June & July 2013

• Opening Plenary: The State of Latinos in Media
• Web Content: Creating, Monetizing and Distribution
• Power Brokers: Hollywood Agents and Managers
• Advertisers: Courting the Latino Consumer 
• Empowering Latinas in Entertainment 
• Running the Show – on TV  

MediaCon sponsors included Univision, Comcast NBC Universal,Entravision, Edison International, NuvoTV, CBS Corporation,Facebook, Fox Audience Strategy, Fox Deportes, The Nielsen Company, and Sony Pictures Entertainment. Click here to see all MediaCon pictures. Pasadena is NHMC’s Home Pasadena, the city of roses, is NHMC’s home. Shortly after NHMC moved its headquarters here, in 2008, it identified a need to help build more cohesive Latino leadership in the city.  Alex Nogales, NHMC President & CEO, met with several Pasadena community leaders and as a result the Pasadena Latino Coalition (PLC) was born. PLC was recently recognized as the Community Group of the Year by Congresswoman Judy Chu at the annual DiverCities event. But all is not rosy in the city of Pasadena. Recently, the Pasadena Unified School District (PUSD) Board had the opportunity to appoint the only Latino to its Board. This was an important and unique opportunity for a Board that oversees a District with a student population that is over 60% Latino. The majority of the Board members did not agree to appoint any of the well-qualified Latino candidates, and chose a well-qualified non-Latino instead. In response, NHMC reached out to its allies and friends at the Mexican American Legal Defense and Education Fund (MALDEF) to review the recent re-districting efforts that produced no significant gains in Latino representation; the National Association of Latino Elected and Appointed Officials (NALEO) to help mobilize voter registration drives; and the Coalition for Humane Immigrant Rights of Los Angeles (CHIRLA) to mobilize parents in the community. NHMC is hopeful that, as a result of these efforts, there will be more Latino participation at PUSD Board meetings. Without representation on the Board, the Latino community must make its voice heard! Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences Extends Membership to 22 Latinos In June, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Scienes (AMPAS) sent out its annual membership invitations.  This year the elite list looked somewhat different with 100 more names than last year and a bit more diverse than in the past – the list included 22 Latinos.  The actors category included: Miriam Colon, Rosario Dawson, Jennifer Lopez, Alma Martinez, Michael Peña, Geno Silva, and Danny Trejo. The National Latino Media Council (NLMC) members were pleased to learn about the 22 Latino invitees. In April, NLMC members, led by Congressman Esteban Torres (Ret.), met with AMPAS representatives to discuss ways in which to increase Latino representation in the Academy. The meeting was held as a result of Lupe Ontiveros’ exclusion from the Oscars’ ‘In Memoriam’ segment of the broadcast and NLMC’s concern about the lack of diversity in the Academy’s membership. Shortly after the April meeting NLMC submitted a list of potential invitees to the Academy. This year AMPAS invited seven from that list. Alma Martinez, Actor, who was among the Latino invitees stated, “I can’t remember a time in our recent history where there has been so much Latino political activism occurring simultaneously across so many fields and across the country. I received a letter inviting me to become a member of the Academy of Motion Pictures Arts & Sciences. To say I am elated is an understatement.” Hawk Koch, AMPAS President stated: “These individuals are among the best filmmakers working in the industry today. Their talent and creativity have captured the imagination of audiences worldwide, and I am proud to welcome each of them to the Academy.” Below is a list of the 22 Latinos included: Actors Miriam Colon – “City of Hope,” “Scarface” Rosario Dawson – “Rent,” “Frank Miller’s Sin City” Jennifer Lopez – “What to Expect When You’re Expecting,” “Selena” Alma Martinez – “Born in East L.A.,” “Under Fire” Michael Peña – “End of Watch,” “Crash” Geno Silva – “Mulholland Drive,” “Amistad” Danny Trejo – “Machete,” “Heat” Cinematographers Checco Varese – “Girl in Progress,” “The Aura” Costume Designers Paco Delgado – “Les Misérables,” “Biutiful” Directors Pablo Larraín – “No,” “Tony Manero” Documentary Rebecca Cammisa – “God Is the Bigger Elvis,” “Which Way Home” Eduardo Coutinho – “As Canções,” “Cabra Marcado Para Morrer (Twenty Years Later)” Patricio Guzmán – “Nostalgia for the Light,” “The Battle of Chile” José Padilha – “Secrets of the Tribe,” “Bus 174 (Ônibus 174)” Renee Tajima-Pena – “Who Killed Vincent Chin?,” “My America (Or Honk If You Love Buddha)” Makeup Artists and Hairstylists Luisa Abel – “The Dark Knight Rises,” “Inception” Kim Santantonio – “Gangster Squad,” “Frost/Nixon” Members-at-Large Victoria Alonso Mindy Marin Music Cliff Martinez – “Drive,” “Traffic” Sound Jose Antonio Garcia – “Argo,” “Babel” Edward J. Hernandez – “Real Steel,” “Basic Instinct” To view the announcement and full list of invitees from the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, click here. Submission Period Ends August 2, 2013 for NHMC’s Fall 2013 Television Writers Program!! Calling All Aspiring Television Writers! Application deadline is August 2!! Please visit nhmc.org/writersprogram for the application link and follow the directions carefully. Also available is a recorded webinar on the program, application process and FAQs. About the Program The television writers program is designed to familiarize participants with the format, characters and storyline structure of specific shows that are currently on the air. The five-week, total immersion workshop is mentored and guided by former NBC V.P of Script Development, Geoff Harris and is conducted in Burbank, CA. A total of 10 writers are accepted nationwide. The goal is that the writers garner the skills necessary to obtain employment in the industry. Please note the program is for seasoned writers who are capable of writing at least a one half-hour comedy or a one-hour dramatic television script in English within a five-week period of time. Alumni of the Writers Program have gone on to write for shows at major TV networks. You can see and support their work by tuning into current shows such as NCIS (CBS), Family First (BET), Happy Endings (ABC), Grimm (NBC), Sanjay and Craig (Nickelodeon), The New Normal (NBC), The Game (BET), The Fosters (ABC), and Bits & Pieces (ABC/Disney). Writers Program Alum Updates If you aren’t hooked already on Hulu’s newest original webseries East Los High you should get on it and support three of NHMC’s Writers Program alumna who wrote for the show: Shelley Acosta Smith, Zoila Galeano and Sasha Stroman. A round of applause to Jason Nieves and Aldo Pisano for their Imagen Awards nominations! Jason Nieves is the Executive Producer of the NuvoTV hit Latino 101 which has been nominated for the Best Variety or Reality Show category. You can check out this hilarious and delightfully informative show on NuvoTV or here.  Aldo Pisano’s web series When the Bomb Drops is nominated for the Best Web Series: Comedy category and is very well deserved. Tune in to his comical creativity here. We congratulate and wish them both luck! Felicitaciones, Jessica! NHMC is pleased to announce that Harvard Law School has selected NHMC’s Vice President of Policy & Legal Affairs,  Jessica Gonzalez, for its 2013-2014Wasserstein Public Interest Fellows program. The program recognizes exemplary lawyers who have distinguished themselves in public interest work and who can assist students who are considering similar career paths. Fellows travel to the Harvard Law School campus for one or two days during the year to advise law students about public service careers. Fellows are selected based on the depth and diversity of their public interest experiences, the areas of expertise which interest students, and the personal qualities that will make them excellent advisers. Past Wasserstein fellows include MALDEF President and General Counsel, Tom Saenz, among other distinguished public interest lawyers. In response to the news, Jessica stated: “I am thrilled! Working with students is one of my true loves!” Jessica has been working with young people since her teenage years, first as a soccer coach, then a public school teacher, and then a teaching fellow in a legal education clinic at Georgetown Law School. Currently she runs NHMC’s legal internship program. Organizations Now Have an Opportunity to Own a Radio Station! In October 2013, nonprofits, labor unions, schools, and community groups will have a historic opportunity to apply for free licenses to build and operate FM community radio stations nationwide. For more information, click here or call NHMC headquarters at 626-792-6462. We can help!  Meet Randy Abreu, NHMC’s 2013 Google Policy Fellow This summer, NHMC has been very lucky to have the assistance of Randy Abreu in its Washington, DC office. Randy is NHMC’s 2013 Google Policy Fellow. The Google Policy Fellowship program is a highly-selective summer employment program through which Google provides stipends to students to work on Internet and technology issues at non-profit organizations, like NHMC. Randy comes to NHMC from Thomas Jefferson School of Law in San Diego, California, where he is a rising third year law student. Last summer, Randy was nam ed a ‘San Diego County Bar Association Diversity Fellow’ and worked as a law clerk for Higgs, Fletcher, and Mack, LLP. When Randy returns to Thomas Jefferson Law for his final year he will be a part of the school’s Moot Court Honor Society, as well as a member of the school’s Publication Team which publishes articles on Lexis-Nexis pertaining to international law issues. Randy was also elected to serve as director of academics for the Student Bar Association and is excited for the coming year. Prior to law school, Randy attended Skidmore College in Saratoga Springs, New York, earning a BA in History and Latin American Studies. At Skidmore, Randy was involved in student government and several volunteer and cultural immersion programs. He became interested in critical race theory and critical race studies, an emerging field of education which challenges social inequality by providing the knowledge, language and tools to do so. Ultimately, Randy wishes to culminate his unique life-long experiences into a fulfilling career where he can work closely with law makers and those involved in television and internet media in hopes of forming a social narrative which accurately portrays the rich diversity within the United States. #JOB Resources The NHMC Jobs, Internships, and Programs online posting service is a great success and is the most visited page on NHMC’s website. NHMC is now receiving a record number of job postings. Thanks to NHMC interns, this page is kept current. We ask recruiting employers to support these efforts by sending a donation to NHMC so that NHMC volunteers can receive stipends for their efforts. Your contribution furthers NHMC’s mission to increase the number of American Latinos employed in all facets of the media industry. NHMC is a non-profit organization with 501(c)(3) status. Contributions are tax deductible. Email job listings to info@nhmc.org. Benefits of donating:

• Job listing(s) received will be added to the NHMC website within the same business day it is received. An email confirmation will be sent with link.
• Job listing(s) will be shared via social media on NHMC’s Facebook page and Twitter.
• Job listing(s) removal requests: Email confirmation of removal will be sent within one business day.