McDonald’s Spotlight Dorado, a multi-year platform created to uplift and amplify Latino voices across different industries, kicked off in April with an open call for all U.S.-based Latino writers, directors and producers to submit their screenplays. Finalists were announced at a celebratory event in LA where acclaimed actress, director, producer, and representation advocate Stephanie Beatriz surprised them with the news, positioning them in the running of being named the grand-prize winner.

“It’s been a long journey for Latino representation on and off-screen, but the creativity, passion and top-notch quality of the three finalist short film narratives fill me with hope for the future,” said Stephanie Beatriz, best known for her role as ‘Mirabel’ in Disney’s Academy Award-winning film, Encanto. “While there’s still work to be done, programs like McDonald’s Spotlight Dorado are essential to support talented creatives and give them the tools they need to bring their stories to life.”

The three finalists were selected by a panel of industry leaders based on criteria across all aspects of filmmaking, including originality, direction, writing, cinematography, and production value, to name a few. Bringing the program full circle, the finalists will also get access to mentorship from renowned leaders in film including Stephanie Beatriz, Director Carlos López Estrada, Showrunner Ilana Peña, Actress Danay Garcia and Writer/Director Nancy C. Mejía.

Meet the Spotlight Dorado finalists

Jazmin Aguilar is a writer and director from South Gate, CA. Her short film The Letter played at numerous Academy Award/BAFTA qualifying festivals and was eventually licensed by HBO in 2020. Aguilar has been recognized as Best Director at the Young Entertainer Awards, and the Official Latino Film Festival. She was also a recipient of NALIP’s Emerging Creator Scholarship.

Jesus Celaya is a Mexican American writer and director who grew up between Washington State and the border state Sonora, Mexico. Celaya studied film at the Brooks Institute in L.A. Since then, he has won various awards, including a Latinx Fellowship at the 2020 Screenwriters and Directors Labs.

Lorena Russi is a queer professional soccer player turned comedian, filmmaker, and educator. Originally from Queens, she recently wrote and performed in HBO’s PAUSE with Sam Jay. In the past, she has been a writer for Spotify and PBS, in addition to writing and producing for the digital team at “The Late Show with Stephen Colbert,” on CBS.

The finalist short films will debut in November on spotlightdorado.com. Fans will have the opportunity to vote for their favorite short film and help determine the grand-prize winner. The winner will be given a year-long opportunity to work with McDonald’s USA in 2023 on future creative initiatives and campaigns and will receive industry-standard creative software subscription services.

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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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All screenings of Encanto, including the one on Sunday, include a live performance featuring Maribel–the film’s central character–on the movie theater stage before each show. Moviegoers can also take a picture at a themed photo op in the lobby and purchase Encanto-themed concession items.
El Capitan shows first-run films from Disney.

Encanto tells the tale of an extraordinary family, the Madrigals, who live hidden in the mountains of Colombia, in a magical house, vibrant town, a wondrous, charming place called an Encanto. The magic of the Encanto has blessed every child in the family with a unique gift from super strength to the power to heal—every child except one, Mirabel, voiced by Stephanie Beatriz (Brooklyn Nine-Nine). But when she discovers that the magic surrounding the Encanto is in danger, Mirabel decides that she, the only ordinary Madrigal, might just be her exceptional family’s last hope. The film is directed by Jared Bush (Zootopia) and Byron Howard (Zootopia, Tangled), co-directed by Charise Castro Smith (writer, The Death of Eva Sofia Valdez), and produced by Yvett Merino and Clark Spencer. The screenplay is by Castro Smith and Bush. Encanto features original songs by Emmy, Grammy and Tony award-winner Lin-Manuel Miranda (Hamilton, Moana); Germaine Franco (Dora and the Lost City of Gold) composed the original score.

Currently the number one film in the U.S., Encanto topped the box office on its premiere weekend with $27.2 million.

The Dec. 5 Encanto event will be historic for El Capitan. It will be the first time that the theatre holds a screening en español of a Disney feature, according to Teresa Saenz, senior manager of sales and marketing at Walt Disney Studios.

Special Disney movie presentations at El Capitan are often preceded by a live stage show, a feature unique to the historic theatre. Previous Latino-theme films screened include Coco, which held its world premiere at El Capitan. Another movie with some Latino flavor slated for screening there in December is West Side Story, a remake of the acclaimed musical film directed by Academy Award-winner Steven Spielberg for 20th Century Fox. Unlike the 1961 original, Spielberg’s version includes a large Latino cast properly in the roles of Puerto Rican characters. Disney is now a distributor of 20th Century Fox features.  

All seats for Encanto’s Dec. 5 engagement need to be reserved. Tickets cost $24 for adults and $18 for children of age 3 through 11 and seniors of age 60 and above. 

Family packs are also available for $75 each and include four reserved tickets, four 64-oz popcorn tubs, four bottle beverages and parking at Hollywood & Highland. Additional tickets can be added by calling 1-800-Disney6 (347-6396). 

Daily showtimes for Encanto are 10 a.m. and 1, 4, 7 and 9:55 p.m.  

For tickets visit www.elcapitantickets.com and https://www.fandango.com/el-capitan-theatre-aacon/theater-page.  

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The Gracie Awards recognize exemplary programming created by women, for women and about women in radio, television, and interactive media. Honorees are selected in national, local and student markets, including both commercial and non-commercial outlets. This year’s honorees represent the substance and ethos of women’s storytelling and journalism at its best.  Their work during this global state of affairs – full of innovation, courage and endurance – serves as inspiration today for the journalists of tomorrow.

Among the presenters for the evening are Julie Carmen Malin Akerman, Sanjay Gupta, Cassie DiLaura, Imani Walker,  Elaina Doré and Angélica Vale. The Alliance for Women in Media are the organizers of the event and they have announced that Grey’s Anatomy will be the evening’s Special Honoree and Mickey Guyton will perform.

Among the honorees are:

Izzie Pick Ibarra (THE MASKED SINGER)

FOX Broadcasting Company

Showrunner – Unscripted

Soledad O’Brien (American Injustice: A BET TOWN HALL)

BET Networks

On-Air Talent – News Special

Stephanie Beatriz (Brooklyn Nine-Nine)

Universal Television

Actress in a Supporting Role – Comedy or Musical

Latino USA (A Child Lost in Translation)

Futuro Media Group

Documentary [Radio – Nationally Syndicated Non-Commercial]

Children as passports, the phenomenon behind the humanitarian crisis on the border

Univision Noticias Digital

Website – New

Extreme violence is driving Salvadoran girls to kill themselves

Univision News Digital & TIME

Original Online Programming – Standalone Video Hard News

“Our leadership is proud to honor the best of the best who embody the spirit and intention of the Alliance for Women in Media Foundation’s Gracie Awards. We want to thank those on the front lines telling the important stories still impacting our world.” said Becky Brooks, Executive Director, The Alliance for Women in Media Foundation.  “It is our distinguished honor to recognize the reporters, hosts, producers and media executives who are working to ensure the public is informed. We know everyone in media has been impacted in some way, and we continue to salute this outstanding list of honorees for their award-winning passion, energy and perseverance.”

Nancy de Los Santos, one of the writers for the actual virtual show told us she was, “Excited to work on the production team of the first virtual awards”.  She lauded the producers Vic Bullock and Jeff Atlas for being, “…the masterminds in the complex schedule of over twenty awards and ten presenters, a tribute to front line journalists and musical performances.The Gracies will stream live on AWMF’s Facebook page beginning at 7 p.m. ET/PT.

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Making Fall Debuts: All Three Chicago Series of Law & Order: SVU and The Blacklist

Thursdays has Comedy with with Martin Gero’s Connecting …

Cloud 9 Opens Its Doors with a Season of Superstore

New Episodes Available on Peacock

Universal City, CA, – NBC is celebrating a November to remember as America’s most-loved dramas make their highly anticipated season debuts the week of Nov. 9-13, including a two-hour premiere of This Is Us (Nov. 10) and all three Chicago series (Nov. 11). The three Dick Wolf series include Chicago Med / Season 5, starring Nick Gehfuss, Yaya DaCosta, and Torrey DeVitto; Chicago Fire / Season 8, starring Jesse Spencer, and Taylor Kinney. As a result of COVID-19 productions were

In addition, Law & Order: SVU (Nov. 12) will return for its record-extending 22^nd season that same week, along with the eighth season of The Blacklist (Nov. 13), starring James Spader and Megan Boone. 

Executive producer Martin Gero (Blindspot) will debut his new scripted comedy Connecting. It stars Otmara Marrero, Parvesh Cheena, Ely Henry, and premieres on Thursday, Oct. 1. The series is about a group of friends trying to stay close (and sane) through video chats as they share the highs and lows of these extraordinary times.

Justin Spitzer’s Superstore, where Cloud 9’s unique family of employees work together and share nearly everything about their personal lives as well, returns for its sixth season on Thursday, Oct. 22 minus America Ferrera who left on her own accord at the end of last season.

The four-time Emmy Award-winning musical competition series The Voice, with coaches Kelly Clarkson, John Legend, Blake Shelton and Gwen Stefani, as well as host Carson Daly, will be back in its swiveling red chairs on Monday, Oct. 19 and return for the second night of its season debut Tuesday, Oct. 20.

Host Jane Lynch will kick off the first episode of the worldwide global phenom Weakest Link when the show debuts Monday, Sept. 28. The new version will deliver the fast-paced and quick-witted pillars of the original British format distributed by BBC Studios with a few modern twists. The hybrid game show sees contestants answer general knowledge questions to bank prize money across multiple rounds. At the end of each round, the contestants vote out who they perceive to be the Weakest Link remaining. 

Ellen’s Game of Games, one of the most fun shows on all of television, returns Tuesday, Oct. 6 for a two-hour premiere from 8-10 p.m. before shifting the following week on Oct. 13 to its normal 9-10 p.m. timeslot. A bonafide hit, Ellen’s Game of Games reached more than 47 million viewers through the September through May 2019-20 season.

Primetime’s #1 program, NBC Sunday Night Football, will kick off the season on Thursday, Sept. 10 when the Houston Texans visit the Super Bowl Champion Kansas City Chiefs. Three days later on Sunday, Sept. 13, the action continues when the Dallas Cowboys visit the Los Angeles Rams to mark the grand opening of SoFi Stadium.

Dateline NBC, the network’s signature newsmagazine and its longest-running primetime program, will return for a new season on Friday, Sept. 25 at 10 p.m. before moving to a two-hour telecast beginning at 9 p.m. later in the fall.

Previous airdates for NBC series already announced include hit Canadian import drama Transplant (Sept. 1) and the return of celebrated athletic competition series American Ninja Warrior (Sept. 7).

Returning series set to debut after Jan. 1 include Brooklyn Nine-Nine, Good Girls, Making It, Manifest, New Amsterdam and Zoey’s Extraordinary Playlist.
Brooklyn Nine-Nine stars stellar cast remains intact with the wonderful talents of Andy Samberg, Stephanie Beatriz, Melissa Fumero, Terry Crews, Joe Lo Truglio, Chelsea Peretti, Andre Baugher, Dirk Blocker, and Joel McKinnon Miller.

New series set to launch in 2021 include Kenan, Law & Order: Organized Crime, Mr. Mayor, That’s My Jam, Small Fortune, True Story, Who Do You Think You Are? and Young Rock. 

The premiere dates and times for the remainder of 2020 are below. All shows, with the exception of NBC Sunday Night Football and The Voice, will be available on Peacock after its broadcast air date.

SEPTEMBER
Transplant (Tuesday, 9/1, 10-11 p.m.)
American Ninja Warrior (Monday, 9/7, 8-10 p.m.)
NBC Sunday Night Football (Thursday, 9/10 and Sunday, 9/13, 5:20 p.m.)
Weakest Link (Monday, 9/28, 10-11 p.m.)
Dateline NBC (Friday, 9/25, 10-11 p.m.)

OCTOBER
Connecting … (Thursday, 10/1, 8:30-9 p.m.)
Ellen’s Game of Games (Tuesday, 10/6, 9-10 p.m.)
The Voice (Monday, 10/19, 8-10 p.m., Tuesday, 10/20, 8-10 p.m. then switches to 8-9 p.m. on 10/27)
Superstore (Thursday, 10/22, 8-8:30 p.m.)

NOVEMBER
This Is Us (Tuesday, 11/10, 9-11 p.m.; returns to 9-10 p.m. on 11/17)
Chicago Med (Wednesday, 11/11, 8-9 p.m.)
Chicago Fire (Wednesday, 11/11, 9-10 p.m.)
Chicago P.D. (Wednesday, 11/11, 10-11 p.m.)
Law & Order: SVU (Thursday, 11/12, 9-10 p.m.)
The Blacklist (Friday, 11/13, 8-9 p.m.)

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