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HOLA Regional Membership Available For Those Outside New York Metropolitan Area

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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 (888) 524-HOLA or (888) 524-4652. (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.

Banner Ads Now Available on HOLA Website

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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 (888) 624-HOLA or e-mail us for prices and ad dimensions.

QEPD / RIP María Elena Velasco "La India María"

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María Elena Velasco Fragoso (born December 17, 1940 in Puebla, Puebla, Mexico and died May 1, 2015 in Mexico City, Distrito Federal, Mexico) was a Mexican actress, comedienne, singer-songwriter, dancer, screenwriter, film producer, and one of Mexico's few major female film directors. She is best known for creating and portraying La India María (also known as María Nicolasa Cruz), a comical character based on indigenous Mexican women, in films and television programs.

Velasco was born in Puebla, Puebla, Mexico. Upon the death of her father, she and her family moved to Mexico City, where she worked as a dancer at the Teatro Tívoli. Later, she became one of the showgirls of the Teatro Blanquita, where she also participated in sketches starring comedians such as Fernando Soto "Mantequilla", Pompín Iglesias, José Jasso "El Ojón", and Óscar Ortiz de Pinedo.

In 1962, her popularity at the Teatro Blanquita attracted the attention of producer Miguel Morayta, who cast her in her first film role in the drama Los derechos de los hijos (1963). Juan Bustillo Oro gave her the small part of Petra, a maid, in México de mis recuerdos (1963). In 1964, she began to include comedic material to her appearances in sketches and, in the meantime, played servants in television programs. She soon developed a comedy character named Elena María, a rural Mexican woman. 

Her breakthrough came when director Fernando Cortés recommended her to portray an indigenous woman named "María" in one of Mantequilla's sketches. The character was dressed in traditional garb consisting of traditionally braided and ribboned hair and colorful native-type blouses and skirts. In an effort to make her portrayal more authentic, she observed the gestures and mannerisms of indigenous women; her own mother made dresses for the character.

In 1969, Velasco appeared as La India María in a comic segment of the weekly program "Siempre en domingo", hosted by Raúl Velasco. The segment quickly became a hit and she starred in other successful television programs. Her first La India María vehicle, Tonta, tonta, pero no tanto (1972), was directed by Fernando Cortés; in total, Cortés directed eight La India María films until his death in 1979. The enormous success of the film spawned a series of low-budget comedies that became a mainstay in Mexican movie theaters. Velasco won a Silver Goddess Award for Best Comedic Performance for ¡El que no corre... vuela! (1982). She made her directorial debut in El coyote emplumado (1983). She also starred the television series "Ay María, qué puntería" (1998).

In the early 1960s, Velasco met Russian actor and choreographer Julián de Meriche (stage name of Vladimir Lipkies Chazan) at the Teatro Blanquita. They married and had three children, Goretti, Iván, and Ivette. Her death was announced over Twitter by the Instituto Mexicano de Cinematografía on May 1, 2015. The cause of death was not made public, but it was known that she had been suffering from stomach cancer.

Velasco starred in approximately 23 films and three television series
 in Mexico. In addition, she has written and directed numerous films in her career. As a screenwriter, she received an Ariel Award in 2004 for Best Adapted Screenplay for the film Huapango (a film not of the India María series).


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QEPD / RIP  María Elena Velasco


Chita Rivera to Receive the 2015 John Willis Award for Lifetime Achievement from the Theatre World Awards

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The 71st annual Theatre World Awards will be announced Tuesday, May 5, 2015, and the awards themselves will be handed out in a Monday, June 1, 2015 ceremony at Broadway's Lyric Theatre. Theatre journalist Peter Filichia will once again host the ceremony. Each year the Theatre World Awards recognize six men and six women who made outstanding Broadway or Off-Broadway debuts during the previous season. In addition, this year, the Theatre World Awards will also honor The Visit star Chita Rivera, who will get the 2015 John Willis Award for Lifetime Achievement in the Theatre. Their seventh annual Dorothy Loudon Award for Excellence in the Theater for an Outstanding Performance in a Broadway or Off-Broadway Production will also be announced Tuesday, May 5, 2015.

Chita Rivera.
First presented in 1945, the Theatre World Awards, founded by John Willis, the editor-in-chief of Theatre World and Screen World, are the oldest awards given for Outstanding Broadway and Off-Broadway debut performances. The Theatre World Awards are presented annually at the end of the theatre season to six actors and six actresses for "their significant, reviewable, debut performances in a Broadway or Off-Broadway production."

The Theatre World Award winners were chosen by the Theatre World Awards Committee that includes Roma Torre (Time Warner-NY1 News), David Cote (Time Out New York and Time Warner-NY1 News), Joe Dziemianowicz (New York Daily News), Peter Filichia (The Newark Star-Ledger, Emeritus), Harry Haun (Playbill), Matthew Murray (Talkin’ Broadway) and Frank Scheck (The New York Post).

The John Willis Award is given for lifetime achievement in the theatre to honor the man who created and maintained the Theatre World tradition for 67 years, encouraging new talent. For more information, click here.

BETWEEN RIVERSIDE AND CRAZY and HAMILTON Take Top Honors at 2015 New York Drama Critics' Circle Awards

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Lin-Manuel Miranda (in front),
and the company of Hamilton.
Stephen Adly Guirgis' play Between Riverside and Crazy (co-starring HOLA member Liza Colón-Zayas) and the new Lin-Manuel Miranda musical Hamilton have been named the winners of the 2015 New York Drama Critics' Circle Awards. The awards will be presented at a private cocktail reception on Tuesday, May 19, 2015. 


The New York Drama Critics' Circle comprises 23 drama critics from daily newspapers, magazines, wire services and websites based in the New York metropolitan area. The New York Drama Critics' Circle Award, which has been awarded every year since 1936 to the best new play of the season (with optional awards for foreign or American plays, musicals and performers), is the nation's second-oldest theatre award, after the Pulitzer Prize for Drama.

For more information, click here.

HOLA Member Bochinche

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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.

Eileen Faxas, shown at right, guest-starred on an episode of "The Blacklist" (NBC).

Sebastian Stimman co-wrote and will be starring in the short film Red, to be directed by Pierre Taisne (who also co-wrote) and Paul Bomba, and produced by B10 Productions. The film is currently wrapping up filming in New York City and features A.B. Lugo, Inma Heredia and Enmanuel García Villavicencio, among others. For more information on the psychological thriller, including a video in English, Spanish and German (with French subtitles), starring Stimman, click here.
J.W. Cortés, shown at left, was cast in the feature film Sugarfields (written and directed by Michael Biggam and David Mondin). For more information, check out the blog from the producers, Cerebral Productions, by clicking here. For more information, about the film, click here.

Mariana Parma performed with the Mariela Franganillo Company in the dance performance Recuerdo Tango. Directed by Franganillo and Bob McAndrew, the performance took place on Saturday, May 2, 2015 at Kingsborough Performing Arts Center, located in the Manhattan Beach area of Brooklyn. For more information on the event, click here.

Joel Pérez, shown at right, was featured in Broadway World for his upcoming concert where he and others will sing the songs of Janine McGuire and Arri Lawton Simon in the concert "McGuire & Simon: Looking Forward". The concert will have two sets on Monday, May 11, 2015 at the Laurie Beechman Theater, located in the theater district of midtown Manhattan. Pérez will be singing on his night off from the Broadway musical Fun Home (written by Jeanine Tesori and Lisa Kron and based on the graphic memoir by Alison Bechdel; directed by Sam Gold), which is playing in the Circle in the Square Theater, which is also in the theater district of midtown Manhattan. For more information about the concert, 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?

Special HOLAfábrica Seminar: Casting Seminar with Amy Gossels of Amy Gossels Casting

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Insights from Casting Director Amy Gossels
to enhance your career


Friday, May 15, 2015 from 6pm-7:30pm

Teatro SEA @ Clemente Soto Vélez 
Cultural and Educational Center
(same building as HOLA)
107 Suffolk Street, Ground Floor, NYC
(F, J, M, Z to Delancey-Essex / M14A, B39)

$25 for HOLA members
$30 for non-members

(Proceeds from this event will go towards HOLA fundraising efforts.)

SPACE IS LIMITED.
To sign up, call (212) 253-1015 or (888) 624-HOLA.
(Visa, Mastercard and American Express accepted.)

Most actors find that commercial and television work are the most lucrative areas of the our business. The majority of actors who pursue theater and film support themselves with their earnings from commercial and television bookings. But, there have been a lot of changes due to the fast turnaround that is necessary in these areas. 

This seminar with Casting Director Amy Gossels is designed to help actors understand the important changes in the casting process that have taken place over the past few years, so that actors can maximize their work opportunities, particularly in commercials and television. 

Amy will share information and give guidance that will be productive, results-oriented and tailored for both emerging and seasoned actors. 

Amy will walk you through the necessary steps to better establish yourself in this business, and she will share valuable information as to which specific resources are critical and most productive for your career and the best way to use these resources. She will explain how things work from the perspective of a busy casting director and share insight and knowledge to help you get better consideration for projects with any casting office. This seminar will consist of a group overview with Casting Director Amy Gossels followed by a Q&A.

For more information on Amy Gossels and Amy Gossels Casting, click here and here.


Gina Rodríguez, Jaime Camil and Elvis Nolasco Among the Nominees for the 2015 Critics' Choice Television Awards

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The Critics' Choice Television Awards, established in 2011, are accolades presented by the Broadcast Television Journalists Association (BTJA). The Awards honors the best in primetime television programming from June 2014 through May 2015. HBO picked up the most nominations this year with 27, followed by FX (16), CBS (13), ABC (12), Fox (10), Comedy Central (7), NBC (5), and Showtime (5).

Jaime Camil and Gina Rodríguez
of The CW's "Jane The Virgin".
Among the Latinos nominated this year are Gina Rodríguez and Jaime Camil, for Best Actress in a Comedy Series and Best Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series, respectively, both for their work on The CW's "Jane The Virgin", which also picked up a nomination for Best Comedy Series. Elvis Nolasco picked up a nomination for Best Supporting Actor in a Movie or Limited Series for his work on ABC's "American Crime".

Elvis Nolasco of ABC's
"American Crime".
The FX series "Justified" and the HBO limited series "Olive Kitteridge" lead the pack with five nominations each. Other shows with multiple nominations include "The Americans" (FX), "Bessie" (HBO), "The Good Wife" (CBS), "Transparent" (Amazon) and "Wolf Hall", each with four nominations apiece; while "American Crime" (ABC), "American Horror Story: Freak Show" (FX), "The Big Bang Theory" (CBS), "Broad City" (Comedy Central), "The Honorable Woman" (Sundance), "Jane the Virgin" (The CW), "Silicon Valley" (HBO), "Stockholm, Pennsylvania" (Lifetime) and "Veep" (HBO), each scored three nominations.

The fifth annual Critics’ Choice Television Awards will be handed out May 31, 2015 at the Beverly Hilton in Los Angeles, California, and will be televised by the A&E network. For more information, click here.







Tío Louie Reporta: Countdown to Cannes– 7 DAYS OF 7 NY LATINOS AT CANNES 2015 (Part 1)

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HOLA is proud to present Tío Louie Reporta, where filmmaker and Executive Producer of Prime Latino Media, Louis Perego Moreno (also known as Tío Louie) interviews actors and multimedia-makers in the business.


Something is abuzz. With internationally acclaimed Latinos winning Academy Awards for Best Director two consecutive years, PRIME LATINO MEDIA is proud to announce that seven talented and accomplished Latino multimedia-makers and actors from the familia are climbing up the career ladder in a short film at the Cannes Film Festival from May 13-24, 2015. Acceptance into the Festival de Cannes with their film will benefit from a prime viewing position within the Short Film Corner. U.S. Latinos are taking the world over by storm in media and entertainment and our New Yorkers are part of the revolution.


Countdown: Day 1 of 7
PABLO ANDRADE: Tablecloth

Off to the Cannes Film Festival, Pablo will be in a short film screened there and the pearls of wisdom he offers is that if your passion and craft is acting, “Be obsessed and don’t have a Plan B for your career.
Actor: Pablo Andrade (from Venezuela)
Director: Youssef Lahlou (Moroccan-born)
Synopsis: A group of friends and family who gather for a birthday meal seemingly engaged in cordial conversations while hiding imperfections and secrets under the tablecloth.

  • How was the casting process for the project? It went fast. I read for two different characters. I felt connected to each one. However, I felt more energy and connection with the character I was cast, Tom, and his point of view. Tom was a perpetrator of domestic violence. I felt that my role was not to portray him solely as a bad guy, but to also look at the other side of this character. And since the director, Youssef, is also a foreigner, he had no problem with my Spanish accent in English.
  • The film seemed rich in culture, religion, rituals and tradition, how was that for you? It was a very heterogeneous cast, as well as crew, which I enjoyed and it nurtured me as an actor greatly.
  • Are you still taking classes at HB Studios? Yes, I am at the 4th level there. In spite of these three awards [he recently won two HOLA Awards and a Latin ACE Award], I firmly believe in the importance of taking acting classes. I’ve always sworn that if I were to ever win an Oscar I would still take classes. As of late, I am taking classes that range from stage combat to directing for theater.
  • At this point in your acting career, tell me how it feels to be in a film project traveling to Cannes? I am totally surprised, not because I didn’t feel the film was worth it– don’t get me wrong, I think it’s a great short. I have just received three awards in the last six months. I have also gotten a new role in the last two months at Repertorio Español with Cronica de una muerte anunciada (Chronicle of a Death Foretold) by Gabriel García Márquez. And here I am with a project going to Cannes– one of the best film festivals in the world. Plus more importantly, it’s a great film that I am proud to be aligned with because of the execution rendered due to its visual and emotional artistic investment.

Tablecloth trailer
HOLAAwards Acceptance Speech (in English and Spanish)


Louis E. Perego Moreno (Tío Louie) is President of Skyline Features, he is an interactive content producer and educator who for the past 33 years has owned a bilingual (English- and Spanish-language) multimedia and educational production company developing documentaries, television programming and advertising commercials featuring Latinos, Blacks, Women, Urban Youth and LGBT people. He is also the Executive Producer of Prime Latino Media, the largest network of Latino multimedia-makers and actors in the metropolitan New York area that gather once a month to interview proven leaders in the community.


SOCIAL MEDIA CONTACT
FACEBOOK Group: Prime Latino Media 
Twitter: @PLMSalon

HOLA Member Bochinche

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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.

Lucía Armendáriz, shown at right, booked a print ad for Combivent.

Mike Smith Rivera is acting in the play We Can All Agree To Pretend This Never Happened (written by Emma Goidel and directed by Abigail Zealey Bass) as part of the Ensemble Studio Theatre (EST) Marathon of One-Act Plays. The production is slated for May and June at EST's space, located in the Hell's Kitchen area of Manhattan. For more information, click here.

Ricardo Bacallao's documentary Cubans at the Edge of the Berlin Wall: The Experiences of Three Cubans Living in Berlin will have its world-premiere screening on Thursday, May 14, 2015 at the Union City Museum/William V. Musto Cultural Center in Union City, New Jersey. For more information on the screening, click here or here.


Sebastian Stimman
and Edna Lee Figueroa, shown above from left to right, are acting in the Alex Pérez play Julián and Romero. Directed by Pérez, the production will be mounted in August as part of the New York International Fringe Festival (fringeNYC) at a downtown theater to be announced. 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?

Tío Louie Reporta: Countdown to Cannes– 7 DAYS OF 7 NY LATINOS AT CANNES 2015 (Part 2)

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HOLA is proud to present Tío Louie Reporta, where filmmaker and Executive Producer of Prime Latino Media, Louis Perego Moreno (also known as Tío Louie) interviews actors and multimedia-makers in the business.


Something is abuzz. With internationally acclaimed Latinos winning Academy Awards for Best Director two consecutive years, PRIME LATINO MEDIA is proud to announce that seven talented and accomplished Latino multimedia-makers and actors from the familia are climbing up the career ladder in a short film at the Cannes Film Festival from May 13-24, 2015. Acceptance into the Festival de Cannes with their film will benefit from a prime viewing position within the Short Film Corner. U.S. Latinos are taking the world over by storm in media and entertainment and our New Yorkers are part of the revolution.


Countdown: Day 2 of 7
SEBASTIÁN REA: Sudden Strangers


An old soul, Ecuadorian-American filmmaker Sebastián heads to the French Riviera for Cannes Film Festival 2015. Though he’s under the age of 30, the already seasoned filmmaker  and artistic entrepreneur believes, “Be confident. There’s nothing like someone who is passionate about their work and research because you exude a completely different energy that becomes infectious when you tap other people to be involved.

Director: Sebastián Rea (from Ecuador)
Screenwriters: Rea; Wilberto Rivera, Jr.
Editors: Matthew Charof; Rea
Synopsis: A narrative film set in NYC exploring the increase of domestic shootings in the United States of America.

    ·      How would you categorize your film—is it a social thriller? It’s important that films tell a story that is relevant. Films can be entertaining. But it’s good to have a film that makes you reflect on life and society. I want it to be a direct analysis of how and where you’re living. We live in a privileged society and often in a bubble. We don’t wake up in the morning and have to fear what’s happening outside of our window. I want to jolt the audience and make them feel uncomfortable and this happens everywhere. [Rea is shown at right with Tío Louie in the photo above.]
    ·      How did you cast Emmanuel Rodríguez for the lead role in the film? He was a friend first. He was an actor who wanted to do something bigger than was available to him. I wanted to work with him. We also wanted to get to the bottom of who Adam was and future generations of kids. [Rodríguez is shown above in a scene from Sudden Strangers.]
    ·      How did you cast the mom in the film? Lorraine Vélez played the mom. She came from a NY trade publication, Backstage. She brought something very true to the character and she connected with Emmanuel, who played her son and I wanted to bring that energy to the screen. 
    ·      How do you feel about your film going to Cannes? I am so thrilled to have the opportunity to screen this film there and this will be a great stepping-stone, as well as for my cast and crew and to share this story with the world at large. And it’s also about the next film – it’s a constant growth and learning process.

    For more information about Sudden Strangers, click here

Louis E. Perego Moreno (Tío Louie) is President of Skyline Features, he is an interactive content producer and educator who for the past 33 years has owned a bilingual (English- and Spanish-language) multimedia and educational production company developing documentaries, television programming and advertising commercials featuring Latinos, Blacks, Women, Urban Youth and LGBT people. He is also the Executive Producer of Prime Latino Media, the largest network of Latino multimedia-makers and actors in the metropolitan New York area that gather once a month to interview proven leaders in the community.


SOCIAL MEDIA CONTACT


FACEBOOK Group: Prime Latino Media 
Twitter: @PLMSalon
Instagram: PRIME_LATINO_MEDIA

HOLA Member Bochinche

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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.

Allison Strong, shown at right, was highlighted in Broadway World as a result of her recent casting as Ado Annie in the classic Rodgers and Hammerstein musical Oklahoma! The production will take place in June and July at the LUMA Theater at the Richard B. Fisher Center for the Performing Arts at Bard College (located in Annandale-on-Hudson, New York), as part of the Bard Summerscape Festival. To read the article, click here.

Mateo Gómez and Nelson Landrieu were recently honored by Lower East Side History Month with Lower East Side Community Hero Awards as a result of their founding the Clemente Soto Vélez Cultural Center (home to HOLA). For more information, read The Lo-Down blog on the awards ceremony (which took place in May at University Settlement) by clicking here.

Caridad de la Luz (also known by her nom de musique et de poésieLa Bruja) will be performing at the Judith Sloan & Friends event on Saturday afternoon, May 9, 2015 at the Nuyorican Poets' Café. For more information, click here.



United Productions is presenting the play San Salvador después del eclipse. Written by Carlos Velis and directed by Ricardo J. Salazar, it will be presented in May at the V Festival del Comisionado Dominicano at the Comisionado Dominicano de Cultura en EEUU, located in Manhattan's Washington Heights neighborhood. The all-HOLA member cast includes Natalia Ivana Escobar, Jorge Luis Figueroa, Mirla Pereira and Franco Yáñez (shown above, clockwise from top left). For more information, click here or here. [The director called these four actors in to audition after seeing their profiles on the HOLA online talent directory.]

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?

Tío Louie Reporta: Countdown to Cannes– 7 DAYS OF 7 NY LATINOS AT CANNES 2015 (Part 3)

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HOLA is proud to present Tío Louie Reporta, where filmmaker and Executive Producer of Prime Latino Media, Louis Perego Moreno (also known as Tío Louie) interviews actors and multimedia-makers in the business.


Something is abuzz. With internationally acclaimed Latinos winning Academy Awards for Best Director two consecutive years, PRIME LATINO MEDIA is proud to announce that seven talented and accomplished Latino multimedia-makers and actors from the familia are climbing up the career ladder in a short film at the Cannes Film Festival from May 13-24, 2015. Acceptance into the Festival de Cannes with their film will benefit from a prime viewing position within the Short Film Corner. U.S. Latinos are taking the world over by storm in media and entertainment and our New Yorkers are part of the revolution.


Countdown: Day 3 of 7
BRANDON POLANCO: Vicky and Jonny

Actor-turned-director/producer/screenwriter Brandon hails from the heart of Texas– Austin– and he’s off to Cannes for wheeling, dealing, and trust me, for some good, ol' well-deserved fun. At this stage in his career with four films in his pocket and a fifth in post-production, the spark at the core behind traveling to the Festival de Cannes is about, “I am motivated to make contacts, and get financing to back my work.
                     
Short Film: Vicky and Jonny
Director/Screenwriter:  Brandon Polanco
Synopsis: The narrative follows a woman's journey dealing with her memories, and how forgiveness is her only weapon in taking control of her life.

      After doing a few productions for others and yourself, what came first with this commissioned project, the story or the actors?I know the lead actor in this short film, Arturo Castro, because he asked me to direct a webseries. We became friends. Eventually he told me about an actor-friend, Tina Marie Tanzer, who was trying to do a short film. We got together and we just gelled as artists and our connection evolved into a professional, collaborative relationship. She wanted to do a film and I wanted to do a project.
      The lead female character, Vicky, is the heart of the film. Describe your reasoning for playing with the sound of a pulsating heartbeat as part of the audio track and the particular song for the last scene.I wanted the memories to feel like memories and not just flashbacks. I love film beyond visuals and in this project to go in her mind by injecting the heartbeat that flows into your head.  The lead actress, Tina, was the one pushed for the music at the end to accentuate the breakup.
     •    How did you come about this particular story? When I write, I meditate a lot before writing and I see images. My work is very poetic and passionate. I spent a lot of time thinking about this story. Originally these were very rough, vindictive characters. The lead female character was the soul of the film. She was in the midst of a breakup. I wrote five versions of this script. When I finally got there, I realized that this was not a dark, vindictive project. I needed to step away from that world which typified my own dark nature and I had to step aside, just like Vicky stepped away from Jonny. I found my strength from the character of Vicky. It was all about, "I am going to be better than lying and running." She represented something feminine, yet enabling her with the capability to have her swan song. It was about an enlightening moment in which she was going to step away and find forgiveness to take control of her life. I am glad that there was organized crime in the life of the protagonist that we find intriguing, yet at the same time find something slightly unfamiliar about it.


Louis E. Perego Moreno (also known as Tío Louie) is President of Skyline Features, he is an interactive content producer and educator who for the past 33 years has owned a bilingual (English- and Spanish-language) multimedia and educational production company developing documentaries, television programming and advertising commercials featuring Latinos, 
Blacks, Women, Urban Youth and LGBT people. He is also the Executive Producer of Prime Latino Media, the largest network of Latino multimedia-makers and actors in the metropolitan New York area that gather once a month to interview proven leaders in the community.

SOCIAL MEDIA CONTACT
Facebook Group: Prime Latino Media 
Twitter: @PLMSalon
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HOLA Member Bochinche

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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.

Idalmis García, shown at right, was featured in an article by Andrew S. Vargas of Remezcla, where her life and career was discussed. To read the article, click here.

Society for the Educational Arts (SEA) is presenting the world premiere of Sueño. A trilingual (English-Spanish-Portuguese) musical retelling of William Shakespeare's A Midsummer Night's Dream (complete with puppetry), it is adapted by Norge Espinosa (with English translations by Alan González and Portuguese translations by Adalberto Müller), feature original music by Manuel Calzada and Alejandro Zuleta and is directed by Manuel A. Morán. The production boasts assistant direction by José A. Esquea, hair and makeup by Jeannie Sol, choreography by Daniel Fetecua, and scenic and puppet design by José López. Sueño will star Nelson Landrieu, Adriana Sananes (see below), Daniel Soto, and Milteri Tucker, among others, and will be presented outdoors in June at the La Plaza space of the Clemente Soto Vélez Cultural and Educational Center (home to HOLA) in Manhattan's Loísaida neighborhood. For more information, click here or here.

Adriana Sananes (see above) recorded a voiceover for the audio tour of the New York Botanical Garden exhibition "Frida Kahlo: Art, Garden, Life" (which will be running from May through November at the Botanical Garden's Enid A. Haupt Conservatory, located in the Bronx Park section of the Bronx). For more information, click here.

The webseries "Justice Woman" (created, produced, written, directed and starring Vanessa Verdugashown at left) received a Golden Star 2015 - Honorary Web Award from the Rome Web Awards for the effective use of the web to fight injustice and help people". For more information, click here

Eileen Faxas booked a guest-starring appearance on "Veep" (HBO). 

Eduardo Ramos booked a guest-starring role on "The Jim Gaffigan Show" (Comedy Central). He can be seen playing a Crime Scene Unit cop in the promo below.



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

$
0
0
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.

Edna Lee Figueroa (also see below), shown at right, is acting in The Working Theater production of Five Boroughs, One City. A series of short plays about the five boroughs of New York City, the production is taking place in May at the Dorothy Strelsin Theater in the Abingdon Theater Complex in the fashion district of midtown Manhattan. (Figueroa is in the Ed Cardona, Jr. play Bamboo in Brooklyn, directed by Ann Margineanu.) For more information, click here.

Alberto Bonilla is filming (as director of photography) the short film The Rehearsal (written and produced by Omar Cruz and directed by Joshua Warr), scheduled for production in May 2015 in New York City.

Julio Ortega, shown at left, was profiled in the blog Héctor Luis Sin Censura (written by Héctor Luis Rivera), where highlighted his feature film Medardo (which he wrote and starred), based on his award-winning stage play of the same name and directed by Nitsy Grau Crespo. In addition to Ortega, the film stars Lupita Ferrer, Edna Lee Figueroa (also see above), Juan Villarreal (also see below)Edison Carrera, Gloria Ospina, Fior Marte, and Inma Heredia. The film will have its New York premiere screening in May at the Anthology Film Archives in Manhattan's East Village. To read the blog, which is in Spanish, click here

Ignacio García Bustelo is directing Beatriz Cabur's play Ronensbourgh. Presented by AENY-Spanish Artists in New York, it will be presented in May and June 2015 at IATI Theater in Manhattan's East Village. For more information, click here.

The Mortales Awards nominations were recently announced. They honor the actors of the popular Dominican anthology television series "Mortales" (which can be seen internationally on the Telemicro network). The nominees include Enmanuel García Villavicencio (Best Comic Actor), Yvette Quintero (Best Comic Actress), Ramón Hierro (two nominations, Best Supporting Actor and Best Dramatic Actor), Paul Montoya (Best Supporting Actor), Claudio Weisz (Best Supporting Actor), Juan Villarreal (two nominations– Best Dramatic Actor and Best Male Actor; also see below). For more information, click herehere, here, here or 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?

Lin-Manuel Miranda's HAMILTON Dominates the Lucille Lortel Awards; Liza Colón-Zayas and BETWEEN RIVERSIDE AND CRAZY Also Big Winners

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Lucille Lortel Award winner
Lin-Manuel Miranda.
The 30th Annual Lucille Lortel Awards were announced on Sunday May 10, 2015, recognizing the best in Off-Broadway theatre. Lin-Manuel Miranda's Hamilton received a record-breaking ten honors (out of a record total 12 nominations) including Outstanding Musical. It had a clean sweep in the four acting categories, as well as with wins for direction, choreography, and design (lighting, costume and sound). In fact, the only nominees from Hamilton who didn't win Lortel Awards lost out to other Hamilton nominees. The Pulitzer Prize-winning play Between Riverside and Crazy (written by Stephen Adly Guirgis) also led the pack with three wins including one for Outstanding Play. The Awards were held at the Skirball Center, located in Manhattan's Greenwich Village, with Jesse Tyler Ferguson and Anna Chlumsky hosting.

Lucille Lortel Award winner
Liza Colón-Zayas.
In addition to winning for Outstanding Musical, Miranda (who wrote Hamilton's book, music and lyrics) also won an award for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Musical. HOLA member Liza Colón-Zayas also picked up a Lortel Award for Outstanding Featured Actress in a Play for her work in Between Riverside and Crazy (her co-star Stephen McKinley Henderson also picked up an award for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Play).

The Lucille Lortel Awards for Outstanding Achievement Off-Broadway were created in 1985 by the Off-Broadway League. For further information, click here.

Lin-Manuel Miranda's HAMILTON Adds To Its Collection of Awards As It Picks Up Three Outer Critics Circle Awards

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Lin-Manuel Miranda,
in front, and some of the
company of Hamilton.
The 2014-15 Outer Critics Circle Awards, which recognizes achievement in both Broadway and Off-Broadway, announced this season's winners. Lin-Manuel Miranda's Hamilton fared well, with three wins– for Outstanding Book of a Musical (Broadway or Off-Broadway), Outstanding Score of a Musical (Broadway or Off-Broadway), and Outstanding New Off-Broadway Musical, respectively. Stephen Adly Guirgis' Pulitzer Prize-winning play Between Riverside and Crazy (which co-starred Lortel Award-winning actress and HOLA member Liza Colón-Zayas), won for Outstanding New Off-Broadway Play. The awards for Outstanding New Broadway Play and Outstanding Broadway Musical went to The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time and An American in Paris, respectively.

The Outer Critics Circle is the organization of writers covering New York theater for out-of-town newspapers, national publications and other media beyond Broadway. The Outer Critics Circle nominees are the first major Broadway/Off-Broadway award nominees of the New York theater season. The annual Gala Awards dinner will be held on Thursday, May 21, 2015 at the world famous Sardi's Restaurant, located in the Broadway theater district of midtown Manhattan. For more information, click here.

Tío Louie Reporta: Countdown to Cannes– 7 DAYS OF 7 NY LATINOS AT CANNES 2015 (Part 4)

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HOLA is proud to present Tío Louie Reporta, where filmmaker and Executive Producer of Prime Latino Media, Louis Perego Moreno (also known as Tío Louie) interviews actors and multimedia-makers in the business.
Something is abuzz. With internationally acclaimed Latinos winning Academy Awards for Best Director two consecutive years, PRIME LATINO MEDIA is proud to announce that seven talented and accomplished Latino multimedia-makers and actors from the familia are climbing up the career ladder in a short film at the Cannes Film Festival from May 13-24, 2015. Acceptance into the Festival de Cannes with their film will benefit from a prime viewing position within the Short Film Corner. U.S. Latinos are taking the world over by storm in media and entertainment and our New Yorkers are part of the revolution.



Countdown: Day 4 of 7
FRANCISCO LUPINI BASAGOITI: 
Tú. Yo. Baño. Sexo. Ahora.
(You. Me. Bathroom. Sex. Now.)
To Cannes, to Cannes… is where Francisco will be in the south of France with his Spanish-language short film. The pearls of wisdom he offers is to follow your passion and in working with actors he says, “Develop a relationship that is embedded in friendship to get out of them the best performance by knowing their different layers in interpreting that character.
      
Short film: TÚ.YO.BAÑO. SEXO. AHORA. (YOU. ME. BATHROOM. SEX. NOW.)
Director/Screenwriter: Francisco Lupini Basagoiti (from Venezuela)
Actors: Francisco Fuertes, Mauricio Pita, Puy Navarro, Miguel Belmonte
Synopsis: Antonio learning that his boyfriend is cheating on him three days before Christmas, decides to find solace amongst friends at the neighborhood dive – only to explode into a comedy about a man who tries to forget about love, in all the wrong places.

     •     How was the production for this film? It was made in December over a weekend shoot of three days. It was the first time that everything went smoothly and seamlessly. You know how everything always goes wrong in production and there’s a lot of drama. Surprisingly so, that was not the case this time around.
     •    What surprised you the most with this project?It was so good to see the chemistry between the actors. It was this great team and you see it translated through the camera. I also had a good crew. It was the first time I handed over the reins for wardrobe to someone else. I had always taken this area over, but in giving it over to a costume designer it worked out wonderfully.
Left to right: Puy Navarro,
Francisco Fuertes, Miguel Belmonte.
    •      Your first two short films were in English and the other five in Spanish, why produce mostly Spanish-language? Spanish-language cinema has a certain look and point of view. As I explore further, I want to see the reaction out there and interest in funding Spanish-language films in a cosmopolitan locale like NYC. Personally, I am slightly offended when the question is posed. I also think that it is fallacy that you are not going to make a lot of money with this genre. First of all, follow your passion. If your passion is to tell your story in Spanish, Mandarin or whichever, do it. But my counsel to others who want to follow in suit is that it will be slightly challenging. Here in the USA, for instance, you get a few Latinos together and they all have different accents. But go for it.
•   Why is the accent a heavy Castilian one in your Spanish-language films? When I first did it, the three actors that I cast all had Castilian accents. My family is from Spain and this is the same accent that I have been exposed to all my life. As a matter of fact, even in Caracas I was constantly told that I spoke with a Castilian accent. I am inspired by my mother, aunt and grandmother– and especially their sense of humor. I am also cognizant that many Latin Americans don’t care for an accent from Spain.
Puy Navarro.
       •    Let’s point out the elephant in the room. Could you see this film with a gay theme coming out in Venezuela? I see it being received in Venezuela because it’s a comedy. Though the subject matter would be challenging in that culture, I see it coming out and playing in film festivals there. It’s the first one out of seven that I have previously produced totally devoted to a gay theme. I would prefer that this question not be asked, but [that the film is classified] as a comedy. Also, I do it because not many people address this subject and one day I hope that we live in a world where the genre is seen as ‘comedy’ and not limited to an LGBT category.
 
HOLA member Francisco Fuertes.
    •    As a director, how was it directing your friends, actors Puy Navarro and Franciso Fuertes? Directing, this was the first time working with Puy and the second time with Francisco. As a director I always try to develop a relationship that is embedded in friendship to get out of them the best performance by knowing their different layers in interpreting that character. We also do a lot of rehearsals beforehand and create some sort of a family to execute the various portrayals. It is difficult to direct friends when there are always tense moments that arise during a production and sometimes you have to hold yourself in check and believe you’ve got to hold back and sometimes not take it personally, on both sides of the equation, and be a professional first and foremost.


Tú. Yo. Baño. Sexo. Ahora. film teaser trailer:



Louis E. Perego Moreno (Tío Louie) is President of Skyline Features, he is an interactive content producer and educator who for the past 33 years has owned a bilingual (English- and Spanish-language) multimedia and educational production company developing documentaries, television programming and advertising commercials featuring Latinos, Blacks, Women, Urban Youth and LGBT people. He is also the Executive Producer of Prime Latino Media, the largest network of Latino multimedia-makers and actors in the metropolitan New York area that gather once a month to interview proven leaders in the community.


SOCIAL MEDIA CONTACT
FACEBOOK Group: Prime Latino Media 
Twitter: @PLMSalon
Instagram: PRIME_LATINO_MEDIA

HOLA Member Bochinche

$
0
0
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.

Carlo Lorenzo Garcíashown at right, booked a guest-starring role on the season finale of "Chicago P.D." (NBC).

Francisco Fuertes and Mauricio Pita star in the Francisco Lupini Basagoiti short film Tú. Yo. Baño. Sexo. Ahora. The film continues its journey on the film festival circuit, with stops at Cannes, Alpes-Maritimes, France (Cannes Film Festival Short Film Corner in May); Kansas City, Missouri, USA (Kansas City Gay and Lesbian Film Festival in June and July); and Springfield, Massachusetts, USA (Springfield LGBT Film Festival in June). For more information, click here or here

Robert Almonteshown at left, will be starring in the short film Dos adiós (written and directed by Víctor Yanik).

A.B. Lugo did a guest-starring role on the upcoming webseries "What Lies Beyond". The webseries is written and directed by Ernest Bourne and stars Ramón Hierro. It is scheduled for release in the summer of 2015.

Jason Torres was cast in the film short What If? Written and directed by Christopher Johnson, it will be filmed in the summer of 2015 in New York City. 

Alberto Bonilla did a guest-starring role in a comedic short film for the program "Last Week Tonight with John Oliver" (HBO). The film begins at about 10:20 of the video below, with Bonilla making his first appearance at around 10:38 of the video, playing a boss. [Caution: Some adult 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?

Tío Louie Reporta: Countdown to Cannes– 7 DAYS OF 7 NY LATINOS AT CANNES 2015 (Part 5)

$
0
0
HOLA is proud to present Tío Louie Reporta, where filmmaker and Executive Producer of Prime Latino Media, Louis Perego Moreno (also known as Tío Louie) interviews actors and multimedia-makers in the business.
Something is abuzz. With internationally acclaimed Latinos winning Academy Awards for Best Director two consecutive years, PRIME LATINO MEDIA is proud to announce that seven talented and accomplished Latino multimedia-makers and actors from the familia are climbing up the career ladder in a short film at the Cannes Film Festival from May 13-24, 2015. Acceptance into the Festival de Cannes with their film will benefit from a prime viewing position within the Short Film Corner. U.S. Latinos are taking the world over by storm in media and entertainment and our New Yorkers are part of the revolution.



Countdown: Day 5 of 7
MÓNICA PALMIERI: Dating Marvin

From Guatemala to the U.S. to France, Mónica has a project going off to the Cannes Film Festival and just happens to prove– ¡Sí se puede! She’s earned her stripes, as actor-producer-director and her pearls of wisdom are pragmatic to the core as she shares, “You need to ask if you’re really in love with this project– whatever it is– before taking it on, because it’s going to be your baby.

Short Film: Dating Marvin
Producer:   Mónica Palmieri (from Guatemala)
Writer-Director:     Richard Selvi
Synopsis: A story about a boisterous hitman who falls for a baby-faced dancer, when a dangerous game of cat-and-mouse leads to a vengeful history of a lesson in love.

     •      What was your greatest take-away from working on this film? I walked away with a lot of confidence. It was the first short in which I was a lead producer with someone else that involved, comparatively speaking, a huge budget, huge crew of 40 people, special effects and a lot of equipment. It undertook all the elements of making a feature film.
     •    Your short had a strong woman in it dripping with sensuality that was dancing the pole while contending with the advances of a gangster-type character. How do you walk the fine line of objectifying women as sex kittens and portraying a woman who holds power through her sexuality? I loved the story since I first read it. I think the character is very strong and the story is about her. Her sexuality is one of the elements she utilizes as a tool to get what she wants out of life.
Mónica Palmieri, at left, with
Tío Louie and actor-filmmaker
Rosie Berrido.
    •      In your journey as the young woman who came to NYC from Guatemala to become an actor and is now full head-on a producer in the USA, where are you in that journey now– in front of the camera or behind?  Hmmm… I visit that dilemma every year. A year ago when you asked me, ‘Actor or Producer?’ I said ‘Actor.’ Now I am a director-actor-producer. Acting is my passion– my baby. I love feeling someone’s life out. I feel that I still have that dream to keep on making it possible. But I don’t want to give control of that to someone else. As an actor you give those reins away. I am someone who likes to create opportunities and that’s why I started producing so I can have that control. I have learned so much about making films, myself and telling stories. I have realized in this journey now that I have made some really good films that I can be proud for having collaborated on them. I have worked with young producers to realize their films. At the beginning of 2015 I realized that I have to concentrate on directing and acting.


Louis E. Perego Moreno (Tío Louie) is President of Skyline Features, he is an interactive content producer and educator who for the past 33 years has owned a bilingual (English- and Spanish-language) multimedia and educational production company developing documentaries, television programming and advertising commercials featuring Latinos, Blacks, Women, Urban Youth and LGBT people. He is also the Executive Producer of Prime Latino Media, the largest network of Latino multimedia-makers and actors in the metropolitan New York area that gather once a month to interview proven leaders in the community.


SOCIAL MEDIA CONTACT
FACEBOOK Group: Prime Latino Media 
Twitter: @PLMSalon
Instagram: PRIME_LATINO_MEDIA
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