Cinema

As of December 2013, 94 percent of the most popular and critically acclaimed films were legally available in the U.S. through online video-on-demand (VOD) services, according to KPMG’s Film and TV Title Availability in the Digital Age study. The report also finds that 85 percent of the most popular and critically acclaimed television titles were available in the U.S. through online video services.

Will more Hispanics go to the movies if more Hispanics star in movies? That seems to be the assertion of a recent article that identifies the ongoing discrepancy between Hispanic movie buyers (there are a lot of them) vs. the amount of Hispanic representation in movies (there isn’t).  by Stephen Palacios / Added Value    

The Media, Diversity, & Social Change Initiative at USC Annenberg released a study demonstrating that diversity on screen falls far below that of the U.S. population. The study found that individuals from underrepresented racial and ethnic groups comprise just over a quarter (26%) of all speaking characters.

Universal Pictures announced an intensified commitment to its multicultural marketing division by promoting Fabian Castro to oversee the department and extending Talitha Watkins’ contract. 

The movie, which opens April 11 in the U.S., will be organically integrated in an episode of Hispanic TV’s longest-running and most popular reality beauty competition, “Nuestra Belleza Latina” (Our Latin Beauty), airing this Sunday, March 23. 

Believe Media announced that Colombian director Simon Brand has been added to the production company’s esteemed roster. Simon Brand brings to Believe an unmistakable international sensibility and highly visual style that has leveraged him to become one of the most sought after directors of today.

Twentieth Century Fox announced that the studio will release the upcoming feature film SON OF GOD in a limited number of US theaters in Spanish language day and date with the nationwide theatrical release on February 28, 2014.

For decades, Hollywood movies dominated our lives. The movies were our weekend past-time, the place of our first date, and our retreat during the hot summer months. Today, if you asked the average American when the last time they went to the movies, they would likely have to think really hard. Hollywood has failed to keep moviegoers engaged, and it needs to ask itself why ticket sales have dropped over 18% since 2002 (Nash Information Services, 2013). The details can be debated – but, ultimately, it comes down to technology, easy access to content (free, paid and pirated downloads and streaming), comfort and cost.

Going out to the movies once was, and for many still can be, an exciting night out. However, a new Harris Poll finds that while roughly two-thirds (68%) of U.S. adults went to the movies at least once in 2013, just about the same percent (66%) say they’re going to the movies less often now than a few years ago.

When you think about live theater, what comes to mind for most people is Broadway and the soldout shows that grace its famous stages. Unfortunately, theater isn’t always as high-profile as a Broadway show in the Big Apple. Many theaters painstakingly dedicate a lot of time and effort into getting people to buy tickets to first-run or lesser-known shows.

Exec Explains Guiding Principles Behind Pantelion, Televisa USA Content

As CEO of Pantelion Films and managing director of Televisa USA, Paul Presburger’s perspectives of creative projects aimed at the Hispanic community are informed by two visions.

According to the Daily News, the New York International Latino Film Festival’s Calixto Chinchilla announced this week that he is closing the curtains on the festival.

Last year, Latina filmmaker Brianna Torres paid tribute to her mother in the award-winning short film Feed What You Love about the bond forged between mother and daughter when she teaches her the family tradition of making tortillas.

According to research led by a marketing professor at the University of Utah’s David Eccles School of Business, film studios might be better served with more targeted advertising that takes into account the movie-going habits of different communities, as well as how those communities respond to paid advertising and movie-review blogs.

Hispanics and Asians are feeling the love. Hispanics and Asians were the only groups more likely than the average U.S. moviegoer to name romantic comedies as their favorite to see in a theater (37 percent and 34 percent, respectively). At 25 percent, African Americans were the least likely to name this genre as their favorite to see in a theater.

Just one year after its approval, legislation aimed to draw film and television production to Puerto Rico is already seeing results — attracting 30 productions and nearly $80 million in investment.

The New York International Latino Film Festival (NYILFF), which runs August 13th through 19th, is the premier urban Latino film event in the country. Launched in 1999, the festival’s mission is to showcase the works of emerging Latino film talent in the U.S. and Latin America, offer expansive images of the Latino experience, and celebrate the diversity and spirit of the Latino community.