Cine Sony, Sony Pictures Television’s premier movie channel for the bi-cultural U.S. Latino audience, and the National Association of Latino Independent Producers (NALIP), today announced the winner of Voces Nuevas, their short film contest for aspiring filmmakers. Juan Gil has been named the first-place winner for his short film, Super Ma which tells the story of a struggling single mother yearning for stability and purpose. Caught in a moment of peril, she must unleash her inner hero and get home safely to her son.
Launched in 2018, Voces Nuevas was established to discover and celebrate emerging film talent while providing a new resource for content development. Filmmakers from throughout the United States submitted short films for consideration. Judges who reviewed the submissions include actor, producer and activist Wilmer Valderrama (From Dusk Till Dawn: The Series, That ‘70s Show); Coco cultural consultant and producer at Nickelodeon Lalo Alcaraz; The Book of Life director Jorge Gutierrez and Ana Bond, SVP & MD, International Production, Latin America and US Hispanic, Sony Pictures Television (SPT).
“It’s never been more important to tell the stories of people – with authenticity and honesty,” said Valderrama. “By supporting Voces Nuevas, I’m honored to help in some small way to provide a platform to highlight those stories and the often-overlooked talent within the Latinx community.”
“Voces Nuevas offers Latinx creatives a unique opportunity to showcase the amazing storytelling talent in our community,” said Bond, SVP & MD, International Production, LATAM, and US Hispanic for SPT. “It gives me great pleasure to participate as part of this contest and uplift our own narratives and stories.”
Gil’s winning film, Super Ma will air in the U.S. on Cine Sony as part of interstitial programming on the channel later this year during Hispanic Heritage Month. A Los Angeles-based writer/director, Gil has received recognition for his work at festivals including the Beverly Hills Film Festival, the Official Latino Film Festival, and the New York International Film Festival, among others. He will receive a cash prize of $10,000, a NALIP scholarship, and will participate in NALIP’s 2020 Media Summit which will be held virtually on June 25-30.
“NALIP strives to continue to empower and elevate diverse content creators and their projects. Thanks to Cine Sony, we have been able to do just that. It was a pleasure to have taken part in the ‘Voces Nuevas’ competition. We would like to congratulate and honor Juan Gil and all of the filmmakers for their phenomenal work highlighting Latinx narratives,” said Ben Lopez, Executive Director, NALIP.
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