By: Joseph R. Castel
Photos by: JC Olivera Photography
On June 26 and 27, the National Association of Latino Independent Producers (NALIP) celebrated its 26th anniversary, by holding their annual Media Summit in Los Angeles, on Sunset Blvd at the NeueHouse Hollywood, home of the original CBS Studios.
NALIP is undoubtedly the cutting edge, leading network organization that supports the advancement of Latinos across multiple creative media platforms. Since its formation in 1999, NALIP’s membership includes producers, performers, writers, actors, editors and directors.
This year, the Media Summit focused on local and cross-border partnerships, fostering global collaborations, and spotlighting the movers and shakers in the entertainment industry in the U.S. and Latin America.
More than 70 renown industry professionals participated on panels, masterclasses, career coaching, networking roundtables, workshops, as well as a rooftop reception. Some of the speakers included actor/comedian John Leguizamo, (Too Wong Foo: Thanks for Everything Julie Newmar, Leguizamo Does America on MSNBC), actor/producer Nicholas Gonzalez (Resurrection Blvd, The Good Doctor), comedian/actress Cristela Alonzo (Cristela), and actress/writer, River Gallo (Ponyboi).
In addition to these notable actors, there were dozens of behind-the-camera professionals giving their advice and sharing their experiences on breaking into the industry. One of the highlights of the two-day event was a masterclass workshop by Academy Award nominated Carlos Lopez Estrada who taught a two-hour course on how to write a screenplay. It was a fascinating step-by-step process from character building, loglines, inciting incident to climatic ending. Lopez-Estrada’s third film, released by Disney, entitled Raya and the Last Dragon was nominated for Best Animated Feature in 2022. It’s not every day that aspiring writers can get a Masterclass workshop on script writing by an Oscar nominated director/writer.
The cost for the two-day Media Summit was $250, members were able to participate for $100. Still, considering that a meal between three people these days can easily run over a hundred dollars, NALIP offers an amazing bargain for members to hobnob with the primo of industry hobnobbers.
Another major cinematic high point during the Media Summit was the screening of River Gallo’s Ponyboi. Gallo wrote the screenplay and stars as a trans sex worker/ drug dealer who manages a laundromat run by her pimp/lover/drug dealer, Vinny. When one of her tricks bites the dust due to a bad batch of meth, cooked up by Vinny (viciously played by Dylan O’Brien), Ponyboi hits the road with the dead trick’s drug loot and tries to get out of town before Vinny and his mafia connections catches up with her.
It may sound like a rehash episode of NARCOs, but Gallo’s script about a trans hooker, with a heart of gold, caught up in a nefarious world of delusional dreams is a riveting film noir joy ride that keeps you on the edge of your seat to the very end. Gallo has won numerous accolades for her work as actor and writer on this Sundance sponsored project and she and the director gave a panel discussion prior to the NALIP screening.
Overall, the two-day event offered an invaluable access to industry insiders, resources, and workshops that advocate Latino storytelling.
In addition to NALIP’s Media Summit, other mentoring programs like The Diverse Women in Media Forum, and Latino Lens, are just a few of the amazing opportunities for Latinos who are trying to break into the entertainment industry. NALIP partnerships with leading companies that are strengthening and building on the next generation of Latino talent. For any individual looking to break into show business, becoming a member may well be worth the price of admission to a successful career.
To find out more about NALIP, or interested in becoming a member, visit: https://www.nalip.org/membership