Tag Archives: NYLFF

Mark Viera Officially Announces HBO Latino & New York Latino Film Festival’s 2nd Annual National Latino Stand-Up Comedy Competition

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Mark Viera is inviting fellow Latino comedians to bring the funny…

The Puerto Rican comedian is helping launch HBO Latino and the New York Latino Film Festival’s (NYLFF) second annual national Latino Stand-Up Comedy Competition.

Mark Viera

The search for the best Latino stand-up comedians around the country was announced today by 2019 winners Viera and Alex Carabaño — with the help of Entre Nos’ best comedians Gina Brillón and Orlando Leyba.

The competition is designed to support emerging talent and increase awareness and representation of Latino voices in the comedy industry. The top five comedians will perform, and a winner will be chosen at a virtual event in early December, which will be hosted by Viera.

“I’m excited to be the host of the 2020 Latino Stand-Up Comedy Competition,” said Viera. “After winning last year and taping my first Entre Nos Special, I am honored to be a part of this tournament of funny, knowing what’s at stake and how these performances will potentially change the career of an up-and-coming comedian. Let the jokes roll and the laughter flow, again.”

You can catch last year’s winners on the aforementioned Entre Nos: The Winners, which is available to stream on HBO Max.

If you think you have the comedy chops, submissions for the competition are officially open and will be accepted through November 13.

For those who are interested in submitting to the Latino Stand Up Comedy Competition, here are the entry details:

  • Applicants must submit a 3-5 minute video of their stand-up performance in English (or bilingual), which has not been previously broadcast in any form at NYLatinoFilmFestival.com (free to enter). Submission deadline is Friday, November 13, 2020 by 11:59pm EST.
  • All eligible submissions will be judged by a panel of screeners, comprised of Viva Producers, NYLFF members and HBO executives, who will determine the top 5 finalists based on performance and creative material.
  • The finalists will be invited to perform an 8 -10 minute comedic performance at the ’Latino Stand-Up!’ finals, scheduled to take place virtually the week of December 7th. The winner will be revealed that night.
  • The winning comedian will be included in an upcoming Entre Nos comedy special airing in 2021 on HBO Max.

HBO Latino’s “Habla Now,” Featuring Diane Guerrero, to Kick-Off the New York Latino Film Festival’s First-Ever Drive-In Showings

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Diane Guerrero’s hitting the festival circuit…

The New York Latino Film Festival (NYLFF) has announced the lineup for the fest’s forthcoming hybrid edition, with HBO Latino’s Habla Now, featuring the 34-year-old Colombian American actress and author, as the Opening Night drive-in feature.

Diane Guerrero

The documentary special, the 15th installment of HBO Latino’s award-winning “Habla” series, features testimonials from US Latinos – celebrities, recognized professionals, and everyday Latinos – who share honest stories about being Latino in the U.S.

In addition to Guerrero, the storytellers include Arturo Castro, Nely Galan, Amara La Negra, Cristina Jimenez, Ozzie Areu, Xiuhtezcatl Martinez, Edgardo Miranda Rodriguez, Mark Hugo Lopez, Mariana Atencio, Laurie Hernandez, Justina Machado, Diane Guerrero, Carmen Carrera, José Andrés and many more.

In addition, Angel Manuel Soto’s Charm City Kings will have its New York premiere at the fest.

Produced by Will Smith, Jada Pinkett Smith and James Lassiter, with a story by Oscar winner Barry Jenkins, Charm City Kings marks the feature directorial debut follows the journey of 14-year-old Mouse who desperately wants to join the Midnight Clique, an infamous group of Baltimore dirt-bike riders who rule the summertime streets.

John Leguizamo’s Critical Thinkingwill also make its New York premiere. The film tells the true story of five Latinx and Black teenagers from Miami Jackson Senior High School who fight their way into the National Chess Championship under the guidance of their unconventional but inspirational teacher.

This year’s virtual NYLFF will take place from September 14-20.

In the wake of the coronavirus pandemic, festivals around the world have either canceled or pivoted to an entirely virtual program. NYLFF is one of the Latinx-based fests that continued with plans for the annual fest with the appropriate changes.

The 21st edition will be a combination of virtual events and in-person screenings that celebrate Latinx creators.

The fest will also host the first Latino drive-in experience to take place both in New York and in The Bronx.

This year’s festival features nearly 75 films representing more than 10 countries, spanning all genres including features, shorts, documentaries, web series and experimental films.

“Inspired by the resilience of the Latino community, NYLFF is proud to return with a fresh format featuring our first-ever drive-in experiences,” said Calixto Chinchilla, founder of NYLFF. “We are proud to serve as an important platform for Latino creatives to share culturally relevant stories about intersectionality, diversity, and lived experiences in this country. Gracias to our sponsors for continuing to support our community of content creators and movie-goers. While there’s much learned this year, one thing we can all agree, the culture continues!”

Click here the complete lineup for this year’s NYLFF.