Latino Reel brings out industry movers and shakers–and stars
- casfreelancer
- Jan 21, 2016
- 4 min read
There are always plenty of must-go-to events every year at, during and around Sundance in Park City. Latino Reel is one of them. The annual event features prominent Latinos in the media industry and stars attending the renowned festival. Though not officially organized by the festival organizers, Latino Reel is important enough to be listed as a “hosted presentation” on the Sundance Institute’s official website. “Under the rich, creative environment of the Sundance Film Festival, Latino Reel is an event held during the festival where Latino film is celebrated in a forum of networking and storytelling,” reads a description of the event. That pretty much is a sign of approval. This year the annual program is divided in two sessions, one on Jan. 22, the other on Jan. 25, both at Buona Vita Restaurant. SETTING AN AGENDA Friday, Jan. 22’s program, dubbed the “2016 Latino Reel Agenda,” will be a marathonic session of panels, starting early in the afternoon and extending into the evening.
Presented by PBS, the opening panel is “Making Films that Matter: Examining the Capacity Latino Documentary Filmmakers Have to Impact the National Narrative and Shape Contemporary American Culture”– a very long title, without a doubt, for a very serious and important subject.
While documentaries may not be the most popularly liked and commercially successful film genre, PBS lends its weight to exploring the role of Latino doc filmmakers in public debate in the U.S. This panel is relevant considering the increasing Latino population, not to mention perennial, hot political issues like immigration. That panel will be moderated by Richard Ray Perez, director of the Sundance 2014 doc “Cesar’s Last Fast” and current director of creative partnerships of the Sundance Institute Documentary Film Program.
Guests will include: Pamela A. Aguilar, PBS director of programming and development; Carla Gutierrez, editor “When Two Worlds Collide,” a doc about an indigenous environmental activist that takes on the large businesses that are destroying the Amazon and which is premiering at Sundance this year; Loira Limbal, Firelight Media’s vice president and documentary lab director; and Rodrigo Reyes, director of the doc “Purgatorio. A journey into the heart of the border.” CASTING DIVERSITY
The second panel is “What Happens When a Great Story Is Cast with Diverse Talent” and will be moderated by Dolly Turner, president of the Turner Group. The guest panelists are: the extremely busy actor that is described as “sidekick to the stars,” Adrian Martínez (“Focus” and “The Secret Life of Walter Mitty”); and various talents from the Sundance 2016 “White Girl,” including actor Ralph Rodriguez (“The Son of No One,” “Compliance”); actor Brian “Sene” Marc, director and writer Elizabeth Wood, and producer Gabriel Nussbaum.
CONTENT CREATION Another discussion panel is “Elevating Latino Voices–OneFifty Spotlight” with content creators from Time Warner’s newly launched incubator discussing ways to build a relationship with–and create content for–a leading media company. The panel is presented by Time Warner, parent company of HBO, Turner, and Warner Bros. Moderating this panel is Tamir Muhammad, Time Warner’s director of content and artist development. Guests include artist Jillian Mayer and writer Lucas Leyva, who work together as the duo Mayer/Leyva and had the short “#PostModern” shown at Sundance 2012. Also, Lisa García Quiroz, president of the Time Warner Foundation, will be attending. LATINO LENS
The Time Warner Foundation also is presenting “Latino Lens Spotlight,” a panel created by the National Association of Latino Independent Producers to highlight its incubation and media content production program. Latino Lens was designed to develop, nurture and produce a series of Latino creators’ projects with the intention of strengthening the Latino media pipeline, according to NALIP. The association will also present this year’s Latino Lens winners. The panel will be moderated by García Quiroz of the Time Warner Foundation. Guest panelists include Axel Caballero, executive director of NALIP, and Lucinda Martinez, senior vice president of multicultural marketing for HBO.
The Friday event will end with a more relaxed networking segment presented by Latino Reel and the Blackhouse Foundation. MORE ON DIVERSITY The other session taking place on Monday is entitled “Diversity in Distribution,” which will focus on new and upcoming filmmakers, and the diversity of evolving distribution platforms in a digital age, according to organizers. The panelists include: James Huntsman, partner and founder of Blue Fox Entertainment; Scilla Andreen, chief executive officer of IndieFlix; Andreas Olavarria, president of Level 33 Entertainment; and Angela Northington, senior vice president of content acquisitions for RLJ Entertainment. The panel is presented by Blue Fox Entertainment. Sponsors of the event include: the Utah Film Commission, the Utah Hispanic Chamber of Commerce, Ford, 150, Stella Artois, Coca-Cola, and Vox Creative. For more information, email: Ross@latinoreel.com –CESAR ARREDONDO PROGRAM DETAILS
Location: Buona Vita Restaurant 804 Main St., Park City, Utah Friday, Jan. 22 2016 Latino Reel Event Agenda
1:00pm — 2:15
“Making Films that Matter: Examining the Capacity Latino Documentary Filmmakers Have to Impact the National Narrative and Shape Contemporary American Culture”
2:15pm — 3:15pm
“What Happens When a Great Story Is Cast with Diverse Talent”
3:15 —3:30
Intermission
3:30pm — 4:30pm
“Elevating Latino Voices–OneFifty Spotlight”
4:30pm — 5:00pm
Latino Lens Spotlight
Created by NALIP and presented by Time Warner Foundation,
5:00pm — 5:15pm
Break
5:15pm —6:15pm
“One on One Conversation”
6:15pm — 8:00pm
Networking Social presented by Latino Reel and Blackhouse Foundation
Monday, Jan. 25
4:00pm — 6:00pm
“Diversity in Distribution”
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