Top industry professionals gathered at the Sheraton Universal to examine the landslide shift in influence that Latinos are making in media making, distribution, marketing, creation and consumption. Now that one in six Americans is Hispanic the size of the U.S. Hispanic population worldwide ranks second only to Mexico (50.5 million to 112 million respectively). With such impressive numbers The National Association of Latino Independent Producers (NALIP) continues to empower and give Latino content makers the tools and the voice to tell their stories.

The figures are impressive. Hispanic estimated purchasing power was  $1.2 trillion in 2012 (Selig Center for Economic Growth). In sheer dollar power, Hispanics’ economic clout rose from $212 billion in 1990, to $489 billion in 2000, to $978 billion in 2009 and to $1.5 trillion in 2015. The United States population of Hispanic consumers wields a formidable combination of fiscal optimism and buying power.

Founded in 1999, NALIP brings together the Latinos who are making a difference in the entertainment produced and consumed today.
A perfect examples was Keynote Speaker Richard Pena, a professor of film studies at Columbia University specializing in film theory and international cinema and also the co-host of WNET/Channel 13’s weekly “Reel 13, dug deep into the cultures and history of Latino film and arts. He mentioned how Latinos of this generation are moving towards a change and embracing who they are. “We’re simply different and happy to be this way.” Len Amato, President of HBO Films also spoke about how important organizations like NALIP are for the future of film and media.

The Open Plenary gave an overview of media trends and the trillion $ Latino market. Forbes magazine has called the Latino Market the “New Media Jackpot.” Margie Moreno, the VP of Programming at mun2 says, “That’s why we (Mun2) are successful. We do not let language dictate our content.” Adding to that, Alex Fumero, Producer at ABC / Univision’s Fusion says, “We just want to give people a voice.” 

Keynote speaker founder of Center for Hispanic Leadership, Glenn Llopis shared his thoughts on the importance of combining both your Latino culture and innovations and bringing that to the media. “It’s our culture that defines our identity.” He motivated the crowd with inspiring words of what lies ahead for the future of Latinos in media. He states, “It’s not just about what you know, but what you do with what you know.”

The event ended with a star-studded gala where “Machete Kills” star Danny Trejo was honored with the Lifetime Achievement Award. The Award was presented by Ray Liotta with special surprise guest, Michelle Rodriguez. Danny Trejo is an actor and producer who has developed a prolific career in the movie business, yet his road to success has been hard earned and anything but typical. He says of his roles, “I love playing the bad guy in movies, because the bad guy always dies. That’s the real world. If someone asked me to play a bad guy that always gets away with it, I’d pass. That’s the very message I preach to youths who are in crisis and in trouble. The bad guy always loses and the good guy always wins. It’s the one-thing movies and real life see eye-to-eye on.”

Sundance darling and Filly Brown star, Gina Rodriguez took home the first annual ‘The Lupe Award’ in honor of the spirited and beloved Lupe Ontiveros. ‘The Lupe Award’ recognizes a Latino/a actor whose work, either in a breakout role or over a life long acting career, represents Lupe’s creativity, commitment, tenacity and professionalism.

The National Hispanic Foundation for the Arts, founded by Jimmy Smits, Esai Morales, Sonia Braga, Felix Sanchez and Merel Julia received the Lifetime Achievement Award for Advocacy, which was presented by Heineken USA.  Ben DeJesus (Tales For a Ghetto Klown which follows John Leguizamo’s return to Broadway) and Aurora Guerrero (Sundance film, Mosquita y Mari) were each honored with the Estella Award and a $7500 grant from the McDonalds Corporation

Celebrities and filmmakers that attended the weekend included:

Danny Trejo (Machete Kills), Michelle Rodriguez (Fast & Furious 6), Ray Liotta (Goodfellas), Gina Rodriguez (Filly Brown), Gilles Marini (Sex and the City), Esai Morales (La Bamba), Charo, Nicholas Gonzalez (Water & Power), Jesse Garcia (The Avengers), Emilio Rivera (Traffic), Donal Logue (Blade), Jorge Diaz (East Los High), Janine Larina (East Los High), Dolores Huerta (Civil Rights Activist), Joe Hernandez-Kolski (HBO Def Poetry), Jeremy Ray Valdez (La Mission), Sofia Reyes (singer), Ben DeJesus and Aurora Guerrero (Estela “Rising Star’ Award winners).  Keynote speakers Richard Pena (WNET/PBS) and Glen Llopis (Center for Hispanic Leadership). Conference Co-chairs, Rosa V. Alonso (Buenos Dias Nueva York) and Natalia Almada (The General). NALIP Social Media Correspondent and Conference Ambassador, Lizza Monet Morales.

Photo Credit: Fredwill Hernandez