Edward James Olmos and Latasha Gillespie
Amazon Studios has announced two brand new entertainment collaborations which aim to make real and differentiating commitment to supporting the Latino community in the United States.
In detail, the studio has joined forces with Edward James Olmos’ Latino Film Institute and is now the exclusive sponsor of its Youth Cinema Project (YCP) Alumni Program for the 2022-2023 school year. YCP’s Alumni program connects over 300 program graduates from low income, under-resourced public schools to hands-on access and learning opportunities across the industry, including mentoring and assistance with college applications.
Amazon Studios is also funding the inaugural YCP Fellowship, which will provide 15 college bound students with resources to make a high-quality short film as a team to strengthen their film school applications and scholarship opportunities. The film will then screen at The Los Angeles Latino International Film Festival in 2023.
“As we strive to be a global entertainment destination, we acknowledge the power and importance of Latino audiences. In order to tell their rich and dynamic stories authentically, we need their skills and creative power both in front of and behind the camera. Partnering with LFI and LA Collab is not a charitable endeavor, it is an equitable endeavor. It is our responsibility to remove barriers and open doors so everyone has the opportunity to thrive,” said Latasha Gillespie, Global Head of DEIA for Amazon Studios, Freevee and IMDb.
"After two decades of building the pipeline from our community into Hollywood, we are excited that Amazon Studios is supporting our work with the Youth Cinema Project. Only together will we be able to create Hollywood's multicultural future," stated Edward James Olmos, Founder of the Latino Film Institute.
Amazon Studios is also continuing its support of local non-profit LA Collab to build the entertainment vertical of LTX Match platform from the ground up. The smart tech platform will use technology to match Latino talent at scale with jobs, mentorship, boards, capital, and community, at all levels of the Hollywood ecosystem, helping to address the all-too-common statement “we cannot find Latinos to work in entertainment.”
“It is time to put the incredible tech innovation that exists today to help fix the broken bridge between Hollywood and our Latino creative community not finding each other. With LTX Match, we aim to connect our community with access to make sure we have equal opportunity to thrive in Hollywood,” declared Beatriz Acevedo, Co-founder of LA Collab.