Special Programs

The Academy of Motion Pictures Arts and Sciences® Presents

Focus on Filmmakers - Latino

This year Focus on Filmmakers will emphasize films and filmmakers from the Latino community, featuring those with roots in our neighboring Latin American countries.

As the fastest-growing and largest ethnic group in the United States, the Latino community is full of vital, talented voices that are already significantly advancing Latino Cinema. With the continued expansion of Latino perspectives in the media, we have brought to Cleveland a diverse collection of films that exist under the commercial radar and inspire cross-cultural exchanges without borders.

Through this program we hope to significantly strengthen our commitment to bring to Cleveland an increased number of the most sought-after films and filmmakers from varying populations, while deepening our involvement in these communities and igniting meaningful dialogue and interaction. We look forward to presenting this program and inviting marginalized filmmakers to Cleveland for years to come, and we are profoundly grateful to The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences ® for helping us do so.

Director and Producer

JosÉ AsunciÓn

José Asunción is a writer, cinematographer, and director from Chicago who earned his M.F.A. in Film Production at the USC School of Cinematic Arts. He is a two-time recipient of the Graduate Filmmaker Scholarship from the National Hispanic Foundation for the Arts. His works have aired on HBO, MTV3, The Documentary Channel, and PBS. He is co-founder of DocRiot, a Los Angeles-based production company dedicated to cutting-edge documentary film.

Films:
Sick Mick and the Boys (USA, 2013)

Director and Producer

ArÍ Maniel Cruz

Arí Maniel Cruz was born in San Juan, Puerto Rico. After receiving a B.A. in Communications, he moved to Mexico City to study screenwriting at the Centro de Capacitación Cinematografica. Back in Puerto Rico he worked as a sitcom writer, then started producing and directing for TV and film. Most recently, he co-founded La Teta Productions LLC with Kisha Tikina Burgos, the writer and star of his latest feature film UNDER MY NAILS, which has won awards at several international film festivals.

Films:
Under My Nails (Puerto Rico, 2011)

Writer, Director, Producer, Editor

Michel Franco

Michel Franco was born in Mexico City in 1979. After completing his media studies, he began making award-winning short films and commercials with his production company Pop Films. In 2009, his first feature film, "Daniel and Ana," was selected for the Director's Fortnight at the Cannes Film Festival. Michel was honored at Cannes with the 2012 Un Certain Regard Award and with the Silver Hugo Award at the Chicago International Film Festival, both for AFTER LUCIA.

Films:
After Lucia (Despues de Lucia) (Mexico, 2012)

Writer, Director, Producer

Kristy Guevara-Flanagan

Kristy Guevara-Flanagan, also one of our Someone To Watch filmmakers this year, is a writer, producer, editor, and director. She has a M.F.A in Film Production from San Francisco State University. Her first documentary was the highly praised GOING ON 13, an official selection at the Tribeca and Silverdocs Film Festivals. Her film WONDER WOMEN! THE UNTOLD STORY OF AMERICAN SUPERHEROINES will be featured on the award-winning PBS series Independent Lens. Currently, she is an Assistant Professor at Diablo Valley College

Films:
Going on 13 (USA, 2008)
Wonder Women! The Untold Story of American Superheroines (USA, 2012)

Director and Producer

Jorge Hinojosa

Jorge Hinojosa is a producer and director from Los Angeles, California. For the last 28 years, he has managed the career of hip-hop artist and actor Ice-T. Together they formed the production company Final Level Entertainment in 2010. Their first project was The Peacemaker, an A&E reality show that brought warring Los Angeles gang members together for peaceful resolutions. ICEBERG SLIM: PORTRAIT OF A PIMP is Jorge's feature directorial debut and premiered at the 2012 Toronto International Film Festival.

Films:
Iceberg Slim: Portrait of a Pimp (USA, 2013)

Director and Producer

Eduardo LÓpez

Eduardo López is a director and producer based in Washington, D.C. He is the co-founder of EVS Communications and the producer of Linea Directa, an award-winning Spanish Television series devoted to Latino public education. In 2002, EVS won the Ford Foundation's Leadership for a Changing World Award, being the only media organization chosen for this coveted social justice honor. His feature documentary HARVEST OF EMPIRE, which he co-produced and co-directed with Peter Getzels, won the 2012 ABCNEWS VideoSource Award through the International Documentary Association.

Films:
Harvest of Empire (USA, 2012)

Writer, Director, Editor

Gabriel MariÑo

Gabriel Mariño was born in Puebla, Mexico in 1978. He graduated with honors from the film program at the Centro de CapacitaciÓn Cinematografica. His documentary "Bardo" won the KODAK Award for Best Mexican Film at the 4th International Contemporary Film Festival in Mexico City and won special mention at the Bucharest International Film Festival in 2007. His feature film debut as writer and director, A SECRET WORLD, was nominated for Best Film at the 2012 Cartagena Film Festival.

Films:
A Secret World (Mexico/Switzerland, 2012)

Writer, Director, Editor

Carlo Guillermo Proto

Carlo Guillermo Proto was raised in Quillota, Chile and makes his home in Montréal, Quebec. He is the founder of The Handshake Productions, a company that develops documentary and fiction films. Much of his work focuses on the interplay between identity and human experience in relation to issues of geography, ethnicity, and perceived disabilities. EL HAUSO is his first feature length documentary. It was nominated for the Golden Starfish Award for Best Documentary at the Hampton's International Film Festival.

Films:
El Huaso (Canda/Chile, 2012)

Director and Editor

Fro Rojas

Fro Rojas is a native of Miami, Florida and a graduate of the Miami International University of Art and Design. He began working for Fox Sports as a director and producer of various programs and is currently directing numerous commercials and music videos. In 2008, he made the multiple award-winning short, "Pencil Fighting: The Life and Times of Team Balderdash." His follow-up shorts "Inventing Kim" and "With Me" also garnered many awards. The family comedy TIO PAPI is his feature film debut.

Films:
Tio Papi (USA, 2012)

Writer, Director

Joshua Sanchez

Joshua Sanchez is a native of Houston, Texas and currently lives in Brooklyn, New York. After graduating from Columbia University's M.F.A. Film program, he began making a number of short films, which have gone on to screen internationally. Recently, Joshua won the HBO Films Young Producer's Development Award, as well as participated in the Tribeca All Access® program at the Tribeca Film Festival. A writer, editor, producer, and director, Joshua's feature film debut, FOUR, received the Grand Jury Award at the Urbanworld Film Festival.

Films:
Four (USA, 2012)