Jennifer Lopez, Pitbull & Claudia Leitte's opening performance at the 2014 Billboard Music Awards

Opening the 2014 Billboard Music Awards were none other than Jennifer Lopez and Pitbull, joined by Claudia Leitte, to perform their World Cup song "We Are One (Ole Ola)."

Watch the music video to the official song of the 2014 FIFA World Cup.

Latino Director Roberto Orci Signs on With 'Star Trek 3' Film; JJ Abrams Will Still Have Limited Role

Mexican-American Roberto Orci will direct the first "Star Trek" not helmed by filmmaker JJ Abrams.

Paramount chose the screenwriter, who got his start writing for "Xena: Warrior Princess" and "Hercules: The Legendary Journeys." Alex Kurtzman is his longtime writing partner; they co-wrote "Star Trek" and "Star Trek Into Darkness," notes Nerdist.

The two have also teamed up for "Sleepy Hollow" and "Fringe" for Fox.

Joe Cornish, who directed "Attack the Block," was supposedly the only other name considered other than Orci. With this movie, Orci will be making his directorial debut, which is certainly a rare accomplishment considering he'll be dealing with such a big movie for his first time in the director's seat.

Orci frequently collaborates with Abrams, and the movie won't be completely without Abrams, Time reports. Abrams will be a producer on the movie, but his role may not be very large, as he has taken on the "Star Wars" franchise.

But Orci is well-versed in big-budget blockbusters. He has worked on "Transformers" movies, "Amazing Spider-Man 2" and "Cowboys & Aliens."

Orci will also write the script for the third installment, along with J.D. Payne and Patrick McKay. Chris Pine and Zachary Quinto have signed on to reprise their roles.

Roberto Orci was born in Mexico to a Cuban mother and a Mexican father. His younger brother is J.R. Orci, who is a screenwriter and a producer. Orci attended the University of Texas at Austin. Orci and Alex Kurtzman met when they were students at a private school in Santa Monica when they were 17 years old. The two now only collaborate on TV projects together.

Fania 50th Anniversary Concert Series Partners with SummerStage

By Justino Aguila 

The 50th anniversary of the iconic Latin label Fania Records will be celebrated this summer in partnership with Central Park's SummerStage program.

Starting June 14, the City Parks Foundation will feature a concert series, dance and theater performances, film screenings and other events that highlight the label's history in New York. The series will conclude with a Fania All Stars concert in Central Park on Aug. 24.

Fania Records was home to major recording artists who performed in genres such as Latin big band, Afro-Cuban jazz, boogaloo, salsa and Latin R&B. The label also introduced the musical group Fania All Stars and included entertainers such as Hector Lavoe, Willie Colon, Celia Cruz and Ruben Blades.

“The SummerStage series is one of best Summer concert series in the world,” said Michael Rucker, chief marketing officer at Codigo Group.  “We are thrilled to be a part of this series and couldn’t think of a better way to celebrate this iconic label’s 50th anniversary.”

The series is also scheduled to showcase new acts and DJs that embrace the Fania sound. Also, Fania is releasing eight digital albums from May through September to coincide with the SummerStage events. Each album will feature tracks from both well-known entertainers and new artists, all of whom will also be performing through the summer.

The June 14 kick off has scheduled performances by Roberto Roena y Su Apollo Sound, La Mecanica Popular and DJ Louie Vega.

Marc Anthony Sweeps Latin Prizes at Billboard Music Awards

By Judy Cantor-Navas

Superstar Marc Anthony swept the 2014 Billboard Music Awards Latin categories, a high point of a year of accolades for his salsa comeback album "3.0," and the single "Vivir Mi Vida." The track spent 17 weeks at No. 1 on Billboard's Hot Latin Songs chart -- a record for 2014.

Anthony received the BBMAs' Top Latin Artist award, beating out Romeo Santos, Mexican Regional singer/songwriter Gerardo Ortiz, Prince Royce, and the late Jenni Rivera. "3.0" and "Vivir Mi Vida" won best Latin Album and Best Latin Song, respectively. Anthony did not appear on the BBMAs televised broadcast.

The bilingual artist's first studio salsa album in a decade has rekindled interest in salsa as a genre.

"It [proved] people want good music," Anthony said during a Q&A at the Billboard Latin Music Conference in April. "It's a blessing; it's like given me new life. It's introduced my music to a lot of people."

At the 2014 Billboard Latin Music Awards in April, Anthony was the big winner, taking home 10 awards during the Miami awards show, including Artist of the year and Hot Latin Song, Digital Song and Latin Airplay Song of the year for "Vivir Mi Vida." He won Top Latin Album of the year for 3.0 (Sony Music Latin).

"Vivir Mi Vida," an adoption of French/Arabic hit "C'est La Vie," grew on Anthony and his children, Ryan and Christian, during a team brainstorming session in the star's Long Island home. "I didn't think much, a simple song," said Anthony. "But Ryan went crazy when he heard the song, and went to get his brother, and he couldn't stop [playing it]. When I saw how they loved the song, that's when the idea was started."

Anthony will begin a U.S. tour starting with a date in Glendale, AZ on Aug. 30, and continuing through the end of the year. The first leg of an international tour that began after the July 2013 release of the album made over 60 stops and sold a million tickets, according to Cardenas Marketing Network.

Anthony told Billboard's Leila Cobo that when he first started his career, he "hated being on stage." His manager had a prediction: "The day you feel comfortable on stage, nobody can stop you."

"Once I started singing salsa, the fear went away," said Anthony.

Argentinean and Cuban Films Awarded at Jeonju in Korea

By Cinema Tropical

Historia del miedo / History of Fear, the directorial debut by Argentine director Benjamin Naishtat was the winner of the top prize for Best Film in the international competition at the 15th edition of the Jeonju Film Festival, which is South Korea's biggest indie film event. The award comes with a cash prize of approximately $19,000 USD.

Set in an economically destabilized Argentina, History of Fear weaves stories of characters from multiple social strata into an interlocking narrative of paranoia and fear. The isolation of wealth and detachment from neighbors causes insecurities to fester, feeding a “security consumption” culture and all its incumbent paraphernalia.

Additionally, the Cuban film Hotel Nueva Isla by Irene Gutiérrez and Javier Labrador was the recipient of the Special Jury Award in the international competition, with a cash prize of $6,000 USD. A documentary-fiction hybrid, the film is about the formerly luxurious Hotel Nueva Isla, which now in ruins, is a shelter for people living on the fringes of society. Jorge, a solitary government functionary retired who is losing his memory, spends his time locked up in the building until the evacuation becomes imminent.

In total four Latin American films -out of ten, were included in the international competition.

NUVOtv Expands Relationships With Jennifer Lopez and Mario Lopez

by Alex Ben Block
UPDATED: At its pre-upfront, the network aimed at English-speaking Latino millennials announces new series, reality shows and sports programming.

The cable channel NUVOtv, which targets Latino millennials with English language programming, announced expanded relationships with Jennifer Lopez andMario Lopez -- and an increase in original programming, during its pre-upfront presentation on Thursday.

Although Jennifer Lopez will not appear onscreen in any of the programs in the coming season, her company Nuyorican Productions has five shows, including two new series: the talent search Sensation(working title) and the reality-show dramaLos Jets, which is part of the network's new series of shows it calls "Nu America," described as an umbrella franchise for series that include social commentary.

On Monday, Jennifer Lopez will be on hand at the upfront presentation in New York City for advertisers along with NUVOtv CEO Michael Schwimmer, executive vp programming Bill Hilary and senior vp advertising Craig Geller.

Schwimmer said Thursday they were happy to have recently made a deal to acquire the Fuse channel from Madison Square Garden. Fuse is in about 73 million U.S. homes, with NUVOtv in under 35 million homes. He noted both Fuse and NUVOtv service a young, multicultural audience. He also said they look forward to taking advantage of Fuse studio space located near Madison Square Garden in Manhattan.

Mario Lopez will continue to appear onscreen in his talk show, Mario Lopez: One on One, and will executive produce a series called Tequila King, which will be about the launch of a new brand of tequila by Mexican entrepreneur Eric Buccio.

"The coming television season marks a significant milestone in the development of NUVOtv as a network that offers rich and diverse programming focused on Latino culture and entertainment with universal appeal," said Schwimmer. "We have more than doubled down on our original programming efforts since last year's upfront. Our commitment to the future of NUVOtv is complemented by the purchase of Fuse and we're excited about what's ahead for both networks."

"As NUVOtv evolves, we are striving to create content with themes and stories that are unique to our audience," said Jennifer Lopez in a statement. 

Below are the other series being touted for media buyers at the official upfront on Monday:

Los Jets, which premieres July 16, follows a soccer team in a rural community in North Carolina (population 5,000), where the local Latino population has risen in 15 years from under 2 percent to over 55 percent. It is produced by Jennifer Lopez and her sister Lynda Lopez for Nuyorican Productions.

Tequila King is about Mario Lopez partnering with Buccio to bring a tequila brand to the U.S. It's produced by Mario Lopez's Gordo Productions.

Nu Point Of View, produced by Jennifer Lopez, is a showcase for Latino filmmakers. It is hosted by Gina Rodriguez.

Sensation, expected to premiere in the second quarter of 2015, will be a nationwide talent search for the next Latino sensation. That person will have to be able to sing, dance and act.

Supersong, which premieres June 8, is a one-hour special that follows singer Ricky Martin as he writes and records the theme song for the upcoming World Cup.

A Step Away, premiering in early 2015, is a weekly series that follows ten professional dancers on tour, as they travel with superstar performers. Jennifer Lopez executive produces.

The Collective, Powered by VEVO, which premieres at the end of this year, is a weekly series about celebrity DJs, who will offer their personal music picks. Jennifer Lopez executive produces.

Love & Salsa, premiering in early 2015, will be a competition series that combines matchmaking and performance. It's executive produced by Mario Lopez, Mark Schulman of 3 Arts and Gil Lopez of Gordo, in association with Jaam Productions.

Stand Up & Deliver, due to premiere in early 2015, has Jose Sarduy and Julissa Bermudez go to Mexico to host a Latin comedy festival.

Original Comedy Specials, to premiere soon, will be a series of stand-up comedy specials form Levity Entertainment, which owns comedy clubs including The Improv. Specials will feature Rick Gutierrez, Pablo Francisco, Pete Correale, Jim Breuer, Alonzo Bodden, Sebastian Maniscalco, Jamie Kennedy and others.

Knockout returns in 2015 with a weekly boxing competition. The boxers train in Las Vegas with Floyd Mayweather Sr. and others. Nine contenders will seek a professional contract. The season ends with a live prizefight.

There will also be boxing specials beginning June 7 under the Knockout brand. The first takes place in Miami.

Pachanga Latino Music Festival 2014

Pachanga is a Latin-themed music, cultural arts and food festival dedicated to showcasing the vibrant blend of Latino-created music and art and the impact it has on American culture today. The festival will be held on Saturday, May 10 at Fiesta Gardens in Austin, TX.

The Pachanga lineup includes rock, alternative, tejano, mariachi, cumbia, salsa, electronic, funk, hip-hop and indie 
rock with one singular theme, the sound is brown.

For more information visit www.pachangafest.com, and for up-to-the-minute news follow us on Facebook at Pachanga Latino Music Festival and on Twitter @pachangafest.

Antonio Banderas Proud Of Hispanics' Triumph In Hollywood

Published by FOX NEWS LATINO

Spanish actor Antonio Banderas said here that he is proud to be a part of the generation of Hispanic artists who managed to open the doors of Hollywood and consolidate themselves in the movie mecca. 

Banderas, who was in Bogota to present his new ladies' fragrance, "Her Golden Secret," recalled at a press conference his early years in movies and gave details about his most recent film project," The 33," about the Chilean miners who were trapped in a collapsed mine for 70 days in 2010.

The 53-year-old actor said that one of the first things he was told when he arrived in the United States was that if he stayed in Hollywood "I was going to be a villain all my life" in terms of the roles that came his way, since "blacks and Hispanics" are (or were) the bad guys in film.

The interesting thing, Banderas added, was that when he starred in the 1998 film "The Mask of Zorro," the bad guy was blond and "had blue eyes."

Hispanics who have made a career in movies or in any other professional sphere in the United States "have struggled a lot, have come from countries in conflict, where many difficulties have occurred" with the aim of having their children go to college, Banderas said.

The children of those pioneers "currently are in positions of power (and that) had to be reflected in Hollywood," he added.

Tribeca Film Festival 2014: Why You Can't Miss These 4 Latino Films We Loved!

By Susmita Baral 

Each year, the Tribeca Film Festival rounds up some of the best films across the globe and shares it with distinguished cinephiles. Founded by Robert De Niro and Jane Rosenthal in 1988, the festival reportedly attracts three million people and creates over $600 million in revenue. This year, there were several films with an emphasis on Hispanic/Latino culture, actors, and stories.

Here are some of the four favorites:

1. GüEROS: Directed by Alonso Ruizpalacios, GüEROS is a Spanish-language film that boasts a black-and-white view of Mexico City during a student strike. "A months-long student strike at the National University throws roommates Sombra and Santos into a droll sort of limbo in their shabby apartment in Mexico City, whiling away the hours pining for the girl from the pirate radio show and tricking their neighbor’s daughter into helping them steal electricity," shares Ian Hollander to the festival. "Their idiosyncratic routine is interrupted by the unexpected arrival of Sombra’s teenage brother, Tomás, who has been exiled from his home by their mother following an incident involving a baby and a water balloon. The trio sets out on a road trip in search of Tomás’s hero, fabled folk-rock star Epigmenio Cruz, traversing across the city through perilous slums and the rebellious halls of the university to the ritzy nightlife downtown."

2. Mala Mala: Producer and director Dan Sickles dived into the trans community of Puerto Rico in his new film. "In a celebration of the trans community in Puerto Rico, the fissure between internal and external is an ever-present battle," explains Liza Bomnitz to the Tribeca Film Festival. "A unique exploration of self-discovery and activism, featuring a diverse collection of subjects that include LGBTQ advocates, business owners, sex workers, and a boisterous group of drag performers who call themselves The Doll House, Mala Mala portrays a fight for personal and community acceptance paved with triumphant highs and devastating lows. Through riveting cinematography that encapsulates the candy-colored, vivacious personalities as well as their frequently dark personal experiences, directors Antonio Santini and Dan Sickles dynamically present the passion and hardships reflective of this distinctively binary human experience."

3. Manos Sucias: Colombia and cocaine trafficking are notoriously intertwined and that's exactly what director Josef Wladyka focused on for his recent film, which was produced by Spike Lee. "Towing a submerged torpedo in the wake of their battered fishing boat, ‘Jacobo,’ a desperate fisherman and Delio, a naive kid, embark on a journey trafficking millions of dollars of cocaine up the Pacific coast of Colombia," write Holly Voges. "While Jacobo is a seasoned trafficker, young Delio is unprepared for the grim reality. Shot entirely on location—in areas that bear the indelible scars of drug trafficking and guerrilla warfare—director Josef Kubota Wladyka establishes a sense of place with meticulous sensitivity, capturing the visceral paradox of incredible vibrancy yet devastating poverty which permeate this war-torn region. Refusing to glamorize the drug trade, Manos Sucias instead offers a rare glimpse of its devastating effects."

4. Maravilla: Juan Pablo Cadaveira chronicled the life of Argentine professional boxer Sergio 'Maravilla' Martinez in his recent film, Maravilla. "Sergio ‘Maravilla’ Martinez’s fearlessness and tenacity has earned him both adulation and disdain in the world of boxing," writes Dan Hunt. "Emerging from rural Argentina, his career has been marred by injury, finances, and political favoritism within the World Boxing Council. A true underdog story, Maravilla follows Martinez as he sets out to reclaim the Middleweight title that was taken from him in 2011 by the more popular Julio Chavez, Jr. amid a cloud of controversy. With stunning access, director Juan Cadaveira follows Martinez through endless hurdles, exposing the overtly political nature of boxing. Focusing on the rise of Martinez from penniless amateur to world champion, Maravilla offers an intimate and unflinching look at the business of boxing and celebrity, unwavering in its hope for true sportsmanship."