Creative organization celebrates 25 years of supporting Latino talent

Over the weekend, the National Association of Latino Independent Producers (NALIP), which supports upcoming and established Latino artists across all creative media platforms, held its 25th anniversary and end-of-the-year celebration in Downtown Los Angeles. 

NALIP’s executive director, Diana Luna, said she was proud of the growing number of Latinos who are part of the organization, who have also found outstanding success in Hollywood and internationally. 

“We have an incredible community today of people supporting not only actors but also writers, directors, and producers who are proving success right now,” she told CALÒ News. 

Lunas was born and raised in Mexico City and currently oversees all aspects of the organization’s finances and operations, which includes running the organization’s outreach programs and live events, such as their Latino Lens incubators and workshops, the NALIP Media Summit, Latino Media Fest and the Diverse Women in Media Forum. She told CALÓ News she is happy and excited for the organization's upcoming years. 

“We are very proud of these 25 years but I think the next 25 years is when the face of the industry is definitely changing,” she said.

During the event's red carpet portion, leaders and NALIP members such as Diego Tinoco, known for his role as Cesar Diaz in “On My Block,” J.J. Soria of one of the most acclaimed shows of the 2020s, "Gentefied”; Emilio Rivera actor from  “Mayans M.C.” and Belissa Escobedo, part of “Happy’s Place” among others, spoke about Latino representation, media equity inclusivity, their end of the year resolutions and what it means to be part of the Latino organization. 

One of the most anticipated talents of the night was Annie Gonzalez, who recently debuted her roles as the legendary Regional Mexican singer known adoringly by her fans as La Diva de la Banda, Jenni Rivera, in the official trailer for the ViX Original Film, “Jenni.” 

The movie, which was released in selected theaters in the U.S. and Mexico on December 6, follows Rivera’s journey from the beginning of her career up to the last days before her tragic death in a 2012 plane crash. 

“It was a lot of work,” she said when asked about how she prepared herself to play such an iconic character for the Latino community. “I read her book. I did all the things, but the thing that got me the most was listening to her music. She’s an artist. These were her journal entries.”

A day before the red carpet, NALIP also announced the organization's new board of directors, which includes Daniela Federman, TV scripted agent at WME, who works primarily with writers, directors, and producers focusing on underrepresented, diverse, and international voices; Erika Kennair, head of scripted content for the Mediapro Studio, where she oversees the procurement, development and production of features and TV series like HBO’s “The Young Pope/The New Pope”;Al Madrigal, actor, writer, and comedian who stars as Oscar on NBC’s hit comedy “Lopez vs. Lopez”; and Gina Reyes, a TV literary agent at United Talent Agency, where she represents writers and directors including Ben Watkins and Meredith Stiehm, among many others. 

“I'm excited,” Madrigal said when asked about his new position on the board of directors. “I really want this organization to be rich in funds so we can help out more people. That's my mission.” 

Madrigal also talked about being the face of CALÓ News’s and LATV's (Latino Alternative Television) “Stop the Dis(Information)," campaign which aimed to combat the widespread dissemination of disinformation, hoaxes and “fake news” that in recent years have cycled through the Latino community. The campaign generated high-quality content that enhanced digital media literacy, focused in time for the 2024 general election. “Disinformation was being spread… we need to find [detect] new ways that people are being misinformed,” he said. 

Since its founding in 1999, the NALIP organization has worked to create a thriving and supportive community of producers, performers, writers, directors, and industry professionals. 

Members of NALIP are offered resources, connections, workshops, insights, and events designed to build on members’ success and, most importantly, advance Latino storytelling. 

Be sure to look for the CALÓ News red-carpet interviews on our Instagram page. 

To learn more about the organization or to become a member, visit: www.nalip.org.