand partnerships for CAA’s Latin music division, also takes the lead on this initiative along and more than “30 colleagues across the agency businesses and offices” according to Deadline.  

“Latino and Hispanic talent and creators have a large and ever-growing impact on culture globally,” said Negrete and Toby Borg (Head of Global Client Strategy) in an exclusive statement to Deadline.  “Our top priorities are to change how the diverse community is depicted on screen, give greater voice to the work of Latino and Hispanic artists and storytellers and drive new revenue for clients.”

This good news comes on the heels of the recent study conducted by the USC Annenberg Inclusion Initiative which found that Latino representation in the film behind and front of the camera remains stagnant with no improvement in the last 16 years. Even when movies did feature Hispanic or Latino characters, the study found Latino characters were represented on-screen with depictions that were often rampant with stereotypes. Included under the new manner of CAA Latino are America Ferrera (Barbie), Andy Garcia (Father of the Bride), Comedian Gabriel Iglesias, Director Angel Manuel Soto (Blue Beetle), Ariana DeBose (West Side Story), Jenna Ortega (Wednesday), Anya Taylor-Joy (The Menu), Ana de Armas (Ballerina, Blond), Rachel Zegler (Snow White), and Edward James Olmos (Mayans).

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Crowdfunding:  A way of raising money to finance projects and businesses. It enables fundraisers to collect money from a large number of people via online platforms. Crowdfunding is most often used by startup companies or growing businesses as a way of accessing alternative funds.

Note: This is part of a listing service Latin Heat provides.  Any project listing in the LH Crowdfunding Listing is not endorsed by Latin Heat. Please do your own research before making any investment.

AVENIDA ENTERTAINMENT GROUP, INC

Avenida the first 100% Latino-owned movie studio in Hollywood!

Support at: wefunder.com/avenida

The world of filmmaking has historically been dominated by major studios and established filmmakers, leaving little room for underrepresented voices to tell their stories. However, a revolution is underway, as Latino independent producers are harnessing the power of crowdfunding to bring their unique narratives to the silver screen. Crowdfunding has become a vital tool for Latino filmmakers, empowering them to create powerful, diverse, and impactful films.  Avenida Entertainment Group, Inc. is taking their crowdfunding effort to a whole new level.  They are crowdfunding to raise money to help indie filmmakers create their independent films and to launch a streaming platform where they can also distribute the films of Latino independent filmmakers.

Avenida Entertainment Group, Inc. is sharing an opportunity to be a part of something that not only represents Latino roots but also the future of U.S. Latinos. Avenida has launched a wefunder.com/avenida campaign.  With an impeccable record of supporting filmmakers, Avenida has now been in business for seven years, providing solutions for Latino filmmakers to get their projects funded and produced. Soon they will be launch an English language streaming platform where US Latinos can stream their films, TV project, podcasts and more.

The Latino voice, stories, and perspectives have long been underrepresented in mainstream media. Yet, the rich tapestry of the Latino experience, the vibrant culture, and their unwavering spirit deserves a platform that does justice to their narrative. As Nelson Grande and Fanny Grande, the two principals of Avenida say, “The time has come to rise, unite, and be part of the change we wish to see in the media landscape.”

If you are interested you can get details in the offering and see how you can get involved.  Visit www.Wefunder.com/Avenida  

Avenida is ‘testing the waters’ to gauge investor interest in an offering under Regulation Crowdfunding. No money or other consideration is being solicited. If sent, it will not be accepted. No offer to buy securities will be accepted. No part of the purchase price will be received until a Form C is filed and only through Wefunder’s platform. Any indication of interest involves no obligation or commitment of any kind

The post Join the first 100% Latino-owned movie studio in Hollywood! first appeared on .

The popular cable channel Lifetime is celebrating their 30^th anniversary of the first Lifetime Original Movie, by announcing over 50 new original films set for release between May and December of 2020, including Mario Lopez’s newest Christmas film project, Feliz NaviDAD.

Feliz NaviDAD is written by Peter Murrieta (Wizards of Wavery Place, One Day at a Time and Cristela) and produced by Mark Roberts (Mexico’s Next Top Model, The Expanding Universe of Ashley Garcia and Carlos Almaraz: Playing with Fire). Melissa Joan Hart will be directing. The film stars Lopez and Paulina Chavez as his daughter (Ashley Garcia in The Expanding Universe of Ashley Garcia).

In Feliz NaviDad Lopez plays is a widower struggling with his first Christmas after the passing of his beloved wife. His daughter makes it her mission to help him rediscover his Christmas spirit. Lopez will be both star and the executive producer of this heartwarming Christmas family-friendly movie.

It has been highlighted as one of the featured films for Lifetime’s yearly Christmas film block tradition It’s a Wonderful Lifetime. This will be Lopez’s second-holiday film with Lifetime, after the rom-com A Very Merry Toy Story (2017).

Hart will join Lopez in Feliz NaviDAD as the film’s director and actress. In an interview with Access Hollywood, Hart revealed that Lopez himself asked her to direct this film. Hart has made a name for herself as a television director, which including the original Netflix series The Expanding Universe of Ashley Garcia, which was co-created by Lopez. Feliz NaviDAD will also be the third rom-com holiday film collaboration between Hart and Lopez, including their first and most popular film, Holiday in Handcuffs (2017).

While Lopez is primarily known for his role as A.C. Slater in Saved By the Bell and playing Greg Louganis in the TV movie Breaking The Surface: The Greg Louganis Story. He has been doing a lot of work as an entertainment host, currently on Access Hollywood.  Recently he has been producing a multiple TV shows and films, such as Champs, A Very Merry Christmas, The Expanding Universe of Ashley Garcia, and the Saved by the Bell reboot.

Though there are concerns about film projects, either starting or finishing during this uncertain time of COVID-19, according to iHeart Radio’s On with Mario Lopez, the production has gotten the green light to begin production on June 8th.

The post Mario Lopez to Star and Executive Produce Lifetime’s “Feliz NaviDAD” first appeared on .