Spotlight | Diana Luna, Executive Director – NALIP
In recognition of Women’s History Month, Hispanic Lifestyle is pleased to shine the spotlight this Latina who leads a non-profit organization dedicated to advocating for filmmakers and artists in the entertainment industry.
It had been a few years since Hispanic Lifestyle last connected with the National Association of Latino Independent Producers (NALIP), so we were excited to catch up with Diana Luna, their executive director. During our conversation, she shared her insights on the progress of Latino filmmakers and artists in the entertainment industry, as well as the organization’s mission.
Our interview took place on the red carpet at NALIP’s Celebrating Latino Excellence: 25th Anniversary End of the Year Celebration event late 2024.
HLTV EXCLUSIVE – Connecting with NALIP
NALIP’s mission is to promote, advance, advocate and inspire Latino and diverse artists across all media platforms. NALIP is the premier Latino organization committed to supporting both grassroots and community-based artists, along with publicly funded and industry-based media artists working in film, television, documentaries and new media. NALIP seeks to increase the quality and quantity of content by and about Latinx and diverse artists. NALIP has been able to provide resources and work as a springboard for creatives and their projects through partnerships, programs, and events year-round.
About Diana
Over the course of her extensive 20 years of career, Diana Luna has prioritized creating opportunities that support the professional advancement of individuals in a variety of creative fields, in particular those from underrepresented communities.
Born and raised in Mexico City, she holds a BA in Communications from Tec de Monterrey and a MS in Business Administration from Saint Michael’s College. She began her career in Mexico City in public relations, relocated to Vermont and worked in college admissions developing diversity initiatives.
Attracted by the California sun she arrived at Claremont Graduate University to launch the masters degrees in Arts Management and Art Business. At CGU she impulsed and oversaw the Latino Arts Leaders Fellowship with the goal of increasing and positioning Latino executives in the arts nonprofit sector in Los Angeles.
As the director of LMU Extension at Loyola Marymount University, she managed more than 160 job training certificate programs focusing on providing job placement for underserved populations (veterans, persons with disabilities, at-risk youth, homeless, etc.) through industry partnerships, scholarships and awarded federal grants.
Continuing fostering her passion for the arts, for the past 7 years, Diana led the nonprofit organization Tomorrow’s Filmmakers Today (TFT) with the goal of highlighting and advancing the careers of emerging Latino filmmakers. In partnership with Hola Mexico Film Festival, TFT is today a tight community of more than a hundred talented creators that together promote professional growth, access to unique projects and collaborations.
Diana has a kid in college and currently lives in Los Angeles Arts District with her old dog Moka.
