By Bel Hernandez Castillo

Film festivals are an amazing place to discover films and filmmakers who you instinctively know you want to see more of. Recently at the Mexican American Film & Television Festival, there were several short films that fit the description. One that caught our attention, and an audience favorite, was The First Cowboy, written, executive produced, and co-directed by Dr. Jose-Luis Ruiz and produced by Johnny Murillo.

The First Cowboy recounts the powerful and engaging story of how Mexicans, the original inhabitants of the Southwest, and Americans co-existed before the human cost of the ultimate US conquest of Texas. The story is told through the eyes of two families, the gentile Southerner Palmers, and the educated, progressive land owners, la familia Velascos.

The film is both a love story and an epic human story that depicts the initial mistrust between the Protestant Palmers and the Catholic Velascos. The friendship begins with the slow and reluctant interaction which blossoms into affection and pacts made between them, and then the eventual betrayal, followed by dehumanizing domination.

In 2018 Dr. Ruiz formed a non-profit organization, the Mexican American Cultural Education Foundation (MACEF) with the goal to spotlight the endless contributions the Mexican-American people (Chicano, Latino, Hispanic, Latinx, or 1st generation immigrant) and their rich culture have given to America. To that end, in 2022 MACEF launched the first ever Mexican American Film & TV Festival. This year the film festival grew exponentially with over 100 projects submitted this year, and where trailblazers like pioneering writer/director Luis Valdez (La Bamba, Zoot Zuit, The Cisco Kid) are honored with the Illustrious Award for their contributions to the world of cinema.

But why a festival dedicated to Mexican American we asked Dr. Ruiz. Simply put, he reminds us that Mexicans-Americans are the largest percentage of the U.S.Latino population. There are 63 million Latinos in the U.S. Mexicans who can trace their ancestors to Mexico, make up 21% of the U.S. population, a group that contribute the largest portion of the $1.7 trillion annual GDP Latinos are noted for to the U.S. economy, yet Mexicans are the most vilified and not given the credit they deserve, according to Dr. Ruiz.

The mission of MACEF is “To change the narrative by educating the community about the endless positive contributions the Mexican-American people, (Chicano, Chicanx, Latino, Hispanic, Latinx, or 1^st generation immigrant), and their rich culture have given to America, which is often unrecognized. This is to be achieved by promoting unity, education, pride, and progress.”

The First Cowboy is based on a novel by the same name written by Dr. Ruiz. It delves into the tradition of the American cowboy, the subject matter of countless Hollywood movies. But those movies have never dealt with the true origin of the Mexican “vaquero” whose traditions were adapted to create the iconic American “Cowboy”, which was truly a Mexican tradition. 

Dr. Ruiz has long been studying the history of the Mexican Vaquero and now has produced and co-directed the film that tells the story, The First Cowboy. We sat down with Dr. Ruiz to delve into the story, his book the film is based on and the reason this story is important.

LATIN HEAT: Dr. Ruiz, congratulations on your film The First Cowboy, and the great response you had at the festival. I love the subject matter, and I had heard that the American cowboy learned from the Mexican Vaqueros but did not know all of the story. Why did you feel the need to write about it and then take the next step and make a short film?

DR. RUIZ: This is a crucial part of the history of Mexicans in American history that the history books have never told correctly. Before writing my fiction novel The First Cowboy, The Collision of Two Great Cultures, I did extensive research and hired a historian to dig out information about the lives of the people who lived at this time. This film is an adaptation of the novel.

LATIN HEAT: One thing we enjoyed and the audience seemed to enjoy as well as the references to the Mexican vaqueros teaching Americans the Mexican vaquero culture, why do you think this is so well received by the audience?

DR. RUIZ: If you read the news and see Hollywood films, you would have to assume Mexicans are newcomers to America, and who barely contribute to this country. Few Americans understand that Mexicans have been part of America for almost 200 years and have contributed in endless ways to make America what it is today, but have never been credited for it. What is more American than the cowboy?  Well, the fact is that the vaqueros are the original American Cowboys, almost a carbon copy of the Mexican vaquero and that is a thing of great pride for Mexicans and Latinos, and to see it on the screen makes all of us very proud.

LATIN HEAT: We know that while you are an award-winning novelist, this is in fact your first film. What made you confident that you could make such an impactful short?

DR. RUIZ:  I feel very fortunate to have found such a great producer in Johnny Murillo within his production company Chicano Hollywood. He and his production team are very talented and who worked tirelessly to make my story come true on the screen. I am a creative, and I have a vision and I guarded this vision throughout the casting, production, and post-production, to closely adhere to the novel. I feel so proud of the truly remarkable actors who turned in stellar performances like Fernanda Kelly, Mauricio Mendoza, Ryon Thomas, Bree Segars, and Glen Baggerly.

LATIN HEAT: The audience loved the film and expressed their desire to see the whole story in a feature film. What are your plans in that regard?

DR. RUIZ: I am excited to tell you that I am also working on the full feature, and I am currently shopping the film for major studios and using the short as a proof-of-concept. I am confident soon everyone will be able to see the full-feature film on the big screen.

LATIN HEAT: When can people see the film? 

DR. RUIZ: Currently, the full 20-minute short film can only be seen at film festivals. But in the meantime, everyone can see the trailer on my website www.RuizElevamosFilms.com.

The talented cast of The First Cowboy includes the leads Mauricio Mendoza as Don Ignacio Velasco and Fernanda Kelly as his wife Maria. Ryon Thomas and Bre Segars play the Palmers with Emma Elle Bird as the Young wife.

Music Composer Sid De La Cruz, Director of Photography Pablo G. Ledezma, Editor Sid Sotelo

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The three winning selections are Omni Loop, directed by Bernardo Britto; Sisters, written, produced, and performed by Marta Mendez, Valeria Maldonado, and Virginia Novello; and Papa Melissa, directed by Sophia Stieglitz and produced by Constanza Castro and Dominica Castro.

Over 78 Individual directors and independent production companies submitted a picture-locked cut in the final stages of production for consideration, and the top three were selected based on their unique directorial voice, cultural significance, and commercial viability. The funds will be divided based on each project’s post-production needs. Additionally, Amazon Studios will offer additional support to the filmmakers through mentoring and in-kind resources.

“We are very proud of the winners of our first ever LALIFF Works in Progress competition. We are grateful for Amazon Studios’ support and excited to see these filmmakers complete their feature films” shared LALIFF Artistic Director Diana Cadavid.

“At Amazon Studios we are committed to removing barriers to success at all points in the creative process,” said Jerome Core, Head of US & WW DEIA Content for Amazon Studios. “We are thrilled to join LALIFF in helping these talented creatives achieve their filmmaking goals.”

LALIFF Works In Progress finishing fund-winning films are:

Omni Loop – Diagnosed with a black hole growing inside her chest and stuck in a loop reliving the last five days of her life, a 55-year-old wife and mother from Miami, Florida decides to solve time travel in order to go back and be the person she always intended to be. Omni Loop stars Mary-Louise Parker (Weeds) and Ayo Edebiri (Bottoms, The Bear). It is directed by Britto and produced by David Hinojosa and Benjamin Cohen. The film was part of the Sundance screenwriters and creative producer labs.

Sisters – Following in the footsteps of their beloved grandmother, three estranged Mexican-American sisters take an adventure through rural Mexico to complete a pilgrimage. Maria, having recently discovered she has cancer, reunites her sisters in hopes of finding a miracle. Yet, as she attempts to keep her illness a secret, the tension between Sofia and Lucia seems to interrupt any chance of healing. With no hiking experience or reception, the sisters encounter challenges at every turn, but with the help of a local botanist with a dark past, the magic of Mexico will fill them with adventure and hope. The disease and the pilgrimage will bind them together in an attempt to find healing, forgiveness, and an unexpected miracle. The film stars writers Mendez, Maldonado, and Novello as well as Cristo Fernandez (Ted Lasso).

Papá Melissa – At home Papá, on the street Melissa. Set in Mexico City, a family of street merchants reconcile with their father´s non-binary identity: exploring gender roles and contradictory emotions. Papá Melissa takes us through an internal battle of crashing beauty constructs and parental duties. Identifying as a two-spirited person, this father and family challenge society’s general beliefs. Directed by Stieglitz and produced by Constanza and Doménica Castro at 271 Films.

LALIFF Works in Progress is an expansion of Amazon Studios and LFI’s current relationship; Amazon Studios is the exclusive sponsor of LFI’s Youth Cinema Project (YCP) Alumni program for the 2022-2023 school year. The program connects over 300 students to hands-on access and learning opportunities across the industry, including mentoring and assistance with college applications. The sponsorship also includes the inaugural YCP Fellowship initiative, which provided 17 college-bound students with resources to make a high-quality short film to strengthen their film school applications and scholarship opportunities. The finished film screened at LALIFF in June.

Visit https://laliff.org/programs/wip/ for more details on the LALIFF Works in Progress program.

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Sitting “al fresco” at the community screening of Eva Longoria’s directorial debut Flamin Hot (releasing June 9, 2023), at Los Ángeles cultural center La Plaza de Cultura Y Artes was such a beautiful experience! 

Over 1000 men, women, and children, mostly Latino audience seeing themselves reflected on screen.  It was an amazing thing to witness.  As I looked around at the audience I saw grown men watching the screen with wonder. The ladies hooting and hollering when the female character took charge, while the children watched and giggled along. I turned to look back and saw a wave community collectively feeling what representation on screen feels and looks like, as they watch a Latino-themed, all-Latino cast film directed by Longoria and produced by the man that saw its potential Devon Franklin (Miracles from Heaven). 

This inspiring true story of Richard Montañez (Jesse Garcia), a Frito Lay janitor who disrupted the food industry by channeling his Mexican heritage to turn Flamin’ Hot Cheetos from a snack into an iconic global pop culture phenomenon.  He along with his wife Judy (Annie Gonzalez) knew how our community loves to spice up any food with a little bit of “chile”.  He saw an opportunity and took it. Back in the early 1990’s Montañez convinced the big bosses at Frito-Lay they were missing out on making money with the growing Latino consumer market.  That caught their attention.   

So when the company’s marketing failed to attract the Latino community, Montañez rallied his co-worker and friends, and family to help promote the new Flamin’ Hot Cheetos product to the people he knew would love it. He took matters into his own hands creating a grassroots marketing campaign to prove that our community buys when we are marketed to with intention.

As a film-going community, we now have an opportunity to prove our VIEWING POWER.  We can choose to rally our friends and family to watch this film. 

Garcia and Gonzalez turn in outstanding performances as the lead of the film, and the supporting cast is a combination of established actors that include Emilio Rivera (Mayan MC), Tony Shalhoub (The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel), Pepe Serna (Art is Life, Scarface) and Dennis Haysbert (Lucifer).  Additionally, other cast members include Bobby Soto (The Tax Collector)  and the charismatic Brice Gonzalez (Lopez vs. Lopez).  At the end of the day, if we can really show that we support well-made films with talented Latino actors, there will definitely be more stories.  Maybe next time it will be your story.  

Just as Montañez did in real life, rallying his community to support Flamin Hot Cheetos, we as a film-going community, have an opportunity to rally our friends and family to watch this film on Hulu and/or Disney+ starting Jun 9.  We have an opportunity to watch and enjoy this film and show our LATINO VIEWING POWER…and have a good time doing it.

When “community” comes together it is an unforgettable experience. 

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Penned by David Koepp, whose writing credits include Jurassic Park, Carlito’s Way and Spider-Man, the feature centers on an agoraphobic tech worker Angela Childs (Zoë Kravitz) who discovers evidence of a crime during her routine revision of sound files while working from home. After reporting to her superiors but failing to convince them to take immediate action, Angela feels forced to step out into a world of chaos as L.A. faces protest against a city ordinance that limits the movement of homeless people in an effort to contain the deadly pandemic. But in order to complete her mission, Angela must face her fear of the outdoors.

Mexican-born actors Vargas and Camil co-star alongside Kravitz and Rita Wilson, who plays Angela’s boss. Other cast members include India de Beaufort, Emily Kuroda, Byron Bowers, Derek DelGaudio, Erika Christensen, Devin Ratray, Andy Daly, Robin Givens and Charles Halford.

This is not the first time that Vargas works with Soderbergh. A native of the Mexican state of Michoacán and raised in the L.A. community of Pacoima, Vargas was featured in Traffic, the acclaimed 2000 feature about Mexico’s drug wars that won four Oscars, including one for Benicio del Toro. In the film, Vargas played the partner of Del Toro’s character.

Vargas would join Soderbergh once again two decades later in Mosaic, the 2017 HBO crime series based on the murder of Olivia Lake, a popular children’s book author and illustrator.
Vargas’ introduction to acting was a role as a breakdancer in the popular TV show Diff’rent Strokes in 1978, which led him to pursue acting. He appeared in the films Mi Vida Loca and My Family, in 1993 and 1995, respectively.

Vargas went on to star in the features Selena, Get Shorty, American Me and Next Friday. His most recent credits include FX’s crime thriller series Mayans MC and Netflix’s comedy series Mr. Iglesias.

For Camil, this will be his first collaboration with Soderbergh. He is best known playing Fernando Mendiola in the Mexican telenovela La Fea Más Bella, Mexico’s version of Ugly Betty, and Rogelio de la Vega in CW series Jane the Virgin, which earned him two Teen Choice Awards, one Imagen Award and two nominations for the Critics’ Choice Television Award.

Kimi is a co-production of New Line Cinema and Warner Bros. It is set to be released on HBO Max Feb. 10.

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The following are Latinx are part of the exclusive Bankable Star status:

Jennifer Lopez
Since the movie Selena catapulted Jennifer Lopez on a trajectory to superstardom, the multifaceted actress, singer, producer, business entrepreneur, has become a role model for millions of young girls and women all over the planet.  Lopez will be starring next in Hustlers, a new movie about female strippers who turn the tables on their Wall Street clients. This fall, she is also starting production on a new romantic comedy Marry Me, starring opposite Owen Wilson and Maluma. Her most recent big-screen outing Second Act grossed over $72 million worldwide. On TV, Lopez starred for two seasons on the hit NBC-TV series Shades of Blue and produced the Freeform cable series The Fosters.

Eugenio Derbez
This Mexican born comedian, writer, director-producer, achieved enormous popularity on Mexican Television and brought his homegrown audience and expanded it across the border to the US. Derbez translated and transformed that popularity into theatrical film box-office success with his debut feature, Instructions Not Included which he co-wrote and directed. At $100 million dollars in box-office ticket sales, it became the highest-grossing Spanish language film ever released in the U. S.! This led to another hit comedy, How to Be a Latin Lover with Salma Hayek and Raquel Welch. Derbez’ most recent success was co-starring with Anna Faris in MGM’s/Lionsgate remake of the comedy Overboard that resulted in a $95 million worldwide box-office gross. Derbez now runs his own production company 3 Pas Studios and is currently seen in the family film Dora The Explorer and The Lost City of Gold in which he also serves as executive producer.

Zoe Saldana
This remarkable young actress of Dominican-Puerto Rican descent made her film debut almost twenty years ago. In 2009, she sealed her stardom power in two blockbuster films– Star Trek, with her role as Lt. Uhura, a character originally portrayed in the TV series by Nichelle Nichols, and in James Cameron‘s innovative and groundbreaking Avatar in which she played Neytiri. Since then she became part of the Marvel Cinematic Universe with her portrayal of Gamora in Guardians Of The Galaxy ($773MM worldwide) and in 2018, Avengers: Infinity Wars ($258MM opening weekend). Other memorable films include Luc Besson’s Colombiana and Pirates of The Caribbean: The Curse of The Black Pearl. Saldana is now working reprising her role as Neytiri in the forthcoming Avatar sequels.

Andy Garcia
One of the most respected leading actors, Garcia has had an extraordinary acting year in 2018 with important roles in three feature motion pictures. He played Mitchell, a suave airline pilot who romances Diane Keaton in The Book Club. In Mama Mia: Here We Go Again he portrays Fernando Cienfuegos, a hotel manager with a mysterious past who romances Cher.  Garcia co-starred in Clint Eastwood’s The Mule in which he played a drug cartel leader who takes a liking to the old drug runner played by Eastwood. For HBO films’ My Dinner with Hervé, Garcia portrayed the legendary actor Ricardo Montalban to David Dinks as Hervé Villachaize, the diminutive Tattoo in scenes recreating the classic TV series Fantasy Island in which Montalban and Villachaize starred. Garcia won a Best Supporting Actor nomination for his role in Francis Ford Coppola’s Godfather 3. He is also known for his roles in Ocean’s Eleven, a 2001 film whose worldwide gross is $450MM and Ocean’s Twelve, a 2004 film whose worldwide gross is $363MM.

Salma Hayek
Her Oscar nomination as Best Actress for her powerful portrayal of the renown Mexican painter Frida Kahlo in the film Frida, which Hayek also produced, brought her new recognition as a dramatic actress after years as a reigning Latina sex symbol in such films as Desperado and From Dusk Till Dawn. She recently received critical acclaim for her bare-bones portrayal of Beatriz in the social satire Beatriz at Dinner, written and directed by Miguel Arteta.  Hayek joins Angelina Jolie in Marvels’ 2020 production of The Eternals, and just wrapped the action-comedy The Hitman’s Wife Bodyguard with Ryan Reynolds and Samuel L. Jackson. For the newly formed Amazon Studios, she plays Isabel in the Sci-Fi adventure film, Bliss opposite Owen Wilson.

Michael Peña
Chicago born actor is on the cusp of major stardom even though he has been working steadily in leading and supporting roles for most of his career in such films as Crash ($98MM worldwide), American Hustle ($252MM worldwide), End of Watch ($49MM worldwide… not bad for a $7M film budget), Chavez, Fury, Ant-Man ($520MM worldwide), and The Wasp.  He is featured in Dora The Explorer as Dora’s father. He is also set to portray the mysterious Mr. Roarke in Blumhouse’s film version of the classic TV series Fantasy Island.

Penelope Cruz
She is the only Spanish-born actress to win an Oscar by taking the Best Supporting Actress award for her role as the tempestuous artist Maria Elena in Woody Allen’s romantic comedy Vicky Christina Barcelona in 2000. She was nominated for Best Supporting Actress in 2009 for Nine and as Best Actress for Volver in 2006. This past year she was nominated for television’s coveted Emmy award for Best Supporting Actress in the mini-series The Assassination of Gianni Versace: American Crime Story. Cruz and her husband Javier Bardem will be seen starring together in the film Loving Pablo due out this fall. Cruz first came to fame in her native Spain. Aside from her amazing acting career, she is also a successful product spokesmodel for companies such as L’Oreal, receiving millions for her endorsements.

Javier Bardem
Is a Spanish born actor who won an Academy Award in the Best supporting actor category for his role as the deranged killer in No Country for Old Men ($172MM worldwide), and Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales ($795MM worldwide). Bardem who slides from character actor to leading man will soon be seen in the new film version of the Sci-Fi novel Dune and will play King Triton in Disney’s live-action remake of The Little Mermaid. His other films include Skyfall, The Sea Inside, and Vicky Cristina Barcelona, who he co-starred with his wife, Penelope Cruz.

Benicio Del Toro
Since he first emerged in the mid-1990s, Del Toro is considered one of the most watchable and charismatic actors in Hollywood. This Oscar winner for Best Supporting Actor for his role as a Mexican border cop in Steven Soderbergh’s Traffic (2000, $208MM worldwide), and more recently, he was nominated for television’s coveted Emmy award for Leading Actor in a Limited Series for his portrayal of an escaped convict in Escape from Danemmora.  Del Toro also starred in the critically acclaimed hit film Sicario ($85MM worldwide) and its sequel Sicario: Day of the Soldado. Currently, his golden voice is heard on Dora and the Lost City of Gold as Swiper.

Edward James Olmos
The award-winning and Oscar-nominated Olmos, is an actor, director, producer, and activist who leads a busy life. He’s either acting or directing, beginning with his current role as family patriarch Felipe Reyes on FX‘s Mayan’s MC., now entering its second season. Olmos voiced the character of Axel in the family feature A Dog’s Life and also stars along with Ryan Guzman and Julie Carmen in the 9/11 film Windows on the World. He directed the upcoming indie feature The Devil Has a Name. In 2017, Olmos voiced Chicharrón in the blockbuster animation, Coco ($808MM so far!). Olmos was nominated for an Academy Award as Best Actor for his brilliant performance as math teacher Jaime Escalante in Stand and Deliver, and won a television Emmy award as Best Supporting Actor for his portrayal of the iconic Lt. Castillo on the long-running police Television series Miami Vice. Olmos is also best known for his work on TV series Battlestar Galactica, and films Blade Runner, and Selena.

Oscar Isaac
This Juilliard School alumn has been dazzling audiences with his exceptional and unforgettable performances on stage, TV and now the big screen. Isaac was born in Guatemala and at 5 months old, his family immigrated to the U.S.A. and raised in Miami. He is widely known for performances in films including X-Men: Apocalypse ($544MM Worldwide), Star Wars: The Force Awakens ($2B Worldwide) and Inside Llewyn Davis, for which he received a Golden Globe Award nomination.  Isaac was seen earlier this year with Ben Affleck and Charlie Hunnam in the Netflix action-adventure Triple Frontier and will next be seen in his role as X-wing pilot Poe Dameron in Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker due out in theaters this Christmas.

Jimmy Smits
Known for the film Star Wars: Episode III — Revenge of the Sith, and the TV series NYPD Blue and The West Wing. The Emmy and Golden Globe-winning actor returns to feature films for his role as Kevin Rosario a proud hardworking businessman and father in Lin Manuel Miranda’s In The Heights after a succession of acclaimed television portrayals in TV series: How To Get Away With Murder, Sons Of Anarchy, and Dexter. Smits will be starring in a new series in September as Memphis lawyer Elijah Strait in NBC’s Bay City Law.  Among Smits, many feature film credits are Price of Glory, My Family and Old Gringo.

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The Imagen Foundation announced today 93 nominations in 18 categories from informational programming and on-air advertising to outstanding individual performances, and primetime programming in film and television. The 34^th Annual Imagen Awards will be presented Saturday, August 10th, at the Beverly Wilshire Hotel in Beverly Hills.

Among the nominees, the Latino Public Broadcasting (LPB) also announced three of its LPB funded films are among the nominees: John Leguizamo’s Road to Broadway; Bernard Ruiz’s documentary, Harvest Season, and Emilio and Gloria Estefan: The Library of Congress Gershwin Prize for Popular Song.

The Imagen Foundation has honored and celebrated diversity in the entertainment industry for over 30 years. The award show has acknowledged actors, studios, executives, and many more for their exceptional performances and contributions in Hollywood.

The Imagen Awards nominees are determined by an independent panel of entertainment industry executives and Latino community leaders.

The Theatrical Motion Pictures Nominees are: 

Best Feature Film

• ¡He Matado a mi Marido! (HM Movie)
• Instant Family (Paramount Pictures)
• Monsters and Men (NEON/Moviepass Films)
• Pain and Glory (El Deseo/Sony Pictures Classics)

Best Director

• Sean Anders, Instant Family (Paramount Pictures)
• Pedro Almodovar, Pain and Glory (El Deseo/Sony Pictures Classics)
• Reinaldo Marcus Green, Monsters and Men (NEON/Moviepass Films)

Best Actor – Feature Film

• Antonio Banderas, Pain and Glory (El Deseo/Sony Pictures Classics)
• Joe Camareno, Tin Holiday (Celtino Entertainment Group (CEG))
• Andy Garcia, Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again (Universal Pictures)
• Anthony Ramos, Monsters and Men (NEON/Moviepass Films)

Best Actress – Feature Film

• Jasmine Cephas Jones, Monsters and Men (NEON/Moviepass Films)
• Jennifer Lopez, Second Act (STX Entertainment)
• Isabela Moner, Instant Family (Paramount Pictures)
• Rosa Salazar, Alita: Battle Angel (20th Century Fox)

The Television Nominees are:

Best Primetime Program – Drama

• How To Get Away With Murder (ABC; ABC Studios)
• Magnum P.I. (CBS; CBS Television Studios, Universal Television, Perfect Storm Entertainment, Davis Entertainment, 101st Street Productions)
• Manifest (NBC; Jeff Rake Productions and Compari Entertainment in association with Warner Bros. Television and Universal Television)
• Pose (FX Networks; Fox 21 Television Studios and FX Productions)
• Queen of the South (USA Network; Fox 21 Television Studios and UCP)
• Shades of Blue (NBC; Universal Television in association with Nuyorican Productions, EGTV, Ryan Seacrest Productions and Jack Orman Productions)

Best Primetime Program – Comedy

• Abby’s (NBC; Universal Television in Association with Waila Inc., Fremulon, 3 Arts Entertainment)
• Brooklyn Nine-Nine (NBC; Universal Television in association with Fremulon, Dr. Goor Productions and 3 Arts Entertainment)
• Jane the Virgin (CW; CBS Television Studios)
• On My Block (Netflix)
• One Day at a Time (Netflix; Sony Pictures Television for Netflix)
• Superstore (NBC; Universal Television in association with Spitzer Holding Company, and The District)

Best Primetime Program – Specials, Movies & Limited Series

• Emilio & Gloria Estefan: Library of Congress Gershwin for Popular Song (PBS; WETA, Bounce, the Library of Congress, Latino Public Broadcasting)
• Gabriel “Fluffy” Iglesias: One Show Fits All (Netflix; Triage Entertainment)
• Icebox (HBO; HBO Films in association with Gracie Films and Endeavor Content)

Best Actor – Television 

• Gabriel Chavarria, The Purge (USA Network; Blumhouse Television and UCP (Universal Content Production))
• Jason Genao, On My Block (Netflix)
• Jay Hernandez, Magnum P.I. (CBS; CBS Television Studios, Universal Television, Perfect Storm Entertainment, Davis Entertainment, 101st Street Productions)
• Lin-Manuel Miranda, DuckTales (Disney Channel; Disney Television Animation)
• JD Pardo, Mayans M.C. (FX Networks; Fox 21 Television Studios and FX Productions)
• Jon Seda, Chicago P.D. (NBC; Wolf Entertainment in association with Universal Television)
• Diego Tinoco, On My Block (Netflix)

Best Actress – Television

• Alice Braga, Queen of the South (USA Network; Fox 21 Television Studios and UCP)
• America Ferrera, Superstore (NBC; Universal Television in association with Spitzer Holding Company, and The District)
• Diane Guerrero, Doom Patrol (DC Streaming Network; Warner Bros.)
• Lela Loren, Power (STARZ; End of Episode, Inc., Atmosphere Entertainment MM, LLC, G-Unit Film & Television, Inc. and CBS Television Studios in association with Starz Originals)
• Justina Machado, One Day at a Time (Netflix; Sony Pictures Television for Netflix)
• Gina Rodriguez, Jane the Virgin (CW; CBS Television Studios)
• Mj Rodriguez, Pose (FX Networks; Fox 21 Television Studios and FX Productions)

Best Supporting Actor – Television

• Ser Anzoategui, Vida (STARZ; Big Beach and Chingona Productions in association with Starz Originals)
• Angel Bismark Curiel, Pose (FX Networks; Fox 21 Television Studios and FX Productions)
• Omar Leyva, Icebox (HBO; HBO Films in association with Gracie Films and Endeavor Content)
• Julio Macias, On My Block (Netflix; Sony Pictures Television for Netflix)
• Hemky Madera, Queen of the South (USA Network; Fox 21 Television Studios and UCP)
• Danny Pino, Mayans M.C. (FX Networks; Fox 21 Television Studios and FX Productions)
• Wilmer Valderrama, NCIS (CBS; CBS Television Studios)

Best Supporting Actress – Television 

• Carla Baratta, Mayans M.C. (FX Networks; Fox 21 Television Studios and FX Productions)
• Stephanie Beatriz, Brooklyn Nine-Nine (NBC; Universal Television in association with Fremulon, Dr. Goor Productions and 3 Arts Entertainment)
• Melissa Fumero, Brooklyn Nine-Nine (NBC; Universal Television in association with Fremulon, Dr. Goor Productions and 3 Arts Entertainment)
• Isabella Gomez, One Day at a Time (Netflix; Sony Pictures Television for Netflix)
• Natalie Morales, Room 104 (HBO; HBO Entertainment in association with Duplass Brothers Productions)
• Rita Moreno, One Day at a Time (Netflix; Sony Pictures Television for Netflix)
• Genesis Rodriguez, Icebox (HBO; HBO Films in association with Gracie Films and Endeavor Content)

Best Young Actor – Television 

• Anthony Gonzalez, Icebox (HBO; HBO Films in association with Gracie Films and Endeavor Content)
• Elias Janssen, Jane the Virgin (CW; CBS Television Studios)
• Jenna Ortega, Elena of Avalor (Disney Junior Disney Television Animation)
• Jenna Ortega, Stuck in the Middle (Disney Channel; It’s a Laugh Productions)
• Marcel Ruiz, One Day at a Time (Netflix; Sony Pictures Television for Netflix)

Best Variety or Reality Show

• Hip-Hop Houdini (Fuse; 7Beyond)
• Last Week Tonight (HBO; HBO Entertainment in association with Sixteen String Jack Productions and Avalon Television)
• Mexican Dynasties (Bravo; Shed Media and Campanario Entertainment)
• Mira Quien Baila: All Stars (Univision; Endemol Shine Boomdog, Univision Studios)
• Pati’s Mexican Table (WETA Washington, DC / American Public Television; Mexican Table, LLC, WETA Washington, DC, FRANK. and Switchblade)
• World of Dance (NBC; Universal Television Alternative Studio in association with Nuyorican Productions and World of Dance)

Best Children’s Programming

• DuckTales (Disney Channel; Disney Television Animation)
• Elena of Avalor (Disney Junior; Disney Television Animation)
• The Loud House (Nickelodeon)
• Sesame Street (HBO; Sesame Street Workshop)
• Victor and Valentino (Cartoon Network; Cartoon Network Studios)

Additional Nominees are: 

Best Documentary

• A Sacred Journey (Higher Ground Entertainment)
• America ReFramed: Pyne Poynt (WORLD Channel; American Documentary)
• Great Performances: John Leguizamo’s Road to Broadway (PBS; NGL Studios & Diamante Content Production in association with THIRTEEN PRODUCTIONS LLC for WNET & Latino Public Broadcasting)
• Harvest Season (PBS/Independent Lens; Quiet Pictures)
• The Sentence (HBO; Park Pictures in association with HBO Documentary Films)
• Wonders of Mexico (PBS; PBS and BBC co-production)

Best Informational Program (Local or National)

• Breaking Big (PBS; Ozy Media)
• Pati’s Mexican Table (WETA Washington, DC / American Public Television; Mexican Table, LLC, WETA Washington, DC, FRANK. and Switchblade)
• Univision 34: Mujeres en el Poder/Women in Power (Univision 34)
• VICE (HBO; HBO Entertainment in association with Vice and Bill Maher Productions)
• VICE News Tonight (HBO; HBO Entertainment in association with Vice and Bill Maher Productions)

Best Short-Form Non-Fiction Program

• Cuban Canvas (Riverfilms)
• SC Featured – A Dreamer’s Path (ESPN)
• SC Reportajes: Chicharito – Vidas Paralelas (ESPN)
• SC Reportajes – Maryland Gonzalez (ESPN)

Best On-Air Advertising

• Acura “Senses” (Orci)
• DISH Puerto Rico COPUR Inspiración (RightCut)
• DishLATINO Ingles Para Todos Campaign (RightCut)
• Sexism (Orci)

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The post 34th Annual Imagen Awards Nominees Announced first appeared on .

By Elia Esparza

Spider-Man: Far From Home cashed in its second-best day– Friday, July 5th, with $32.7M, way up from $26.5M. Friday it jumped 30% over July 4th with a four-day running total now at $124.M for the Sony release.

Projected 3-day was projected between $87M to $93M, and it came in almost right on the money with $92,579,212

We can talk numbers up and down, about the stars and while we continue to push for more diversity in principal casting, we want to focus on the importance of one of the producers who makes magic happen.

Marvel Studios Executive Producer Victoria Alonso began working at Marvel in the late 2005. She began as a co-producer on Iron Man and visual effects producer and now she is the highest–ranking Latinx at the blockbuster Marvel team.

Once again she has worked her magic and Spider-Man is in the headlines for exceptional box-office revenue generated this past weekend.

Alonso impressive blockbuster credits include a string of Marvel hits– Captain America: Civil War, Doctor Strange, Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2, Thor: Ragnarok, Black Panther, Avengers: Infinity War, Ant-Man and the Wasp.

As an Executive VP of Production at Marvel Studios, Alonso has garnered many awards including HPA’s Charles S. Swartz Award at the 2018 HPA Awards.

In 2017, she was the first woman to be honored with the Visual Effects Society’s Visionary Award, and the first woman to be honored with the Visual Effects Society’s Visionary Award.

Alonso is an important voice in Hollywood as a producer, as a Latina, and as a female senior executive. She was named to The Hollywood Reporter’s 2017 Women in Entertainment Power 100.

A native of Buenos Aires, Alonso moved to the U.S. on her own at the age of 19, beginning her career as a PA at Digital Domain.

Victoria Alonso may wear many hats as a producer, but at the heart of her talent, she’s a natural born storyteller displayed via her exceptional producer and visual effects visions.

She is an advocate for diversity, noting that inclusivity is good for business in a recent Reddit interview:

“Why wouldn’t we be? “Why wouldn’t we be? I’m so passionate about this. Our entire success is based on people that are incredibly different. Why wouldn’t we? Why wouldn’t we only want to be recognized by one type of person? Our audience is global, is diverse, it’s inclusive. If we don’t do it that way for them, we will fail. If we don’t put [the] pedal to the metal [in] diversity and inclusivity, we will not have continued success. Our determination is to have that for all of the people out there watching our movies.”

Reddit Interview, June 5, 2019

With super A-list star power like Tom Holland, who plays Spiderman, Jake Gyllenhall, Samuel L. Jackson, Zendaya and many others, we also want to recognize the Latinos who make up this stellar cast: — the actors in minor roles — Hemky Madera (Queen of the South) who plays Mr. Delmar, Tony Revolori (The Grand Budapest Hotel) who plays Flash Thompson and Jorge Lendeborg Jr. who reprises his role of Jason from Spiderman: Homecoming. And, to the dozens of behind-the-scenes professionals, technicians, engineers, and music/audio experts– Latinos from the U.S.A. and on location in Spain, Italy, Prague and where ever else Spider-Man was filmed! Latinos are there rocking it with their skills and experience.

The post Marvel’s Superwoman Producer Victoria Alonso And Spiderman’s Success first appeared on .

By Luis Reyes

Director/writer Quentin Tarantino’s most talked about and anticipated film, Once Upon a Time In Hollywood, which premiered at the Cannes Film Festival to huge acclaim, will open in the U.S on July 26 with an unusually high number of Latino actors, but only in supporting roles. Veteran actors like Clifton Collins Jr., Marco Rodriquez, Ramon Franco, and stuntman /actor Eddie Perez. are joined by newcomers Alfredo Tavares, Gabriela Flores, Carolina Vargas, Miranda dos Santos, Raul Cardona, Gilbert Saldivar, Mayra Alejandra Garcia, Bruce Del Castillo, David De La Garza, Dave Silva, Ricardo Felix Rojas, and Dyani Del Castillo.  

The first movie Tarantino movie without Weinstein, Once Upon a Time In Hollywood promises an exciting crime mystery where he brilliantly intertwined fictional characters with real-life people — mixing in a backdrop of the Manson murders that rocked Hollywood in 1969!

Though most of the roles are small and are bit parts such as a Mexican Vaquero, stereotypical bandidos in a recreation of a western movie scene, bartenders at the historic Musso and Frank’s restaurant and a Manson girl called Pebbles, it is symbolic that Tarantino included Latinos in his film about Hollywood in transition in the late ’60s.

In fact, these limited roles are what was available to Latino actors at that time and were as they were represented on film and television in that era. Latinos were a constant fixture especially in the heyday of the Western. So in retrospect, the Latino presence was limited to such genres as the Western but there was plenty of work in these roles and occasionally a significant actor would emerge such as Gilbert Roland, Ricardo Montalban, Rita Moreno, Henry Darrow, and Linda Cristal among many others, the most prominent star being Anthony Quinn.  

Once Upon a Time In Hollywood stars Brad Pitt and Leonardo Di Caprio, teaming two of the most charismatic Hollywood leading men of today. The film features a large ensemble cast and multiple storylines. The screenplay by Tarantino is based loosely on the relationship between the late film star Burt Reynolds and stuntman/director Hal Needham along with superstar Steve McQueen and how they collide with the notorious Charles Manson murder of actress Sharon Tate (played by Margot Robbie) and her friend, hairstylist to the stars, Jay Sebring (portrayed by Emile Hirsch) in the Hollywood Hills in 1969. 

Tarantino has spared no expense and has faithfully recreated Hollywood and Los Angeles of the late 1960s with hairstyles, wardrobe, art direction, period cars, and actual locations.

 Jacqueline Fernandez is the head makeup artist for the production and among her credits are the films Widows, Ant-Man and Alita: BattleAngel. She is also the personal makeup artist for actress Michelle Rodriquez and is commencing work on Fast and Furious 9.  

As to the film’s backdrop of the Charles Manson Hollywood murders on August 8-9, 1969, Once Upon a Time in Hollywood, only adds to the film’s riveting suspense. Tarantino brilliantly brings to life — Sharon Tate and hairstylist Jay Sebring, working at their craft, living their lives and then they were slaughtered by the insane Charles Manson cult. Others murdered were Folger’s coffee heiress Abigail Folger. Those who missed the party but were supposed to attend was actor Steven McQueen and music producer Quincy Jones.

Once Upon a Time in Hollywood is a Columbia / Sony Pictures release and is sure to be an Oscar contender this year in many categories. 

Once Upon a Time in Hollywood
A Quentin Tarantino Film
Cast: Leonardo DiCaprio, Brad Pitt, Margo Robbie, Dakota Fanning, Maya Hawke, Timothy Olyphant, Margarate Qualley, Al Pacino, Kurt Russell, Luke Perry, Damian Lewis, and so many others.

The post “Once Upon a Time In Hollywood” Where Latinos Exist Marginally first appeared on .

How do you want to be remembered? How do you reconcile your personal goals with the needs of your family? How far are you willing to go to pursue your passions in life? These are three, of a multitude of themes tackled in Coco, the latest Disney-Pixar cinematic production released this year. Most recently Coco has become the highest-grossing film in Mexico following its release there prior to releasing in the U.S.  The animated film then attained the top box office spot in the United States for three weeks straight, and was nominated for a Golden Globe for Best Animated Motion Picture.

Disney is no stranger to featuring Mexico and Mexican elements in their films, having produced

So why has the success of

Following a considerable backlash exemplified by one of Alcaraz’s strips in La Cucaracha entitled “Muerto Mouse”, Disney not only dropped its attempt to trademark the phrase but also hired Alcaraz as an advisor for the film. Alcaraz also wrote for the

The post Coco In Context and Why It’s a Boxoffice Hit first appeared on .