Monday, December 29, 2014

2014: Year in HOLA

The year 2014 has been quite an eventful year for Latinos in the arts and media and for the Hispanic Organization of Latin Actors (HOLA) in particular. Take a look at some of the things that occurred in 2014. 

HOLA initiatives, events and workshops/seminars
have bullets marked in red.
Advocacy issues and efforts have bullets marked in blue.
Union affairs have bullets marked in green
Notable news items have bullets marked in purple.
Guest blogs
 have bullets marked in aqua.




JANUARY

• The film Paranormal Activity: The Marked Ones is released, becomes a huge hit for Paramount Pictures. The film, a side project of the Paranormal Activity franchise, had a Latino cast and story and premiered tri-nationally (U.S.A., Canada and Mexico). Its opening weekend had it at number 2 at the U.S. box office (right behind megahit Frozen). (Click HERE for more information.)
 Axel Caballero named new Executive Director of the National Association of Latino Independent Producers (NALIP); Kirk Whisler and Rosa Alonso named NALIP Board Co-chairs. (Click HERE for more information.)
• An agent from a boutique talent agency used HOLA to exclusively expand its stable of Latino/Hispanic talent. (Click HERE for more information.)
 Alfonso Cuarón wins the Golden Globe for directing Gravity. He would later receive two Academy Award (Oscar) nominations for the same film (for direction and editing). (Click HERE for more information.)



 Rita Moreno wins the 2014 SAG Lifetime Award from SAG-AFTRA, adding to her long list of awards (which include the Oscar, Tony, Grammy, two Emmys, the Golden Globe and the HOLA Award). (Click HERE for more information.)
 Prime Latino Media Salón – Alternatives: Programming Channels & Music. (Click HERE and HERE for more information.)


FEBRUARY
 CNNE (the parent company of CNN) closes down CNN Latino. (Click HERE for more information.)
• Television for U.S. Latinos, a two-part blog, highlights the mun2 (soon to be NBC Universo), nuvoTV (formerly Sí TV), Fusion and El Rey networks. (Click HERE and HERE for more information.)
 HOLA After The Curtain: The Happiest Song Plays Last. (Click HERE and HERE for more information.)
• Guest Blog by Louis Perego Moreno: Comcast Swoops on Time Warner. (Click HERE for more information.)
• A new study by the Ralph J. Bunche Center for African American Studies at the University of California-Los Angeles finds that diversity in film and TV projects yield high ratings and revenue. (Click HERE for more information.)


MARCH 
• Alfonso Cuarón becomes the first Latino (and first person of color) to win the Academy Award for direction (for his film Gravity). It was one-third of a hat trick for artists born in Mexico as Emmanuel Lubeski picked up an Oscar for cinematography (also for Gravity) and Lupita Nyong’o won an Oscar for Best Supporting Actress for her role in 12 Years A Slave. (Click HERE for more information.)
• Helming The Bard: Directors Tackle Shakespeare. (Click HERE for more information.)
• Prime Latino Media Salón – Four Latino Actors-Turned-Directors. (Click HEREHERE and HERE for more information.)
• Prime Latino Media Salón – Five Urban Latino Comedians in Webseries. (Click HEREHERE and HERE for more information.)
• All About the Fifteenth Letter of the (Spanish) Alphabet: Ñ. (Click HERE for more information.)
 Guest Blog by Manolo García Oliva: Una requesta de la afirmación que el teatro latino en NY necesita un rescate. (Click HERE for more information.) 
• HOLA member (and previous host of the HOLA Awards) Rafael Bello wins two New York Emmy Awards. (Click HERE for more information.) 



APRIL
 HOLA institutes a series of guest blogs entitled HOLAwave. (Click HERE for more information.)
 NuvoTV and its Chief Creative Officer, Jennifer López, buys Fuse TV from MSG Network. (Click HERE for more information.)
 New York City Mayor Bill De Blasio Names Producer Cynthia López Film Czar. (Click HERE for more information.)
 Spanish-Language Voiceover Workshop with Manuel Herrera. (Click HERE and HERE for more information.)
 Danny Burstein and Rubén Santiago Hudson among the Latino performers nominated for a New York Outer Critics Circle Award. (Click HERE for more information.)
• Nick Cordero and Rubén Santiago Hudson among the Latino performers nominated for the New York Drama League Outstanding Performer Award. (Click HERE for more information.)
• Netflix To Launch Spanish-Language Series From Guz Alazraki. (Click HERE for more information.)
 Danny Burstein, Nick Cordero, Bobby Moreno, and Rubén Santiago Hudson among the 2014 Drama Desk nominees. (Click HERE for more information.)
 Oscar Hijuelos Childhood Home Honored with Memorial Plaque. (Click HERE for more information.)
 Guest blog by Louis Perego-Moreno (Tío Louie): Interview with director Josef Wladyka (Manos sucias). (Click HERE for more information.)
• Danny Burstein and Isabel Toledo among the Latino Tony nominees. (Click HERE for more information.)


MAY
 Lin-Manuel Miranda and Lili Estefan are among the Latinos nominated for Daytime Emmy Awards. (Click HERE for more information.)
• Nick Cordero, et al. win 2014 Theatre World Awards. (Click HERE for more information.) 
 Danny Burstein: Interview with un tico en Broadway. (Click HERE for more information.)
• David Henry Hwang on the Evolving Opinions of Racial Casting. (Click HERE for more information.)
• Roberto Orci To Directing Star Trek III, Replacing J.J. Abrams. (Click HERE for more information.)
 Slate Confirms What Many Latinos (And Non-Latinos) Already Know– The Prevalence of Español in the Estados Unidos de América. (Click HERE for more information.)
• Prime Latino Media Salón – Up & Coming: Actress and Documentary Filmmaker. (Click HERE and HERE for more information.)



JUNE
 2014 Hollywood Diversity Report from UCLA’s Bunche Center Show Woeful Lack of Opportunities for Artists of Color. (Click HERE for more information.)
• Hispanic Audiences Are In The Driver’s Seat in Hollywood. (Click HERE
 for more information.) 
• New York’s Film Czar Preserves Indie Spirit. (Click HERE for more information.)
 Prime Latino Media Salón – Éxito: From Latin America to New York. (Click HERE and HERE
 for more information.)
 Columbia University Report Suggests “Persistent and Unchecked Job Discrimination” of Latinos in U.S. Media (Despite Growing Population and Buying Power). (Click HERE for more information.) 
• New York Surpasses L.A. in Pilot Production For The First Time. (Click HERE for more information.)
• Disney/ABC holds an exclusive on-camera workshop for HOLA members as part of its annual talent diversity showcase.


JULY
• Telemundo and Sony Pictures TV enter into a three-year production alliance. (Click HERE for more information.)
• The merged SAG-AFTRA takes another step in combining the former health care systems of SAG and AFTRA. (Click HERE
 for more information.)
• Univision and Telemundo battle it out on a digital front. (Click HERE for more information.)
 El Arte del Voiceover Workshop with Manuel Herrera. (Click HERE for more information.)
 Louis C.K., Fred Armisen, Lin-Manuel Miranda, et al., among the Latino Emmy nominees. (Click HERE for more information.)
 SAG-AFTRA National Board Approves Tentative Agreement with the American Motion Picture and Television Producers (AMPTP). (Click HERE for more information.)
 Prime Latino Media Salón – Hermanos/Support: Networking 101. (Click HERE and HERE for more information.)
 “Jane The Virgin” Star Gina Rodríguez On Seeing Yourself (And Your Cultural Identity) On Screen. (Click HERE for more information.)


AUGUST
• The 2014 HOLA Awards Announcement Ceremony. (Click HERE and HERE for more information.)
• Prime Latino Media Salón. – Dreamers. (Click HERE and HERE for more information.)
 Univision claimed the top spot in the July sweeps ratings race, for the second consecutive year beating the four English-language giants: ABC, CBS, Fox, NBC. (Click HERE
 for more information.)
• Do We Really Need ‘Diversity’ Offices? (Click HERE for more information.) 
• Filmmaker/network head Robert Rodríguez talks about storytelling and “Hispanic” stories. (Click HERE for more information.) 
• 
California Lawmakers Unveil Overhaul of Its Film and TV Tax Lottery. (Click HERE for more information.) 
• Not Much of a Latino Presence in Hollywood Films (Despite Being The Fastest Growing Minority in the United States of America). (Click HERE for more information.) 
 Latinas Most Likely To Be Naked On Screen, According To Study. (Click HERE for more information.) 
• Lights, Camera, Struggle? Hollywood Latinos Speak Out. (Click HERE for more information.)
• 
10 Extremely Problematic Realities About Latinos in Hollywood (And Some Hope). (Click HERE for more information.) 
 SAG-AFTRA Ratifies 2014 TV/Theatrical Contracts. (Click HERE for more information.)
• Louis C.K. and Lin-Manuel Miranda are among the Latinos winning 2014 Primetime Emmys. (Click HERE for more information.)
• 9 Latina Stars Who Aren’t Hypersexualized on TV. (Click HERE for more information.) 
 Filmmaker/network head Robert Rodríguez on keeping his name, creating a star system of his own and using El Rey Network to realistically represent Latinos on television. (Click HERE for more information.)


SEPTEMBER
 Cantinflas Biopic Does Well at U.S. Box Office in Limited Release Opening Weekend. (Click HERE for more information.)
• Rosie Pérez Named New Co-Host of ABC’s “The View”, Becoming the First Latina Host in the Show’s 18-Year History. (Click HERE for more information.)

• Latinos Are Top Moviegoers, Yet Few Roles in Top Movies. (Click HERE for more information.)  
• Academy Award nominee Demián Bichir talks about diversity and Latino representation on TV. (Click HERE for more information.)
 John Leguizamo talks about the limited roles for Latino actors. (Click HERE for more information.)
 How Latinos Can Solve Hollywood’s Slump. (Click HERE for more information.)
 HOLA Members On Television This Fall Season. (Click HERE for more information.)
 Prime Latino Media Salón – Hispanic Heritage: Flying High. (Click HERE for more information.)
 Guest blog by Hernando Caicedo: Hispanic Heritage Month… ¿eh, qué? (Click HERE for more information.)
• Disney-owned Maker Studios partners with Latino content creator Mitú to target the online Hispanic market in the U.S. (Click HERE for more information.)
 Spanish-Language Voiceover Workshop with Manuel Herrera. (Click HERE and HERE for more information.)



OCTOBER
• Hollywood’s Most Bankable Latina Actress is Catherine Zeta-Jones. (Click HERE for more information.)
• Andrea Navedo on “Jane The Virgin”, Being a Superfast Version of Michelle Rodríguez and the Importance of  Just Showing Up. (Click HERE for more information.)

 Cristela Alonzo talks on being the first Latina to write and star in her own show and why she loves Roseanne. (Click HERE for more information.)
• The 2014 HOLA Awards. (Click HERE for more information.)

• 
Academy Award nominee Rosie Pérez Says Latin Hollywood Told Her Not To “Rock The Boat”. (Click HERE for more information.)

 Zoë Saldaña On Why She Wants The Word “Ethnic” To Disappear. (Click HERE for more information.)
 Do Minority Actors Have A Duty To Reject Stereotypes? (Click HERE for more information.) 
 Sofía Vergara Talks About Latino Representation on Television. (Click HERE for more information.)
 Lead roles for Latino actors as U.S. television notes shift in social and economic power. (Click HERE for more information.)
 Guest blog by Rénoly Santiago: The Importance of Keeping Consistency in Performance. (Click HERE for more information.) 


NOVEMBER
 HOLA Members Abound at the International Puerto Rican Heritage Film Festival (IPRHFF) in New York City This November. (Click HERE for more information.) 
 Spanish-Language Cabler mun2 To Relaunch As NBC Universo. (Click HERE for more information.) 
 Hollywood’s Diversity Sham: How TV and Movies Save Face By Casting Minority Extras. (Click HERE for more information.) 
 In The Land of Make-Believe, Racial Diversity is a Fantasy. (Click HERE for more information.) 
 2014 HOLAfestival – short film festival and webseries edition. (Click HEREHEREHERE and HERE for more information.)
 NALIP Renews Board Leadership. (Click HERE for more information.) 


DECEMBER
 Holiday Fiesta featuring the Padrino and Madrina Awards. (Click HERE and HERE for more information.)
 SAG-AFTRA Board Approves Network Television Code (Netcode) Deal; Sends The Agreement to Members To Be Ratified. (Click HERE for more information.)
 Alejandro González Iñárritu, Emmanuel Lubezki, Alfred Molina, Andrea Suárez Paz Among Latinos Nominated at the 2015 Film Independent Spirit Awards. (Click HERE for more information.)
 "Louie", "Modern Family", "Brooklyn Nine-Nine" and "Orange is the New Black" Among The Projects Where Latinos Are Nominated for 2015 SAG Awards. (Click HERE for more information.)
 Cristela Alonzo, Gina Rodríguez and Pedro Pascal among the breakout stars of television in 2014, according to Moviefone. (Click HERE for more information.)
 González Iñárritu, Louis C.K., Gina Rodríguez Among the Latinos Nominated for 2015 Golden Globe Awards. (Click HERE for more information.)
• Writer-director Alexander Dinelaris on BirdmanThe Bodyguard musical in the U.K., and getting On Your Feet! with Gloria and Emilio Estefan. (Click HERE for more information.)
 González Iñárritu-helmed Birdman leads the nominations of the Critics' Choice Movie Awards; Zoë Saldaña, Rosario Dawson also nominated. (Click HERE for more information.)
• Alejandro González Iñárritu's Birdman Continues Generating Awards Season Buzz As It Earns London Critics' Circle Film Awards Nominations. (Click HERE for more information.)
• Time Warner Signs On As Primary Supporter of NALIP Latino Film Incubation Program. (Click HERE for more information.)
 Guest blog by Rénoly Santiago: Holiday Blessings and Staying Focused. (Click HERE for more information.)
• HOLA's own Manuel Herrera featured in SAG-AFTRA New York e-newsletter. (Click HERE for more information.) 



HOLA members have been very busy this year as well. And some of their gigs have been due to them being HOLA members. Whether HOLA members received work from a casting announcement we send to them via e-mail, a direct referral or through a casting director finding the actor’s information on our online directory, it makes us proud to see our members working. Some of the jobs that HOLA members received as a result of their membership are listed below.

Film, Television and New Media (including webseries)
Francisca Alegría
Ricardo Bacallao
Jaehyuk Choi + Mario Garza
Comcast-NBC Universal/Telemundo
Julián Juaquín Conde
Antonio De La Cruz
Disney-ABC
Gran Manzana Films
Raymond Hernández
Joyas Media
Mariel Mayorga
Raymond Montañez
Orpheus Group Casting
Abraham Rozenbaum
Lina Sarrello
XPress Film Company

Theater
Alphabeta Productions
Cabrini Repertory Theater
Columbia Stages
E3Outlaws Productions
Group of the Arts 
Lark Play Development Center
Lehman Stages
Lone Star Theater Company
Alfonso Ramírez
Repertorio Español
United Productions Company

Commercials/Industrial/Voiceover/Print
Access Health
ACE Detergent
Burlington Coat Factory 
Wendy Curiel
Del Valle Casting
Elsie Stark Casting/Stark Naked Productions
Food and Drug Administration
Health and Insurance Planning
Orgullosa
Western Union 


[The above only indicates the jobs that HOLA members have informed us they received through HOLA and may not represent all the jobs received by HOLA members through HOLA membership.]

Que en Paz Descansen / Rest in Peace
Alma Muriel
Carmen Zapata
Nelson Ned
Mónica Spear
Luis Ávalos
Tony Díaz
Génesis Carmona
Paco de Lucía
José Wilker
Alfredo Alcón
José "Cheo" Feliciano
 Gabriel García Márquez
Ken Allaire
Jack Agüeros
Abdón Villamizar 
Gloria Irizarry
Gustavo Cerati
Eloísa Castellanos
China Zorrilla 
Elizabeth García de Rivera
Elizabeth Peña
Héctor Arredondo 
Roberto Gómez Bolaños "Chespirito"
Lina Gallegos
Carlos "Topy" Mamery

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