Hola Mis Queridos! How are you doing? Tia Tenopia here welcoming you to another week of Latinopia.com videos.

This week it’s Latino cinema! As you know we Latinos have to really push to get our perspective into films and television. Did you know that in any given year only 2% of all films and television programs produced in Hollywood are directed by Latinos? The same applies to writing, I think its even worse here, with only 1.5% of all screenplays and teleplays in a given year written by Spanish surnamed people. And where does all this writing and directing take place?  Most of it originates with the studios that are located in Los Angeles County where Latinos make up 48% of the population. Que verquenza! So when we see Latinos taking matters into their own hands, Latinopia applauds them!

This week we’re highlighting both documentary and fiction filmmaking. On Latinopia Showcase, we present a poignant drama by Los Angeles filmmaker Luis Quintero, La Hora del Té (Tea Time). Hay, I must warn you, you may need a tissue when watching this sad but uplifting dramatic short film. Hay como me hizo llorar! We also visit with acclaimed documentary film maker Hector Galan. Hector has been making documentaries on La Raza for the past forty years as well national programs like the science NOVA series and the American Experience series on PBS. He is arguably the most prolific and accomplished Latino documentary producer in the United States. Se avienta este vato! And if you don’t believe me, just check out all the videos he has made that are for sale on his website: www.galaninc.com.

Oh, and with respect to our ever-growing list of abbreviations for texting, an anonymous Latinopian offers that instead of IMHO (In my humble opinion) we might go for MDA (Mirandolo de Aca).

Well, as my Tio Braulio often says, hay los watcho! Abrazos, Tia Tenopia