Latinos Navigating Hollywood: Challenges and Opportunities
Focusing on the progress being made and the opportunities ahead, this session highlights how Latino filmmakers, executives, and writers are reshaping the industry with authentic stories that resonate with broad audiences. With Latinos making up nearly 20 percent of the U.S. population and leading the way in streaming consumption, new reports from UCLA, Annenberg, and the Latino Donor Collaborative point not only to gaps in representation but also to significant growth potential. The conversation will explore how embracing Latino talent and audiences is already creating new pathways in Hollywood and how continued investment in diverse voices can unlock fresh creative and financial opportunities across film and television.
Moderator:
Jay Torres, Founder & CEO, Collectivo
Panelists:
Yolanda Macias, Chief Motion Pictures Officer, Cineverse
Robert Munoz, President, Mucho Mas Media
Patricia Riggen, Director (G20, Dopesick)
Anthony Nardolillo, Director (7th & Union, Chicago Med)
Rafael Agustin, Writer (Jane the Virgin)
Speakers
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Yolanda MacíasChief Motion Pictures Officer, CineverseYolanda Macias was recently appointed Chief Motion Pictures Officer at Cineverse to lead, build and oversee sourcing and execution of the Company’s theatrical slate and its global strategies. Ms. Macias joined the Company in 2013 and served as the Chief Content Officer for Cineverse Entertainment Group between 2020 and 2025. As CCO, she was responsible for acquiring global content rights for all distribution and streaming platforms and oversaw marketing. During her leadership in this role Ms. Macias sourced and secured over 70,000 movies and series including TERRIFIER 2 and 3, Crown Media: Hallmark, NFL and Konami Cross (Yu-Gi-Oh).
She has over 25 years of entertainment distribution experience, including executive positions at Vivendi/Universal from 2004 to 2012, DIRECTV from 1996 to 2003, and The Walt Disney Company from 1992 to 1995. Ms. Macias built sustainable and profitable subscription platforms at DIRECTV and Vivendi/Universal’s digital distribution services. In 2022, 2023 and 2024 Media Play News selected Macias as one of the Captains of Industry driving and leading home entertainment.
Macias serves as vice chair for C5LA a non-profit organization supporting under resourced and high potential teens, and is a board director for Skechers USA, Inc. Macías received her MBA from the J.L. Kellogg Graduate School of Management at Northwestern University and her B.S. degree in Finance from California State University, Northridge.
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Jay TorresFounder & CEO, CollectivoJay Torres is an award-winning producer and director known for blending innovation, storytelling, and advocacy. With expertise in VFX, action, and commercial filmmaking, he has collaborated with top talent such as Dwayne Johnson, Eva Longoria, and Christopher Walken, and worked with major brands and studios including Walmart, Tubi, Vudu, and DirecTV. Jay’s career spans from editing MTV Award-nominated music videos for Aerosmith and Metallica to directing acclaimed episodes of Alias and Desperate Housewives, earning ALMA Award nominations.
As Founder and CEO of Collectivo, a Latino-owned entertainment studio, Jay is championing a new creative ecosystem that develops universally appealing stories powered by Latino talent. His studio aims to replicate the success of Tyler Perry Studios and MACRO Media—focusing on genre-driven films that resonate globally while reflecting authentic Latino perspectives.
A four-time Co-Chair of the DGA Latino Committee and U.S. Army veteran, Jay has a proven ability to identify and elevate emerging filmmakers who have yet to be given a platform. As moderator, he bridges mainstream and multicultural audiences, spotlighting the creative and financial opportunities that come from investing in Latino storytellers—a growing force in the future of global cinema.
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Anthony NardolilloDirector
Anthony Nardolillo, a Puerto Rican native from New York, left a finance career to become a Film & TV director. His films (Shine, 7th and Union, Righteous Thieves) were acquired by Disney, Amazon, and Lionsgate. He’s directed 5 TV episodes, including Chicago Med, and is currently directing the Albert Pujols baseball documentary and also is developing a historical war drama with Oscar-winner Lesley Paterson starring Anthony Ramos.
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Patricia RiggenDirectorPatricia Riggen is recognized as one of America’s leading Latina directors, known for her ability to move seamlessly between film and television across genres. Her work spans from the action thriller G20, starring Viola Davis, to her Sundance breakthrough La Misma Luna, and the Sony Pictures box-office hit Miracles from Heaven, starring Jennifer Garner.
In addition to her feature films, Patricia has directed high-profile pilots and episodic television for major networks and streamers. She helmed multiple episodes of the Emmy Award–winning drama Dopesick, starring Michael Keaton, as well as episodes of the first season of Tom Clancy’s Jack Ryan.
Patricia earned her MFA in film at Columbia University’s School of the Arts. Her first short film won a Student Academy Award, a Student Emmy, and a Mexican Academy Award. Her second film, a documentary about photographer Gordon Parks, won the Jury Prize at Sundance. In 2011, she directed Lemonade Mouth for Disney Channel, which earned her a Directors Guild of America (DGA) Award nomination.
She went on to direct The 33, the gripping drama about the Chilean miner rescue starring Antonio Banderas and Juliette Binoche, which required her to spend 30 days filming underground in real mines.
Originally from Mexico, Patricia is one of the few women of color to have directed top- grossing studio films in the past decade.
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Rafael AgustínWriterRafael Agustín was a writer on the award-winning TV show Jane The Virgin, is the author of the bestselling memoir Illegally Yours, and is an Executive Producer of the upcoming rock documentary Los Lobos Native Sons. Besides his work in film and TV, Rafael was also the founding Executive Director of the Youth Cinema Project, and the founding CEO of the Latino Film Institute for Edward James Olmos. In 2018, the United Nations invited Rafael to speak at their 70th Anniversary Celebration of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights; in 2022, the LA Times declared Rafael a “Power Player” in their inaugural Latino trailblazers list; and in 2024, Rafael received the Latino Spirit Award for Achievement in Cinema & Literature from the California Latino Legislative Caucus. Rafael received his BA and MA from UCLA’s School of Theater, Film & Television and is a proud member of the National Film Preservation Board at the Library of Congress.
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Robert MunozPresident, Mucho Mas MediaRobert Muñoz is a business and strategy executive with deep expertise in film & TV financing, distribution strategy, content development, and corporate leadership. As President of Mucho Mas Media, he oversees finance, distribution, legal, operations, and human resources, working alongside CEO and founding partner Javier Chapa to expand the company’s Latino-led film and television slate. Since joining Mucho Mas Media in 2023, Muñoz has been instrumental in structuring financing deals and strategic partnerships to ensure sustainable, high-quality Latino representation both in front of and behind the camera. Prior to Mucho Mas Media, Muñoz served as CFO for Amblin Partners, working alongside Steven Spielberg and CEO Jeff Small to produce films for global audiences. He also held key leadership roles at 20th Century Fox (2016-2019), where he drove revenue strategy, led content development, and managed film slate analytics, and at Redbox (2015-2016), where he integrated content strategy with consumer analytics to maximize revenue. At HBO (2010-2014), he served as Vice President of Planning for HBO West Coast Finance, where he managed multi-billion-dollar investments for HBO & Cinemax Original Programming, overseeing slate management and deal analysis across series, films, and miniseries. Muñoz began his career in Strategic Planning & Business Development at William Morris Endeavor (WME), where he provided consulting services for corporate clients like Hasbro and HSN and helped close major Hollywood talent deals for Michael Bay, Tim Burton, Tyler Perry, and Robert Rodriguez. He holds a B.S. in Finance and Marketing from the University of Southern California. Through his strategic leadership and industry expertise, Muñoz is helping Mucho Mas Media redefine Latino representation in Hollywood, ensuring that Latino-led stories are both commercially viable and globally impactful.