NALIP Announces Third Cohort of Women of Color Incubator

The National Association of Latino Independent Producers (NALIP) and Netflix are thrilled to announce the third cohort of the Women of Color Incubator, formerly known as Latino Lens: Narrative Short Film Incubator for Women of Color. The 2023 class of filmmakers are: Sonia Gonzalez (Heartbroken in Another Tongue), Michelle Salcedo (Bye Bye Barbarito), Jackie! Zhou (Good Boy Banjo), Lorena Duran (Last Day Home) and Fabiola Andrade (Natural Selection).

From the hundreds of applications received, these five filmmakers stood out for their captivating stories showcasing their powerful voices. The Women of Color Incubator, supported by the Netflix Fund for Creative Equity, provides five women of color with the opportunity, access, mentorship and production support to develop and produce each of their original short films. With support from executives at NALIP and Netflix, the filmmakers receive guidance through all stages of the filmmaking journey encompassing pre-production, filming, post-production and eventual distribution.

Aside from the support of the institutions, all five filmmakers receive a $30,000 film grant to produce their work. The films will be presented at a special screening at NALIP’s Diverse Women in Media Forum on April 18th, 2024, at The London West Hollywood.

"For the past 25 years, NALIP has dedicated itself to championing the voices of Latino and diverse creators within the dynamic landscape of the entertainment industry. Our commitment to amplify the narratives of a vibrant multicultural community is possible through strategic partnerships with like-minded visionaries. In a transformative collaboration with Netflix, this groundbreaking initiative delivers financial support, mentorship and development to a cohort of exceptionally diverse women filmmakers in their journey to telling powerful stories.," said Diana Luna, Executive Director of NALIP.

Below are updates from NALIP's 2022 class of filmmakers: 

• Holly M. Kaplan's "Sunflower Girl" premiered at the Uppsala Short Film Festival and continues its festival run across Europe and North America.

• Nicole Otero's "Wait for Night" was selected for The Future of Film is Female Grant grant, as Otero is currently developing her feature film debut.

• Akilah 'Ak' Walker and Diana Gonzalez-Morett's "Pedacito de Carne" had its world premiere at Los Angeles Latino International Film Festival (LALIFF), then focused on their impact campaign in support of caretakers and families affected by Frontotemporal Degeneration.

• Jhanvi Motla's "Mirage" won the Grand Jury Prize for Best Narrative Short at the Santa Fe International Film Festival. Motla was also selected as a 1497 Features LabMentee where she is developing her directorial debut under the guidance of Mira Nair.

• Frida Perez's "Detox" premiered at 2022's LALIFF. Perez is currently developing a show with Apple TV+ and Point Grey.

Learn more about the five finalists below and about NALIP here.

Heartbroken in Another Tongue by Sonia Gonzalez

Logline: While visiting her distant American cousins during summer vacation, the young and rebellious Ana experiences the pains of adulthood when she unexpectedly gets her first period minutes before the long awaited 4th of July fireworks show.

Bio: Sonia Gonzalez is a Mexican-American writer and filmmaker based in Los Angeles. After studying French Literature at Stanford University, Sonia moved to Paris, France to work in television development. 

Drawing from multicultural influences, Sonia’s narrative projects often explore personal themes related to language, loneliness, and loss. 

Sonia is earning her M.F.A. in Film Production/Directing at UCLA and is currently in post-production for her thesis film Syndromes of a Century.

Bye Bye Barbarito by Michelle Salcedo

Logline: After losing her husband, an elderly woman counts on her one true love, her pet cockatiel, to celebrate her newly-found freedom, but her beloved bird has escape plans of his own.

Bio: Michelle Salcedo, named Best New Filmmaker of the Year in 2020, is an award winning director with over 20 years experience in the entertainment industry. In 2022, Michelle directed the action feature film, Switch & Bait, shot on location in Serbia. Starring Otmara Marrero (Start-Up) and Katie Clarkson Hill (Hanna), the film is about a strong-willed detective who must drive a key witness back to Detroit and protect her from the drug lord who wants her dead. Michelle strives for authenticity, drawing from her Latinx experience and achieves a nuanced representation in her storytelling. Her filmmaking style is highly cinematic, influenced by auteurs like Kieslowski and Iñárritu. Of Cuban and Ecuadorian descent, she graduated from Columbia University with a B.A. in film studies. Her directorial debut, Cinnamon Skin filmed in Cuba, won eight jury prizes including “Best Produced” at the Academy-qualifying Holly Shorts Film festival and “Best Short of the Year'' at *New Filmmakers LA. She also directed the dramedy feature, Woman of the House which won “Best Narrative” at the Mystic Film Festival. She previously produced theatrical trailers at Miramax Films for over 30 films and edited over 50 episodes of TV for Bravo, TLC, and VH1.

Good Boy Banjo by Jackie! Zhou

Logline: In small town Pennsylvania, a directionless Asian-American teenager receives existential advice from an unexpected source.

Bio: Jackie! Zhou is non-binary and ageless. They are a Los Angeles-based multidisciplinary artist, director, and sound designer who is keen on blurring the lines between formats and disciplines.Their short Order for Pickup was produced through Hillman Grad and Indeed's Rising Voices fellowship and premiered at 2023 Tribeca Film Festival. Recent work includes the interactive documentary FaceTime, produced by POV Spark and NFB, and thumbnail, a work-in-progress experimental play. Their sound work has received a Primetime Emmy nomination, a MPSE Golden Reel, and the 2021 Tribeca X Award. Most recently, they performed in Free Solo: The Musical in the role of Jimmy Chin. Their favorite sounds are water drops hitting a hot stove, snow crunching footsteps, and a juicy overheard conversation. Every year, they try to compete on one game show, with hopes of one day getting on Jeopardy!. Above all, they believe good listeners make great storytellers.

Last Day Home by Lorena Duran

Logline: A physically impaired single mother fights for a spot in an online Dominoes Tournament as her 18-year-old daughter and their caregiver’s vendetta against each other reaches the tipping point under the same roof in Queens, NY.

Bio: Lorena is a Dominican-American director and cinematographer. Her films have been official selections for International Rotterdam Film Festival, Palm Springs ShortFest, Atlanta Film Festival, and New Orleans Film Festival. She has been selected for the Academy’s inaugural Film Accelerator Program, LALIFF x Netflix Inclusion Fellowship and Film Independent Project Involve Fellowship.

Lorena received an MFA in Film at NYU Tisch School of the Arts, with a concentration in cinematography. Her collaborations have been awarded at Sundance and screened at Tribeca, Miami, and Edinburgh Film Festivals. She is the recipient of the 2019 ARRI Volker Bahnemann Award for Outstanding Cinematography. Her commercial clients include Gucci, MTV, and Meta.

Prior to moving to the United States, she worked in different roles within the production department in the Dominican Republic while shooting and directing short documentaries.

Natural Selection by Fabiola Andrade

Logline: In the near future, a biologist couple are the last people on Earth and the day to depart has arrived. On the morning of, calls from a presumed-extinct animal unexpectedly serve as the last hope for humanity to restore life in their withered home.

Bio: Fabiola Andrade is a Honduras-born, US–based filmmaker inspired by her multicultural heritage and interdisciplinary background. Her creative journey in Honduras started as a photographer and copywriter while receiving her BA in Mass Communication.

In 2015, the United States became home. Here she earned her MFA in Film and Theater from the University of New Orleans where she received the UNO-Italy Ambassador Award, studying the Roman World in Literature and Film; and Art Appreciation in Italy, France and Germany. Through drama, sci-fi, fantasy, and horror, she explores identity, the power of the human spirit, and how it flows beyond time, flesh, and space, into day-to-day, yet, surreal settings. Andrade is a Telluride Film Festival Cinephile mentee, New Orleans Film Society’s Emerging Voices' Director Lab alumna and a Tomorrow Filmmakers Today’ Producer fellow.

Her short It’s Me, Sarah premiered at the New Orleans Film Festival, became NALIP’s Media Summit Selection, received the Frida Award, and continued to receive awards in a fruitful festival run. She has collaborated in various production roles with Netflix, Disney, Universal, and Paramount Pictures. Andrade believes in the infinite power of storytelling and is committed to discovering its reach throughout her life, project by project.

About NALIP: Founded in 1999, the National Association of Latino Independent Producers (NALIP) is a leading organization dedicated to promoting, advancing, and advocating for Latinx and underrepresented voices in media. NALIP strives to create a diverse and inclusive entertainment industry that reflects the rich tapestry of stories and experiences within the Latinx community.