The National Latino Media Council cites the presence of 22 Latinos, such as Rosario Dawson and Jennifer Lopez, on the list as a sign of progress.
The National Latino
Media Council cites the presence of 22 Latinos, such as Rosario Dawson and
Jennifer Lopez, on the list as a sign of progress.
This National Latino Media Council, which met with the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences in April to ask for a greater Latino representation within the organization, has applauded the fact that the Academy list of 276 new members, released earlier today, includes 22 Latinos.
In the acting category
alone, seven Latinos were among 22 invitees. They are Miriam Colon, Rosario
Dawson, Jennifer Lopez, Alma
Martinez, Michael Pena,Geno Silva and Danny Trejo.
"We applaud the
actions by the Academy, and look forward to continue to work with them in the
future,” former CongressmanEsteban Torres, NLMC
chairman, said.
The April meeting between
representatives of the Academy and members of NLMC, led by Torres, was held to
discuss concerns about diversity following an outcry within the Latino
community when the Academy failed to include actress Lupe Ontiveros, whose film credits
include The Goonies and As Good As It Gets, in the “In Memoriam”
tribute at February’s Oscar show.
Martinez, who has
appeared in Born in East
L.A. and Under Fireand who
was among those receiving an invitation today, said: “I can't remember a time
in our recent history where there has been so much Latino political activism
occurring simultaneously across so many fields and across the country. I
received a letter inviting me to become a member of the Academy of Motion
Pictures Arts and Sciences. To say I am elated is an
understatement."
A list of the 22 Latinos
included on the Academy follows.
Actors
Miriam Colon - City of Hope, Scarface
Rosario Dawson - Rent, Sin City
Jennifer Lopez - What to Expect When You're Expecting, Selena
Alma Martinez - Born in East L.A., Under Fire
Michael Pena - End of Watch, Crash
Geno Silva - Mulholland Drive, Amistad
Danny Trejo - Machete, Heat
Cinematographers
Checco Varese - Girl in Progress, The Aura
Costume
Designers
Paco
Delgado - Les
Miserables, Biutiful
Directors
Pablo
LarraÃn - No, Tony
Manero
Documentarians
Rebecca Cammisa - God Is the Bigger Elvis, Which Way Home
Eduardo Coutinho - As Cancoes, Cabra Marcado Para Morrer (Twenty Years Later)
Patricio Guzman - Nostalgia for the Light, The Battle of Chile
Jose Padilha - Secrets of the Tribe, Bus 174 (Onibus 174)
Renee Tajima-Pena - Who Killed Vincent Chin?, My America (Or Honk If You Love Buddha)
Makeup Artists and
Hairstylists
Luisa Abel - The Dark Knight Rises, Inception
Kim Santantonio - Gangster Squad, Frost/Nixon
Members-at-Large
Victoria Alonso
Mindy Marin
Music
Cliff Martinez - Drive, Traffic
Sound
Jose Antonio Garcia - Argo, Babel
Edward J. Hernandez - Real Steel, Basic Instinct