Hispanic Lifestyle Articles

Hispanic Heritage Month - Hispanic Lifestyle

Mon, 4 Aug 2008 09:23:15 -0700

Hispanic Lifestyle is planning several events and special editions of our weekly PBS television program for Hispanic Heritage month. Hispanic Heritage Month is September 15 - October 15, 2008.

Our 5th Annual Hispanic Lifestyle Live event is schedule for September 20, 2008 at the Ontario Mill. Hispanic Lifestyle tapes segments of our television program in front of a live audience in the food court at the Ontario Mills.
11th Annual Inland Empire Hispanic Image Awards - October 3, 2008. Our viewers and supporters are encouraged to nominate Latinos and Latinas, organizations and businesses who have made a difference in our community. Click here for the nomination form. Nomination Form
Hispanic Lifestyle on PBS will start airing two (2) minute pieces of Latino leaders discussing heritage and culture.

For more information please call 951.940.9099

23rd Annual Imagen Awards on Thursday, August 21

Mon, 4 Aug 2008 08:15:24 -0700

The 23rd Annual Imagen Awards on Thursday, August 21 at 7 PM in Beverly Hills, The Imagen Foundation will bestow the Lifetime Achievement Award to actor Tony Plana; the Creative Achievement Award to HBO’s In Treatment Producer/Director Rodrigo Garcia; and the Norman Lear Writer’s Award to Ligiah Villalobos, executive producer and writer of the feature film La Misma Luna. LATV’s Pili Montilla of En la Zona and Humberto Guida of Wáchale hosted today’s announcement of the 2008 nominees at the Hilton Hotel in Universal City, California.

“I am consistently amazed with the exponential growth in both the quantity and quality of the
entries we receive each year,” stated Helen Hernandez, Founder of The Imagen Foundation and
creator of the pioneering Imagen Awards, which annually draws A-list stars and luminaries from
the world of Latino entertainment. “The increase of Latino representation across entertainment
disciplines is truly indicative of the prevalent role we play in Hollywood, mainstream America, and
throughout the world.”

The press conference presenters from LATV, the nation’s first bilingual entertainment/music
network distributed via digital multicast, also unveiled their plans to air a one-hour special on their
channel featuring the Red Carpet arrival and behind-the-scenes exclusives of nominated Latinos
at the 23rd Annual Imagen Awards.

A partial list of the 2008 event sponsors includes, The Nielsen Company (presenting sponsor),
CBS, Inc., The Walt Disney Company, Entravision, The Hollywood Reporter, and Variety.

Best On-Air Advertising
Artist Speaking Tr3s', AB Quintanilla y Los Kumbia All Stars, MTV3
Civic es Civic, La Agencia de Orci & Asociados
Descubre and Download, Colby O’Donis, MTV
Descubre and Download, Malverde, MTV
Tu Pride, Silvestre, MTV
Tu Pride, Elan, MTV
Tu Pride, Ruben, MTV
Vivelo Aqui Campaign, HBO

Best Local Informational Programming
Ninos Inmigrantes Llegan a La Escuela, Univision 23
Fox 11 News, Alter the Melee, Producer, Pete Noyes
Vista L.A., ABC7

Best National Informational Programming
Beyond Borders: an MTV Tr3’s Immigration Forum, MTV Networks
Hispanics Today, Producers Erica Ortiz & Don Kaiser
LatinEyes, Executive Producer, Andres Pruna
Maria Hinojosa One-on-One with Tony Plana, Producer, La Plaza-WGBH
Nick News with Linda Ellerbee, I’m American, you’re not, Nickelodeon, Nickelodeon Network

Best Theatrical Short or Student Film
Below the Fold, The Pulitzer that Defined Latino Journalism, Produced & Directed by Roberto
Gudino and Olga Briseno
Nina Quebrada, Produced by Diana Romero and Directed by Jen Kleiner
A Day at the Theatre: Produced by Karla Ojeda and Directed by Kenneth Castillo
Proof of Birth, Produced by Sergei Krasikav, Directed by Jose Luis Orbegozo
Suripanta, Produced by David Rodriguez and Edward Cohen, Directed by David Rodriguez
Estrada

Best Documentary for Television
Borinqueneers (The) El Pozo Productions
Brown is the New Green, Producer & Director, Phillip Rodriguez
Made in L.A., Producer and Director, Robert Bahar and Almudena Carracedo
Orozco: Man of Fire, Producer and Director, Laurie Coyle and Rick Tejada Flores
Recycled Life (Cinemax Reel Life), Iwerks-Glad Production in association with HBO/Cinemax

Documentary Film
Toxic City: This is Where I Live, Producer & Director, Nori Takei

Best Children’s Programming
Dora the Explorer, Nickelodeon; Nickelodeon Network
El Tigre, The Adventures of Manny Rivera, Nickelodeon, Nickelodeon Network
Go, Diego, Go, Nickelodeon; Nickelodeon Network
Handy Manny, Disney Channel
Maya and Miguel, PBS

Best Variety or Reality Show
Ceasar and Chuy, LATV Networks
Dog Whisperer with Cesar Millan, National Geographic Channel
Dancing with the Stars, ABC
Mi TRL Awards, MTV Networks
Step It Up & Dance, Bravo
Randy Jackson Presents, America’s Best Dance Crew, MTV
Vivo Presents, Juanes, Producer, Shari Scorca

Best Supporting Actress – Film
Danielle Polanco, Missy, Step Up 2 The Streets, Producer, Patrick Wachsberger & Erik Feig,
Director, Jon M. Chu
Ana Ortiz, Ugly Betty ABC and Touchstone Television
Dana Ramirez, Heroes, NBC
Leonor Varela, Where God Left His Shoes, Written and Directed, Salvatore Stabile
Roselyn Sanchez, Game Plan, Producers Gordon Gray & mark Ciardi, Director, Andy Fickman

Best Supporting Actor – Film
David Castro, Where God Left His Shoes, Written and Directed by Salvatore Stabile
Eugenio Derbez, La Misma Luna, Producer/Director, Patricia Rigen
Jacob Vargas, Sleep Dealer, Producer, Anthony Bregman
Tego Calderon, Illegal Tender, Producer, John Singleton

Best Actress - Film
Giovanna Mezzogiorno, Love in the Time of Cholera, Directed by Mike Newell, Stone Village
Pictures
Kate Del Castillo, La Misma Luna: Directed by Patricia Riggen, Fox Searchlight Pictures
Wanda de Jesus, Illegal Tender: Directed by Franc Reyes, New Deal Productions
Yvette Yates, Nina Quebrada: Directed by Jen Kleiner, The Collective

Best Actor - Film
Adrian Alonso, La Misma Luna: Directed by Patricia Riggen, Fox Searchlight Pictures
Javier Bardem, Love in the Time of Cholera Directed by Mike Newell, Stone Village Pictures
John Leguizamo, Where God Left His Shoes: Directed by Salvatore Stabile, Vulcan Productions
Rick Gonzalez, Illegal Tender: Directed by Franc Reyes, New Deal Productions

Best Director
Kenny Ortega, High School Musical 2, Disney Channel
Mike Newell, Love in the Time of Cholera, Stone Village Pictures
Patricia Riggen, La Misma Luna, Fox Searchlight Pictures

Best Picture
Alondra Smiles: Directed by Concha Nora Villa, Villa Media Productions
La Misma Luna: Directed by Patricia Riggen, Fox Searchlight Pictures
Love in the Time of Cholera: Directed by Mike Newell, Stone Village Pictures
Where God Left His Shoes, Directed by Salvatore Stabile, Vulcan Productions

Best Supporting Actress – Television
Cote de Pablo, NCIS: CBS, Belisarius Productions, Paramount Television
Eva La Rue, Miami CSI, CBS Television, CBS Productions
Maria Canals Barrera, Wizards of Waverly Place, Disney Channel, It’s a Laugh Productions
Ana Ortiz, Ugly Betty, ABC and Touchstone Television
Dana Ramirez, Heroes, NBC

Best Supporting Actor
Danny Pino, Cold Case, CBS/Paramount Network Television
Esai Morales, Jericho, CBS/Paramount Network Television
Jorge Garcia, Lost,
ABC, American Broadcasting Company
Shalim Ortiz, Heros, NBC,
Tony Plana, Ugly Betty
ABC and Touchstone Television

Best Actress - Television
America Ferrera, Ugly Betty, ABC and Touchstone Television
Christina Milian, Snowglobe, ABC and Disney Channel
Kathleen Herles, Dora the Explorer, Nickelodeon Network, Nickelodeon Studios
Selma Gomez, Wizards of Waverly Place, Disney Channel, It’s a Laugh Production

Best Actor - Television
Carlos Mencia, Mind of Mencia, Comedy Central
Edward James Olmos, Battle Star Galactica, The Sci-Fi Channel
James Roday, Psych CBS
Wilmer Valderamma, Handy Manny (animation), Disney Channel

Best Primetime Series
ER: NBC and Warner Bros. Television
Grey’s Anatomy, ABC, Mark Gordon Company
Lost, ABC, ABC Studios
Scrubs, ABC, Dozer Productions
Ugly Betty, ABC, Touchstone Television

The Imagen Foundation works to enhance opportunities for Latinos in front of and behind the
camera. Based in the Los Angeles area, the Imagen Foundation serves as a liaison between the
industry and the Hispanic community by providing access, education and resources. Additional
information regarding the Imagen Foundation, its awards program and annual job fair in January
is available at www.imagen.org or by calling 626/ 836-6100

NOMINATIONS ANNOUNCED FOR 2008 ALMA AWARDS

Mon, 4 Aug 2008 08:13:04 -0700

The 2008 NCLR ALMA (American Latino Media Arts) Awards celebrating the outstanding artistic achievements of Latinos in motion pictures, television and music, will air Friday, September 12, (8:00-10:00 p.m., EST) on ABC.
Television and film actress Eva Longoria Parker returns once again as executive producer and host of the telecast. The 2008 NCLR ALMA Awards will be taped on August 17 at the Pasadena Civic Auditorium.
MOTION PICTURE CATEGORIES OUTSTANDING PERFORMANCE OF A LEAD LATINO / A CAST IN A MOTION PICTURE Bella El Cantante Illegal Tender Love in the Time of Cholera Tortilla Heaven  SPECIAL ACHIEVEMENT - OUTSTANDING SPANISH LANGUAGE MOTION PICTURE La Misma Luna (Under the Same Moon)  TELEVISION CATEGORIES  SPECIAL ACHIEVEMENT - OUTSTANDING PERFORMANCE OF A LATINO / A-LED ENSEMBLE IN A TELEVISION SERIES Ugly Betty (ABC)  OUTSTANDING ACTOR IN A DRAMA TELEVISION SERIES Enrique Murciano – Without A Trace (CBS) Edward James Olmos – Battlestar Galactica (Sci Fi Channel) Danny Pino – Cold Case (CBS) James Roday – Psych (USA) Adam Rodriguez – CSI: Miami (CBS)

OUTSTANDING SUPPORTING ACTOR IN A DRAMA TELEVISION SERIES Ricardo Chavira – Desperate Housewives (ABC) Jorge Garcia – Lost (ABC) Benito Martinez – The Shield (FX Network) Amaury Nolasco – Prison Break (FOX) Miguel Sandoval – Medium (NBC)

OUTSTANDING ACTRESS IN A DRAMA TELEVISION SERIES Valerie Cruz – The Dresden Files (Sci Fi Channel) Cote de Pablo – NCIS (CBS) Lana Parrilla – Swingtown (CBS) Sara Ramirez – Grey’s Anatomy (ABC) Roselyn Sanchez – Without A Trace (CBS)

OUTSTANDING SUPPORTING ACTRESS IN A DRAMA  TELEVISION SERIES Alana De La Garza – Law & Order (NBC) Marisol Nichols – 24 (FOX)  Paula Garces, The Shield (FX Network) Julie Gonzalo – Eli Stone (ABC) Dania Ramirez – Heroes (NBC) Lauren Velez – Dexter (Showtime)

OUTSTANDING MALE PERFORMANCE IN A COMEDY TELEVISION SERIES Jake T. Austin – Wizards of Waverly Place (Disney Channel) Joshua Gomez – Chuck (NBC) Carlos Mencia – Mind of Mencia (Comedy Central) Oscar Nuñez – The Office (NBC) Johnny A. Sanchez – MADtv (FOX) Charlie Sheen – Two and A Half Men (CBS)

OUTSTANDING FEMALE PERFORMANCE IN A COMEDY TELEVISION SERIES Maria Canals-Barrera – Wizards of Waverly Place (Disney Channel) Selena Gomez – Wizards of Waverly Place (Disney Channel) Anjelah Johnson – MADtv (FOX) Judy Reyes – Scrubs (NBC) Nadine Velazquez – My Name Is Earl (NBC) Persia White – Girlfriends (The CW)

OUTSTANDING COMEDY SPECIAL “Carlos Mencia: Performance Enhanced” (Comedy Central) “George Lopez: America’s Mexican” (HBO) “Alex Reymundo: Hick-Spanic Live in Albuquerque” (Showtime) “The Original Latin Divas of Comedy” (Showtime) “The Payaso Comedy Slam” (Showtime)

OUTSTANDING DIRECTOR OF A TELEVISION SERIES Norberto Barba – Law and Order: Criminal Intent, “Depths” (NBC) Rodrigo Garcia – In Treatment, “Paul and Gina, Week One” (HBO) Linda Mendoza – Ugly Betty, “Betty’s Baby Bump” (ABC) Miguel Sandoval – Medium, “Aftertaste” (NBC) Jay Torres – Desperate Housewives, “Distant Past” (ABC)

SPECIAL ACHIEVEMENT – OUTSTANDING DIRECTOR OF A MADE FOR TV MOVIE Kenny Ortega – “High School Musical II” – Disney Channel

OUTSTANDING WRITING FOR A TELEVISION SERIES Mick Betancourt – Law and Order: Special Victims Unit, “Fight” (NBC ) Silvio Horta – Ugly Betty, “Jump”(ABC) Gloria Calderon Kellett – How I Met Your Mother,  “How I Met Everyone Else” (CBS) Jose Molina – Without A Trace, “Without You” (CBS)

OUTSTANDING PERFORMANCE IN A DAYTIME DRAMA SERIES Maurice Benard – General Hospital (ABC) Kamar de los Reyes – One Life to Live (ABC) David Fumero – One Life to Live (ABC) Galen Gering – Passions (NBC) Jessica Leccia – Guiding Light (CBS) Eva Tamargo – Passions (NBC)

LITTLE GIRL LOST THE DELIMAR VERA STORY PREMIERING SATURDAY, AUGUST 17

Mon, 14 Jul 2008 21:33:56 -0700

Judy Reyes (“Scrubs”), Ana Ortiz (“Ugly Betty”), A Martinez (“General Hospital”) and Hector Luis Bustamante (“The Shield,” “24”) star in the Lifetime Movie Network original film “Little Girl Lost: The Delimar Vera Story,” the incredible real-life tale of a mother’s (Reyes) intuition that never wavered throughout her six-year search for her daughter. “Little Girl Lost” will premiere on Sunday, August 17, at 8PM ET/5PM PT, on Lifetime Movie Network.

Lifetime Movie Network is the #2 women’s channel, behind only Lifetime. The Network, which just celebrated its 10th anniversary, marked its first decade riding high, with 10 consecutive months of double-digit household ratings gains, including the record-setting miniseries “The Capture of the Green River Killer,” the channel’s most-watched program ever.

In “Little Girl Lost,” Reyes portrays Luz Cuevas, a working-class mother who is told that her infant daughter, Delimar, has perished in a suspicious fire in their Philadelphia row house. Despite the evidence, and based only on her intuition as a mother, Luz remains convinced that her daughter was kidnapped and that she’s still alive. Luz and her husband (Bustamante) attempt to put the tragedy behind them for the sake of their other children, however, Luz continues to suspect her distant cousin (Ortiz) of foul play and enlists the help of Angel Cruz (Martinez), a sympathetic State Representative.

In order to help keep other children safe, Lifetime Movie Network is partnering with the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children. A public service announcement with stars of the movie, as well as online content on lmn.tv, will provide families with helpful tips, a hotline number and other important resources. Lifetime Movie Network will also host a special screening event for the film in Los Angeles on August 7, 2008 with special guest, the Honorable Angel Cruz.

Judy Reyes is best known for her portrayal of nurse Carla on the popular television sitcom, “Scrubs,” for which she recently received an ALMA Award. Reyes’ film credits include
Martin Scorsese’s “Bringing Out the Dead,” “Washington Heights,” and the independent film “Went to Coney Island on a Mission from God, Be Back by Five.” Additionally, Reyes acted in and co-produced “Taino,” a short film which was screened at the 1999 New York International Latino Film Festival and the 2001 Los Angeles Latino Film Festival. Other television credits include “The Sopranos,” “Oz” and “Third Watch.” Her made-for-television movie roles include “Mind Prey” and “The Prosecutors.”

Ana Ortiz is also an ALMA winner for her role in the hit ABC show “Ugly Betty.” In addition, she received a SAG Ensemble nomination for the ABC series and picked up an Imagen Award in 2007. A prolific television actress, Ortiz’s extensive credits include “NYPD Blue,” “Dr. Quinn: Medicine Woman,” “Commander In Chief,” “Boston Legal,” “ER,” “The New Adventures of Old Christine,” “Over There,” and her first full-time series role as Kristin in “Everybody Loves Raymond.” An accomplished dancer and singer, Ortiz has appeared off-Broadway in “In Arabia, We’d All Be Kings,” which was directed by Academy Award®-winning actor Philip Seymour Hoffman and named one of the 10 best plays of 1999by the magazine Time Out New York.

A Martinez, best known from his work on soap operas, is no stranger to the television community. Martinez won an ALMA Award, a Daytime Emmy and several Soap Opera Digest Awards for his roles on “Santa Barbara” and “GeneralHospital.” He then went on to have starring roles in the primetime dramas “L.A. Law” and “Profiler.” He also appeared in the 1989 comedic film “She-Devil,” opposite Meryl Streep. Additional small screen credits include “CSI,” “Huff,” “JAG,” “Port Charles” and “Touched by an Angel.” Martinez was last seen on Lifetime in the drama series, “For the People,” opposite Lea Thompson and in the Lifetime Original Movie “Killer Instinct: The Files of Agent Candice DeLong,” opposite Jean Smart.

The movie also stars Marlene Forte as Tatita (“CSI,” “Real Women Have Curves”) and introducing Jillian Bruno (“Dexter”) as Delimar.

“Little Girl Lost: The Delimar Vera Story” is being produced by Lifetime in association with TF1 International, and is directed/executive produced by Paul A. Kaufman. Harvey Kahn, Joey Plager, and Larry Thompson also serve as executive producers.

Rising Energy Costs

Tue, 8 Jul 2008 11:43:32 -0700

Due to an unusual rise in the price for natural gas, industry analysts are forecasting that customers will see higher gas bills this summer, as compared to last summer. Typically, the warmer months have seen decreasing natural gas prices. However, this year a number of factors are putting upward pressure on natural gas prices:
• Continued high crude oil prices, which could remain at over $100 a barrel through year-end, have increased demand and prices for other fuels, including natural gas, across the country;
• Strong demand in Asia and Western Europe, which compete with the U.S. for Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) supplies, has greatly reduced U.S.-bound LNG cargoes so far this year;
• Higher-than-expected Canadian winter gas demand depleted Canadian storage reserves, resulting in reduced natural gas exports to the U.S.;
• Increased demand in the Eastern U.S. during February and March depleted natural gas storage reserves by approximately 23 percent; and,
• Increased demand for natural gas-fired electric generation in the U.S. due to the environmental benefits of gas, as compared to coal-fired generation, has further increased gas prices. According to current forecast information from the New York Mercantile Exchange (NYMEX), the world’s largest commodity futures exchange, this summer’s natural gas prices are expected to average about $1.12 per therm, as compared to approximately $0.64 last summer
Bill Projections

Based on current industry projections, residential customers of The Gas Company can expect the average summer monthly bill for 25 therms of natural gas to be about $40-$50, as compared to approximately $31 last summer. Apartment dwellers will see an average monthly gas bill for 20 therms of natural gas of about $30-$40, as compared with approximately $25.
Small businesses that use 300 therms of natural gas per month will see an average monthly gas bill of about $450-$490, as compared with approximately $315 last summer, and businesses using 500 therms of natural gas will see an average monthly gas bill of around $750-$800, as compared to approximately $500.

Helping Mitigate High Gas Prices
The Gas Company is working hard to keep natural gas costs as low as possible by actively seeking and supporting new suppliers and sources of natural gas. We believe that additional gas supplies, from a variety of new sources, will continue to help ensure reliability and increase competition among suppliers. We further seek to ensure supply reliability and reasonable prices by maintaining adequate natural gas storage levels, buying natural gas in large volumes at competitive prices, and gaining access to lower-cost gas producing areas of the U.S.
The Gas Company encourages everyone to conserve and use energy wisely to help manage higher bills. Conserving energy is as simple as following a few helpful tips or taking advantage of The Gas Company’s energy-efficiency programs.
Please encourage your constituents to take advantage of The Gas Company’s customer-assistance programs, especially during these difficult economic times. Learn more