Tag Archives: Enrique Peña Nieto

Alvarez Partners with Good Universe to Launch Content Company “Bad Hombre”

Posted on by
Reply

Fede Alvarez is taking Donald Trump’s words to task…

The 38-year-old Uruguayan filmmaker, best known for directing Evil Dead and Don’t Breathe, has partnered with Good Universe to launch Bad Hombre, a new content company that will produce films across the horror, thriller and sci-fi genres.

Fede Alvarez

“Bad Hombre” will ring bells for many…

During the third and final presidential debate Trump, who has favored deporting those who have arrived in the U.S. illegally, said, “We have some bad hombres here, and we’re going to get them out.”

Most recently, A White House official confirmed that Trump told Mexican President Enrique Pena Nieto earlier this month that he might send U.S. troops to deal with “bad hombres down there” if the Mexican military doesn’t.

The deal marks an ongoing relationship between Good Universe and Alvarez. Good Universe co-founders Joe Drake and Nathan Kahane served as executive producers on Alvarez’s first two feature films as director — Sam Raimi’s Evil Dead and Don’t Breathe via Ghost House Pictures — both of which were successful at the box office.

Evil Dead grossed $97.5M worldwide in 2013, while Don’t Breathe grossed $156.4M.

Alvarez will lead Bad Hombre creatively and has hired longtime collaborator Rodo Sayagues as an executive help build the slate of genre films.

Vega Officially Named as Co-Anchor of ABC World News Tonight‘s Weekend Editions

Posted on by
Reply

Cecilia Vega is making world news…

The Latina broadcast journalist, a correspondent for ABC News, has been officially named as one of the anchors for ABC World News Tonight‘s Saturday and Sunday editions, as well as serve as senior national correspondent.

Screen Shot 2015-03-04 at 11.03.24 AM

Vega, who has interviewed everyone from Mexico’s President Enrique Peña Nieto to Sylvester Stallone, will co-anchor the newscasts with Tom Llamas.

“Since joining ABC News in 2011, Cecilia has done fantastic work, deftly covering everything from the Olympics and papal conclave to the Occupy Wall Street protests and the election of President Barack Obama,” said ABC News chief James Goldston in memo to staffers. “Most recently, she has reported on the 2014 midterm elections, Ebola cases in the United States, the Sony computer hacking and fallout, and allegations against Bill Cosby.”

Prior to joining ABC News, Vega was an Emmy Award-winning journalist for KGO in San Francisco and award-winning print reporter. We’re very grateful that she’ll be making the jump from the West Coast to New York City for this new role as anchor and senior national correspondent.

Vega and Llamas will take the reins beginning this weekend, making official the posts they’ve filled with since last fall when David Muir became anchor of World News Tonight.

Cuarón Takes Home Two Academy Awards for “Gravity”

Posted on by
4

Alfonso Cuarón has matching Oscars to place on his mantel…

The 52-year-old Mexican filmmaker, a three-time nominee at this year’s Academy Awards, took home two prizes during the awards show.

Alfonso Cuarón

Cuarón was named Best Director for helming the 3D space thriller, Gravity, making him the first Mexican to win the award in that category.

During his acceptance speech, Cuarón paid special tribute to the film’s star Sandra Bullock.

“Sandy, you are Gravity, you are the soul and heart of the film. You are an amazing collaborator and one of the best people I have ever met,” he said.

Moments after Cuarón’s name was read, Mexican President Enrique Pena Nieto tweeted: “Extraordinary work. Congratulations!”

Speaking backstage after collecting his Oscar, Cuarón said he hoped his win would help shine a light on the work of other Mexican filmmakers, and Mexican culture.

“I don’t think there is enough attention paid to Mexican culture and what is happening in Mexico,” Cuaron said.

Cuarón had been predicted to win the best director award, having swept the category in other awards ceremonies before Sunday’s Oscars, including the Directors Guild of America’s top prize.

In addition, Cuarón took home another award, winning the Best Film Editing Oscar alongside Mark Sanger for his hands-on work on Gravity.

Meanwhile, Gravity’s lenser Emmanuel Lubezki followed up his American Society of Cinematographers Award win with the Academy Award for Best Cinematography.

It was the Mexican cinematographer’s first win in six nominations. He previously earned nods for lensing 1995’s A Little Princess, 1999’s Sleepy Hollow, 2005’s A New World, 2006’s Children of Men and 2011’s The Tree of Life. three of Lubezki’s nominations were for his work on Cuarón films.

In all, Gravity was the night’s big winner, taking home seven awards.

But Cuarón and Lubezki weren’t the only Latinos to take home their first Oscars…

Jared Leto, a first-time nominee, took home the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor for his critically acclaimed performance as male-to-female transgender character Rayon in Dallas Buyers Club. It’s a role the 42-year-old part-Spanish American actor discusses in a featurette from the film’s distributor Focus Features.

Here’s a complete look at this year’s Oscar winners:

Best picture
12 Years a Slave

Best actor
Matthew McConaughey, Dallas Buyers Club

Best actress
Cate Blanchett, Blue Jasmine

Best supporting actor
Jared Leto, Dallas Buyers Club

Best supporting actress
Lupita Nyong’o, 12 Years a Slave

Best director
Alfonso Cuarón, Gravity

Best animated feature film
Frozen

Best foreign film
The Great Beauty

Best original screenplay
Her, Spike Jonze

Best adapted screenplay
12 Years a Slave, John Ridley

Best original score
Gravity

Best original song
Let It Go, from Frozen

Best cinematography
Gravity

Best costume design
The Great Gatsby

Best documentary feature
20 Feet From Stardom

Best documentary short subject
The Lady in Number 6

Best film editing
Gravity

Best makeup and hairstyling
Dallas Buyers Club

Best production design
The Great Gatsby

Best animated short film
Mr. Hublot

Best live-action short film
Helium

Best sound editing
Gravity

Best sound mixing
Gravity

Best visual effects
Gravity

Peña Nieto Among the Eight Latinos Named to Time’s “100 Influential People” List

Posted on by
Reply

He’s been Mexico’s leader for less than five months, but Enrique Peña Nieto is already making his influence felt…

The 46-year-old Mexican politician, who officially became Mexico’s 57th president on December 1, 2012, is one of the eight Latino luminaries named to Time magazine’s 100 Most Influential People in the World list.

Enrique Peña Nieto

Peña Nieto, who served as governor of the State of Mexico from 2005 to 2011, was heralded for his charisma and self-deprecating humor by former New Mexico governor Bill Richardson.

“Since his narrow election victory, Peña Nieto’s stock has skyrocketed, with near unanimous praise from across Mexican society,” writes Richardson in his essay on the Mexican leader. “He signed a ‘Pact for Mexico’ in December with the two opposition parties and has enactedsignificant labor reforms. He’s proposed significant changes in the energy and telecommunications sectors, as well as improvements in the nation’s finances. At the Organization of American States, he has led the fight against countries like Ecuador that seek curbs on press freedoms.”

“The U.S. shouldn’t treat Peña Nieto like a patsy,” Richardson continues. “He combines [Ronald] Reagan’s charisma with [Barack] Obama’s intellect and [Bill] Clinton’s political skills. This is a leader to watch.”

Pope Francis

Argentine Cardinal Jorge Mario Bergoglio, who became pontiff last month after the resignation of Pope Benedict XVI, also made the list. Known as Pope Francis, the 76-year-old Bishop of Rome was lauded by Cardinal Timothy Dolan.

“In his first official sermon, six days later, he continued to captivate us, as he encouraged us, Do not be afraid to love! Do not be afraid to be tender!,” writes Dolan. “The Cardinal sitting next to me remarked, ‘He talks like Jesus!’ To which I replied, ‘I think that’s his job description.’”

Susana Martinez

Meanwhile, Susana Martinez is one of only two Latinas to make the list. The 53-year-old New Mexico governor was honored by Karl Rove, the senior adviser to President George W. Bush.

“… in 2010, she was elected America’s first Latina governor and New Mexico’s first female governor,” writes Rove. “Though her state usually votes Democratic, that hasn’t stopped this Republican from working with a Democratic legislature to turn a structural deficit into a surplus, pass education reforms to rate each school’s performance, enact comprehensive tax reform and focus on a pro-growth jobs agenda.”

Other Latinos making the list include The Voice’s Christina Aguilera, Chicago pastor Wilfredo De Jesús, Brazilian chef Alex Atala, R&B singer Miguel and the first black president of Brazil’s Supreme Court Joaquim Barbosa.

Click here to see the complete list on honorees, who are divided into the following categories:  Titans, Leaders, Artists, Pioneers and Icons.

Medina-Mora Named Mexico’s Ambassador to the United States

Posted on by
Reply

Eduardo Medina-Mora is heading to our nation’s capital…

The 55-year-old Mexican politician has been appointed as Mexico’s ambassador to the United States by the country’s newly inaugurated  president Enrique Peña Nieto, a move approved by the Mexican Congress.

Eduardo Medina-Mora

Medina-Mora, who will replace the current ambassador in Washington, Arturo Sarukhán, has been praised by Mexican lawmakers as having all the characteristics needed to become the country’s representative to its neighbor to the north, according to the Mexican daily El Universal.

Some Washington insiders have also expressed their support for the Medina-Mora appointment, stating that it his previous work with the U.S. on the Mérida Initiative, the U.S. aid program that hopes to restore Mexican government authority in areas challenged by drug traffickers, is a sign that he knows how to work with the U.S. and will have the ear of Peña Nieto.

“It’s likely that the U.S.-Mexico relationship will be run by Medina-Mora out of Washington and straight back to Los Pinos,” said a senior U.S. official, referring to the Mexican president’s residence, according to the Dallas Morning News.

Medina-Mora began his career as a lawyer before being appointed Mexico’s Secretary of Public Safety under former President Vicente Fox and then taking over the PGR former Mexican President Felipe Calderón’s administration. Since 2009, Medina-Mora has served as Mexico’s ambassador to the United Kingdom, where he dealt with the controversy over derogatory comments made about Mexicans on the BBC show Top Gear.

Upon his arrival in the beltway, Medina-Mora will be faced with two issues that have plagued relations between the neighboring nations for years: Mexico’s drug war and immigration.

“Medina-Mora comes with much more experience than his predecessor and has done a lot in Mexico…His appointment shows that they took the post seriously… they put someone in the position who has directly dealt with the main issue to the U.S., the drug issue,” said Peter Hakim, the president emeritus and senior fellow at the Inter-American Dialogue.

Espinoza to Reboot Her Successful Taekwondo Career…

Posted on by
Reply

She may be considered Mexico’s best-ever Olympic female athlete, but that’s all in the past for Maria del Rosario Espinoza…

The 25-year-old Mexican taekwondo practitioner – the only woman to win all possible titles in her sport – is planning to relaunch her athletic career from scratch as if she were starting off as a rookie.
Maria del Rosario Espinoza

“I’m going to clear the ledger and start all over, that’s how I handle myself and will handle myself,” said Espinoza, a double-medalist in Olympic taekwondo. “It’s like if the World (Championships) next year were the first, just like the next Olympic Games.”

Espinoza was one of the Mexican athletes to receive the National Sports Prize on Sunday from President Enrique Peña Nieto.

She most recently won a bronze medal in the 67-kilo class at the 2012 London Games over the summer, continuing a string of victories dating back to the 2007 World Championships and Pan American Games.

Espinoza won medals at the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing and the 2010 Central American and Caribbean Games.

She’s the only woman to win all the possible titles in her sport.

“I have a lot of things going for me now and the maturity can help me a lot in taking advantage of everything so that things will go well,” said Espinoza.