CONTACT: Araceli Velasco
(626) 792-6462
avelasco@nhmc.org
December 7, 2020
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
THE NATIONAL HISPANIC MEDIA COALITION ANNOUNCES ITS
2020 SERIES SCRIPTWRITERS PROGRAM GRADUATES
Los Angeles, CA – The National Hispanic Media Coalition announces its 10 graduates from it’s 2020 Series Scriptwriters Program. For the first time in nearly 20 years, NHMC held its program in an entirely virtual format. The writers program has served more than 160 diverse alumni who have gone on to write for series such as The Flash, Umbrella Academy, Riverdale, High School Musical: The Series, One Day At A Time, Santiago of the Seas, Legendary, Mr. Iglesias, Indebted, Selena: The Series, and more.
“I am immensely enthusiastic about this year’s writers and their culturally diverse stories,” said Brenda Victoria Castillo, President & CEO of the National Hispanic Media Coalition. “What you see on the screen begins with the writer’s words and those who tell these stories must reflect the diversity in America.”
This writers’ lab was mentored and guided by former NBC V.P. of Script Development, Geoff Harris. Throughout the program, fellows were able to pitch their scripts and themselves, in front of industry leaders including DMA Anderson (Walt Disney Television), Alex Tse (Wu Tang: An American Saga), Peter Murrieta (Mr. Iglesias), Erika Kennair (Berlanti Productions), Emily Furutani (Universal Television), among others.
“For those executives in the entertainment industry that should be diversifying their writers room, we invite them to call NHMC. We have more than 160 writers to recommend,” said Ms. Castillo. “NHMC is here to create, collaborate, and connect Latinx talent with the entertainment industry.”
NHMC’s Series Scriptwriters Program is proudly supported and sponsored by NBCUniversal, The Walt Disney Company, Univision, and T-Mobile.
YASMINE CAMPBELL, DRAMA/COMEDY WRITER
Against the Odds: Yaqueline Odd is an upwardly mobile, Afro-Latina with a blended family who boasts she’s “with the times.” So when her daughter decides to rock their perfectly curated world by starting high school as a male, the entire family must undergo a transition of their own. Based on the writer’s true life.
Yasmine Campbell writes elevated stories that speak to her personal experiences growing up in the Bronx with a family that practiced the metaphysical art of Shamanism. As the hardened daughter of a drug lord, Yasmine’s previous exec career in Hollywood felt right at home. The proud, multilingual Afro-Latina lives in Los Angeles with her all-American, highly creative, culturally blended, LGBTQ+IA family. Her favorite pastimes include MMA, wrestling, playing the drum set, healing with reiki, yoga as well as watching and creating high stakes action and Sci-fi worlds.
Representation Contact: Patti Felker, Patti@ftsllp.com
CARMEN CORRAL, COMEDY WRITER
Crushing It!: A painfully shy, "invisible" 12-year-old navigates the social pressures of middle-school with the imaginary advice of her teen celebrity crush.
Carmen Corral is a first-generation Mexican-American writer/director raised in Chicago. In 2015, she created and directed, BFFs, a YA comedy web series about 20-something, Latinx BFFs.The series premiered on Univision’s Youtube channel, Flama, and garnered over a million views. In 2018, Carmen was a comedy finalist for the Walt Disney Television Writers’ Program and a semifinalist for the Universal Writers’ Program. Her coming-of-age comedy, Our Lady of the Nerds, was optioned by AGC Studios with Peter Murrieta (Wizards of Waverly Place, Mr. Iglesias) attached as showrunner. Carmen graduated UCLA with a BA in Acting.
Representation Contact: Sandra Avila, sandra@inclusionmgmt.com
KEENAN DUKE, DRAMA WRITER
On-Deck: A down and out ex high school baseball player gives his dream of playing in the Major Leagues one last shot after receiving some devastating family news.
Keenan Duke is an African American drama writer. He has worked in various positions on shows such as the CBS sitcom Rules of Engagement, NBC’s Access Hollywood, and is currently the 1st Assistant Accountant on The Kelly Clarkson Show. His debut film project, The Road Not Taken, a short film he wrote and directed, has been selected to film festivals such as the Official Latino Film and Arts Festival and the LA Skins Fest.
Representation Contact: Self, keenanduke29@gmail.com
MEREDITH GARCIA-PAINTER, DRAMA WRITER
Untethered: Untethered is a dark family comedy about a young woman who must give up her college life to raise her two younger siblings after her mentally unstable mother abandons them.
Meredith is a second generation Mexican American from Cleveland, Ohio. She spent several years working in education and the nonprofit worlds before deciding to follow her passion for film and television. In 2019, Meredith graduated from Loyola Marymount University with an MFA in Screenwriting. Most recently, she was a semifinalist for the CTDI Disney Fellowship and was selected as one of the fellows for the 2020 NHMC TV Writers Workshop, sponsored by Disney-ABC and NBC.
Representation Contact:
Self, mgarciapainter12@gmail.com
HENRY ALEXANDER KELLY, COMEDY WRITER
Theme Perk: A naïve tour guide at the World's #1 Theme Park navigates grumpy guests, cutthroat coworkers, and Rated-X activities, realizing that his “magical” job is very different from its public-facing façade.
Henry Alexander Kelly is a first generation Nicaraguan-American, venti caramel comedy writer and performer. His shows have been produced at Skylight Theatre, Company of Angels, Ensemble Studio Theatre LA and MeetCute LA. He is a company member of ESTLA's New West Playwrights, Hero Theatre and The Story Pirates (arghhh, matey). Recently, he was a semi-finalist in the Second Annual Nosotros Ya Tu Sabes Monologue Slam presented by NBC.
Representation Contact:
Tyler, ATN Entertainment, Tyler@atnentertainment.com
Miranda, Pacific Talent and Models Inc (310) 321-7670
SOLANGE MORALES, DRAMA WRITER
Queen of the Misfits: Luna, a popular 14-year-old high schooler in cosmopolitan Miami Beach, FL, is forced to move against her will by her newly-reconciled parents. When she lands in a white-washed school in a small town, she’s determined to get through the next four years on her own terms – even if she’s crowned a misfit.
Solange is a first-generation Peruvian-Chinese-American, born and raised in Miami Beach, FL. She transformed the seeds of her heritage into stories as a director at Columbia University's MFA film program, where she graduated with honors. Her thesis short film Mal de Ojo, a depiction of generational and cultural clashes within a single-parent family was acquired by HBO. She has produced for ESPN and served as a writers’ assistant on shows for FOX, Starz and Hulu, having written an episode for Season 2 of Wu-Tang: An American Saga. Currently, Solange is also a writer in the 2020-21 WB Writers’ Workshop.
Representation Contact:
Self, solangemoralesmf@gmail.com
LUIS RAMÓN QUINTERO, DRAMA WRITER
Resurge: When a depressed therapist discovers he is able to astral project, he must navigate a new unearthly realm in order to save his dying wife.
Luis Ramón Quintero, a first-generation Mexican-American writer and director from Pacoima, California, has had his latest short film Mirage featured on Telemundo, NBC, Estrella TV, and KPFK. In 2016, another of his short films, Guiltless, was nominated for an Imagen Award in the Best Theatrical Short category by Norman Lear's Imagen Foundation. In 2014, Quintero was an NBC Universal Pictures Emerging Writers Fellowship finalist. Most recently, he was a fellow in the 2020 NHMC TV Writers’ Workshop, sponsored by Disney/ABC and NBC.
Representation Contact:
Self, luis@lrquintero.com
JORGE RIVERA, DRAMA WRITER
LET IT BLEED: Jorge’s NHMC pilot LET IT BLEED is a crime drama that follows a True Crime TV producer obsessed with solving the mystery of his own wife’s murder while navigating the life-threatening perils of producing the show within the show.
Jorge is a former True Crime TV producer who’s turned to writing fictionalized murders instead of producing stories about real ones. After years of traveling the U. S. interviewing cops, criminals, and killers for the Investigation Discovery Network he’s decided that navigating Hollywood as a TV writer would be a far less dangerous career path -- please don’t tell him the truth.
Representation Contact:
Randy Becker, randy@level4films.com
PAOLA TAPIA-LIMON, DRAMA/DRAMEDY WRITER
PAQUITA: A narcissistic ex-ballerina, forced to leave Tijuana after her husband goes to jail for money laundering, has to work for her old rival’s dance company teaching underprivileged kids, not knowing that her past is out to get her.
Paola Tapia-Limon, a Mexican/Apache writer from Tijuana, is a former unscripted TV story producer and a director for comedy shorts. She was recently the Writers’ Assistant on Netflix’s family-drama Away, and is now on a comedy show for Apple set in Mexico! Also, she’s a 2019 Sundance Episodic Lab finalist.
Representation Contact:
Daniel Vang, dvang@3arts.com
JORGE THOMSON, COMEDY WRITER
MISCAST: An emotionally detached actor is pulled home to help raise his autistic nephew and takes on his biggest role yet: father figure.
Jorge is a comedy writer and performer with Cuban, Puerto Rican, and New Mexican roots. He disappointed his two lawyer parents by studying acting at NYU’s Tisch School of the Arts. Since then, he’s trained in improv and sketch at the Upright Citizens Brigade, as well as worked as a Writers’ PA on MODERN FAMILY. Currently he works as a Development Assistant for writer Abraham Higginbotham.
Representation Contact:
Self, jorgitothomson@gmail.com
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About The National Hispanic Media Coalition (NHMC)
NHMC is a 35 year old nonprofit 501(c)(3) civil rights organization that was founded to eliminate hate, discrimination, and racism towards the Latinx community.
NHMC educates and increases visibility of Latinx from our policy work in Washington D.C. to our media advocacy work in Hollywood where we collaborate, create, and connect Latinx talent with the entertainment industry. NHMC we focus on all forms of media because it is one of the most influential and powerful institutions that exist. The media can have important effects on the attitudes, values, and beliefs of society.
NHMC collaborates with other social justice organizations to eliminate online hate and hold online platforms accountable for their content. We advocate for the Lifeline Program, Net Neutrality protections, and also work in closing the digital divide for Latino and other marginalized communities. NHMC works in partnership with other civil rights organizations to safeguard democracy in the United States of America.
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