Banner Ads Now Available on HOLA Website

Wanna promote your upcoming stage production? Your upcoming film screening? Your upcoming special event?

HOLA members often get publicity in our Members in Performance page, but what if you could promote on our main homepage, or in our directory (The HOLA Pages), where more people can see your ad?

What if you had a project with no HOLA members that you wanted to promote?

What if you wanted to promote something that wasn’t a show (like your production company itself or a new website)?

Now you can do so by BUYING A BANNER AD on the HOLA website.

Banner ads come in half-page and full-page sizes and can be on the HOLA website for one week, two weeks, three weeks or a whole month. HOLA can also link your ad to a particular website at no additional cost.

Prices on the banner ads are affordable. Also, not-for-profit organizations receive a 10% discount on ad prices.

The HOLA website receives thousands of visits each month. The HOLA website is viewed by many professionals in the industry and is a unique way of reaching the Latino/Hispanic and mainstream audiences, which make buying a banner ad a smart investment for you.

Wanna buy a banner ad? Call (212) 253-1015 or e-mail us for prices and ad dimensions.

HOLA Regional Membership Available For Those Outside New York Metropolitan Area

If you are an actor who lives in an area of the U.S. outside of the New York metropolitan area, New Jersey or Connecticut (HOLA's programming and administrative headquarters region), HOLA is proud to announce its Regional Membership level - for only $65 (versus a $125 regular NYC region membership price) for one full year!

As an HOLA Regional Member, you'll be entitled to the following member benefits:

• Your headshot, resume, reel and voiceover demo* showcased on the HOLA Pages, the internet's only concentrated source of Latino acting talent. The directory is a trusted resource for casting directors, producers and talent agents receiving, on average, over 5,000 visits per month. (* There is an additional charge of $15 for adding your voiceover demo.)

• Your performances listed and promoted via HOLA's website and social media pages (Facebook and Twitter) that reaches thousands of people in the entertainment industry.

• Casting notices that will alert you to employment opportunities tailored to the Latino actor.

• Advocacy to combat stereotypes of the Latino/Hispanic community in media and entertainment as well as the opportunity to join in solidarity with the Latino/Hispanic acting community.


Application for regional memberships accepted by telephone order only. Call HOLA toll-free at (212) 253-1015. (VISA, MasterCard and American Express accepted.) Please submit your headshot (in .jpg format) and resume in a Word document or in Portable Data Format (.doc or .docx; or .pdf) via e-mail to HOLA.

Why Join HOLA? Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) About HOLA

WHY JOIN HOLA?

Frequently Asked Questions

• Is HOLA an agency or management company?

No. While we work similarly to an agency or an artist management company, we do a lot more. In essence, HOLA is a membership organization, a not-for-profit arts service and advocacy organization that offers jobs and casting opportunities, workshops and seminars and special events to its membership.

• Does one have to audition for HOLA?

No. HOLA is a membership organization. Just pay the annual membership and you become an HOLA member.

• I am a new actor. Does HOLA apply to me and how so? (Or conversely, I have a fair amount of experience. How does HOLA apply to me?)

HOLA members range from the beginner to the established and everywhere in between. HOLA will apply to you at every stage of your career.

• Do I have to speak Spanish (or Portuguese) to be an HOLA member?

No. HOLA members speak English only, Spanish only, or both languages fluently. Our Brazilian members speak Portuguese as well as English. There is no requirement for any member to speak Spanish (or Portuguese) to be an HOLA member.

• What kind of casting notices do you receive?

HOLA receives all kinds of casting notices— from union and nonunion, through the disciplines of film, television, theater and voiceover. The majority of our notices are distributed to our membership. There are some instances, whether because of short notice or because of the search for something very specific, that HOLA makes referrals to certain talent.

• I have signed representation. Would that be in conflict with HOLA?

No. In fact, we would put your signed representative’s name and number on your online profile. It would be another way to promote yourself without conflict.

• If I book a job through HOLA, do I owe you a commission?

No. We are not an agency or artist management company. You are under no obligation to give us a commission. (But if you want to show your appreciation with a donation, we’ll be forced to take it, I suppose.)

• I am in the process of getting my citizenship. Could I still join HOLA?

Yes. As long as you can legally work in the U.S., you can join HOLA.

• Does HOLA have a social media presence?

Yes. We are on Facebook, Twitter and have our own channel on YouTube. In addition, we are on Wikipedia and have our own blog, titled El Blog de HOLA.

• What if I am not an actor but I like what you do?

You could support HOLA by becoming a Friend of HOLA and donating to the organization. If you are a producer or director, a Friend of HOLA donation allow us to promote your productions!

All About Becoming an HOLA Member or a Friend of HOLA

Wanna be an HOLA member? Wanna know more about HOLA first?

HOLA is a not-for-profit arts service and advocacy organization founded in 1975.

HOLA members get their headshots and resumes on our web directory. In addition, HOLA receives casting notices from various sources that we pass on to our members (or in specific cases, help refer actors to the casting director).

HOLA offers low-cost workshops and seminars, professional counseling, special events and networking activities. We also produce the HOLA Awards which honor outstanding achievement by Latinos in entertainment.

HOLA has a Facebook page and a Twitter page in addition to this blog (imaginatively titled El Blog De HOLA). Whenever a member is doing a project, we can promote via e-mails we send out, through our Members in Performance page on the website or in El Blog on our HOLA Member Bochinche column (only good bochinche, never bad bochinche). It functions as another outlet to promote your work. HOLA is also on YouTube and on Wikipedia.

What if you are not an actor? You can support HOLA by being a Friend of HOLA. For more information, click here.

To become an HOLA member online (New York metropolitan area), fill out the member application form here.

WELCOME NEW AND RETURNING MEMBERS – SEPTEMBER AND OCTOBER 2016

Below is a list of new (and returning) HOLA members who joined between September 1, 2016 and October 31, 2016. (Note that "returning members" refer to those members who have returned to HOLA after having their memberships expire for some time and do not include renewing members.)

(Top row, left to right): Sergio Castillo, Marina Catalán; (second row, left to right): Gilbert Cruz, Enmanuel García Villavicencio; (third row, left to right): Jonah Larrama, Jeffry Mora; (fourth row, left to right): Mike Oquendo, Ronnie Padrón; (fifth row, left to right): Johanna Ramírez, Raúl Rivera; (sixth row, left to right): Tommy Rivera-Vega, Madrid St. Angelo; (seventh row, left to right): Richard Tello, Ligia Thompson; (bottom row, left to right): Paola Tonini, Juan Francisco Villa.

Not pictured: César Campos, Lorena Jusino, Jessica Panora.

HOLA Member Bochinche

Bochinche refers to “gossip”. In this sense, we use it to mention HOLA members or Friends of HOLA who are getting acting, performance or similarly artistic gigs and/or recognition in the media. The names of HOLA members and Friends of HOLA are listed below in boldface. To see what other HOLA members are doing currently, click here.

Manuel A. Morán, shown at right, co-directed (with Kristian Otero) the multi-part documentary Títeres en el Caribe hispano, which is an official selection of the Havana Film Festival, taking place in Havana, Cuba. For more information, click here (note that the website is in Spanish).

Vladimir Ríos collaborated with photographer Lester Blum on two photo series: Warrior of Hope and I Still Remember, respectively. Both are photographic narratives taken by Blum featuring Ríos (who also served as artistic director) as the main or lead character. Both photo series have been published as photo books and are hitting the art gallery circuit. The next stops for the two photo series will be a joint presentation of both photo series at The Loft: LGBT Community Center in White Plains, New York, and the second will be at the LGBTQ Center of Durham (sponsored by the Durham County Department of Health and Human Services) in Durham, North Carolina. Both exhibitions will open on Thursday, December 1, 2016 in commemoration of World AIDS Day.
 

Jennica Carmona's film Millie and the Lords was the recipient of a "Made in NY" Marketing Credit, presented by the New York City Mayor's Office of Media and Entertainment. As such, advertisements for the movie (starring Jessica Carmona, Cedric Leiba, Jr., 2016 HOLA honoree Modesto Lacén, Plinio Villablanca, and Mateo Gómez) can be seen throughout the New York City transit systems, be they on billboards in subway stations and bus shelters, or ads in train cars (examples shown above left and right), as well as a public service announcement for the film. For more information, click here and here. 

2016 HOLA Awards recipient Héctor Luis Rivera co-stars in the feature film Dondequiera que vayas (written and directed by Danilo Arroyo). The film is screening in October and November at The Concourse Plaza Multiplex Cinema in the Melrose section of the Bronx. For more information, click here, or look at the trailer below (note that the trailer and film is in Spanish).



Iliana Guibert shot a national commercial for IKEA, which can be seen below.

                
Éric-Dominique Pérez starred in the short film Crusade in Wonderland: Rise of the Drumpf (written by Alejandro Marín and Andrés Martínez Tutek and directed by Marín). The timely satirical film also co-stars Francisco Fuertes and HOLA Awards recipient Emely Grisanty and is available for viewing on YouTube. One can click below to see the film (caution: strong language).



If you are an HOLA member or a Friend of HOLA and want to submit a bochinche item, send us an e-mail. If you live in the New York metropolitan area and want to be an HOLA member, why not join? If you live outside the New York metropolitan area and want to be an HOLA member, you can find out more information on how to do so, by clicking here. If you are not a Friend of HOLA, why not become one?

Meet The Masters of Ceremonies and the Official Entertainment of the 2016 HOLA Awards

The masters of ceremonies of the 2016 HOLA Awards are 
Javier E. Gómez and Évi Siskos. 

The official entertainment of the 2016 HOLA Awards is Jeannie Sol.

Javier E. Gómez is an award-winning actor, producer and journalist based in New York.  He has a Bachelor’s Degree in broadcast journalism from the City College of New York, a Master’s Degree in business journalism from Baruch College, and a Conservatory Degree in Meisner acting from the William Esper Studio.

He is currently the host of "Diálogo Abierto", the Spanish-language news and talk show on BronxNet TV.  He just completed principal photography for Don’t Look, a new horror feature film directed by Luciana Faulhaber.  He is a co-executive producer of the project, and a co-founder of Enuff Productions, a film company established to nurture the work of multicultural artists. In 2011, he was also a co-producer of the Broadway revival of Godspell.

As an actor, he appeared Off-Broadway in the Sonia Manzano (of “Sesame Street” fame) musical No Dogs Allowed, at the Atlantic Theatre. Other New York stage credits include Día de Los Muertos, The Smell of Popcorn, My Favorite Year, Apathy: The Gen X Musical, Measure for Measure, The Rocky Horror Show, Passion and Threepenny Opera. Spanish-language stage work includes work at IATI, Puerto Rican Traveling Theatre,  Teatro Círculo, Repertorio Español and Danisarte.  On television, Javier had a recurring role in “Psychosis”, a Sunday primetime series directed by Sonia Valentín for Telemundo.

Paralleled to his acting work, he has worked as a journalist with El Diario/La Prensa, Pie Derecho Magazine, El Nuevo Día Newspaper, and Reuter’s Dollars and Sense Magazine, among other outlets. He also served as Press Officer for Governor George E. Pataki, New York State Attorney General Andrew M. Cuomo, and Bronx Borough Presidents Fernando Ferrer and Adolfo Carrión. In addition, he served as Communications Director for the Latino International Theater Festival of New York (TeatroStageFest) and the Campaign for Fiscal Equity.

Winner of four National Hispanic Publications’ Print Awards for outstanding reporting while at El Diario/La Prensa, Javier is the founder of High Pitch, a public relations firm specialized in Hispanic Media, Latino community/public affairs, government, political campaigns, special events, and not-for-profit organizations. Strongly committed to public service and community work, he often volunteers his time to different cultural and educational organizations. In 2010 he received the Excellence in Community Service Award, granted by Comité Noviembre.

He hosted the HOLA Awards for the first time in 2015. This year, he was selected as one of the recipients of the Él Award, presented by New York daily newspaper El Diario/La Prensa, for being a distinguished Latino leader in New York City. For more information about Javier E. Gómez, click here.

Évi Siskos was born in the heart of New York City to Greek and Dominican parents. An Emmy-nominated television host, she graduated with a bachelor's degree in International business and a concentration in Mandarin. Her love for languages led her to study Mandarin in Shanghai, China.

After finishing her studies, her passion for the arts led her to participate in Miss Dominican Republic Universe 2011, placing her as a finalist. This opened the door for her to pursue her dreams of television and film. Since 2011, she has been in various commercials, television programs, music videos, short films, short films. 

Her first steps were in radio as co­-host of the show "NipTuck" with celebrity surgeon Dr. Steven Greenberg and "Almorzando con Cantaso". Évi has starred in TV pilots and films such as "Lower East Asides", Unicorn Sky, and Keep the Party Going. She was a part of Cosmopolitan Magazine webseries for Latinas.She has been a spokesperson for Goya Foods, for their segment "La Cocina de Goya" with their campaign, Mi Plato, promoted by First Lady Michelle Obama. She has also been the face of International brands such as Chez Handbags and Galilli Diamonds. She was also part of the main hosts of the daily entertainment show, "Acceso Total" (for which she was nominated for a New York Emmy). In January 2015, she made her theatrical debut in William Shakespeare's As You Like It, playing the leading role of Rosalind. She last hosted the HOLA Awards in 2014. For more information about Évi Siskos, click here.

Jeannie Sol was born and raised in Brooklyn, New York. Raised in a humble home, she found escape through music. She found her talent for performing through talent shows in school and in after-school centers. After winning a few contests is when her luck turned around. This is where a famous producer/promoter named Jerry Masucci (of Fania Records fame) discovered her. It was through Sony Records that Jeannie released her first albumYannet Sol and Friends. With the strength of her hit “Correr A Ti” (a Spanish-language version of Whitney Houston's "Run to You"), she toured worldwide with the likes of Ray Barretto, Celia Cruz, Grupo Niche, amongst other big bands. She then stopped in Italy and that is where she won the Miss Informissima contest in Torino, Italy. Coming back to the U.S., she hit the studios to do her second studio album Yannet Sol. During her local spots she did backup vocals for Celia Cruz, Johnny Pacheco, Sergio George, and many others. She is an exclusive backup singer for Donald Sheffey in NYC. She is currently an official member of the Lose Control Comedy Troupe, where she hones her skills of comedic timing and stage acting in theater. She most recently acted on stage in her cabaret show (titled The Jeannie Sol Show), the musical Is There Room In Your Heart?, the operetta La Llorona, In Defense of Glitter and Rainbows, and a production of William Shakespeare's The Tempest. Her roles in the Teatro SEA productions of Rafael Hernández... Romance and La Gloria have yielded her two HOLA Awards. She last performed at the HOLA Awards in 2014. For more information, click here. 

The 2016 HOLA Awards will be on Wednesday, November 2, 2016 at the Flamboyán Theater, located on the first floor of The Clemente Soto Vélez Cultural and Educational Center, at 107 Suffolk Street, in Manhattan's Loísaida neighborhood, in New York City.

HOLA Member Bochinche

Bochinche refers to “gossip”. In this sense, we use it to mention HOLA members or Friends of HOLA who are getting acting, performance or similarly artistic gigs and/or recognition in the media. The names of HOLA members and Friends of HOLA are listed below in boldface. To see what other HOLA members are doing currently, click here.

Aileene Pérez, Iván L. Argudo, and Mayté Hernández were featured in the Entreactos y Telones column of the weekly New York newspaper La Voz Hispana, where their participation in the upcoming Teatro Vanguardia USA production of Sinfonía en Do mayor (y La menor) was highlighted. The play was written by 2016 HOLA Awards recipient Yoshvani Medina, directed by Argudo, and will star Pérez, Hernández, Edward Azcorra and 2016 HOLA Awards recipient Laura Spalding in the cast. The production is scheduled for a November run in the Producers' Club Theaters, located in the theater district of midtown Manhattan. To read the article, which is in Spanish, click on the article at right.

Enmanuel García Villavicencio is directing the Matías Montes Huidobro play Gas en los poros. The E3Outlaws Productions play will be presented in November as part of the En Un Acto Theater and Film Festival, presented in November by TEBA at the Broadway Blackbox Theater in Manhattan's Washington Heights neighborhood.

Manuel A. Morán, shown at left, co-directed (with Kristian Otero) the multi-part documentary Títeres en el Caribe hispano, two parts of which will be screened as part of the Borimix Festival. One part, devoted to Cuba, will screen on Thursday, November 17, 2016 at Teatro SEA in The Clemente Soto Vélez Cultural and Educational Center (home to HOLA), located in Manhattan's Loísaida neighborhood. The other part, devoted to the Dominican Republic, will screen on Friday, November 18, 2016 at El Comisionado Dominicano de Cultura en EEUU, located in Manhattan's Washington Heights neighborhood. For more information, click here or here.

Lucio Fernández starred in, co-wrote, and directed Vampire in Union City. The film will have a special screening on Friday, october 28, 2016 just in time for Halloween at the Union City Museum/William V. Musto Cultural Center in the West Hoboken area of Union City, New Jersey. For more information, click here.

If you are an HOLA member or a Friend of HOLA and want to submit a bochinche item, send us an e-mail. If you live in the New York metropolitan area and want to be an HOLA member, why not join? If you live outside the New York metropolitan area and want to be an HOLA member, you can find out more information on how to do so, by clicking here. If you are not a Friend of HOLA, why not become one?

HOLA Member Bochinche

Bochinche refers to “gossip”. In this sense, we use it to mention HOLA members or Friends of HOLA who are getting acting, performance or similarly artistic gigs and/or recognition in the media. The names of HOLA members and Friends of HOLA are listed below in boldface. To see what other HOLA members are doing currently, click here.

Alberto Bonilla, shown at right, stars alongside Miguel Belmonte and Sharon Maguire in the short film Drug Mule. Written by Maguire and directed by David Spaltro, the short film is hitting the film festival circuit, most recently winning Best Short Film at the Long Island Film Festival in Bay Shore, New York. For more information, click here.

Mafer Rodríguez will perform the solo show Atrapen a Minnie (written and directed by Lupe Gehrenbeck) on Friday, November 11, 2016 as part of the Sexto Festival de Teatro de Pequeño Formato, taking place at the ArtSpoken Performing Arts Center in Miami, Florida.

Kathy Tejada, 2016 HOLA Awards recipient A.B. Lugo, Iván L. Argudo (also see below) and Lucio Fernández were featured in the Héctor Luis Sin Censura blog (written and edited by 2016 HOLA Awards recipient Héctor Luis Rivera) for some of their latest achievements and upcoming projects. Tejada was noted for both her upcoming role in the Roberto Ramos Perea solo show We Women Do It Better Than Men (directed by Ángel Gil Orrios) being presented in November by Thalía Hispanic Theatre as part of the Borimix Festival at Teatro Círculo's eponymous space located in Manhattan's East Village; and her role (opposite Lugo and Rivera) in the TEBA production of Elena Garro's Un hogar sólido (directed by Rivera), which will also be presented in November at the Fort George Presbyterian Church, located in Manhattan's Washington Heights neighborhood. Lugo, in addition to his role in Un hogar sólido, was cited for his recent Best Supporting Actor win at the 9th Annual NoHu International Short Film Festival for the film ¡Ay, Que Susto! The film was written by Mo Zapata and Lugo, directed by Zapata, shot and co-produced by Anthony Ruiz and co-starring Natalia Ivana Escobar. Argudo was highlighted for his upcoming production of 2016 HOLA Award recipient Yoshvani Medina's play Sinfonía en Do mayor (y La menor), which Argudo will direct. The play stars Aileene Pérez, Mayté Hernández, and 2016 HOLA Award recipient Laura Spalding, and will take place in November at The Producers' Club Theater, located in the theater district of midtown Manhattan. Fernández was mentioned as a result of the group Máxima Alerta (of which he is a member) releasing their latest music video "Que Viva USA/Let's Rock USA". To read the Héctor Luis Sin Censura blog, which is in Spanish, click here. [Clockwise above, from top left: Tejada, Lugo, Argudo, Fernández.]

Iván L. Argudo (also see above) is directing the Jorge Dávila Vázquez solo show Penélope. Performed by Yolanny Rodríguez, the Teatro Vanguardia USA production will be presented in November as part of the IV Festival Internacional de Teatro Mujeres en Escena at The Producers' Club Theater, located in the theater district of midtown Manhattan. For more information, click here.

If you are an HOLA member or a Friend of HOLA and want to submit a bochinche item, send us an e-mail. If you live in the New York metropolitan area and want to be an HOLA member, why not join? If you live outside the New York metropolitan area and want to be an HOLA member, you can find out more information on how to do so, by clicking here. If you are not a Friend of HOLA, why not become one?