Brands like McDonalds have known for years that U.S. Latinos make up a consumer market too large to ignore. According to the 2023 Latino Donor Collaborative study, U.S. Latinos currently represent the 5th largest economy in the world with a GDP of $3.2 trillion dollars a year, a consumer cohort that are brand loyal. That is one of the reasons McDonald’s USA last year launched the Spotlight Dorado Short Film initiative, a multiyear platform that seeks to showcase and advocate for Latino talent in Hollywood, because representation matters.

In it 2nd annual McDonalds once again dives into the captivating world of the latest Spotlight Dorado lineup, showcasing the talents of emerging Latino and Hispanic filmmakers. Cinephiles across the nation will have until Februaty 11th to cast their vote for their favorite short film to be selected from the latest edition of the three films selected to be part of th this year SpotlightDorado.com

This year’s films include Marissa Díaz‘s adventure-filled Mexican standoff, Fancy Florez’s Summer Staycation, Kryzz Gautier‘s virtual reality romance, Chimera, and Pablo Riesgo‘s satire sci-fi, Cuando Volvimos A La Tierra. Fans can vote for their favorite film until February 11 to help determine the grand prize winner.

The short films are making their debut amid underrepresentation of Latinos in the entertainment and film industry. Recent findings from the USC Annenberg Inclusion Initiative highlight the issue remains ongoing, both behind the scenes and on-screen. Their latest research study, supported by McDonald’s Spotlight Dorado, reveals that less than 5% of directors from major motion pictures between 2007 and 2022 were Hispanic/Latino. Among this group, only five were women.

Latin Heat had the pleasure of interviewing Marissa Diaz about her entry in this competition, with her short Fancy Florez’s Summer Staycation on their show Hollywood Talks.

This disparity goes beyond directors. On-screen, a mere 4.4% of lead or co-lead roles featured Hispanic/Latino actors. This latest research highlights the urgency for a more inclusive film landscape.

By supporting pivotal research and rising storytellers, McDonald’s is helping drive inclusivity while reaffirming its commitment to the diverse communities it serves.

“As part of our commitment to giving back to the diverse communities we call home, we are proud to support opportunities that help drive inclusivity and change,” said Ryan Worthy, Content and Culture Director at McDonald’s USA. “With Spotlight Dorado, McDonald’s has been able to use its scale to amplify pivotal research and create opportunities for Latino and Hispanic storytellers–and the results speak for themselves. We’re so proud of the outstanding talent showcased by this year’s Spotlight Dorado finalists. They have a bright future and we can’t wait to see what else is in store for them.”

Following their selection as the top three finalists last summer, McDonald’s gave the talented filmmakers a combined budget of $225,000 to produce their short films. Each also received personalized mentorship from industry leaders, including Grammy®-winning artist, Golden Globe® and Emmy® nominated actor Anthony Ramos, actress Danay Garcia, comedian, writer, actor, and producer Al Madrigal, director Carlos López Estrada and writer-director Nancy Mejía.

The grand prize winner of this year’s program will be announced in March. For more information on the program, visit www.spotlightdorado.com.

Watch the Spotlight Dorado Short Film Trailers

• Marissa Díaz – Fancy Florez’s Summer Staycation
• Kryzz Gautier – Chimera
• Pablo Riesgo – Cuando Volvimos A La Tierra

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Get ready to vote for the latest short films from emerging Latino and Hispanic filmmakers in the Spotlight Dorado lineup. Starting today, you can check out three diverse projects from the latest edition of the short film contest at SpotlightDorado.com. The films include Marissa Díaz‘s action-packed “Fancy Florez’s Summer Staycation,” Kryzz Gautier‘s virtual reality romance, “Chimera,” and Pablo Riesgo‘s satire sci-fi, “Cuando Volvimos A La Tierra.” Voting for your favorite film is open until February 11 to help determine the grand prize winner.

The short films are launching at a time when there’s a notable lack of representation for Latinos and Hispanics in the entertainment and film industry. Recent research from the USC Annenberg Inclusion Initiative, supported by McDonald’s Spotlight Dorado, reveals that less than 5% of directors of major motion pictures from 2007 to 2022 were Hispanic/Latino. Among them, only five were women.

This inequality extends beyond directors, with a mere 4.4% of lead or co-lead roles featuring Hispanic/Latino actors. This research underscores the pressing need for a more inclusive film landscape.

McDonald’s is addressing this issue by supporting important research and upcoming storytellers, contributing to inclusivity and demonstrating its commitment to diverse communities.

Ryan Worthy, Content and Culture Director at McDonald’s USA, stated, “As part of our commitment to giving back to the diverse communities we call home, we are proud to support opportunities that help drive inclusivity and change. With Spotlight Dorado, McDonald’s has been able to use its scale to amplify pivotal research and create opportunities for Latino and Hispanic storytellers. We’re proud of the outstanding talent showcased by this year’s Spotlight Dorado finalists, and we look forward to seeing what else is in store for them.”

After being selected as the top three finalists last summer, McDonald’s provided the filmmakers with a combined budget of $225,000 to produce their short films. Each filmmaker also received personalized mentorship from industry leaders, including Grammy®-winning artist, Golden Globe® and Emmy® nominated actor Anthony Ramos, actress Danay Garcia, comedian, writer, actor, and producer Al Madrigal, director Carlos López Estrada, and writer-director Nancy Mejía.

The grand prize winner of this year’s program will be announced in March. For more information on the program, and to cast your vote visit www.spotlightdorado.com.

The post McDonald’s Spotlight Dorado Champions Hispanic Representation in Film by Unveiling Top Three Finalist Short Films first appeared on .

McDonald’s has partnered with Nuestro Stories, the nation’s only media platform devoted to Latino origins and histories, to launch a special Spotlight Dorado micro-digital documentary on The Latino Origins of Batman.

The short form doc and multi-media content focuses on the remarkable origin story of Batman, who traces back to the first Latino superhero Zorro, and who in turn was inspired by the real-life exploits of Mexican American, Joaquin Murrieta (1829 –1853).

Spotlight Dorado is a new multi-year platform aimed at uplifting Latino talent and arming them with access to mentorship and coveted resources to change their career trajectories and put them steps closer to making their cinematic dreams come true. The program includes a short film contest alongside acclaimed actress, director, producer and representation advocate Stephanie Beatriz.

Ten semi-finalists were selected on July 18, and three finalists will be chosen by August 8. The finalists will have their screenplays produced into a short film with mentorship from some of the most influential Latino voices in the industry. The films will debut on Spotlight Dorado later this year, and the winner will be decided by popular vote.

Even though Latinos represent nearly 20% of the U.S. population, their stories make up less than 1% of those told by Hollywood.^[1] Without mentorship, connections, and financial support, many Latino filmmakers struggle to produce films.

In the spirit of Spotlight Dorado, the digital and social media content was produced by the Latina-owned Brilla Media, which is the parent company of Nuestro Stories. Every facet of the storytelling, from script to directing, editing, and research, were produced by team of Latinos with Mexican-American, Cuban American, Puerto Rican, Colombian-American, and Venezuelan-American descent. This is the first part of a content series McDonald’s is producing with Nuestro Stories.

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