The National Association of Latino Independent Producers (NALIP), the nonprofit offering programming and resources for Latino content creators and filmmakers, will hold its End of Year Celebration at the Sunset Room in Hollywood on Friday, Dec. 15.

Hosted by the Lopez Vs. Lopez actor and alum of The Daily Show, Al Madrigal the celebration which will be attended by Annie Gonzalez and Jesse Garcia (Flamin’ Hot), Chelsea Rendon (Vida), Vadhir Derbez (De Viaje Con Los Derbez), Clayton Cardenas (The Mayans), Harvey Guillen (What We Do in the Shadows), Marco Pigossi (Gen V), Omar Chaparro (No Manches Frida) among others.

As NALIP prepares for its 25th Anniversary in 2024, this event will pay tribute to trailblazers actively shaping the narrative for the Latino community. The event will recognize not only individual Latino milestones but also acknowledge the impact of diversity and inclusion on the entertainment industry.

“For the past 25 years, NALIP has established itself as a beacon of empowerment and advocacy for Latino creatives in the film and media industry. This year, amidst challenges like strikes that temporarily dimmed our jubilation, we recognize not just the hurdles but also the triumphs that emerged in their wake,” said Diana Luna, Executive Director of NALIP. “This End of Year Celebration aims to honor the remarkable progress and resilience of our talented community, a narrative shaped by overcoming adversity and embracing the enduring spirit of achievement.”

“It’s a privilege to celebrate the remarkable achievements of Latino content creators and industry professionals who continue to inspire and shape our cultural landscape,” said Craig Robinson, Executive Vice President and Chief Diversity Officer at NBCUniversal. “We also take pride in supporting NALIP’s mission to empower and provide opportunities for talented individuals, ensuring a thriving community of diverse voices in the film industry for years to come.”

For more information in attendence visit NALIP.ORG

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TV Series:  Mayans M.C.

Genre: Crime, Drama, Thriller

Creators: Elgin James, Kurt Sutter, 

Showrunner: Elgin James

CAST: JD Pardo, Clayton Cardenas, Sarah Bolger, Michael Irby, Carla Baretta, Raul Max Trujillo. Edward James Olmos

REVIEW

Get ready for the return of cool tunes, cooler bikes, and the coolest group of motorcycle dudes on TV, because FX has renewed Mayans M.C. for a 5th season.

Watching the Mayans M.C. roar down the highway on their Harleys sounding like approaching heavy metal thunder while gripping those butterfly handlebars, they look like a flock of bad-intentioned raptors searching for some prey to pounce on.

During the Dark Ages feudal lords had small armies of knights who protected the feudal lord from his rivals, helped collect taxes and tributes and controlled the peasants who lived on the lord’s land. Mayans M.C.is a modern hipper retelling of that medieval European reality. But now rather than European knights in shining armor on mighty steeds, we have leather-clad, tattooed Latinos on powerful chrome and steel “hogs”.

For four seasons, the Mayans M.C. have dealt with the usual drug cartel mayhem: battles with rival gangs over territory and distribution routes, protection and distribution of the Galindo heroin and cocaine, revenge killings, kidnapping, extortion and assassination, family secrets, and the audience can’t get enough of this.

Season 4 ended with EZ Reyes (JD Pardo) taking the reins of the club as the President of the Mayans after Marcus (Emilio Rivera) is ousted. All of this is cause for Angel’s (Clayton Cardenas) concern for his brother. Meanwhile, Galindo (Danny Pino) is revealed as “familia’ to the Reyes’ by the patriarch Felipe (Edward James Olmos).

Despite the fact that the Mayans are a motorcycle gang of arch criminals, you find yourself rooting for these “bad boys” because they do everything with kickass Latino gusto style and flair to a great soundtrack.  Bring on Season 5!

Producers: Elgin James, Kurt Sutter, Sean Trotta

Production Company: FX Productions

Distributor: FX Network

Available: FX, Hulu

Rating:

TV Series  Now and  Then

Genre: Crime, Drama. Mystery

Creators:  Ramón Campos, Gema R. Neira, Teresa Fernández+Valdés

Showrunners:  Ramón Campos, Teresa Fernández-V aldés

CAST: Mateo Guerrero, Naruba de Tavira, Maribel Verdú, Jose María Yazpik, Manolo Cardona, Soledad Villamil, Zeljko Ivanek, Rosie Perez

REVIEW

Oh, what a tangled web we weave when we first practice to deceive” —William Shakespeare. 

It’s an accepted historical fact that Richard Nixon didn’t have to resign his presidency because of the break-in at the Watergate hotel. He had to resign because of his subsequent cover-up and lies surrounding the third-rate burglary of the Democratic Headquarters at the Watergate Hotel by his “Plumbers.”

Now and Then is the multi-level story of five well-to-do individuals in Miami who have been covering up the mysterious death of one of their friends twenty years prior at a college graduation beach party. During the ensuing twenty years, these five people have formed a secretive cover-up bond that holds them together like connective tissue. The threads of their tangled web now weave through each other’s lives and affect them personally, politically, financially and emotionally.

Making matters more complicated now is Detective Sergeant Flora Neruda (Rosie Perez) who back twenty years ago was just a rookie cop on the initial investigation. But now she is back investigating the case and driven by a personal agenda  not to let “those rich kids get away with it again.”

Now and Then features a brilliant cast of actors from various Spanish-speaking countries. As a result, you will hear the distinctive accents from Mexico, Colombia, Spain, Argentina and Brooklyn. The creators and writers of this eight-part mini-TV series envision it will have global appeal. Now and then has all the ingredients for global appeal; an international cast, an intriguing mystery, complicated characters, and a plucky little latter-day Inspector Hercule Poirot-like detective sergeant in Perez bound and determined to figure out whodunit. 

Producers: Andres Barahona, Victor Fandiño, Luís Malet

Production Company: AppleTV+

Distributor: AppleTV+ 

Available:  AppleTV+

Rating:

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This year the projects and talent look a bit more robust than in past years, partly due to the increase of streaming entertainment and an increase in significant roles and leading roles. Additionally, the behind-the-camera talent pool is growing and being recognized.

Some of the nominated series and film projects include the documentary Mucho Mucho Amor: The Legend of Walter Mercado (Netflix; A Netflix Original Documentary / A Muck Media Production in Association with Key Rat, Inc. & Topic Studios), Selena: The Series (Netflix; A Campanario Entertainment Production for Netflix), La Llorona (Shudder; La Casa De Producción and Les Films Du Volcan), Love, Victor (Hulu; Hulu, 20th Television, Temple Hill), Mayans M.C. (FX Networks; 20th Television and FX Productions), Pose (FX; 20th Television), and Veneno (HBO Max; HBO Max in association with Atresmedia Television, Buendia Estudios and Suma Latina).

“The Imagen Foundation continues to be proud of being the only awards ceremony that honors Latino talent and contributions within the television, film, and streaming platforms,” said Helen Hernandez, President of the Imagen Foundation. “This year we hit another milestone, having increased to 350 submissions for consideration, a record since last year.

This year’s Imagen Awards there is “Our Community: Diverse, Talented, and United”. The Imagen Awards nominees are determined by an independent panel of entertainment industry executives and Latino community leaders.

For a complete LISTING OF NOMINEES: CLICK HERE

The Imagen Awards were established in 1985 and since then continue to highlight accomplishments and recognize the positive portrayals of Latinos in the media. For more information regarding The Imagen Awards please visit www.imagen.org.

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Mayans M.C. is one of few dramas currently on American TV featuring a mainly Latino cast that includes Clayton Cardenas, Michael Irby, Carla Baratta, Raoul Max Trujillo, Richard Cabral and Danny Pino. Emilio Rivera, Sarah Bolger and Sulem Calderon also star in the series.

A spin-off of the Golden Globe-winning Sons of Anarchy, the Latino series was created and is executive produced by Elgin James and Kurt Sutter. It follows Ezekiel “EZ” Reyes (Pardo), a newly patched member of the Mayans M.C. charter on the California/Mexico border. Once the golden boy with the American Dream in his grasp, EZ and his brother Angel (Cardenas) are closer than ever after uncovering the truth behind their mother’s murder while their father Felipe (Olmos) struggles to reconcile the choices he and his sons have made.

The renewal announcement is good news for the show, arriving just days before the end of its third season. Produced by 20th Television and FX Productions, the current season wraps up May 11.

“Elgin James, his creative collaborators, this incredible cast and crew delivered on another epic season of Mayans M.C.,” says Nick Grad, FX president of original programming. “Through three seasons, Mayans has told stories that resonate well beyond the border where the club thrives and survives, inviting fans inside their world and giving them a seat at the table.”

The show’s creator promises to dig deeper into the Mayans‘ characters in the season set to premiere in 2022. “I am deeply indebted to everyone at FX and 20th for allowing us to continue to tell the stories of the characters that Kurt (Sutter) and I created and whom our cast and crew took to new heights in season three,” says James, the executive producer. “In season four we look forward to diving deeper into each character’s truths, exploring the danger of the combustible world they inhabit, and for each writer, cast member and crew to stake out our place as storytellers.”

Among the show’s writers stands out Bryan Gracia (Chicago P.D.) and Debra Moore Muñoz (Westworld).

Mayans M.C. has received nominations for the Broadcast Film Critics Association, Critics Choice Award, California on Location Awards, Golden Trailer Awards and Imagen Foundation Awards.

Featured Photo: ‘Mayans M.C.’ (Credit: FX)

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Justina Bonilla

Actress Emily Tosta stars alongside Oscar-winning actor Nicolas Cage, in the indie comedy-horror adventure Willy’s Wonderland.

Tosta, who was born in the Dominican Republic, first came to prominence in her recurring role as Leticia (Richard Cabral) sister (who soon we learn is really his daughter) on FX’s Mayans M.C. After season two, when Tosta landed a series regular role on Freeform’s reboot of the popular 90’s drama Party of Five it was unclear if we would ever see her back on Mayans M.C. However, Party of Five was canceled after just one season, and almost as if not skipping a beat, she just filmed the first episode of season three which premieres on March 16.

Cage, is known for his wide range of roles, from Valley Girl, Moonstruck, Leaving Las Vegas, Face/Off, Con Air, to National Treasure. He is also the nephew of the iconic director of the Movie Brat era, Francis Ford Coppola. In recent years, Cage has made a name for himself in horror cinema, gaining a new generation of fans as the contemporary “it guy” of horror, with such films as Mandy and Color out of Space. Past horror films of Cage’s include Vampire’s Kiss, 8MM, Mom and Dad, and the infamous remake of The Wicker Man. For Willy’s Wonderland, Cage is both the lead actor and a producer.

Willy’s Wonderland follows an unnamed loner, aka The Janitor (Cage), who is stranded in the middle of nowhere, due to car issues. In order to pay for the car repairs, he agrees to a one-night overnight cleaning job at Willy’s Wonderland, an old family entertainment center. The Janitor gets more than what he expected when he finds out that he has been locked inside and must face the terror of the bloodthirsty animatronics.

A local teenager, Liv (Tosta) is determined to destroy Willy’s Wonderland, to end the animatronics’ bloodlust attacks. She, along with her friends go to Willy’s Wonderland to burn the building down, until they realize the janitor is locked inside. They make their way inside to try and rescue him, but find themselves locked inside along with him. Liv and The Janitor become unlikely friends as they fight to get out alive.

Willy’s Wonderland is directed by Kevin Lewis and written by G.O. Parsons. It is now available to stream on Vudu and Amazon Prime, with a limited theatrical release. Explore screenmediafilms.net for further information.

Featured Photo: Photo: Screen Media Films

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Mayans M. C., the epic crime drama tragedy starring J.D. Pardo, Clayton Cardenas, and Edward James Olmos returns for its second season on Tuesday, September 3, 10/9 p.m. central on Fx. 

This season most of the action takes place in Mexico and there is a crossover conflict between the members of the Mayans and The Sons of Anarchy. “If you liked Season 1, Season 2 is a lot darker,” said Olmos, who portrays Felipe Reyes, father of Ezekiel “EZ” Reyes (Pardo) and Angel (Clayton Cardenas) at a 2019 Comic-Con panel discussion.

The season 2 premiere episode picks up six months after the events depicted in the season one finale. The second season will also have a different visual aesthetic from the Latino Biker Gangs’ Southern California Border town of Santo Padre. It also promises to be very violent and bloody as EZ is in pursuit of his mother’s killer. Olmos remarked “Retribution will be coming down hard, and people have to be ready for it.”

Also, there will be the ongoing sibling rivalry between EZ and his brother Angel, the biker gang, along with EZ’s relationship with his high school sweetheart Emily.

Mayans. M.C. also stars Sarah Bolger, Michael Irby, Carla Baratta, Antonio Jaramillo, Richard Cabral, Danny Pino and Emilio Rivera. The show is produced and co- created by Kurt Sutter and Elgin James.

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