Celebrating Latino Talent

By: Cristina K Muñoz, CKM Public Affairs & Communication

The Established and Up-and-Coming Alike!

It has long been said that Latino actors are often overlooked for leading roles or are typecast in roles that for the longest time have been representative of their ethnic background. Certainly A-List actors such as Salma Hayek, Andy Garcia, Sofia Vergara and Antonio Banderas amongst others have helped pave the way for those that are coming, albeit slowly, up the ranks.

As the demographic makeup of the United States continues to evolve and the largest minority group, Latinos/Hispanics, become the majority, shouldn’t TV and Film be representative of this? The jury is out on whether Hollywood has made significant strides in this area or not. One fact remains, the talent exists and we should urge Hollywood to elevate the profile of Latino actors in the talent pool.

One such example of the Latino talent that exists and was elevated to a starring role, thanks to Movie Producer Baldemar Rodriguez is that of Scottsdale, Arizona actress Shaina Sandoval.  Sandoval has been making quite a splash around the country since her latest film project, ‘In Search of the American Dream’ where she starred as the lead actress, debuted with a red carpet premiere event in Scottsdale, AZ in January of this year.

An organization that not only recognizes but also celebrates the importance that Latinos contribute to the arts is the National Council of La Raza (NCLR) and their American Latino Media Arts (ALMA) Awards held every year around Hispanic Heritage Month. The NCLR ALMA’s recognize that while there are various established artists to profile and award, there are many more that are up-and-coming such as Sandoval. With this in mind, Sandoval was extended an invitation to this year’s taping of the ALMA Awards, which took place on September 16^th, 2012 in Pasadena, CA. The star studded event was attended and celebrated by a myriad of Latinos in the entertainment industry, television programs, films and music including Christina Aguilera, Zoe Saldana, Andy Garcia, Jake Gyllenhaal, Nicole Ritchie and many others. While at the ALMA’s Sandoval had an opportunity to meet up with a number of her fellow acting colleagues. 

“Shaina is a young and extremely dedicated actress. She is a testament to the fact that the Latino community here in the U.S. is very rich when it comes to talent.  Shaina has the training, the skills and determination to make it very far in her career. She possesses the kind of talent that soars when it is met with the right opportunities in the acting world. I salute organizations such as NCLR for supporting these young and talented individuals in our community. I only hope other like-minded organizations and certainly Hollywood are doing their part to ensure that the days of the typecast Latino in the ‘maid’ and ‘criminal’ roles are a part of the past. I am very pleased to be able to work with Shaina and see her continue to achieve great heights in her career. It won’t be long before she is presenting or even receiving an ALMA Award of her very own…stay tuned”, says Cristina K. Muñoz, Principal at CKM Public Affairs & Communications.

In 2012, ‘In Search of the American Dream’ film has been premiered/screened in various markets and events across the country. The film will hit the big screen in 2013. Keep your eye out for Shaina Sandoval. You are sure to see her in future films and other national TV commercials. Let’s celebrate her talent and that of all Latinos!

About Shaina Sandoval

Shaina Sandoval was born to Samuel and Lisa Sandoval in Albuquerque, NM on January 10, 1992. She moved to Dallas, TX at one year’s old, and currently divides her time between Scottsdale, Ariz. and Dallas. She got her start in Dallas in commercial work at just 13 years old. Her first foray in film acting was in 2006 in which she had a feature role in “Rain.” She went on to appear in “In Search of the American Dream: El Nacional,” “Nico-The Millionaire,” and the music video “Saved.” She also appeared in the independent film “Midnight Clear,” which starred Stephen Baldwin and K Callan.

For more information about Shaina Sandoval please visit, http://www.shainasandoval.com/ or her International Movie Database profile at http://www.imdb.com/name/nm2432931/

About “In Search of the American Dream” Film:

Adelante Productions presents: “In Search of the American Dream”. The riveting film tells the story of one family torn apart…and the fear and agony the children are forces to bear alone. This is the story of four children and their adult brother as they desperately race across Texas for survival after their parents, undocumented for 30 years, were caught, arrested and thrown in jail in one fell swoop. Deportation is only a matter of time. When CPS separates them, the children are forced to abandon the only home they’ve ever known. A routine traffic stop by a police officer goes terribly wrong and now they are not only running from immigration officers but also from the law.

For more information about In Search of the American Dream” movie please visit, http://www.insearchoftheamericandream.com/