DATE: 9/19/23
TIME: 7:30pm - 9:30pm
LOCATION: Manuel’s Tavern
PRICE: Free
September is National Hispanic Heritage Month. This month at Eat, Drink & B-Indie, join ATLFS for a moderated conversation with local Latin filmmakers and the Georgia Latino International Film Festival to hear stories of the Latin community.
Daniela Cintron is a Mexican-born immigrant journalist focusing on telling the stories of underrepresented communities in the arts and culture space. She is the Content Manager for Discover Atlanta and a freelance writer for LA Times, Oz Magazine, and more. Daniela is one of the producers for the docu-series, Atlanta Con Sabor Latino, showcasing the impact of Latinos in Atlanta's culture, and recently won a Journalism Excellence Award from the Atlanta Press Club for her cover story, "Latinos - Interrupting the Narrative in Film". She is currently pursuing a Master's degree in Journalism from Harvard University.
Camilo Diaz is a Colombian writer/director based out of Atlanta, Georgia. He has written, directed, and produced several award-winning short films. In 2019, Camilo became a Sundance Institute Alumnus when his script, Violent Winds, was chosen to be a part of that year's Screenwriters Intensive. He has also worked with the Georgia Film Academy, ARRI Rental, and Kodak. Camilo currently co-owns CineAstra, a local motion picture company producing indie feature films such as Popular Theory, starring Cheryl Hines and Marc Evan Jackson, and The Throwback, starring Will Sasso and Justina Machado.
Actress and producer, Denise Santos is a Miami, Florida native with parents from Ecuador and Colombia. Being a bilingual, fluent in Spanish and English, created many opportunities for her to work on a variety of productions. After moving to Atlanta in 2009 and noticing the need for Latine representation in the media, Denise started a Facebook group for other Latina creatives to meet. In 2018, she co-founded Latinas in Media Atlanta (LIMA). LIMA would then go on to produce showcases featuring original one-act plays directed and performed by local Georgia talent to the community and industry professionals. Denise is best known for playing Mamá on the EMMY award-winning NFL Super Bowl spot, Run With It, highlighting women in sports. You may also recognize her from Long Slow Exhale (Paramount), MacGyver (CBS), The Resident (Fox), and Family Blood (Netflix) to name a few. Some of Denise’s on-stage performances include Carmen Rivera's La Gringa, The Vagina Monologues, and Alan Ball's Five Women Wearing the Same Dress. She is also credited with over 100+ national and regional commercials. Denise is passionate about Latine representation and continues to advocate for inclusion in the community.
Dr. José A. Marquez-Leon is the National President and CEO of TechLatino: Latinos in Information Sciences and Technology Association (LISTA). In this role, he serves as a lead advocate on state and federal issues related to the role of Latinos in the technology sector. In 2008, Dr. José was appointed by President Barack Obama to serve on FCC Committee on Digital and Media Inclusion. Most recently, he was appointed to the Norcross Public Arts Commission Technology Association of Georgia Diversity Trendsetter 2017, and now sits on the Board of the Technology Association of Georgia Diversity and Inclusion Society, as well as Explore Gwinnett (Gwinnett Convention and Visitors Bureau) in the Gas South District. Dr. José also spearheads TechLatino: LISTA’s annual humanitarian initiatives to bring technology to disadvantaged communities in rural cities and towns in the Caribbean and South American countries. Before founding TechLatino: LISTA in 2004, he was Chief Architect and Founder of Hispanics in Information Technology and Telecommunications (HITT), where he brought to light the lack of Latino presence in the United States IT and Telecom workforce. Prior to his role in establishing TechLatino: LISTA and HITT, Dr. José served as Senior Vice President of Strategic Channels for Mi8 Corporation and President of JAM III Communications Group: an e-business solution consulting firm assisting companies with web strategies, security, and wireless communications. A 25-year veteran of the telecommunications industry, he has held various senior positions from implementation and sales engineering to channel development and internet policy, at companies such as Sprint, MCI, AT&T, Global Crossing, and Mi8. Dr. José is the Founder, Chairman, and CEO of the Georgia Latino International Film Festival, and CEO of the Georgia Latino Film Alliance, a 501(c)(3) organization serving as an advocate for Latino content and its creators.