Latino Indie Producers Plan Conference Nears

LOS ANGELES - The National Association of Latino Independent Producers (NALIP) has just announced that its twelfth annual NALIP conference will look at the ever-growing bi-lingual, bicultural market, and how it can be courted by Latino/a content creators. Rudy Beserra, NALIP Trustee and Vice-President of Latin Affairs for The Coca Cola Company will chair The New Now conference event. Presented by Time Warner and the National Latino Media Council, the weekend of keynotes, plenaries and networking events will be held April 15 – 17 at the Island Hotel in Newport Beach, California with a special Latino edition of Backstage’s Actorfest on April 14.

NALIP, its board and industry co-chairs plan to look at all aspects of the ascendance of this bicultural market, one that advertisers and marketing executives have watched mature in recent years. “We already think of it as the ‘new mainstream,’” says NALIP board member and MTV3’s General Manager Jose Tillan. He will lead the opening plenary on Friday, April 16, a session that will welcome the national community of Latino/a content creators and address the impact of new metrics and markets, and how to monetize content that targets Latino audiences. Speakers include Walt Disney EVP, Digital Media Albert Cheng, Google Head of US Hispanic Audience Mark Lopez, and award-winning journalist and The New Mainstream author Guy Garcia. The discussion will look to hear both from the professionals and distributors who are using this information and the journalists who are analyzing it. Coming on the heels of the 2010 Census data, the NALIP conference will incorporate the latest revelations and information in a unique weekend of seminars, case-studies, luncheons, showcases and awards. Prior to the plenary, NALIP will open the conference with a keynote luncheon address from Pantelion CEO James McNamara, who will discuss the impetus and impact of his new partnership with Lionsgate. 

There are over 50 million Latinos in the U.S., which is more than Spaniards in Spain or Canadians in Canada. Latinos are estimated to expend over $1 billion on U.S. filmed entertainment, and $1 trillion in general market buying power. Twenty-six million U.S. moviegoers are Latino, most commonly between the ages of 12 and 34, and are 100% more likely than the national average to be considered “frequent moviegoers.” Nielsen Media has determined that Latinos represent an overwhelming 28% of today’s heavy moviegoers, that they buy more tickets per year than any other ethnic group, and constitute the fastest-growing segment of the overall movie-going population. The New Nowwill scrutinize how Latino/a producers, directors, performers and writers can access this market, and how Latinos are infiltrating the mainstream, with such examples as Sofia Vergara’s character and its incorporation into ABC’s Modern Family.

Ms. Vergara will be recognized at The New Now for her tremendous success on that series, which grew out of her third pilot at Disney/ABC. In addition to the Oustanding Achievement Award presented to her, NALIP will bestow its Lifetime Achievement Award in Advocacy to retired Governor Bill Richardson, who built a substantial film industry in New Mexico during his tenure and supported myriad Latino and Native artists and profesisonal development programs. The 2011 Award for Corporate Commitment to Diversity will go to P.O.V./American Documentary, the esteemed PBS strand series that showcases the finest in U.S. independent documentary stories and visions. P.O.V. Executive Director Simon Kilmurry and Vice President Cynthia Lopez will be on hand to accept that award. Two “rising star” filmmakers will be awarded the $7,500 Estela Award grants, endowed by the McDonald’s corporation.

NALIP has remained the premiere resource for Latinos in the entertainment industry and provides tools that are essential to making it in Hollywood. How Latinos have achieved media justice, and what strategies need to be adopted in order to make additional progress will be the subject of a new study to be released at The New Now.“Assessing For Change: A Decade of Latino Media Advocacy” was conducted by former NALIP board chair and Columbia University professor Frances Negron-Muntaner, in association with the Center for the Study of Ethnicity and Race, and the Social Science Research Instistute. Its findings will be incorported into the April 17 Closing Plenary that looks at linking talent to social justice issues, such as Brave New Film’s work with the Cuantame campaign. NALIP’s founder, the National Council of La Raza, will co-present this advocacy session.

The 2011 conference will include a special Latino edition of Backstage’s Actorfest that provides professional development and casting director introductions for Latino/a and Native talent; the seventh annual Latino Media Market that connects projects and producers with funders and broadcasters; and other education and networking events on topics critical to contemporary content creators. The program is organized as three days of workshops and plenaries on film, television and documentaries, plus ground-breaking case studies and a sneak preview screening. This year’s film showcase, America, is presented by SAG and their “Dare to be Diverse” screening series. America was written and directed by LWL/LPA Fellow Sonia Fritz, produced by LPA Fellow Frances Lausell, and executive produced by Edward James Olmos. Cast and filmmakers will be in attendance. Due to the overwhelming explosion of reality television, NALIP will bring back Reality Television Boot Camp: Sizzle in Your Reality Dizzle,aworkshop dedicated to getting reality TV producers primed and ready for their big pitch! Speakers will include executives from Time Warner, HBO, Lifetime, Sony, Disney/ABC, PBS, CBS, Fox, Showtime, SAG, AFTRA, the PGA and WGA. For a list of speakers, panels and keynotes please visit to www.nalip.org/thenewnow. 

NALIP was founded in 1999 to address the vital need for equitable Latino representation across all entertainment mediums. For twelve years, the only annual gathering of the national Latino media field has been the NALIP conference. “There has never been a more important time to be certain that Latino/a voices and decision-makers are at all critical positions in our industry,” states NALIP Executive Director Kathryn Galan. “NALIP provides education, access, introductions and inspiration. Our annual conference is a crucible for great connections and synergies.”

About NALIP: 

Founded in 1999 by a group of Latino producers, educators and media activists, NALIP is a national organization of industry, independent and community media makers – directors and producers, writers, performers and advocates -- dedicated to increasing the quality and quantity of images by, for and about Latinos in the media. NALIP’s mission is to promote the advancement, development and funding of Latino and Latina film and media arts in all genres. NALIP is committed to improving access and opportunities for Latina/os at all points in the media production pipeline, including the training of our next generation of media makers, and the support of emerging and mid-career professionals.