‘McFarland, USA' Director On Why It Was Important To Not Make A ‘White Savior Movie'

Source by Carolina Moreno

‘McFarland, USA’ follows the true-story of coach John White and his all-Latino track team, who despite being newcomers to the sport overcome obstacles to become champions. But director Niki Caro said she was very “conscious” of avoiding a white savior plot.
During an interview with the Motion Picture Association of America’s online magazine, The Credits, the film’s director said the story may be centered around White (Kevin Costner) but its real stars are the the individuals that make up the community.
“We were very conscious of not making a white savior movie, and you could have with the material, but it was really important for us that he be a flawed guy who was ultimately redeemed by the community,” Caro told The Credits. “You see him become a better coach, a better father and a better man through his interaction with this place and these people.”                           

Read more.                          

Will Miss Universe Paulina Vega be the next hot Latino Hollywood star?

Paulina Vega won the 2014 Miss Universe competition and with this win a 'love affair' has begun between her, fans and some television and film entertainment insiders who quietly believe that she will be a hot Hollywood commodity at the conclusion of her reign because of her gorgeous looks, outgoing personality and connection with Latino fans.

Since her win she has been a topic of conversation at the water cooler with fans and there is belief that she could become a star as an actress. There was not much discussion about her as an actress and potential entertainment personality until a picture of her was uploaded to her social media Instagram page which showed not in a swimsuit but in relaxed clothing have fun and looking very sexy.

 

In the picture she is wearing black jeans, a white t-shirt tied at the waist to expose her fit stomach, black sunglasses and heels and she looks 'rush-hour traffic-stopping' gorgeous (Instagram - February 22). The pose she provided was one of a confident, sexy woman who some entertainment insiders could imagine walking across the camera and leaving fans so transfixed that even after she is off the camera fans would still be thinking about her.

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8 Banned Books by Latino Authors

Source by Cristina Arreola

In recent months, The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao has come under fire from parents in West Essex, New Jersey, who have labeled the Pulitzer Prize winning novel "vulgar" and "pornographic." Those parents have now demanded that the Board of Education remove the book from the high school curicullum.

Sadly, countless books have come under similar scrutiny, many Latino works have been banned, including classics like Bless Me, Ultima and The House Of The Spirits and more. As they say: banning a book is the best way to inspire people to read it. In the spirit of that idea, pick up one of these books that have, at one point, been banned.

Check out the list.

Rubén Blades Still Undecided on Presidential Bid

Source by Camilo Smith

Rubén Blades, the legendary musician and 2014 Latin Grammy winner for best tango album, told his fans that he’s not ready to commit to another run for president of Panama.  He lost his first presidential bid in 1994.

Blades, 66, said it was still premature to call him a presidential candidate at this point even though he’s expressed interest, and he decided to clarify his plans on his Facebook page.  Media reports surfaced following an appearance at Carnaval in Barranquilla, Colombia last week saying Blades was ready to run in 2019. The singer said that political reforms needed to pass which would allow an independent candidate to win an election, and that he needs to be in good health since he’ll be 71 by the time elections roll around.

He’s not the only Latino celebrity involved in politics. From Alejandro González Iñarritu’s Oscar comments about Mexico’s government to Eva Longoria’s work to get more Latinos elected to political office in the United States, Latino celebrities are using their star power to help push for political change.

How Mexicans Became Hollywood's Best Directors

Source by IOAN GRILLO, GLOBALPOST

To the rolls of jazz drums and flying camera shots, Michael Keaton race-walks through crowded New York City in his tight underpants in a bizarrely hilarious scene of the dark comedy "Birdman."

It's a risky experimental combo. But Mexican director Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu pulled it off on such a scale it propelled his movie to nine nominations for this Sunday's Oscars, including wins for the big enchiladas of best director and best movie.

The success of "Birdman" means Mexicans winning best director for two years running. In 2014, Alfonso Cuaron won for "Gravity," his groundbreaking sci-film film that featured Sandra Bullock floating around a junkyard of orbiting satellites and made a whopping $716 million at the box office.

This story originally appeared at GlobalPost.

Official Latino Film Industry Post Oscar Party

This Year, The Latino Film Industry will be holding their Official Post Oscar Party at The Playhouse Hollywood Night Club at 6506 Hollywood Blvd, in Hollywood California.Ranked the number “4”nightclub in the world, The Playhouse Hollywood will dazzle artists in attendance, which invitees from film, music, TV, and sports, stretch over two continents, and over 20 countries.

The Latino Film Industry spared no expense on Craft Services by hiring a globally recognized team of Chefs that just placed 3rd in a world championship. Rumors spread rapidly on the invite list as the Latino Film Industry is the only Oscar Party supporting Veterans and PTSD. Two films in Hollywood, just released, highlight Veterans and PTSD. Who will that shinny guy named Oscar go to this year? As other parties had a hard time finding a new home this year, hint hint, this party had a head start with much blessing from the community.

The executive producer of this event, none other than the Messianic Jewish Latina “Isa Swarez”, has worked with the likes of Iheart Media, the MMA community, and many celebrity parties. A person who likes to stay in the shadows, and get the job done, began her start in Hollywood 23 years ago, by working with renowned publicist/writer, Elia Esparza. (ie. Latina,Univision,Latin Heat,
and many more.)

As an P.A. on many production sets, Isa has worked with the likes of Bel Hernadez, and Nancy De Los Santos, to name a few. This highly positive energetic professional, also just so happens to be the niece of the famed Ricardo Tejada from Televisa , as well as Susana Perez Ochoa, a heavy hitter with events, in Mexico City, D.F. As you see, the talent is genetic. This is the, don't miss event of the year, crossing collaborations from Canada, to South America. Where do you want to be Oscar Night?

Your invitationto the party is here.

Oscar Isaac: "We Latin American actors don't just know how to play villains"

By Anna Buj

Oscar Isaac continues to break away from Hollywood stereotypes of the Latino actor and, following the success of "Inside Llewyn Davis" by the Coen brothers, is again a critics' favorite with "A Most Violent Year," a tense drama in which he teams up with former classmate Jessica Chastain.

"We Latin American actors don't just know how to play gangbangers and villains. I've had the luck to play characters from all over the world, and that for me is very important," the Guatemalan-born Isaac said in an interview with Efe.

"A Most Violent Year" finds Isaac at the height of his career, since he will also appear in "X-Men:
"Apocalypse," the last of the "Star Wars" saga, and in the science fiction thriller "Ex Machina."

Though "A Most Violent Year" debuts this Friday in U.S. commercial theaters, the film has already earned him the Best Actor award from the National Board of Review (tied with Michael Keaton for "Birdman") and a nomination for the Gotham Independent Film Awards.

"I want to help Latin American actors see themselves as real actors, that we're really very good. It's hard but it's possible," the actor said, adding that his Latino origins are present in every part he plays.

Read more.

Sundance: Jennifer Lopez and Viola Davis on Hollywood Diversity, TV Careers and ‘Lila & Eve’

Source by Ramin Setoodeh &  Brent Lang          

This year’s Sundance Film Festival closes with “Lila & Eve,” a gritty crime drama starring Jennifer Lopez and Viola Davis as two moms who lose their children to crime, and take vigilantism into their own hands. The two actresses, who first worked together on 1998’s “Out of Sight,” share other common ground. Both of the leading ladies juggle television (Lopez on “American Idol,” Davis on “How to Get Away With Murder”) with film careers. They talked to Variety separately by phone this week about their new movie, diversity in Hollywood and why it’s still so hard to get financing for a project with two female leads.

 

Read the interview with Jennifer Lopez and Viola Davis here.

Roberto Carlos, Ruben Blades, Myriam Hernandez & More Nominated for Latin Songwriters Hall of Fame

By Leila Cobo
The Latin Songwriters Hall of Fame officially set forth its third year of operations with the announcement of finalists for the third annual La Musa Awards 2015. The eventual winners will be inducted into the Latin Songwriters Hall of Fame in a ceremony on Oct. 15 at the Jackie Gleason Theater in Miami Beach.

A total of 12 nominees were announced in both the performers (or singer/songwriters) and non-performers categories. Names included Joan Sebastian, Myriam Hernandez, Roberto Carlos and Ruben Blades in the performers category and Lalo Schifrin, Leo Brouwer and Ramon Arcusa in the composers category.

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Diversifying Hollywood About More Than the Academy Awards

by Brennon Marcano

I will join the chorus of voices who think it is a terrible shame that Ava Duvernay will not be up for an Academy Award for her work on Selma. It's equally concerning that not a single actor or actress of color will be eligible for awards in the four acting categories and that only men will be under consideration for Best Director. While it's terrible that Ms. Duvernay won't be able to make history this year, perhaps it's even worse that there are so few women and people of color for awards panels to even choose from.

This year's Academy Awards are set to be the least diverse in 17 years. It doesn't just stop at the Oscars, a lack of diversity plagues Hollywood even more broadly. Out of the vast amount of movies produced this year only a small number featured women directors and producers or lead actors and actresses of color. We should be able to name many more African American, Latino, Asian and Pacific Islander actors, directors, screenwriters, and producers who should have been up for consideration in addition to those who worked on Selma.

During a tearful acceptance speech at the Golden Globes, Jane the Virgin star Gina Rodriguez said, "This award is so much more than myself. It represents a culture that wants to see themselves as heroes." Her words resonated with many viewers that night because they were true. Women and people of color want and deserve to see their stories accurately represented in television and on the silver screen. They also deserve consideration for Hollywood's top honors for the quality of their contributions.

Read more.

Disney Launching Latin-Inspired 'Sofia the First' Spinoff

by Kimberly Nordyke

Disney Junior is launching a new animated series about a teen princess that takes inspiration from by Latin cultures.

Princess Elena of Avalor, described as "a confident and compassionate teenager in an enchanted fairytale kingdom inspired by diverse Latin cultures and folklore," will be introduced in a special episode of Disney Junior's Sofia the First. The episode is going into production for a 2016 premiere, with Princess Elena voiced by Aimee Carrero (ABC Family's Young & Hungry). The debut of the new series Elena of Avalor, produced by Disney Television Animation, will follow later that year.

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Luis Guzman Movies and TV Shows: Puerto Rican 'Boogie Nights,' 'Miami Vice' Actor to Receive Hispanicize 2015 Latinovator Award

By Yara Simon

Luis Guzman is well-known for his varied movie appearances, and the actor is going to honored with the Latinovator Award at Hispanicize 2015.

Guzman, who was born in Puerto Rico, will be awarded in March when the sixth annual Hispanicize takes place in Miami, according to Hispanicize Wire. Hispanicize aims to recognize Latinos in film, media and music. The event is running from March 16-20 at the InterContinental Hotel.

"Luis is a standout, crossover actor who in his 30-plus years in show business is best known for his character actor and cameo roles in dozens upon dozens of incredibly well known films," said Manny Ruiz, organizer and creative director of Hispanicize 2015.

Guzman has more than 100 film and TV credits. Read more.

'The Book Of Life' Puts Latino Culture Front And Center

Source by Mark Hughes

The Oscar race has brought a lot of attention to the fact Hollywood is — let’s face it — very white. This year, a lot of films, filmmakers, and performers of color found themselves largely MIA during award season. One of the most surprising Oscar omissions of a film reflecting ethnic and cultural diversity was in the animated feature film category, when The Book of Life failed to receive a nomination. This gorgeous animated tale adapted from Mexican folklore is unique and imaginative, with a visual style that stands out at a time when most other computer animated movies tend toward a lot of the same visual choices. Yet the originality of the material and animation, and the fact it represents a sadly ignored demographic who are among the most important for cinematic success, weren’t enough to win a nod.

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Year in Review: The 2014 Top Grossing Latino Films in the U.S.

In 2014 two animated films -and both released by 20th Century Fox- were the top grossing Latino films of the year in the United States: Rio 2 by Brazilian director Carlos Saldanha and The Book of Life by Mexican director Jorge R. Gutiérrez and produced by Guillermo del Toro.

After last year’s success of Eugenio Derbez’s Instructions Not Included which earned an impressive $44.4 million, Pantelion Films released Sebastián del Amo’s Cantinflas and Diego Luna’s Cesar Chavez to lukewarm box office numbers, but enough to land them in the third and fourth place of the chart.

Acclaimed Paris-based Chilean director Alejandro Jodorowsky made it to the list with two different titles: The Dance of Reality, his long anticipated return to cinema, and the documentary film Jodorowsky’s Dune, which narrates his doomed film adaptation of Frank Herbert's classic sci-fi novel for the big screen.

Complete list of top grossing Latino films of 2014:

1. Rio 2 (Carlos Saldanha, Fox), $131,538,435

2. The Book of Life (Jorge R. Gutierrez, Fox), $49,289,238

3. Cantinflas (Sebastián del Amo, Pantelion Films), $6,382,924

4. Cesar Chavez (Diego Luna, Pantelion Films), $5,571,497

5. The Fluffy Movie (Manny Rodriguez and Jay Lavender, Open Road Films), $2,827,393

6. Gloria (Sebastián Lelio, Roadside Attractions), $2,107,925

7. Más Negro que la Noche (Henry Bedwell, Pantelion Films), $870,063

8. Jodorowsky's Dune (Frank Pavich, Sony Pictures Classics), $647,280

9. The German Doctor (Lucía Puenzo, Samuel Goldwyn), $418,392

10. The Dance of Reality (Alejandro Jodorowsky, ABKCO Films), $293,680

Source: Boxofficemojo.com. For practical and informative reasons, films made in the U.S. and abroad were also considered for this list. Theatrical figures for Panic 5 Bravo were not reported.

As Latino Media Gap Expands, Hispanics in Hollywood Are Harder to Find

Source by  Nicole Akoukou Thompson 

"The Latino Media Gap: A Report on the State of Latinos in U.S. Media" details racial disparities on the big and small screen and highlights the lack of Latino prominence in top 10 films and scripted television series during 2013. The report also details the finer points of the Latino media gap.

The study revealed that while stereotypes restrict both the opportunities afforded to Latinos and cultural perceptions of Latinos, compelling storylines about Latino characters tend to be rewarded with higher ratings and increased viewership. Racial disparities in media greatly affect young people, making them feel unseen and unheard in an era of supposed multiculturalism.

Read more.

Documentary Follows Dream Of Four Undocumented Hispanics With Hollywood Ending

Source by Fox News Latino

The new documentary "Underwater Dreams" follows four teenage boys living in Arizona as they build an underwater robot for a major science competition.

On its surface, the story seems unremarkable. But their parents are Mexicans who are living in the United States illegally, and their high school is plagued by gangs and poverty.

American documentary maker Mary Mazzio said she set out to show just what the children of Hispanic immigrants can accomplish, especially if the U.S. Congress passes immigration reform eliminating obstacles for them to attend college, and to work.

Read more.

How Hispanics Became Hollywood’s Most Important Audience

Source by Lucas Shaw                 

First in a series: Hispanics have accounted for at least 20 percent of opening weekend ticket sales for every hit this summer, Nielsen research shows

Hollywood experts love to fret about the future of the movie business, but the industry has begun to embrace one group that is indisputably on the rise: the Hispanic audience.

Hispanics are the fastest-growing ethnic group in the United States, and their passion for movies is unsurpassed. The group bought 25 percent of the tickets sold in 2013 though they comprise just 17 percent of the population, according to the Motion Picture Association of America’s year-end study.

Read more.

Remembering 'Generation Mex' Writer And Proud Outsider Michele Serros

Source by Mandalit del Barco

When Michele Serros burst onto the literary scene in the 1990s, she was a new kind of Latina writer: She didn't speak much Spanish, she listened to ABBA and she was a vegan who liked to surf and skateboard. Her success as a writer, poet and comedic commentator made her an inspirational voice for Chicanas of her generation and beyond.

Serros, who Newsweek once hailed as a "Woman to Watch for the New Century," died of cancer Sunday at her home in Berkeley, Calif. She was 48 years old.

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Eva Longoria producing a new series of short films for ESPN

Source by Fox News Latino

Eva Longoria is putting her focus on the sports world in a new series of short films the actress is producing for ESPN.

Longoria's first effort for the "Versus" series debuting in May is about Sebastien De La Cruz, the young mariachi singer whose performance of the national anthem before Game 3 of the 2013 NBA Finals set off a barrage of racist tweets about Latinos and immigrants.
Like Longoria, De La Cruz is from San Antonio, Texas, so the story hit close to home for the Mexican-American actress. She was once married to Spurs star Tony Parker.

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LatinoBuzz: 27 Films Compete for the Cine Latino Award at Palm Springs International Film Festival

Source by Sydney Levine Sydneys Buzz

At the  26^th annual Palm Springs International Film Festival (PSIFF) happening now, there are 27 films eligible for the Cine Latino Award, which will be presented to the best Ibero-American film screening at the Festival. Several of these films represented their respective countries at in the Best Foreign Language category for the upcoming Academy Awards. Sponsored by the Guadalajara International Film Festival (FICG) and the University of Guadalajara Foundation/USA, the winner will receive a $10,000 cash prize.

Read more.