Joining the exclusive ranks of Rita Moreno, a Puerto Rican trailblazer, and Lupita Nyong’o, today Oscar nomination of America Ferrera makes a notable dent in the lack of diversity for Latinos in Hollywood.

Ferrera’s nomination not only celebrates her exceptional talent but also symbolizes a positive shift in the industry’s recognition of Latinx performers. Known for her impactful roles in projects like Real Women Have Curves and Ugly Betty, Ferrera has consistently broken barriers and challenged stereotypes.

Ferrera’s journey reflects the increasing acknowledgment of diverse voices in the entertainment world. Her presence in the Oscar nomination list is a testament to the importance of representation and the ongoing efforts to promote inclusivity in the film industry.

In a landscape where Latinx representation remains a crucial topic, America Ferrera’s Oscar nomination stands as a beacon of inspiration, paving the way for more Latinx talent to be recognized and celebrated on the grand stage of the Academy Awards.

This year Latinos were also nominated in various categories either for individual statues, or as part of a team.

ACTOR IN A LEADING ROLE

Colman Domingo
Rustin

ACTRESS IN A SUPPORTING ROLE

America Ferrera
Barbie

AIMATED FEATURE FILM

Robot Dreams
Pablo Berger, Ibon Cormenzana, Ignasi Estapé and Sandra Tapia Díaz

CINEMATOGRAPHY

Killers of the Flower Moon
Rodrigo Prieto

MUSIC (Original Song)

“The Fire Inside” from Flamin’ Hot
Music and Lyric by Diane Warren – Performed by Becky G

MAKEUP AND HAIRSTYLING

Society of the Snow
Ana López-Puigcerver, David Martí and Montse Ribé

The 96th Oscars will be broadcast on Sunday, March 10, 2024 on ABC. Those without access to ABC can still watch the Oscars live with streaming services that offer live television, including Hulu + Live TV, Sling TV and FuboTV

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BEST MOVIE QUOTE:

You sold your soul to the devil. How come you still look so good?”

– Gael Garcia Bernal as Hector in The Mother

Jennifer Lopez’s The Mother – Top Movie on Netflix

The Mother had the No. 1 opening weekend of any Netflix film released in 2023 after its release on May 12, 2023.  Distributed by Netflix, The Mother, starring Jennifer Lopez is an action-packed thriller that delves into the depths of a mother’s love in an unethical and captivating manner. Directed by visionary filmmaker, Nikki Caro (Whale Rider, The Zookeeper’s Wife, McFarland, USA) the buzz is that the movie takes audiences on an exhilarating and emotional rollercoaster ride. 

According to Heaven of Horror reviews, The Mother is a “good choice for a Friday night action flick where you want to be entertained but also want a decent storyline.” May 12, 2023

Additional Cast: Lucy Paez, Joseph Fiennes, Gael Garcia Bernal, Jesse Garcia,Yvonne Senat Jones, Paul Raci, Edie Falco, Michael Karl Richards, Link Baker, Mayumi Yoshida, Ryan Cowie, Todd Matthews, Yadier Fernandez, Olivia Lucas, Jay Cardinal Villenueve, Medi Regragui

Tom Clancy’s Jack Ryan

The official trailer for the fourth and final season of the action series, starring John Krasinski and Michael Peña as Domingo Chavez, Wendell Pierce, Michael Kelly, Betty Gabriel and Abbie Cornish, and Louis Ozawa. Tom Clancy’s Jack Ryan has been shared by Prime Video. The epic and exciting final season will be arriving through the streaming platform on June 30^th, with new episodes available every Friday.

The fourth and final season finds Jack Ryan on his most dangerous mission yet: facing an enemy both foreign and domestic. As the new CIA Acting Deputy Director, Ryan is tasked with unearthing internal corruption, and in doing so, uncovers a series of suspicious black ops that could expose the vulnerability of the country. Tom Clancy’s Jack Ryan is co-produced by Amazon Studios, Paramount Television Studios, and Skydance Television, and executive produced by Allyson Seeger, Andrew Form, John Krasinski, Brad Fuller, Michael Bay, and John Kelly.  05/31/2023

Sergio Calderón, Mexican Character Actor Dies at 77

Sergio Calderón died Wednesday in a Los Angeles hospital of natural causes, a family spokesman announced. He was a popular and respected character actor who made his mark in such iconic films as The In-Laws, Men in Black and Pirates of the Caribbean 3: At World’s End. At the turn of the 20th century, Calderón came to the attention of Hollywood after he portrayed a Mexican revolutionary in Duck, You Sucker (1971), written and directed  by Sergio Leone, and was a murderous Mexican chief of police opposite Albert Finney in John Huston’s Under the Volcano (1984). In the 1979 Arthur Hiller comedy The In-Laws is the film that got him his SAG card. 

Eva Longoria’s Searching For Mexico

Stanley Tucci and Eva Longoria teamed up to produce six episodes that explores the culture, traditions and foods of her Mexican roots, in Searching For Mexico, CNN’s original series. Search for the show and once you watch the first episode you will not be able to avoid binge watching the five remaining shows. Longoria is in post production for two upcoming new projectd, Land of Women, a TV mini series co-starring with Carmen Maura and Vanessa Casta?os, and War of the Worlds, an adventure/drama/horror, co-starring with Ice Cube and Michael O’Neill.If you missed the episodes, they are streaming. Check them out on CNN!

Cast: Lucy Paez, Joseph Fiennes, Gael Garcia Bernal, Jesse Garcia, Yvonne Senat Jones, Paul Raci, Edie Falco, Michael Karl Richards, Link Baker, Mayumi Yoshida, Ryan Cowie, Todd Matthews, Yadier Fernandez, Olivia Lucas, Jay Cardinal Villenueve, Medi Regragui

Penélope Cruz joins the Lancôme: La Vie Est Belle Campaign

The short beauty high profile Lacome short promotes The Scent of Happiness… “life is beautify,” is about choosing your own path to happiness and inspiring others. Complex and modern, the Eau de Parm campaign  features Lily Collings, Penélope Cruz, Hoyeon, Julia Roberts, Amanda Seyfried, Aya Nakamura, Isabella Rossellini, and Zendaya

Director: Emmanuel Adjel

Michelle Rodriguez & Rita Moreno Forge Ahead in Fast X 

Action Film Roared into Theaters May 19, 2023

Moving forward without a key character, Brian O’Conner portrayed by the late Paul Walker wasn’t easy, but Vin Diesel as Dominic Toretto the head of the family is joined by Michelle Rodriguez and Jason Stratham in the new action/adventure/crime Fast X movie. The legendary West Side Story actress, Rita Moreno, plays Dom’s grandmother, Abuela Toretto. And, boy it’s the ride of a lifetime! Fast X is such a spectacular movie production that it is a 2-part movie, the first being Fast X that just premiered and the second part will premiere sometime in 2025. 

 Dom Toretto and his family are targeted by the vengeful son (Jason Momoa) of drug kingpin Hernan Reyes. According to the storyline: “The end of the road begins. Fast X, the tenth film in the Fast and Furious Saga, launches the final chapters of one of cinema’s most storied and popular global franchises, now in its third decade and still going strong with the same core cast and characters as when it began. Cast also includes Tyrese Gibson, Chris “Ludacris” Bridges, Nathalie Emmanuel, Jordana Brewster, Sung Kang, Jason Stratham, John Cena and Scott Eastwood, with several Oscar® winners, Helen Mirren, Charlize Theron, Brie Larson, and Alan Richtson. Fast X is produced by Neal H. Moritz, Vin Diesel, Justin Lin, Jeff Kirschebaum and Samanta Vincent. And, executive produced by Joseph M. Caracciolo, Jr., David Cain, Chris Morgan, Amanda Lews and Mark Bomback. 

Most of the reviews have been positive, sharing the same overall sentiment: “From the very beginning, Fast X grabs hold of the audience’s attention and refuses to let go.”

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There will be a plethora of Latino talent gracing the airwaves this holiday as Lifetime launches its annual It’s a Wonderful Lifetime programming event. Offering joyous cheer will be films that feature stars such as Rita Moreno, Mario Lopez, Camila Banus, Mario Cantone, Ariana Ron Pedrique, Rodrigo Massa and many others. 

Beginning on Novemver 17 at 8/7c Sweet Navidad starts off the season with a focus on a young, hard-working pastry chef Carmen (Camila Banus), who dreams of opening her own Puerto Rican-influenced bakery, like the one her family owned on the island. When hotel owner Victor Flores (David Fumero) discovers Carmen’s treats at a local coffee shop, he invites her to apply for a position as pastry chef for his hotel’s holiday gala.  When she is accepted, she’s paired with chef Jax (Mark Hapka). At first, the two do not mix well. Carmen is messy and cooks from the heart; Jax is a perfectionist fixated on technique. 

Miami-born Banus, of Spanish and Cuban descent, is best known for her role as Gabi Hernandez on the soap opera, Days of Our Lives (2010-2015). “This Lifetime film does reflect my upbringing,” says Banus. “In the film, when all the chefs are competing, they brag about what important culinary schools they attended. When they ask Carmen about her training. She exclaims, ‘I studied at the academy of mi familia…in Miami.’ Also featured in Sweet Navidad are Melissa Marty, Teri Hoyos, Manny Streetz Guevara, Norma Maldonado and J. Santiago Suarez.      

Sweet Navidad is produced by Ninth House Films for Lifetime. Autumn Federici and Jake Helgren serve as producers. Marianne C. Wunch, Hannah Pillemer, Fernando Szew from MarVista serve as executive producers. Script by Cristina Boada with Brittany Underwood as director.

Santa Bootcamp (November 19 at 8/7c) finds event planner Emily Strauss (Emily Kinney, (The Walking Dead) being commanded by mall magnate Ed Mancini (Patrick Cassidy of Castle) to stage the ultimate Christmas Gala for his most important investors. Emily is sent to Santa Bootcamp where she is confronted by Belle (Rita Moreno, (West Side Story), the bootcamp’s drill sergeant with a heart of gold, who helps Emily rediscover the magic of Christmas and find romance along the way. 

“The director, Melissa Joan Hart, was wonderful to work with,” says Moreno. “While keeping a tight rein on the script and the flow of the movie, she allowed me to improvise a bit within the lines. That was wonderful.” Moreno further exclaims, “I have always been a holiday person. I have been known to decorate anyone in my house who happens to stand still for more than a minute, because during the holidays, I turn into a child.” Additional stars include Tony winner Marissa Jaret Winokur, Justin Gaston, John Schuck, and deaf actors Deanne Bray and Zyra Singleton.

Hart  also serves as executive producer, along with Irene Dreayer, Gina Rugolo Judd, and Paula Hart. The film is produced by Hartbreak Films Inc with a script written by Michael J. Murray.  

Steppin’ Into the Holiday (airing November 25 at 8/7c) features Mario Lopez, portraying a former Broadway star who returns to his hometown after being fired from a TV dance competition series where had served as host-producer-judge. “This has been great for me,” says Lopez. “Netflix reached out to me and asked if I would like to co-star with Jana Kramer. I think the network thought of us both because of our backgrounds, competing on Dancing With the Stars.”

As the title intimates, there is a lot of ‘steppin’ in the show. Lopez’s character, Billy, meets Rae (Kramer), the owner of a dance studio, where Billy’s 12-year-old nephew is her standout student. Billy volunteers to help Rae with the studio’s recital by reviving the town’s traditional Christmas Eve show. Along the way, the holiday spirit affects the disillusioned Broadway star and the hopeful small town dance teacher…in a good way.

Lopez and Kramer are executive producers on the movie, which served them both well. “Jana lives in Nashville where we are shooting and two of my favorite writers created the script, Peter Murrieta (The Wizards of Waverly Place) and his wife, Eliza.”  Lopez, whose parents were both emigrants from Mexico, became a child actor while a student in Chula Vista, California, eventually landing a series regular role on Saved by the Bell (1989-1994). Trained as a dancer from the age of seven, he made his Broadway debut in the 2008 in a revival of A Chorus Line.  

Steppin’ Into the Holiday, which also features Mario’s wife, Courtney Lopez, as well as Cheri Oteri and Mario Cantone, is produced by Via Mar and Roberts Media, LLC. in association with Motion Content Group. Mark Roberts, Mario Lopez, Jana Kramer,  Jeff Stearns, Richard Foster and Chet Fenster serve as Executive Producers. David Kendall directs from a script by Aliza Murrieta and Peter Murrieta.

Additional It’s A Wonderful Lifetime Latino-themed films include:  Cloudy, With a Chance For Christmas, starring Valerie Ortiz (11/5); Well Suited For Christmas, starring Mercedes de la Zerda (11/6); A Show-Stopping Christmas, starring Jamie Perez 11/20); and Merry Textmas, starring Ariana Ron Pedrique & Rodrigo Massa (12/4).

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Unsung Pioneering East LA Chicano actor Lalo Rios (1928-1973) is to be given a tribute on Turner Classic Movies Channel on Sunday September 18th, 5:00 P.M. (PT) with Two groundbreaking Movies The Lawless 1950 and The Ring 1952 with Rita Moreno. Rios was the first young Chicano screen rebel hero who came to epitomize the Chicano Civil rights movement almost a decade later.

The tribute to Rios will be hosted on camera by L.A based Film Historian Luis I. Reyes, who is the author of the new book Viva Hollywod which highlights the achievements of Latinx in the Hollywood film industry.

Rios was born in Sonora Mexico and his family immigrated to The United States in 1938 and settled in Lincoln Heights and Boyle Heights. He was not a trained actor but a construction worker, when he was discovered by Director Joseph Losey who found him to possess a natural talent in front of the camera. His only theatrical experience was participating in local posadas or religious nativity plays where he also played the guitar.

Reyes, whose knowledge of the careers of Latinos in Hollywood, has featured now in three of his books: Hispanics in Hollywood, Made in Mexico and now Viva Hollywood. Beginning with Hispanics in Hollywood, one of the most comprehensive look at Latinos in Hollywood, highlighted the careers of may throughout the history of Hollywood where Latinos have played a part since the silent era. Reyes impressed upon us the importance of knowing the history of talents like Rios. “It is important that we document our Latinx history in the entertainment industry as it is a part of the whole picture of the history of those individuals of diverse (ethnic, racial, immigrants and emigres) backgrounds that participated and contributed to the Hollywood Film Industry and gave us treasured Classic cinema,” he told Latin Heat. 

He talked about his new book, “Viva Hollywood” which has given him the opportunity to “…give fresh new insights to the history especially the advancements of the last 25 years and put them in perspective”.

“Viva Hollywood” is an overview and highlights recognized and unrecognized Latinx talent in Hollywood both in front of and behind the camera. Reyes explains that this book is not a comprehensive book with some personal favorites may be missing.  

“If we don’t document it, it will be lost,” Reyes reminds us. The book celebrates and honors the latest generation of artists like Edward James Olmos, Andy Garcia, Jennifer Lopez, Salma Hayek, and Eva Longoria who have paved the way for Ana de Armas, Michael Pena, Zoe Saldana, Pedro Pascal and Oscar Isaac, among many others.

Jimmy Smits, who will be starring in a new CBS TV series East New York, and is a long-time friend of Reyes’ contributed the forward to the book. Viva Hollywood  is lavishly illustrated with more than 200 color and black and white photos.

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Showrunner and creator extraordinaire Gloria Calderón Kellett’s latest series, With Love is set to premiere Dec. 17. Following the success of her award-winning One Day At A Time starring Rita Moreno, Justina Machado and Todd Grinnell, Calderón Kellet once again proves why she is considered one of Hollywood’s most successful TV producers.

With Love’s series premiere of Nochebuena introduces us to the Diaz family—Diaz siblings, Lily (Emeraude Toubia) and Jorge Jr. (Mark Indelicato), who are on a mission to find love and purpose. Their parents stars Benito Martinez and Constance Marie– oh the joy of life with an all American-Latino familia! 

Another recurring actor who caught our attention is Birdie Silverstein, who portrays Charlie and happens to be the daughter of Busy Phillipps. Birdie is proving to be quite a delightful gift and is making a splash and Hollywood is paying attention.

Of course, being the outspoken and gregarious Latino family, what could go wrong during the stress-heightened days leading to the Christmas holidays? Everything, that’s what!

The Diaz family has gathered for their annual Christmas Eve gathering known as Nochebuena. The family comes together not just bearing gifts but also with a truck load of personal problems and issues they are currently dealing with. 

With Love is a groundbreaking television production in that it has cast one of this generation’s most influential transgender woman, Isis King, who portrays Sol Delgado. The rest of the cast in the first five episodes includes Vincent Rodriguez III (I Heart Arlo, Crazy Ex-Girlfriend), Todd Grinnell (Hollywoodland, One Day At A Time), Rome Flynn (How to Get Away with Murder, A Madea Family Funeral), Andre Royo (Hand Of God), Desmond Chiam (The Falcon and the Winter Soldier) and Calderón Kellett herself as Gladys Delgado. 

Bring on the mix bag of tamales! Feliz Navidad! Watch on Prime Video.

Featured Photo: With Love follows the Diaz siblings as they navigate their love, family and life. (Credit: Kevin Estrada/Amazon Studios)

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Rita Moreno cannot believe she has come full circle with West Side Story. 

Director Steven Spielberg’s version of the acclaimed musical feature is set to hit theatres Dec. 10. Moreno serves as an executive producer and stars as Valentina. 

In this video, the living Puerto Rican legend talks about working in the new musical movie and meeting actress Ariana DeBose, who plays Anita. Moreno had that role in the original film in 1961, which earned her an Oscar. Moreno turns 90 years old Dec. 11.

The West Side Story movies are adaptations of the Broadway musical hit of the same title that, in turn, was inspired by Shakespeare’s tragic love story Romeo and Juliet.

Spielberg’s feature is a production of 20th Century Fox, a subdivision of Walt Disney Studios, which also distributes the musical.

Featured Photo: Rita Moreno as Valentina in West Side Story (Photo: 20th Century Fox/Disney)

Check out the video to learn what Moreno has to say.

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The new West Side Story is Oscar-winning director Steven Spielberg’s version, some call it “reimagining,” of the 1961 multiple Academy Award-winning musical film that was an adaptation of the Broadway musical hit of the same title–which in turn was inspired by Shakespeare’s tragic love story Romeo and Juliet.

Check out the video of the world premiere featuring the film’s stars, including Latinos like Rachel Zegler, Ariana DeBose and David Alvarez sharing the spotlight with Spielberg and Moreno, who is also an executive producer of the feature. The film is a production of 20th Century Fox, a subdivision of Walt Disney Studios which is also distributing the musical.

Featured Photo: Screenshot of video of West Side Story’s world premiere (Photo: 20th Century Fox/Disney)

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Rita Moreno, Lin-Manuel Miranda and Demián Bichir will be among the first recipients of the Critics Choice Association’s inaugural Celebration of Latino Cinema, honoring artists who have made significant contributions to film in 2021. The event will take place Dec. 2.

West Side Story star Moreno, one of a handful of actors who have won the Emmy, Grammy, Oscar and Tony awards, popularly referred to as EGOT, will be presented with the Icon Award. 

Hamilton legend Miranda, an acclaimed songwriter, actor and director will receive the Visionary Award. 

Bichir, one of four Latino actors nominated for the Oscar for a Best Actor in the history of the Academy, will receive the Career Achievement Award.

“We are thrilled to be launching the first annual Celebration of Latino Cinema which recognizes the talented performers and skilled professionals who create the acclaimed films we are so proud to honor,” says Claudia Puig, CCA member and co-programmer of the event. Founded in 2019 with the merger of the Broadcast Film Critics Association and the Broadcast Television Journalists Association, CCA is reportedly the largest critics organization in the U.S and Canada representing almost 500 television, radio and online critics and entertainment reporters. 

Moreno has won all four of the most prestigious awards in show business: an Oscar, a Tony, two Emmys, and a Grammy. She recently co-starred in the critically acclaimed Latino reimagining of Norman Lear’s classic sitcom One Day At A Time. Her acclaimed documentary Rita Moreno: Just a Girl Who Decided to Go For It had its world premiere at the 2021 Sundance Film Festival before being released in theaters nationwide and was aired on PBS American Masters this fall. The Puerto Rican actress also co-stars in and is an exec producer of the Steven Spielberg remake of the acclaimed musical film West Side Story, set for release this December. 

A recipient of the Peabody Career Achievement Award and the Kennedy Center Honor for her lifetime contributions to American culture, Moreno was also honored by her peers as the 50th recipient of the Screen Actors Guild Life Achievement Award. She recently served as Grand Marshal of the Rose Parade and the National Puerto Rican Day Parade. Moreno’s first-ever all-Spanish language album Una Vez Más was produced by multiple-Grammy Award-winner Emilio Estefan. Her first book, Rita Moreno: A Memoir is a New York Times bestseller. Also a dancer and singer, Moreno has received the Presidential Medal of Freedom by President George W. Bush and the National Medal of Arts by President Barack Obama.

Songwriter, actor and director Miranda has also won some of the most prestigious honors in the arts, including a Pulitzer Prize, Grammy, Emmy and Tony. He is the creator and original star of Broadway’s Tony-winning musical hits Hamilton and In the Heights. His additional Broadway credits include Freestyle Love Supreme, Bring It On: The Musical and the 2009 revival of West Side Story with Spanish translations. The New York native of Puerto Rican descent is the recipient of the 2015 MacArthur Foundation Award, the 2018 Kennedy Center Honors and the 2019 Portrait of a Nation Prize. He received an Emmy Award with Tom Kitt for their song, “Bigger.” Two of his most recent projects are Disney’s Encanto, now playing in theaters, and Netflix’s current musical movie tick, tick… BOOM! that marked his film directorial debut. 

For his part, Bichir is among the most prominent and active Latino actors in Hollywood today. He received a Best Actor Oscar nomination in 2012 for his role in Chris Weitz’s A Better Life, becoming the first Mexican-born actor to be nominated in that category by the Academy since Anthony Quinn in 1957. This year, Lionsgate celebrates the 10th anniversary of A Better Life, which also earned Bichir nominations for the Independent Spirit and SAG awards. He recently received rave reviews for his performance in the film Land, directed by Robin Wright, and received a 2021 Ariel Best Actor nomination for his performance in the independent film Danyka in Mexico. 

Bichir was born in Mexico City and has starred in critically acclaimed films all over the world, with more than 20 titles shot in Mexico and countries such as Spain, Ireland, Argentina, Colombia, Bolivia, New Zealand and Australia. His film credits include Steven Soderbergh’s Che, Oliver Stone’s Savages, Quentin Tarantino’s The Hateful Eight, Robert Rodriguez’s Machete Kills, Paul Feig’s The Heat, Richard Shepard’s Dom Hemingway, Ridley Scott’s Alien, George Clooney’s The Midnight Sky, and Adam Wingard’s blockbuster hit Godzilla Vs. Kong.

“Films by our honorees represent the diverse and multi-faceted Latino community, and reflect our increasingly inclusive industry,” states Clayton Davis, CCA board member and co-programmer of the Celebration of Latino Cinema.

The event will be produced by Madelyn Hammond and Javier Infante of Madelyn Hammond & Associates. Production company Stagedge will be responsible for transforming the show into an immersive virtual experience.

A portion of the proceeds from the event will be donated to LA Collab, a project with the mission to accelerate Latino access, visibility and representation in the entertainment industry.

The event will take place Dec. 9.

Featured Photos: Lin-Manuel Miranda (Photo: Courtesy, self) / Rita Moreno (Photo: Courtesy, self) / Demian Bichir (Photo: Courtesy, self)

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Written by Roberto Leal

The Netflix animated mini-Series Maya and the Three is a colorful, action-packed adventure tale that reminds us of the little-known and rarely shown great mythology of Mesoamerica and the ancient civilizations from which they came. Thanks to Maya and the Three the mythology of Mesoamerica will take its place alongside those of Greece, Rome, Asia and England.

THE QUEST

All great myth stories involve the hero embarking on a journey in a quest for something that will bring change or resolution to a problem. It can be a Golden Fleece, a Holy Grail or a sword embrued with magical powers. It often means the hero has to cross a threshold into a different world or realm.

Maya, the Princess of Teca, balks at becoming a mere royal diplomat. She wants to become a warrior and seek out and destroy the evil god of the underworld who threatens the existence of all humanity.  Zoe Saldana (Avatar) is the perfect voice-over actor to portray Maya. Beginning with her role in Avatar and other action-adventure films, the actress is the live-action embodiment of a warrior princess. But in Maya and the Three, Saldana uses only her voice acting skills to project a sense of physicality and urgency to Maya. The temptation is to go over the top and turn Maya into a one-dimensional, strident character. But Saldana controls and modulates her vocal performance and gives Maya nuanced emotional notes especially when she makes mistakes and wrestles with regrets and doubts. Saldana makes Maya a hero the audience can emphasize and cheer on to victory.

However, in order to achieve that victory over the evil god of the underworld, Maya recruits three legendary fighters to help her in her cause. Rico (Allen Maldonado, Heels), Pichu (Gabriel Iglesias, Fieldhand) and Chimi (Stephanie Beatriz, Brooklyn Nine Nine) join Maya on her quest. All three are fearless fighters. All three are flawed and bring their own personal baggage to the journey. Not only do they fight the evil god of the underworld but also battle their personal demons.

A TRIUMPH OF ANIMATION

Jorge R. Gutiérrez is the artistic and creative genius behind the visual landscape of the fantasy world of Maya and the Three. Gutiérrez’s deft drawing hand is responsible for the animation in The Book of Life, El Tigre, The Adventures of Manny Rivera, Space Punch plus many other Latino-themed animated shorts and TV series.

But Maya and the Three is by far his most ambitious undertaking to date. “I love those great Hong Kong martial arts movies,” says Gutérrez. “I was inspired by the choreography of those martial arts fight sequences.” Gutierrez points out all the time, effort and detail that went into choreographing the fight senses in Maya and the Three. “Every episode ends with a totally different fight sequence,” declares Guitérrez with a hint of pride. He goes on to effusively discuss what inspires his approach to animation.

“The animation style in Maya and the Three is very much a love letter to everything I love,” says Guitérrez. “I love Japanese animation. I love the classic American rubber hose animation of the ’30s.” Gutiérrez continues, “I also love super-flat, super-stylized European animation from the ‘50s.” And finally, Gutiérrez concludes with, “I love stop motion. I also love imperfect folk art because it reflects the humanity of the artist.”

That’s a whole lot of loving for one animator. Regardless, Gutiérrez uses colors from all those influential palettes and creates an animated fantasy world that reflects not only his humanity but that of his characters as well.

MEXICO IN THE MIST

The classic Mesoamerican civilizations of the Olmecs, Toltecs, Mayans and Aztecs are the inspiration and backdrop for the fantasy landscape of Maya and the Three. In every episode, we see the temples and pyramids that were found in Teotihuacán, Chichen Itza and Cholula that equaled anything built in Egypt. The names are slightly changed. For example, Maya is the Princess of Teca. Teca? Could that be shorthand for Toltec? One of Maya’s legendary fighters is named Pichu, which is a nod to the city of Machu Pichu of the majestic Inca Empire. And of course, there’s our hero, Maya, her name refers to the Mayans who built enormous cities in the jumble, developed a lunar calendar and invented the mathematical concept of “zero.”

The characters can often be heard speaking words or phrases in Spanish. But wait! ¡Uno memento, por favor! This fantasy story is set in an epoch long before the Spanish Conquest. So where did these folks learn Spanish? Was thee some ancient Berlitz course we are not aware of?

No, Gutiérrez is just taking a little historical poetic license to impress on us Maya and the Three is about the past cultural glories and legacy of Mexico that, as proud Latinos, is our treasured heritage.

AN ALL-STAR CAST OF VOICES

The list of actors who lent their voices to Maya and the Three reads like a Who’s Who of Latino Hollywood: Kate del Castillo, Cheech Marin, Rita Moreno, Rosie Perez, Sandra Equihua, Jorge R. Gutiérrez, Alfred Molina. Even Queen Latifah gets in on the fun. But it’s the strength, power and humanity of Saldana’s voiceover as Maya, Warrior Princess, that draws us through episode after episode on this action-packed adventure fantasy ride to its thrilling conclusion.

Maya and the Three is currently streaming on Netflix.

MAYA AND THE THREE

Cast: Zoe Saldana, Allen Maldonnado, Stephanie Beatriz,Gabriel Iglesias, Jorge R. Gutiérrez, Diego Luna, Dee Bradley Baker, Sandra Equihua, Grey Griffin, Alfred Molina, Carlos Alazraqui, Eric Bauza, Stephanie Beatriz, Kate del Castillo, Rita Moreno, Queen Latifah, Jeff Ranjo, Cheech Marin, Gabriel Iglesias, Joaquín Cosío, Hailey Hermida, John DiMaggio, Isabela Merced, Carolina Ravassa, Gael García Bernal, Chelsea Rendon, Wyclef Jean, Danny Trejo, Rosie Perez and Raphael Alejandro. Additional voices: Alanna Ubach and Andy Santana.

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Academy Award-nominated star Edward James Olmos may be the ultimate actor/filmmaker/activist and the Los Angeles Latino International Film Festival one of his main causes.

For two decades, LALIFF has been a major platform for both U.S. Latino and Latin American filmmakers to showcase their works in the heart of Hollywood, which not even the pandemic has been able to derail. The fest starts today with in-person and online programs and runs through June 6. The lineup features more than 40 films in English, Spanish and Portuguese, including 18 features, 6 episodic series and 24 shorts. The selections hail from about a dozen countries from the Americas, from the U.S. down to Tierra del Fuego and also the Caribbean.

Olmos is proud of how LALIFF has weathered the challenge posed by COVID. “The pandemic really hit us hard in 2020,” says the Battlestar Galactica star. “We were all scheduled to go (last June). Then the pandemic slammed us in March and everything closed down. So, two days later we created a virtual stream of the whole LALIFF Festival which launched in June 2020 and it worked.” The entire festival was streamed live, the first international film festival to accomplish this, according to Olmos. 

Now with pandemic protocols more relaxed, LALIFF is ready to welcome screenings at movie theatres along with a virtual showcase. Olmos is excited about the fest’s 20th edition this week. “It will be even better this year because more people will be able to go into the theatre and experience this live,” he says, noting that the fest doesn’t just serve the Latinos but diverse communities, with people coming from all over the state, country and world. “The key to the whole thing is the exposure all these films will receive from the 2nd of June to June 6th,” he states.

LALIFF is centered in Hollywood/Highland Complex, utilizing Grauman’s Chinese Theatre and two adjoining TCL Chinese Theatres. “We have a compact schedule of professional events, including scriptwriting, distribution, pitching, film scoring and masterclasses,” says Olmos. 

The lineup included 18 feature films, beginning with the June 2 premiere of the U.S. feature 7th and Union, written by Oscar Torres and directed by Anthony Nardolillo. The cast features Omar Chaparro and Edy Ganem. 

LALIFF will present one on the first in-theater screening of the much-anticipated films of the summer, In The Heights. The Jon M. Chu directed film musical, an adaptation of Lin Manuel Miranda’s Broadway, Tony award-winning stage production, premieres on June 4, In-Person at the TCL Chinese Theater in the heart of Hollywood.

Also screening will be Brazilian feature La Botera (Boat Rower Girl), written and directed by Sabrina Blanco and featuring Nicole Rivadero, Sergio Prina, Alan Gómez and Gabriela Saidon, and Rita Moreno: Just a Girl Who Decided to Go For It, directed by Mariem Pérez Riera and featuring Gloria Estefan, Morgan Freeman, Whoopi Goldberg, Eva Longoria, Justina Machado and Karen Olivo.

Olmos seems particularly happy about the new fellowship series the festival has created with Netflix, which offers $20,000 fellowships to five Latino filmmakers. This year’s fellows are Lorena Durán, Justin Floyd, Kase Peña, Monica Suriyage and Tamara Shogaolu, who will each produce a short film and receive individualized mentorship, as well as one-on-one meetings with industry leaders. Their completed films will premiere at next year’s fest. “This relationship with Netflix and LALIFF is continuing for another three years,” says Olmos. 

Netflix will also offer support to the filmmakers throughout the development of their films. The mentors are executive producer Alicia Marie Agramonte, director of development of film at Revelations Entertainment; writer, director and producer Jhonny Hendrix Hinestroza (Candelaria); writer, director and producer Diana Peralta (De lo Mio); producer Cisely Saldana, co-founder of Cinestar Pictures; and writer-producer Oscar Torres (Innocent Voices).

Founded in 1997, LALIFF is arguably the preeminent Latino film fest in the nation and the only one of its kind taking place on the so-called movie mecca of the world. Its website boasts of being “recognized by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences for its discovery of emerging Latino talent.” The annual event has been home to debut films by Oscar-winning directors such as Guillermo del Toro, Alfonso Cuaron, Alejandro G. Iñarritu and Pablo Larrain and of movies starring Golden Globe-winning actresses America Ferrera and Gina Rodriguez.

The festival is just a highlight in the prolific career of Olmos, who showed interest in community causes, sports and even politics at an early age. Born in East Los Angeles, he ran for student body president at Montebello High School but lost to future California Democratic Party Chair Art Torres. He also joined the L.A Dodgers’ farm system at age 13 and a rock and roll band at 15. 

But when he took classes at East Los Angeles College, he developed an interest in acting. 

In the early 1970s, he appeared in many small stage productions around L.A. He finally got his big break when he was cast as El Pachuco in Luis Valdez’s landmark Zoot Suit, which dramatized the World War II tensions between Mexican-Americans and local police in L.A. When the play premiered at the Mark Taper Forum in 1978, it was the first professionally produced Chicano play presented by Center Theatre Group. The production moved later to Broadway and Olmos received a Tony nomination. He repeated his role in the subsequent 1981 film, also written and directed by Valdez.

As he forged a successful career in film and television, Olmos became a crusader for more diversified roles and images of Latinos in the U.S. media as an actor, director, producer and activist. 

He gained notoriety for his roles in the crime series Miami Vice in the second half of the ‘80s and also starred in Stand and Deliver based on the true story of math teacher Jaime Escalante, which earned him an Oscar nomination. He then directed, produced and starred in the 1992 drama feature American Me and other landmark works such as The Burning Season. He again gained prominence starring as William Adama in the re-imagined cable series Battlestar Galactica that became a TV phenomenon. Other film credits include the 1982 sci-fi drama Blade Runner and its sequel Blade Runner 2049 more than a decade later as well as Roosters in 1992 and My Family/Mi Familia in 1995. 

Since 2018, he’s played the father of two members of an outlaw motorcycle club in the FX series Mayans MC. 

Despite the financial rewards of working in commercial films and TV, Olmos became enamored with the great diversity offered by the Public Broadcasting System, appearing in American Playhouse productions of The Disappearance of Garcia Lorca in 1998. 

In 1998, he founded Latino Public Broadcasting and currently serves as its chairman. LPB funds public television programming that focuses on issues affecting Hispanics and advocates for diverse perspectives in public television. 

Olmos was one of the driving forces that created Americanos: Latino Life in the U.S., a 1999 book project featuring over 30 award-winning photographers that later was turned into a Smithsonian traveling exhibition.

The actor/filmmaker makes frequent appearances at juvenile halls and detention centers to speak to at-risk teenagers. He has also been an international ambassador for UNICEF. In 2001, he was arrested and spent 20 days in jail for taking part in the Navy-Vieques protests against the U.S. Navy’s target practice bombings of the island of Vieques, Puerto Rico. In 2007, he criticized the United States government for not cleaning up Vieques after the Navy stopped using the island. 

During the course of his career, Olmos has become known not only for his straightforward, uncompromising opinions but also for his droll sense of humor. When the 2004 remake of the popular 1970s series, Battlestar Galactica, was being presented at the bi-annual meeting of the Television Critics Association before the series made its public debut, Olmos calmly stated to the gathered 250 TV scribes, “If you loved the ‘70s version of Battlestar Galactica, you’re going to hate ours.” Olmos just smiled as he heard the collected groans of the show’s executives sitting at the back of the room. Actually, Olmos knew the series would be a success. And it did, running until 2009.    

When asked what else is going on in his life, Olmos smiles broadly and says, “You have got to catch my latest film, Walking with Herb. It is a lovely piece of work, also starring George Lopez and Kathleen Quinlan.” Released this year, this comedy is directed by Ross Marks and executive produced by Olmos. 

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