In this Edition of NHMC at Work:
On March 3rd, the day before the Academy Awards, NHMC and its Action Network held the second of two demonstrations protesting the decades-long exclusion of Latinos from on-screen and behind-the-camera roles by executives in the motion picture industry. The demonstrations launched a national campaign targeting studio executives at Warner Bros., 20th Century Fox, Paramount Pictures, Universal Pictures, Sony Pictures, and the Walt Disney Studios.
The campaign is part of NHMC's ongoing efforts to increase positive media portrayals of Latinos and increase Latino employment in media. The demonstration followed a similar Jan. 23 protest at the Academy Awards nominees luncheon.
NHMC's #OscarsSoWhite protest in Hollywood received a multitude of media attention, including articles by outlets such as Variety, Deadline, CNN, Forbes, ABC, and many others.
On March 15th, NHMC President & CEO released a statement announcing an action plan targeting film studio executives: "We have attempted to meet and work with the film executives at those studios during the past six years. Only three studios responded. That is unacceptable. If the remaining studios and their executives remain silent, NHMC and its Action Network will publicly target those executives by name and launch a nationwide boycott against the worst studio and their films."
On February 23rd, NHMC held its 21st Annual Impact Awards Gala in Beverly Hills, CA, where Latino artists and industry advocates were honored. The awards are a major part of NHMC's advocacy efforts to increase positive media portrayals of Latinos and increase Latino employment in the film and television industry.
Emceed by Aimee Garcia and Vladimir Caamaño, the honorees for the night were Diane Guerrero, Aubrey Plaza, Nicholas Gonzalez, Disney*Pixar's Coco, Tony Revolori, and Randy Falco.
To watch all of the acceptance videos from the evening, visit NHMC's YouTube channel by clicking here. For all of the photographs, click here.
Title sponsors of the 2018 Impact Awards Gala were The Walt Disney Company and Univision Communications Inc. Comcast NBCUniversal was a diamond sponsor. Silver sponsors were CBS Corporation and Southwest Airlines.
On March 27th, the third annual Latino Scriptwriters Intensive began. The six-week program, a partnership between Univision and NHMC, and led by former NBC vice president of story and writer development, Geoff Harris, mentors 8 writers who are expected to complete a pilot television program that can be used to secure representation or for pitching to production companies and networks.
T
he writers were selected from among 140 Latino professionals who have completed NHMC's Television Writers Program.
The 2018 class of Latino Scriptwriters Intensive participants includes:
Southwest Airlines and Final Draft are program supporters. [gview file="https://www.nhmc.org/wp-content/uploads/2013/11/Call-to-Writers-4.pdf"] The scene submission deadline is May 4 at 11:59pm.
Selection Process: All are invited to submit a bio, resume and up to two original 5-7 minute comedy or drama scenes with no more than three characters by May 4. The scenes will be judged and the final 6 will be selected and notified by May 18.
Editing Process: Writers meet two times a week over a three week period in May/June to edit and finalize scenes.
Showcase Process: Jose Luis Valenzuela, Artistic Director of (Los Angeles Theatre Center) LATC will then oversee the casting and directing process. There will be several rehearsals which includes the actors and writers. The scenes will be performed at El Portal Theatre in North Hollywood during the month of October 2018 to an audience made up of agents, managers, and network executives.
*Please note that NHMC will need an approved headshot of you for our program. If you do not have a photo, you will have an opportunity to take one during the editing meetings.
NHMC Continues to Oppose the FCC Proposals For Lifeline That Will Disconnect Latinos, Victims of the 2017 Hurricane Season, and Widen the Digital Divide
On February 21, 2018, NHMC filed Comments in the Federal Communications Commission's (FCC) current Lifeline proceeding. In its comments NHMC described how the FCC's sweeping proposals, if adopted, would gut the program and harm Latinos, the poor, and other vulnerable communities. In particular, the FCC's proposals would further alienate victims of the extraordinary 2017 hurricane season, including hundreds of thousands of families living in Puerto Rico. NHMC requested that the FCC reverse course and redirect its efforts to implementing the 2016 Lifeline Modernization Order.
On March 12, 2018, NHMC hosted a briefing for Senate staff to discuss the FCC's proposals to destabilize and fundamentally alter the core purpose of Lifeline. Cheryl Leanza (UCC OC, Inc.), Phillip Berenbroick (Public Knowledge), Carmen Scurato (NHMC), and Kham Moua (OCA - Asian Pacific American Advocates) were among the panelists discussing the impact of the proposed changes on the poor and other marginalized communities. Former FCC Commissioner and current Special Policy Advisor for NHMC, Gloria Tristani, closed the program by discussing the importance of the Lifeline program from a historical perspective, emphasizing the need to preserve the only federal program aimed at defraying the high cost of voice and broadband service. For NHMC's fact sheet explaining the impact of the FCC's proposals for Lifeline, click here.
On March 23, 2018, NHMC filed Lifeline reply comments, noting the overwhelming consensus in the record that the FCC's proposals to alter the purpose and scope of the Lifeline program under the pretext of stimulating investment for networks would unnecessarily hurt poor and marginalized communities. If the FCC moves forward with these proposals, the result would destabilize the Lifeline program and cut off over 70 percent of current Lifeline subscribers. To read more about NHMC's work to ensure that low-income families are able to connect to vital communications through the Lifeline program, click here.
NHMC Challenges the FCC's Repeal of Net Neutrality Rules in Court
On February 23, 2018, NHMC filed a Petition for Review in the United States Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit challenging the FCC's Restoring Internet Freedom Order published in the Federal Register. NHMC is dedicated to protecting Title II Net Neutrality - consumer protections which have helped Latinos and people of color find economic and educational opportunities online, and provided a platform to organize for change without interference or censorship from Internet Service Providers.
NHMC Opposes ICE's Extreme Vetting Initiative Designed to Generate 10,000 Deportation Leads Per Year
On February 20, 2018, NHMC co-hosted a Hill briefing to expose a program that U.S. Immigration Customs and Enforcement (ICE) will use to generate 10,000 deportation investigation leads per year. ICE has begun its search for a vendor that can build automated software to continuously monitor social media platforms such as Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and LinkedIn to determine whether visa applicants will positively contribute to society and make contributions to the national interest, criteria extracted directly from President Trump's rescinded Muslim Ban.
On March 2, 2018, NHMC joined a coalition of civil liberties groups in a Freedom of Information Act request urging the U.S. Department of Homeland Security to publish contracts, policies, guidance, correspondence, and related materials for public review. The wide range of records would help provide transparency before the agency takes any additional steps to develop this program.
On March 16, 2018, NHMC sent a letter to Congress urging them to terminate the Extreme Vetting Initiative, also known as the Visa Lifecycle Vetting Program. The letter states, "The Extreme Vetting Initiative was born out of hate-filled rhetoric and discriminatory policies. If implemented, this initiative would be a federal program riddled with discriminatory intent and procedural defects, and would not pass constitutional muster. Since the harms caused by this program would be impossible to rectify after implementation, we ask that you terminate the proposal to implement the Extreme Vetting Initiative."
NHMC Opposes Any FCC Efforts to Loosen National TV Ownership Cap
On March 19, 2018, the National Hispanic Media Coalition signed on to two comments opposing any efforts by the FCC to loosen the National TV Ownership Cap. In the Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights Media/Telecommunications Task Force comments, it is stated that, "Not only is the Commission prohibited from changing the National TV Audience Cap, relaxing media ownership limits will further exacerbate already-low ownership diversity."
Comments filed by attorneys at the Georgetown Law University Center's Institute for Public Representation emphasized that, "The FCC lacks authority to raise or eliminate the national television audience reach cap of 39%, but it can, and should, eliminate the obsolete UHF discount. Even if the Commission had the authority to raise or eliminate the cap, it would not serve the public interest to do so."
NHMC Requested an Extension of Time to File Reply Comments in the FCC's Hurricane Response Proceeding
On February 8, 2018, NHMC filed a Motion for Extension of Time in the FCC's Hurricane Response proceeding. NHMC requested an eight-week extension of time or more to file reply comments, as it is particularly concerned with the ongoing humanitarian crisis caused by Hurricanes Irma and Maria impacting both Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands. NHMC noted that "robust and resilient communications networks are vital to our nation's well being and are especially critical to public safety and emergency services during and following natural disasters." The FCC denied NHMC's extension on February 16, 2018.
Los Four documents the first exhibition of Chicano artists held in a major art museum, the Los Angeles County Museum of Art, in 1974. Murals of Aztlán: The Street Painters of East Los Angeles documents the exhibition of the same name at the Craft and Folk Art Museum of Los Angeles.
Chismeando con Los Angeles | Thursday, April 19 | 7pm
Join Southern California based scholars, artists, and activists in a conversation that explores the transformative potential of chisme (gossip) to function as a tool for community building. Panelists and performers will include Cog*nate Collective, Rafa Esparza, and Yesika Salgado.
Chavez Ravine: An Unfinished Story | Saturday, April 21 | 3pm
Nearly 1,100 families once lived in the three neighborhoods of Chavez Ravine. Through eminent domain, these families were removed from the area where Dodger Stadium now sits. This panel brings together four elders -- Alice Ramirez Contreras, Carol Jacques, Frank Castillo, and Gene Cabral -- who grew up there. Moderated by:
Priscilla Leiva, Assistant Professor, Chicano/a Studies, Loyola Marymount University.
The Culture and Politics of Los Angeles' Street Vendors | Thursday, April 26 | 7pm | $20
There are an estimated 50,000 street vendors in Los Angeles, yet street vending has not been legalized in the city. What does the future of street vending in L.A. look like? This session will include a talk and food samples from local Boyle Heights street vendor and activist, Merced Sanchez. Tickets available at Eventbrite.
Family Day | Día de los Niños | Sunday, April 29| 12-4pm
Join La Plaza for a day full of educational activities that celebrate books and reading. Performances by Y Arriba Mexico Ballet Folklorico, Mariachi Academy of Carson, and Ballet Folklorico del Alma. Special art workshop by Jose Lozano and performance by Martin Espino's Sounds of Ancient Mexico, inspired by La Plaza's exhibition "Recuerdos del futuro: Roaming Magu's Chicano Dreams."
Visit the LA Plaza de Cultura y Artes by clicking here.
Interested in being part of this year's NHMC TV Writers Program?
The very successful NHMC Television Writers Program was created in 2003 and is an intensive scriptwriters workshop that prepares Latinos for writing jobs at major television networks. The program is a direct response to the lack of diverse writers in primetime network TV.
The application period starts April 9th and closes on August 5th at midnight. For more information, visit the NHMC TV Writers Program page here.
NHMC is proud to announce the following exciting updates from our TV Writers Program graduates who are doing great work in the industry:
-Victor De Jesus - Staffed on Showtime show SMILF
-Sammy Sarzoza - Semi-Finalist in Universal Feature Film Fellowship
-Emilia Serrano - Sold two features to Sony
-Omaira Galarza - Executive story editor on Starz's Family Crimes
-Spiro Skentzos - Staffed on CW show Arrow
-Lauren Otero - Staffed on upcoming Amazon show Undone
-Chris Encell - Story editor on The Good Place
-Manny Nieto - Staffed on the Disney series The Owl House
-Chris Garcia - Staffed on Comedy Central pilot Alternatino
-Frank Nestor - Staffed on upcoming Netflix/Univision show Tijuana
-Ariella Blejer - Staffed at a Co-Producer level (along with writing partner, Dawn Kamoche) on Freeform's Marvel's Cloak and Dagger
-Zayre Ferre - Creator and Showrunner of upcoming Netflix/Univison show Tijuana
-Renier Murillo - Staffed on Netflix/Univision show Tijuana
-Rob Sudduth - Producer on Netflix series On My Block
With new episodes weekly, NHMC's LPFM radio broadcasts, and podcasts, aim to be a resource to the community as a provider of cultural, entertainment, and political news affecting the local and national American Latino community.
Tune in LIVE from 5 AM - 9 AM on 101.5 FM in Pasadena or by visiting www.nhmc.org for streaming capabilities. You can also find our podcasts on SoundCloud by clicking here.
On February 27th, journalist and NHMC Impact Awards honoree, Jorge Ramos, released his new book Stranger. Read Alex Nogales' review of the book below:
"Once in a while I'll read a non-fiction book that I can't put down. Jorge Ramos' Stranger is such a book. Jorge shares his life as a happy young boy in Mexico to his migration to the U.S. where as an immigrant he rises to the very top of his profession and becomes an inspirational leader to millions of Latinos and non-Latinos for his objective and courageous stance for the Latino community in this country. His scholarly research and analysis gives us the knowledge and understanding we'll need to fight the racist policies and challenges in this tumultuous era of Trump. Finally, his inspirational letter to his children telling them what he's learned in his life's journey and what awaits them in their future will move and bring tears to your eyes for its simplicity, wisdom, and love. I loved this book. Bravo, Jorge."
To listen to Alex's interview with Jorge Ramos on the podcast Leaders Among Us, click here.
For more information on the book, click here.
#OscarsSoWhite Protest
NHMC's 21st Annual Impact Awards Gala
2018 Latino Scriptwriters Intensive Begins!
Calling Writers for Latino Scene Showcase!
Visit this link to submit your scenes: https://nhmc.wufoo.com/forms/zvow5y31mftjgz/
Please review the following information on the selection and showcase process as well as the guidelines for your scenes:
Scene Guidelines:
D.C. Policy Update
LA Plaza de Cultura y Artes April Program Schedule
Los Four (1974)/Murals of Aztlán (1981) | Thursday, April 12 | 7pm
NHMC TV Writers Program
NHMC TV Writers Update
NHMC's LPFM Radio Station & Podcasts
Jorge Ramos' New Book, Stranger, In Stores Now!
