Awards Go to 9 Projects for Broadcast and New Media
Los Angeles, CA (March 25, 2013) – Latino Public Broadcasting (LPB), a non-profit organization funded by the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, announces nine, newly funded programs as part of its 2012 Public Media Content Fund. The initiative invites independent producers to submit proposals on Latino-themed programs or series for funding consideration.
“These projects represent the rich cultural diversity of the Latino experience. We look forward to working with these talented filmmakers to extend the reach of these stories beyond the broadcast, in community forums, online, and in classrooms across this country,” said Sandie Viquez Pedlow, LPB executive director.
“With Latinos over 50 million strong, we are proud to bring these insightful stories to the American public and create a voice for the diverse Latino community on PBS,” said Edward James Olmos, LPB Chairman of the Board.
Every year LPB invites independent filmmakers to submit proposals in various stages, from research and development, to production, post-production and new media. All proposals are reviewed by a group of public television professionals, station programmers, independent filmmakers, academics, and executives from funding organizations.
This year, nine projects were selected for funding. Emerging filmmakers comprise 45% of total funded producers; mid-level producers make up 22%; veteran filmmakers constitute 33%; and 55% of the funded producers are women.
The funding category breakdown is as follows: Production – 45%; Post-production – 22%; New Media – 33%.The final slate of programs represents filmmakers from different regions within the U.S.
The 2012 awarded projects (alphabetically) are as follows:
Broadcast
America by the Numbers
Anchor/Executive Producer: Maria Hinojosa
Executive Producer: Martha Spanninger
Category: Production; 6 Episodes/30 Minutes
America by the Numbers with Maria Hinojosa puts a human face on the demographic changes in the U.S. and looks at how the rising multicultural population is influencing our culture, our conversation and our politics.
Children of Giant
Producer/Director: Hector Galan
Category: Production; 1 Episode/60 Minutes
Children of Giant exposes the events and emotions that transformed small town Marfa, TX (the film site of George Steven’s epic Giant) during and beyond Anglo/Latino segregation, through the voices of Mexican Americans and Anglos who experienced it firsthand.
La Batalla
Producer/Director: Myléne Moreno
Category: Production; 1 Episode/60 Minutes
La Batalla is a documentary about the Latino experience during the Vietnam War, in combat and at home.
Now En Español
Producer/Director: Andrea Meller
Category: Post-Production; 1 Episode/60 Minutes
In a feature documentary that chronicles the ups and downs of being a Latina actress in Hollywood, Now En Español addresses issues of Latino identity and representation through the lives of the 5 dynamic women who dub “Desperate Housewives” into Spanish for American audiences.
Ruben Salazar: Man in the Middle
Producer/Director: Phillip Rodriguez
Category: Post -Production; 1 Episode/60 Minutes
Ruben Salazar: Man in the Middle tells the story of the life and mysterious death of a prominent Civil Rights era journalist killed in 1970 by an L.A. County Sheriff’s deputy.
Siqueiros: Walls of Passion
Producer/Director: Lorena Manriquez
Co-Director: Miguel Picker
Category: Production; 1 Episode/60 Minutes
A one-hour documentary and new media project about Mexican muralist David Alfaro Siqueiros and his worldwide legacy.
New Media
Immigrant Nation
Director: Theo Rigby
8 Webisodes/6 Minutes
Immigrant Nation uses personal narratives to give users multiple entry points into the divisive issue of immigration in the U.S.
The Undocumented
Producer/Director: Marco Williams
Educational Online Resources
Theundocumented.com will be a content-rich, bi-lingual (Spanish and English) website delivering movie clips and background information for Marco Williams’ The Undocumented. Serving as an online outreach hub, the site will directly incorporate downloadable educational resources and house two exciting and innovative features: The Map of the Undocumented and The Migrant Trail online game.
Timeless in Oaxaca
Producer/Director: Yolanda Cruz
1 Webisode/8 Minutes
Like every Sunday morning, a Zapotec Grandpa comes to the city of Oaxaca to visit his granddaughter for a day. Their ritual consists of attending mass and window-shopping throughout the city, but on this particular Sunday, things take a different turn when they pass by a booth selling watches.
About Latino Public Broadcasting
Latino Public Broadcasting (LPB) supports the development, production, acquisition and distribution of public media content that is representative of Latino people, or addresses issues of interest to Latino Americans. These programs, including the series ‘VOCES ON PBS,’ are produced for dissemination to the public broadcasting system. Edward James Olmos is founder and Chairman of the LPB Board of Directors. Sandie Viquez Pedlow is Executive Director.
For more information please visit www.lpbp.org.
CONTACT
Luis Ortiz, Managing Director
Latino Public Broadcasting
818-847-9656
luis.ortiz@lpbp.org