Committed to championing great storytelling, the National Association of Latino Independent Producers (NALIP) is holding its second annual Latino Media Fest. The Los Angeles event will play host to a number of on-screen stories, including virtual or augmented reality projects, narrative shorts, documentary shorts, digital web series, and television pilots. The projects being screened are as diverse as you’d expect. You’ll find animated flicks like the aptly-titled The Velvet Underground Played at My High School, button-pushing Cuban-set shorts like Claudia Murray’s Gringa, queer shorts that promise more gore than usual (Narration of your Death), and even a fake doc sketch series about Latino sayings called, well, Dichos.
With a slew of panels and mixers, the Fest also hopes to continue building its sprawling network of US-based Latino filmmakers. Whether you’re in need of firsthand info on how to fine-tune that idea you really want to sell execs on (“Crafting the Pitch”), want to get tips on how to write for film (“Screenwriting Masterclass”), or are just eager to see how to map out a career in animation for yourself (“The Animator’s Journey”), this year’s Media Fest has you covered. These panels feature professionals working at Walt Disney Pictures, Final Draft, Starz, and CBS Studios among others, promising some great insights from people actually working the field. It’s no coincidence that the the three-day affair ends with a “Emerging Content Creators Workshop” that’s all about helping recent graduates transition into the industry.
Moreover, NALIP will also be celebrating the stellar work by some of 2018’s best storytellers during their Latino Media Fest Awards. They will be presenting Best Latinx Film Award to Blindspotting to be received by director, Carlos Lopez Estrada, Best Latinx Filmmaker Award to director Eva Vives for her recent work, All About Nina, and Best Latinx TV Show Award will be presented to Vida. All in all, the lineup promises to be invaluable for anyone looking to break into the industry and hoping to get some solid advice — not to mention plenty of inspiration and motivation.
NALIP’s Latino Media Fest runs October 3-5, 2018.