The 2nd Edition of the Mexican-American Film and Television Festival and Awards is set to honor director Luis Valdez for his contributions to the Chicano film and playwriting movement. The festival will pay tribute to Valdez, known for his groundbreaking films such as Zoot Suit (1981), La Bamba (1987), and The Cisco Kid (1994), as well as his founding of El Teatro Campesino, which started as a group performing for farmworkers in the fields.

The Cisco Kid, courtesy of TNT, A Warner Brothers Discovery Company starring Jimmy Smits and Cheech Marin, will be shown at the Harmony Gold Theater in Hollywood on Saturday May 20th, 2023 at 6pm. Zoot Suit, distributed by Universal Picture and starring Edward James Olmos, will be screening on Sunday May 21st at 3:45 pm. Both screenings will include a Q&A session with Director Luis Valdez and producer Moctesuma Esparza, will join Valdez for a discussion of The Cisco Kid.

Luis Valdez is a master storyteller who possesses an extraordinary sense of storytelling, combined with a deep understanding of history and the complexities of life. His work is rich with humor, pathos, and a keen appreciation for the ironies that shape our experiences,” said Moctesuma Esparza of working with Luis on The Cisco Kid.

The Cisco Kid, a popular western character created in the early 1900s, was reinvented by Valdez in the film The Cisco Kid as a charming and charismatic hero who fought for justice and equality. The film, which premiered in 1981 on TNT, is a powerful, action packed comedic portrayal of this hero set in the 1940s starring Smits and Marin.

Zoot Suit is a 1981 American independent drama musical film that brings the Broadway play of the same name to the screen. Starring Olmos, the film explores the Sleepy Lagoon trial, which arose from the Zoot Suit Riots in the 1940s, this year is its 40 years commemoration.

Valdez expressed his gratitude for the forthcoming award, “It is my profound honor to be receiving this Life Achievement Award from the Mexican American Film Festival. Everything I have done in a lifetime of social activism through the performing arts has specifically been for the empowerment of all Chicanos, within the global struggle for social justice for all people of color, women and the LGBTQ+ community. May the arts continue to inspire, activate and change the world. I share this recognition with my life’s partner of 54 years, Lupe Trujillo Valdez, and our three sons Anahuac, Kinan and Lakin, all activist artists in their own right,” said Director Luis Valdez. 

“The mission of the Festival is to provide opportunities for attendees to fall in love with our stories and the complex and beautiful art of making them come true on the screen. The Festival is a place where movie lovers and movie makers can meet and interact. It is a place where Mexican-American and Latino filmmakers can meet one another to honor each other, find cooperation, synergy and community. It is here where industry leaders discover talent and great stories. In 2023 we have chosen to honor an icon of Mexican-American/Chicano storytelling, Luis Valdez!” said Jose-Luis Ruiz, Founder of the Mexican-American Film and Television Festival.

The Mexican-American Film and Television Festival aims to provide a platform for Mexican-American and Latino filmmakers to connect, celebrate each other’s work, and foster collaboration and community. The festival, organized by the Mexican-American Cultural Education Foundation, showcases stories that represent the Mexican-American community’s experiences and aims to amplify the voices of Chicano/Mexican-American filmmakers. Over 130 film submissions, including features, shorts, documentaries, and TV projects, have been received for the festival, covering various themes such as identity, love, and immigration.

Tickets for the festival are on sale now at EVENTIVE (https://macef.eventive.org/schedule) For more information please visit: www.MexAmCEF.org

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By Elia Esparza

Not many iconic American playwrights, screenwriters, film directors, and actors can say their work motivated the birth of an impenetrable power — the Chicano Movement! Playwright/director Luis Valdez can. Through his work with El Teatro Campesino and his films (La Bamba, Zoot Suit), he has left an indelible mark on the annals of Chicano theater and cinema.

Born into a Mexican migrant family eighty-two years ago, he began working alongside his parents and siblings in the Delano, California agricultural fields at the tender age of six.  His parents moved often following the harvesting work around the central valleys of California. Valdez had no school stability until his parents finally settled in San Jose, California.

In 1965, Valdez formed El Teatro Campesino, a farm workers’ theater troupe. Valdez’s passion for theater and his first-hand knowledge of how much migrant farm workers labored and sacrificed, recognized that it was the perfect time to merge his theatrical productions and his upbringing for maximum exposure and effectiveness. Valdez incorporated all these experiences into “actos”, one-act skits that were originally performed for the farmworkers on truck flatbeds. His “teatro” toured migrant camps with his 15-minute one-act plays, educating and elevating the plight of the farm laborers to the general public. 

Valdez’s storytelling aspirations started as a child in grammar school. He was in the sixth grade when his interest in theatre piqued and soon found himself organizing plays at school and putting on fairy-tale puppet shows in his garage. Valdez graduated from James Lick High School in San Jose and a scholarship for math and physics paved the path for his attending San Jose State University (SJSU). Valdez spent a few months with The San Francisco Mime Troupe where was influenced by agitprop theatre, guerrilla theatre, and Italian Commedia dell’– techniques that greatly influenced Valdez’s development of his basic structure of Chicano theatre with one-act presentations. 

While in college, Valdez won a playwriting contest with his one-act play, The Theft, in 1961. Two years later, Valdez’s first full-length play, The Shrunken Head of Pancho Villa, was produced and debuted at SJSU.

Valdez incorporated humor into his plays and his productions were a major tool to lift the morale of farm workers on strike. The social and political commentary picked up by mainstream media expanded the experiences of farm workers and other aspects of the Chicano culture. Valdez was able to bring to the forefront and dispel the Chicano stereotypes. 

Valdez soon took his style and creativity to the screen with his first film directorial, the short I Am Joaquin, a poem by poet, political organizer, and activist Rodolfo “Corky” Gonzales in 1969. Next, came a TV documentary short, El Corrido: Ballad of a Farmworker in 1979.

He wrote and directed the seminal hit play Zoot Suit which premiered in 1978 to sold out crowds, a majority first time Latino audiences which ran for a year goers at the Mark Taper Forum in Los Angeles and then at the Aquarius Theater in Hollywood. In 1981, Valdez directed the adaptation of the play, which starred Edward James Olmos, Daniel Valdez, Charles Aidman, Lupe Ontiveros, Mike Gomez and many others where reprising their roles from the stage production.  It was a box-office success far exceeding all expectations.

In 1987, Valdez wrote and directed La Bamba which more than a decade, was the most the most successful Latino-themed film at the box-office and critically. It tells the story of the popular Chicano 1950s rock star, Richie Valens who was killed in a plane while on tour. The film starred a very young Lou Diamond Phillips as Richie, Esai Morales, and Rosanna DeSoto as their mom. La Bamba is the mega-hit that brought Valdez to mainstream America. 

Zoot Suit and La Bamba garnered Valdez two Golden Globe Awards nominations, and was awarded a Peabody Award for Excellence in Television for Corridos: Tales of Passion and Revolution for PBS as well as Mexico’s Aguila Azteca Award in 1994.

And for the younger audiences, Luis Valdez is credited on the 2017 Pixar’s computer-animated fantasy film, Coco as a voice actor.

In the United States, it is no surprise why so many Chicanos can relate to, and consider Luis Valdez their modern-day Ernest Hemingway. The power of his plays and films continues to resonate — his words accurately representing nuestra cultura Chicana… Mexican-Americans in the U.S.A., and best of all, Valdez’s films are always cast with many talented Latino cast and crew. 

In commemoration of Luis Valdez contributions to the worlds of theater and cinema the Mexican-American Film and Television Festival (MAF&TF) will recognize Valdez’s contributions to the American theater, film, and television industries with the Illustrious Lifetime Achieve Award on May 21, 2023. Valdez truly encompasses the theme of this year’s festival “Changing the narrative, recognizing who we are” as he is truly a pioneer in writing and directing the stories that gave Mexican-Americans the recognition that was truly deserved.

The Mexican-American Film & Television Festival will screen two of his films, Cisco Kid (1994), a television film which starred Jimmy Smits and Cheech Marin, on Saturday, 6 PM on May 20^th, and Zoot Suit (1981), which was the play that jump started Edward James Olmos’ career, will screen on Sunday, 3 PM on May 21^st. Both films screen at the MAF&TF at the Harmony Gold Theater, located at 7655 Sunset Blvd., Los Angeles, CA 90046. For ticket and info, CLICK HERE

Standing ovation for Luis Valdez!

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The 2nd Edition of the Mexican-American Film and Television Festival and Awards will be spotlighting the best in film and television content by Mexican-American/Chicano filmmakers This year MAF&TF will continue its mission of amplifying the voices of Chicano/Mexican-American filmmakers through their projects. This year MAF&TF will recognize one of the most recognizable Chicano filmmakers writer/director Luis Valdez (La Bamba, Zoot Suit) who founded the Teatro Campesino performing for farmworkers. The two-day festival will be held at the Harmony Gold Theater in the heart of Hollywood on Saturday May 20th & Sunday May 21, 2023 11:00am – 9:00pm.

Over 50 projects were selected from 130 filmmakers submissions of features, shorts, documentaries and TV projects from all across the country, with a wide range of stories themes dealing with identity, high school angst, love, animation, relationships, immigrations, marriage and more which will screen in person or streamed virtually over the course of the two days.

According to the 2022 Latino Donor Collaborative Media Report Latinos are rarely depicted on screen despite being avid TV consumers and outspending other racial and ethnic groups in movie ticket purchases. The Mexican-American/Chicano filmmakers (66% of the U.S. Latino population) showing at MAF&TF are writing the stories they want to see on screen as they have mostly been excluded in Hollywood.  

“For over 100 years, Hollywood has, for the most part, ignored the presence and contribution of Mexican-Americans, mostly representing a myopic view of this community as narcos, immigrants, gangbangers and sexualized women,” says Dr. Jose Luiz Ruiz, MACEF president and founder. “This will not change unless we create the change. We need to help change the narrative.  Our festival is the first of its kind in the nation, and we aim for our voice to be heard.”

The capstone of the festival will be the Illustrious Awards ceremony which will take place on Sunday, May 21.

The Mexican-American Film & Television Festival Lifetime Achievement Illustrious Award will be bestowed upon Luis Valdez, an American playwright, screenwriter, and film director.  Valdez is regarded as the father of Chicano film and playwriting, best known for writing and directing the films Zoot Suit and La Bamba, and directing The Cisco Kid.  He is considered a pioneer in the Chicano Movement, broadening the scope of theater and arts of the Chicano community.

The MACEF President Exemplar Award will be awarded to Frank Rodriguez, General Sales Manager Searchlight Pictures.

The festival is also about future projects and will be joined by lead actors Annie Gonzalez and Jesse Garcia for a fireside chat and Q&A about their roles in Eva Longoria’s directorial debut feature Flamin’ Hot, the real life story of Richard Montañez who went from janitor to being credited with creating American’s #1 snack, Flamin’ Hot Cheetoes.

Retrospective Screenings

The two prospective screenings scheduled at MAF&TF were both directed by Luis Valdez, representing the Mexican-American experience in the U.S. Saturday, May 20, 2023:  The TV movie Cisco Kid (1994) starring Cheech Marin and Jimmy Smits will screen at the Harmony Gold venue on Saturday, May 20.  Cheech Marin and other cast members have been invited. Sunday, May 21, 2023: The 1981 feature film Zoot Suit will be screened.  Luis Valdez, along with various cast members of this groundbreaking film will be in attendance.

Invited Guests, Celebrities and Presenters confirmed to date, who will attend the retro screenings and the Illustrious Awards are:  Cheech Marin (Invited), actors Annie Gonzales, Jesse Garcia, Producer Moctezuma Esparza (Selena, Milagro Beanfield War), actor Pepe Serna, Comedian Paul Rodriguez, Writer/Actor Enrique Castillo (Mayans MC, Blood In Blood Out), Actresses Alex Meneses (Telenovela, Walker), Gina Gallego (Days of Our Lives, The Chimiera Effect), actress and KLVE Host Fernanda Kelly, Dean of the UCLA School of Theater Film & Television, Brian Kite, Joel Gonzalez, President of Nosotros and Producer, Brenda Castillo, President of National Hispanic Media Coalition, TV personality Alysha Del Valle.

A panel of entertainment professionals will select the winners of the film festival in twelve categories by a panel of judges that include: Producers Dennis Leoni, Carolyn Caldera de Fanti, Directors Jesus Trevino, Silvia Morales, and Joel Bailey, Actor/Director Enrique Castillo, Actor/Producer Mike Gomez, Composer Sid de la Cruz, Theater Producer/Director Bill Virchis.

Organized by the Mexican-American Cultural Education Foundation, The festival will feature eight competition categories: Best Film, Best Director, Best Short Film, Best TV Series, Best Male Actor, Best Female Actress, Best Screenplay For Film, Best Musical, Best Screenplay For TV, The Lifetime Achievement Award, The President’s Award (In Recognition Of Social Justice Efforts), Inspiration Award, 

 Mexican American Cultural Education Foundation’s mission is to change the negative narrative of Americans of Mexican descent by highlighting their stories and their positive contribution to the U.S. For more information about the 2023 MACEF Film Festival, www.MexAmCEF.org.   Tickets for the festival are on sale now at EVENTIVE (https://macef.eventive.org/schedule)

#MacefilmFestival #MexicanAmerican #Chicano

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Portraying the wrongly incarcerated young pachuco “Tommy Roberts” in the original 1979 production of Luis Valdez’ Zoot Suit launched actor Tom Demenkoff’s journey to becoming Director of Arts Education for the New York City Department of Correction. I chatted with my old friend and fellow Zoot Suit castmate about how art can heal and inspire –and why he chose to incorporate my comedy, 57 Chevy, into his enrichment program for his incarcerated students.  

CRIS FRANCO (CF): Tommy, how did you come to direct one of the nation’s largest corrections arts education programs? 

Tom Demenkoff (TD): After decades of performing, I was introduced to our incarcerated community and was blown away at the number of talented artists behind bars. I had no choice but to accept when then-Commissioner Joseph Ponte asked me to assist in establishing what is now the Fine & Performing Arts Unit within the Programs Division or DOC-Arts.  

Our mandate is to provide, and I quote, “A robust, arts education presence within all jails, by maintaining a diverse professional interdisciplinary resident arts faculty, developing support for strong and sustainable community partnerships, and cultivating reentry opportunities for our individuals in custody who wish to pursue their artistic talents and passions upon release.” 

Whew! It’s a mouthful but upon this foundation, we have seen participation in our arts programs soar among our individuals in custody. 

CF: What in your professional or personal background led you to become the program’s director? 

TD: My first bowl of menudo.  

Under the direction of Luis Valdez, I was privileged to experience his bold Teatro Campesino-style approach to storytelling. Immersing myself in the pachuco culture was a history lesson and acting master class in one. It forever changed me as an actor and as a human being. 

Let me backtrack a little. Born and raised in upstate New York hardly prepared me to play a gritty pachuco in Zoot Suit.  I acquired the necessary backbone to play the Anglo surviving in the tough streets of “East Los” from my generous Chicano castmates who instructed me in the nuanced language and legacy of this vibrant Latinx community of the 1940s.

It was during our shared meals between shows on matinee days that my friend and castmate, Miguel Delgado, convinced me to try my first bowl of authentic menudo. Zoot Suit showed me how opening yourself up to other cultures frees you to life’s possibilities.  I was also greatly influenced by my mother, Janette Demenkoff.  Mom was an activist and inspiring educator who championed literacy in public schools and launched the first national Missing Children’s Non-Profit: Child Find. 

CF: Props to your mom. What is your average day like? 

TD: Every morning, between 5:00-5:30am I head out to my office on Rikers Island.  After that, every day is different: I engage with community partners, theater companies, musicians and educators to plan and promote concerts, classes and conversations that will take place within our jail facilities.  

I make daily visits to jail housing areas, meet one-on-one with students or lead groups in theater, music, dance or creative writing workshops. One day we might bring in the thrilling Chelsea Symphony, meet a Law & Order cast member, or read a Greek play.  Sometimes it’s just me leading a group in a poetry slam fest.  The mix of what I get to do is what I love most.  I often end my workday in a housing unit with my students freestyling to beats, laughing and dancing.    

CF: It sounds like an episode of Fame. 

TD: (SINGING) I’m gonna live forever! 

CF: Can you recount any moments that illustrate how your program has benefited members of the incarcerated population? 

TD: There are so many inspiring stories from inside.  Like when one detainee told me, “Thank you for allowing me to feel freedom today,” simply because I helped him write a haiku. Our men performed Othello for an invited audience and afterward one of the performers told me, “If I had found out how much I loved acting before I got here, I wouldn’t be here right now.  I’d be on TV—and that’s a fact!”  

Most memorable was at the Los Angeles County Jail where I was privileged to introduce a large group of women to Maya Angelou—for the first time!  Wow.  Or introducing someone to the writings of Pablo Neruda, Gil Scott-Heron, Nikki Giovanni or Amanda Gorman—and seeing the wave of enlightenment wash over them as their words are devoured off the page. 

A student who’d been isolated for an extended period of time expressed to me how much he hated our country’s national anthem. I just listened and then asked him to write a new one.  He did, and I surprised him by bringing in 16 vocalists from New York City’s historic Cantori Chorus to sing his version live for him outside his cell door.  He got on the phone, called his mom and had the chorus do an encore for her to hear.  With daily experiences like these, my “average” days are always way above average.

CF: What are the challenges of running an arts school in a jail? 

TD: Many.  But we keep our creative options open and transform any available space into a theater, dance studio or writer’s lab. This reinforces what we teach our students: that anyone can create art anywhere at any time. It’s empowering for students on the inside to know that artists can own their space and their work. 

CF: Tommy, this sounds revolutionary. Is this program considered controversial?  

TD: I have certainly heard the word “controversial” tossed about when referring to what I do. I think what we really are was best described when COVID-19 hit and I was informed that my unit was classified as essential workers.  That moment was huge for me and my arts team.  We ran with it.  So, “essential” is more like it!  And if that’s controversial, I gladly welcome the debate.  

CF: Tell me about the program that allows your incarcerated students to borrow electronic tablets to view approved programming.

TD: When COVID-19 first took hold, tablets became our go-to platform and we amassed over 1,000 hours of original programming.  Some came from our portfolio of solo artists and non-profit organizations like The Public Theater, Carnegie Hall and Lincoln Center. But many came from simply asking for content. And, the answer was almost always yes!  

CF: What type of streaming programs are provided to your students? 

TD: There is a wide selection of programming: social services, reentry information, law library resources, and high school and college courses, movies, games and arts enrichment programming.  What we have developed are courses for all our providers to sustain the presence they had before COVID-19, and now, as we return to normal, this content remains as our arts education resource library.  

CF: What do you hope they’ll get out of their exposure to arts programming?                                                                                        

TD: We try to not impose outcomes on our students, rather we promote positive engagement, create an environment where students can take something we’re offering and turn it into their own, something meaningful to them.  That occurs almost daily.  So, we’re about setting up the conditions for these moments to occur.  That’s when the workshop soars and the room shifts, deepening the experience.  The results support the fact that the arts have nothing to do with why anyone is here, but everything to do with who they are.  That’s become my mantra. 

Our popular hip-hop sessions allow for uninhibited free-styling and improvised percussion. The atmosphere transforms a jail into a living room listening party where we’re discussing how Tupac was a fan of Shakespeare. What? Yes! We observe how The Bard employed percussive language to grab the listener’s ear. Words have an intrinsic musicality to them.  Words are valuable!

CF: Speaking of language, what percentage of your students are Spanish speakers? 

TD: Approximately 33%, so we try to offer programming that reaches everyone’s cultural interests.  

CF: What type of programming is most popular among the population? 

TD: Music. So, we present concerts, orchestras, choruses, soloists and small ensembles.  On the tablets, The Right Now Project offers an eclectic collection of international artists featuring performances, conversations and mindful meditation videos. We also offer creative writing at every level, nurturing poets, novelists, lyricists and playwrights.  Playwright, and fellow Zoot Suit castmate, Evelina Fernández, allowed us to stream her yearly holiday pageant La Virgen de Guadalupe presented by the Latino Theater Company. It was very well received. Our drawing and crafting programs bring our facilities alive with beautiful murals. And of course, comedies are popular. 

CF: I was so complimented when you requested to include 57 Chevy into your programming. 

TD: When I heard that you’d turned your true-life boyhood stories about you, your dad and his beloved classic car into a play I knew it would be a wonderful offering for our students and that it would be funny.  And funny works in jail.  Really.  And as evidenced by the many glowing responses we saw on its initial roll out, 57 Chevy is a winner! 

CF: 57 Chevy is such a wholesome valentine to the immigrant experience, I’m glad the students are enjoying the show’s positive message. 

TD: I chose to present 57 Chevy because it’s about familia.   Familia is a major topic when you’re in jail. People in custody are always seeking ways to connect to those waiting for them on the outside.  Because 57 Chevy provides a light-hearted look at a normal family, it offers a natural segue into discussions about the humor in normal everyday life. (Which is what all of my students hope for—a normal everyday life.) I’ve noticed that, after screening your play, incarcerated folks continue to talk about it.  They howl at Ric Salinas’ LOL performance.  It transforms the jail into a comedy club because 57 Chevy is pure theater and the magic of theater works—even in jail.

CF: Wow. That is like the best review I’ve ever gotten.  Thank you. How do you feel being part of this program has impacted your understanding of how creativity impacts our humanity?

TD: Okay, time to get really real. For the good part of my early career I was your typical self-absorbed actor.  I had my share of successes, enjoyed the trappings that came with it— and wanted more. I allowed these rewards that were dangled in front of me to cloud my vision for so long that I forgot that I had set out to have a purpose in life.  Sharing my acquired skills with those in jail was the dramatic change I needed.  

This vocation calls upon me daily to employ all the skills I’ve developed as an artist and share them.  Freely.  And then invite opinions.  Ask questions about it all.  Stir up debates.  The provocative nature of the arts invites robust exchanges.  So, we have those exchanges.  Gloves off.  No rules.  And even if what comes back at you is not what you expected, it prompted your students to analyze and express themselves. And that, at the end of the day, is a winning program.

CF: What advice do you have to those educators interested in bringing arts to disadvantaged or disenfranchised communities?

TD: I was fortunate that in the 1970s, while performing in the original NYC production of  Steven Schwartz’s musical Godspell, I signed up for an outreach event with the cast.  I went out to Rikers Island to perform the show. It was my first time in jail and what struck me was how actively the audience interacted with the show. It was jarring at first and then quickly became something more meaningful as we incorporated their commentary right along with the Gospel According to St. Matthew.  The audience was so willing to become part of the storytelling. It piqued my interest.  So, back to your question. 

Um, my advice is to encourage young creatives to take a leap.  Go act, write, sing or dance where there is no writing, acting, singing or dancing.  Sign-up for all the outreach endeavors your theater company or productions might be involved in.  And, if there are none, start one.  Or two.  Or a dozen.  There are so many schools, community centers, museums, hospitals, therapeutic communities and prisons in desperate need of arts programming. Art is a celebration of our humanity through a glorious expression.  No school will train you how to do this level of outreach, so work under the guidance of an experienced professional. And don’t be afraid to volunteer.  Show up.  Soar!

For more information on how you can contribute creative content or develop a partnership with the New York City Department of Correction, write to Tommy Demenkoff via: Programs.Division@doc.nyc.gov

 To stream Cris Franco’s new comedy 57 CHEVY log onto www.SDRep.org

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Dolores Huerta, Civil Rights and Human Rights Icon and founder of the Dolores Huerta Foundation , and Josefina Lopez award-winning playwright and screenwriter (Real Women Have Curves), will testify on Monday, April 26, 2021 at 3:00 p.m. in Sacramento, CA at Senate Labor Committee Hearing for Senate Bill 805 (SB 805), “Save The Performing Arts Act of 2021,” authored by State Senator Susan Rubio (D-Baldwin Park) representing the 22nd District, and co-authored by State Senator Ben Allen (D-Santa Monica) representing the 26th District.

Dolores Huerta worked closely with Luis Valdez (La Bamba, Zoot Zuit) early on to bring relevant and socially conscious and relavant theater to the fields early with the United Farmworker’s Union. “The history of the performing arts is interwoven with the fight for social justice every step of the way,” she said. “Theater was a significant voice that helped bring about change in public consciousness during slavery, the civil rights movement, women’s suffrage, the organized labor movement, the Chicano movement, and just about every other movement working to bring about equity for those in their group.

Stories like Lopez’ Real Women Have Curves, or Valdez’ Zoot Suit were written and developed in small theaters.

“Save The Performing Arts Act of 2021 or SB 805, is the first bill in the nation that will create a critical funding infrastructure to help assist Small Nonprofit Performing Arts Companies (SNPAC) with average adjusted gross revenues equal to, or less than $1.4 million, to be adjusted every five years based on the California Consumer Price Index.
 
SB 805 will direct the California Arts Council to establish the California Nonprofit Performing Arts Paymaster, which will provide low-cost payroll and paymaster services to SNPACs.  This legislation will establish the Performing Arts Equitable Payroll Fund to ensure that SNPACs can pay all workers minimum wage, particularly workers in marginalized communities.
 
Small nonprofit theaters are incubators for playwrights, actors, designers, directors and other artists.  They have historically provided networking opportunities and mentorship for Black, Indigenous and People of Color artists to facilitate connections necessary for career advancement by providing performance experience that helps to open doors to larger, less accessible companies. Furthermore, SNPACs contribute to the economic growth, social well-being and cultural vitality of the local communities they serve.

To be part of the conversation with us on Instagram @sb805california, on Twitter @sb805ca and on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/SB805ca   Hashtags include:  #SB805, #THEATERMATTERS, #CALIFORNIA, #TEATRO, #BIPOCAccess, #SOSCA, #TheaterIsSocialJustice

— Latin Heat News Service

— Featured Photo: Dolores Huerta (Heather Hazzan) and Josefina Lopez (Shane Sato)
 

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Written by Roberto Leal

The past few weeks, I have been faithfully following a fascinating documentary series on Turner classic Movies titled Women Make Film. The multi-episode documentary showcases the films of women directors from around the world. Each episode focuses on a particular aspect of filmmaking such as staging, framing, dialog, encounters, and POV, and how different female filmmakers approach those subjects in their craft and stories.

The TCM docu-series coincides with the channel featuring films of women directors. This past weeks’ feature film was of particular interest to me: María Novaro’s 1991 Danzón.

Novaro’s director’s heart and eye focus on the stories of Mexican women and their personal journeys of self-discovery. Danzón is no exception. Julia, (María Rojo, Esmeralda Comes by Night), is a middle-aged, single mom, working as a telephone operator in Mexico City. Every week, Julia, goes to a dance club and meets her mysterious dance partner, Carmelo, (Daniel Rergis, Danzón). 

A DANCEFLOOR DANDY
Carmelo is a courtly caballero dressed in an ice cream white suit and shoes, topped off with a sporty, white panama hat. Carmelo never speaks. He is like a ghostly, white, apparition. Julia and Carmelo dance the danzón, a highly stylized, slow, rhythmic, meditative baile, where the simple box steps are like a repetitive mantra of movement that underscores the subtle sensuality of the dance.

When Carmelo mysteriously disappears, Julia goes to Veracruz in search of her dance partner. In Veracruz, Julia meets Doña Tí (Carmen Salinas, Man of Fire), who runs a hotel populated with colorful misfits, including Suzy  (Tito Vasconcelos, ,Al Borde), a drag queen who befriends Julia and helps her search for Carmelo.

Novaro’s film is told totally from the women’s POV. Almost all the dialog is spoken by the women in the film. The men, except for Suzy, are basically furniture, potted plants, chess pieces, incidental decorations in Julia’s search for Carmelo and her journey of self-discovery

Novaro shows Julia’s transformation in Veracruz by dressing her in bright red clothes. Suzy helps with some make-up tips resulting in garish, ruby red lips for Julia. Danzón, as seen through the lens of María Novaro, is a glorious, if subdued celebration of Latina women stories. Julia’s search ends the same way it began with the beautiful, hypnotic steps of the danzón. Kudos to Turner Classic Movies for screening a film by this highly acclaimed Mexican director.

You can find many of María Novaro’s feature films streaming on YouTube.

Danzón
Director: María Novaro
Writers: Beatriz Novaro, María Novaro
Stars: María Rojo, Carmen Salinas, Tito Vasconcelos 

But wait…there is a plot twist to this narrative…

For years, Latino Hollywood has been begging, urging, pleading, demanding, screaming at the Anglo-centric powers that be in Hollywood to be more inclusive, representative of the vast, and growing Latinx community that buys a huge portion of movie tickets, either in actual theaters or increasingly in this new reality on streaming platforms. We want the power to produce our stories, our way, and use our talented artists and craftspeople to bring them to a wider audience.

But, for the most part, historically and recently, these cries in the wilderness—estos gritos en el desierto—have fallen on deaf, indifferent and unresponsive ears.

On the one hand, the TCM Women Make Film documentary series and the screening of films directed by women are a laudable, noteworthy effort and should be a part of any film studies course. But up to this point in the series, the glaring omission of Latina directors cannot be overlooked.

Several American women directors are highlighted: Kathryn Bigelow, Sofia Coppola, Maya Deren, and Ida Lupino. But the cinematic contributions of American Latina filmmakers like Christina Ibarra, Aurora Guerrero and Cecilia Aldarondo were sadly left on the cutting room floor. (Despite her Latina sounding name, Lupino, was not a chola from East LA. She was born in England.)

SELDOM ESPAÑOL
TCM also routinely screens foreign films in Italian, French and German, but rarely any Spanish-language films. They also celebrate the innovative achievements of the French New Wave, Italian Neorealism, but, again, rarely the influence of Magical Realism or an exploration in the films of Mexico’s Golden Age of Film in the 40’s and 50’s. Turner Classic Movies does film retrospectives on Frank Capra and John Ford, why not a retrospective on the filmography of Luis Valdez?

In 2017, TCM announced Tiffany Vazquez would become the very first Latina host on their channel. Tiffany was given the Saturday morning hosting slot, and by all accounts, was being well-received by TCM loyal viewers, which includes yours truly. But not long afterward, Tiffany disappeared from the roster of hosts. In a subsequent tweet, Tiffany would only say her contract had not been renewed. Now, except for one African American lady, all the hosts on TCM are white. So much for diversity.

TCM’S PROS & CONS
I do not mean to be so harsh on TCM. Since their first broadcast in 1994, TCM has been a virtual Fort Knox of cinema gold for the lovers, and students of film. I am a big fan of Eddie Muller’s Noir Alley, which airs every Saturday night. But the movie channel is emblematic of the obstacles Latino Hollywood encounters in their struggle for greater representation and power in the entertainment industry.

Ideally, in some post-trumpvirus, post-pendejodemic future, Latino Hollywood will organize its vast resources of talent and demographics to create an independent entertainment behemoth entity to rival that of Traditional Hollywood and not have to settle for the crumbs from the master’s plate, but enjoy and share the whole enchilada of their own making. I envision a day when Latino Hollywood, like Julia in Danzón, will embark on a journey of self-discovery, but also one of self-actualization.

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Hollywood has lost a giant in the Theatre arena. Diane Rodriguez, 68 died on April 10, 2020 from lung cancer. The LA Times called it a “Seismic loss” and that pretty much says it all.

In the theatre world there was no one more passionate and a supporter of theater artists of color. She was inducted into The College of Fellows for the American Theatre in 2018, and appointed by President Obama to the NEA’s National Council on the Arts.

She began her career in theater working in San Juan Bautista with Luis Valdez’s reknowed El Teatro Campesino before moving to Los Angeles where she worked as an actress, helped found the comedy troupe Latin Anonymous (with Armando Molina, Luisa Leschin and Cris Franco) due to a lack of role for Latinos at that time. She then transitioned into becoming part of the artistic staff at Center Theatre Group ultimately as associate artistic dirtctor for a 24 year run.

In 2018, Rodriguez was diagnosed with stage four lung cancer, for which she was treated for two years. What complicated her illness was suffering a stroke in March.

Aside from working as an actor, director, playwright, and producer, she later was the book writer for the Broadway-style musical Barbie Live!, creative and cultural consultant for the Disney Television Animation series Elena of Avalor.

Her husband, Jose Delgado announced Diane’s passing with this loving message:

“It is with a heavy heart that I write to let you know that my bride of 43 years, the incomparable Diane Rodriguez, passed away at 12:50 AM today, Good Friday. She was a beloved partner… a beautiful wife and I am grief-stricken. Diane left a mark on this planet, and I was lucky to be on that ride. She has so many friends here in Los Angeles, around the country and globe. I appreciate all the outpouring of love… “

Rodriguez’s most recent project was the directon of the world premiere of Las Mujeres Del Mar for Playwrights’ Arena in 2019. She directed Culture Clash’s Bordertown Now at Pasadena Playhouse, and Richard Cabral’s Fighting Shadows at Inner City Arts, both in 2018. Her play Living Large premiered at Teatro Luna in 2012 and The Sweetheart Deal premiered in 2017 at Los Angeles Theatre Center.

The news of Diane Rodriguez’s death began on social media, and the outpouring of friends, co-workers and family was immense.

Luis Alfaro — Long time friend and Mark Taper Forum’s Latino Theater Initiative co-director along with Rodriguez remembers Diane:

“I remember the first time Diane Rodriguez and I got serious about changing the world (or at least our theatre).It was 1994. We were both performers for a benefit at the Santa Monica Museum of Art. Diane was part of a comedy troupe she had co-founded called Latins Anonymous and I was a solo performer around town.

Diane had that wonderful straight black hair with the severe bangs. Lots of big loud jewelry, black tights and a funky t-shirt; her performance drag. She was always good for a laugh backstage or some chisme about some gig. But this night, she came up to me and said there was a job opening up at the Taper and that we should apply together, as a team.

Diane was a magical person. Crazy and magical. And sometimes moody and ambitious and complicated and one of the most larger-than-life beings I knew. She lived large.”

Lalo Alcaraz — Cartoonist And Friend published a special La Cucaracha Toon In Her Honor

Debra J.T. Padilla — Besties Forever

“… my Chola sister and my confidant Diane Rodriguez. I can’t bring myself to write all that I feel, but here are a few of my cherished photos of us together. We leaned on each other for over 30 years. The weight of this immense loss is compounded by the loss of my mother… Two key anchors in my life, no longer here in my life, no longer here. In my heart yes, but not here here. Ironically, Diane passed on the same day my father did in 2002. May we all be blessed with a best friend as I have been. Abrazos. Besos y Amor… “

Xavi Moreno: Her Infectious Faith in Theater

“…passing of the great Diane Rodriguez– playwright, director, fearless producer, activist, and a champion for diversity on and off the stage. Her faith in Teatro was infectious. It was an honor to have worked with her both as an actor and graphic designer….”

Dolores Chavez — Sisters Por Vida!

“She Called Me Sister. I whispered Por Vida! And we grew from that promise. Our lives were braided and blessed together for over 25 years. Madres of the Earth and Sky, Homegirls for the community, Soul Sisters of the open road.“

Chavez invites anyone wanting to make a donation to honor Diane’s memory, that they consider:

El Teatro Campesino
Company of Angels
Latino Theatre Company at Los Angeles Theatre Center

Dan Guerrero — Best Buds

I met Diane and her beloved JD in 1982 after moving back to Los Angeles after 20 years in New York City. My dad introduced us. “Mijo, there’s someone that wants to do a musical revue using my music. Wanna go meet them with me?” And that was that.

Di and I particularly bonded and our friendship deepened and matured over the next many decades as our lives and careers continued to intertwine and intersect. We became best buds fiercely loyal and supportive of each other through “good times and bum times,” as Sondheim famously penned.

When I wrote a solo show in 2005, I invited a handful of close friends to a reading . Di immediately saw something. The show lived on as I proudly watched Di’s career expand and explode to international heights. But she was always the same loyal and supportive friend.

We both had impossible schedules and if too much time passed without getting together, one of us would call the other. Happy day when my phone rang and I’d see the name Diane Rodriguez on the screen. And then the strong and familiar voice, “Hi, honey!” I can still hear it. I think I always will. 

Ruben Martinez’s Farewell

“… The breakthrough that she and Luis Alfaro staged through the Latino Theater initiative at CTG cannot be overstated. They won and lost battles but pried the doors open. When I was coming back from a long season of self-inflicted wounds, I approached her with a rough performance idea and she, the wonderful matchmaker, introduced me to Colin Campbell, the beginning of a wonderful collaboration and a friendship that I treasure. That’s Diane for me: a woman making connections, hatching plots, making art and community happen…”

Adriana Sevahn Nichols – A Force of Nature

“Diane Rodriguez was and will continue to be a force of nature. I join the multitude of artists in whom her global legacy will live on. She had a laser insight, a capacity to both see and read a person’s gifts and not just notice, or speak them, Diane saw to it that in whatever capacity she could, those gifts were nourished…“

Daniel Valdez — Creating Teatro

There are no words that can express how much Diane Rodriquez meant to me personally. She was not only my dear friend and fellow teatrista, but my warrior-sister whom I shared a life time of memories and experiences with. From the many tours and performances that took us across this country for years. In theaters, in parks, labor camps and community centers, you name it, we performed there. 

We created Teatro together in a time when we all were discovering our own identity and cultural history as Chicanos and Chicanas. Diane was Teatro as was I. We lived it. We defined it for our generation. We shared it 24-7. We evolved as the Teatro evolved. Diane was there at the most important times of my life. For this, I will always be grateful and honored to have known her. Diane my Dear Sister, I love you…and I shall miss you.

Marissa Herrera — In The Midst Of It All

“… [for the] past 2 years I spent more time around Diane as she was directing work at The Rosenthal Theater. In the midst of her diagnoses she dove into her creativity and passion. If she was sick, and in pain (which she was), she didn’t show it. She never asked for pity or sympathy. In the midst of all the madness, many mourn in the City of Angeles. Rest In Peace, Diane.

Bel Hernandez — Lady Di

She was christened Lady Di by our mutual friend Miguel Delgado (RIP) in the early 80s…and she wore the title well. Her spirit lives on in all of our hearts. RIP Lady Di.

A giant in the theatre industry, Rodriguez’s shoes will be hard to fill. But she leaves a priceless legacy for future generations of theatre professionals.

She was inducted into The College of Fellows for the American Theatre in 2018 and appointed by President Obama to the NEA’s National Council on the Arts. In addition, she was a 2017 Directing Fellow for Sundance Theatre Lab in Arles, France, and 2016 Directing Fellow for the Stage Directors and Choreographer’s Foundation. She was a part of the artistic staff of Center Theater Group for 24 years and had worked with other major companies across the country.

Diane is survived by her husband, Jose Delgado, owner of Pleiades Management and producing director of Ojai Playwrights Conference; her mother Helen E. Rodriguez of San Jose.

The post Diane Rodriguez: Remembered first appeared on .

Written by Roberto Leal

I’m an insomniac. Oftentimes, during an all too frequent sleepless night, I’ll watch a movie on TCM in the wee hours of the morning. I’ve come to refer to these pre-dawn, movie-watching episodes as Insomniac Cinema.

Last week — could have been last night or last year.  Who knows? Who cares? All the days seem to blend into a series of dissolves from one scene to another. Anyway, I was watching Alfred Hitchcock’s Vertigo, (1957), starring Jimmy Stewart and Kim Novak.

When Vertigo initially appeared in movie houses, it was universally bitch-slapped by movie critics for its lurid subject matter of obsession and control. What was most disturbing, at the time, was Hollywood’s beloved good guy, Jimmy Stewart played the obsessed, control freak.

Vertigo met its “Dark Fate”, at the box office, almost as quickly as the latest Terminator flick. However, over the years, Vertigo gained cache and stature with film scholars, as Hitchcock’s masterpiece surprisingly found itself displacing Orson Welles’ Citizen Kane in the #1 spot as the greatest film of all-time.

The prestigious British film journal, Sight & Sound, which most recently issue of The 100 Greatest Films list, still has Vertigo at #1. But as I checked through this most recent list, I found a glaring sin of omission: NOT ONE, nada niguno, Spanish-language or Chicano film from either the USA, Mexico, Central or South America or the Latin Caribbean made the list.  Querido amigos!

To quote the Freddy Fender Texas Tornado national anthem of San Antonio, “Hey, Baby, Que Pasó?” How could this be possible? It was as if the voting film pundits were totally unaware of the huge land mass, between the shores of the British Isles and the beaches of Japan, teeming with talented Latino filmmakers, directors, actors, screenwriters and technicians. 

I have no qualms with films like Touch of Evil, Bicycle Thieves, The 400 Blows, Persona, Casablanca, Singing in the Rain, or even Douglas Sirk’s weepy melodrama, Imitation of Life (which starred Lana Turner and John Gavin who was of Mexican ancestry), being on the list. Who the hell doesn’t bawl like a baby in the final scene when Juanita Moore’s long-suffering, heart-of-gold character dies? Without fail, I always do. Hold on, gotta get a tissue. I tear up just thinking about that scene.

Judging films like judging art, music, literature or your favorite pozole recipe, is strictly a subjective exercise. Beauty in art or film is in the eye of the beholder, just as great pozole is on the tongue of the taster.

Let me offer up three objectively excellent Latino cinematic gems worthy of consideration to be added onto the list of The 100 Greatest Films:

Soy Cuba, (Cuba), 1964 Directed by Mikhail Kalatozov. This Cuban/Russian co-production takes you on a lyrical, poetic journey through pre-Castro Cuba by weaving together four vignettes of the different, and often conflicting socio-economic dynamics swirling on the island at that time. The camerawork, in Soy Cuba, is hypnotic. At times, the cameraseems to have wings as it floats seamlessly through sugar cane fields, within a smoke-filled Havana night club scene and soars up to balconies and rooftops and then swoops back down to street level. Ingmar Bergman observed, sitting in a dark theater watching the flickering images flashing on the screen at 24 frames per second, is the closest we come to replicating the dream state. Soy Cuba comes damn close.

Los Olvidados,(Mexico), 1950. Spanish filmmaker, Luis Buñuel, made several films in Mexico during that country’s Golden Age of Cinema, during the Forties and Fifties. Buñuel’s Los Olvidados is a bleak, uncompromising exploration of youth violence in the dark underbelly of Mexico City. This gritty, black and white Mexican film is the equal of any of its Italian Neo-Realism or French New Wave contemporaries.

Zoot Suit, (America), 1981. The son of migrant farm workers from Delano, California, Luis Valdez, playwright, actor, director,producer, is the acknowledged wellspring of Chicano cinema. His iconic film, Zoot Suit,based on his play, embodies what Luis Valdez is all about. Zoot Suit tells the story of the little-known Zoot Suit Wars of the Forties. It deftly examines the racial bias and struggles with cultural identity within the Chicano community. Zoot Suit features a tour de force performance by Latino legend, Edward James Olmos, as El Pachuco, the flamboyant, colorful conscience and spirit of Zoot Suit culture. Zoot Suit is a prime example of film auteurship, a quality lauded by film theorists.

[And a Few Editor Picks: Salt of the Earth (USA), El Norte (USA), Like Water For Chocolate (Mexico), Fresa Y Chocolate (Cuba), Official Story (Argentina)]

A NY Times article titled: Latinos Underappreciated in Hollywood, Study Finds, reports that regardless of critical and commercial success, Latinos still don’t get the much deserved and well-earned recognition in the entertainment industry like their non-Latino counterparts.

But, as Bob Dylan reminds us: “The times, they are a-changin”.

Today, Latinos are a commercial and creative force to be reckoned with in Hollywood and beyond. Whether film, TV, music, art or theater, people with Spanish surnames are becoming more commonplace, as the changing demographics of this huge land mass between the shores of the British Isles and the beaches of Japan, inexorably shift in our favor.

This year, the world’s biggest sports spectacle, the Super Bowl, will feature a halftime show with not one, but TWO Latina megadivas; Jennifer Lopez (USA) and Shakira (Colombia).

Five of the last six Oscars for Best Director have gone to Mexicans directors: Alejandro G. Iñárritu (Birdman, The Revenant), Alfonso Cuarón (Gravity, Roma), and Guillermo del Toro (The Shape of Water).

History is on our side. It won’t be long before film scholars begin to revisit, re-evaluate, appreciate and recognize the huge contributions of Latino filmmakers to the unique art of world cinema.

When the first Latino film, at long last, makes the list of The 100 Greatest Films, El Pachuco standing defiantly, decked out in his finest zoot suit duds, will snap his fingers and hoarsely whispers in his East LA Chicano accent: “¡Horale, ese! It’s about time.”

The post Sins of Omission: The 100 Greatest Films first appeared on .

The Mexican-American Cultural Educational Foundation (MACEF), a non-profit organization dedicated to changing the narrative of Mexicans in the U.S.A. through unity, pride and education, will host its 4th History Maker event with Gary Segura, Dean of UCLA Luskin School of Public Affairs. The History Maker event spotlights Mexican-Americans who have achieved the highest degrees of success in their respective fields. Past History Maker includes Playwright  Luis Valdez, Alex Nogales, CEO of the National Hispanic Media Coalition, and Julian Nava, former Ambassador to Mexico.  The MACEF History Maker event takes place on Thursday, January 23, 2020, at the historic La Plaza de Cultura y Arte at 7:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m.

MACEF was conceived by Dr. Jose Luis Ruiz, who serves as President.  Dr. Ruiz is a well known, nationally recognized professor, researcher, cosmetic dentist, Amazon bestseller and award-winning Mexican-American novelist. As a young man, he relocated to the U.S. where he experienced the unique challenges and opportunities of other Mexican immigrants witnessing the life and perspective of countless U.S.-born Mexican-Americans. 

“For over a century Mexican-American misinformation has been spread and in recent years it has been amplified by the megaphone attacks of the current president of the United States,” stated Dr. Ruiz. “Our History Maker illuminates the positive of our community. And, we encourage all Mexican-Americans to be a part of the change to be elevated.”

Ruiz believes the MACEF organization focused on Mexican-Americans can end the invisibility by focusing on achievements by promoting unity, education, pride, and progress. At every event, MACEF invites two Mexican-American Role Models to share their “secrets to success” in a short mini “TEDTalk like” presentation. On January 23rd, Naibe Reynoso, a multiple EMMY award-winning journalist/Author/Producer and Luis Fernandez, Executive Director, Dominguez Rancho Adobe Museum and Researcher, will present “Pearls of Wisdom” and “How To” talks for success.  

As with every MACEF event, high school students are bused in to attend these cultural and informative forums. And as is customary, one student out of each MACEF event is presented with a scholarship at a subsequent event, to further their education. To date, two students, Victoria Nava and Anthony Garcia have recently been awarded the Katie Suarez Social Justice Scholarship.  Each and every past History Maker has left an indelible mark that inspires, motivates, encourages and enables young Mexican-Americans to pursue an education and become leaders at whatever industry or profession they seek.

Director/Playwright Luis Valdez (La Bamba, Zoot Suit) kicked off the launch of the History Maker events last October. He spoke about the inherent creativity of Mexicans.  “The grace of Mexican art. The visuality of Mexican art is the raw stuff that you need [to be great Mexican] filmmakers”. 

Alex Nogales, President of the National Hispanic Media Coalition, talked about the discrimination towards Mexicans growing up as a farmworker. “Up and down the state there were signs…that said, “No Dogs or Mexicans Allowed”.  It took me years to get over those kinds of put-downs. But once I did and I got an education, it was a different story,” directing his words towards the students in attendance.

History Maker Dr. Julian Nava was the first Mexican-American Ambassador to Mexico was appointed by President Jimmy Carter.  Had this to say at his History Maker talk, “Be proud of your cultural heritage. See it for what it is, an asset. Most people who know Mexican-Americans think well of us because we don’t cause riots, turmoil or burn downtowns. Yet we have suffered discrimination of a more polite but equally as offensive and oppressive form. But we don’t have to suffer that if we just don’t want to. It’s in our mind to be yourself.”

“It is hard to look in any direction in this beautiful country and not see the powerful and positive influence the Mexican-American culture and people have given to America,”  Dr. Ruiz laments. It is for this reason the Mexican American Cultural Education Foundation exists.  

To read more on the fascinating history of Mexican-Americans, and about how the organization is changing the false and negative narrative, visit the MACEF website. 

The event is open to the public and it is free of charge. For more information call (818) 641-5577 or CLICK HERE. Limited seating. 
Follow MACEF on Social Media:

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ABOUT MACEF
The Mexican-American Cultural Education Foundation is a non-profit foundation with the mission of educating the community about the rich cultural contributions of the Mexican-American community to this country, which are often unrecognized. To spotlight the many wildly successful Mexican immigrants, Mexican-Americans, and Chicanos and recruit their help as role models and mentors and to promote education, unity, pride, and progress. MACEF offers a variety of scholarships and grants to encourage advancement for Mexican immigrants and Mexican-Americans. For more information CLICK HERE

ABOUT GARY SEGURA: History Maker
Prior to his UCLA Dean appointment, Professor Segura served as the Morris M. Doyle Centennial Professor of Public Policy, professor of political science, and professor and former chair of Chicana/o-Latina/o studies at Stanford University. As a result of his research focusing on issues of political representation and the politics of America’s growing Latino minority, it is no surprise he has been called to brief members of Congress and senior administration officials on issues related to Latinos. In addition, he has served as an expert witness in three marriage equality cases heard by the Supreme Court and has filed amicus curiae briefs on subjects as diverse as voting rights, marriage equality, and affirmative action.

Latin Heat Media, LLC 

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By Justina Bonilla

Since 1988, the National Library of Congress’ National Film Registry has chosen 25 films a year to preserve for being “culturally, historically or aesthetically” significant. This list in the past has inducted iconic and groundbreaking films from To Kill a Mockingbird to The Godfather and Disney’s Snow White. The 2019 film inductions are more diverse than ever, with ten films directed and/or featuring ethnic talent, including five Latino/Hispanic talent.

Inducted this year, are two highly regarded films in Latino American and Chicano cinema, Zoot Suit and Real Women Have Curves.  Zoot Suit is the second film written and directed by the Father of Chicano theater Luis Valdez. Real Women Have Curves is a modern classic by Chicana playwright Josefina Lopez, who created the story and co-wrote the screenplay.  Both Real Women Have Curves and Zoot Suit began as plays, showing the significant influence of plays in Latino American film history.  

Latino/Hispanic talent was also featured in other inducted films, namely Purple Rain (leading actress Apollonia Kotero), Boys Don’t Cry (actress Hillary Swank), and Platoon (actor Charlie Sheen).

Past inductees featuring significant Latino/Hispanic stories and/or talent include:

In 2018, the National Film Registry faced criticism, due to its lack of diversity in its list of 750 films. According to TIME Magazine Only 36 films were directed by people of color. Now, the National Film Registry is adding more films with ethnic talent behind and in front of the camera. Solidifying the importance and impact of ethnic talent and stories in American cinema. Contributions that have been overlooked for years, due to preferences for non-ethnic stories and limited and/or stereotypical ethnic roles.

Latino oriented films and significant films with Latino talent that should be evaluated for consideration by the National Film Registry for induction include:

Significant Films featuring Latino talent:

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