2022 Mexican-American Film and Television Festival & Awards

A man in a suit giving a presentation on stage with a large screen behind him displaying images of Mexican culture, history, and landmarks, including Frida Kahlo, a woman working in a field, an old building, an award statue, and the Alamo, with an audience seated in front.

2022 Theme: “Honoring the Illustrious Past and Celebrating a Bright Future.”

Look Back at Our 2022 Film Festival

On May 14-15, 2022, the Mexican-American Cultural Education Foundation (MACEF), a 501 (c)3, celebrated the Inaugural Mexican-American Film and Television Festival & Awards at the historic Raleigh Studios in Hollywood.

The Mexican-American Film and Television Festival & Awards mission is to provide Mexican-American/Chicano filmmakers, who represent 40 million Americans of Mexican decent, a venue to showcase, promote and celebrate their beautiful art. A place for the Mexican-American/Chicano filmmaking community to network, honor each other, support and promote each other. A place for Hollywood to see our best filmmakers, as well as talented newcomers, and learn how we Mexican-Americans want our unique culture and people to be represented, as an important part of the American fabric instead of the old stereotypical images.

Our Amazing Judging Panel

To maintain high-quality, films and television projects submitted will be judged by some of the most experienced and successful Mexican-American filmmakers and critics. In 2022, judges will include actor, producer and publicist Bel Hernandez, who serves as our program director; actor and producer Jerry Velasco, who serves as our juror chair; director Jesus Trevino; director, producer and agent Carolyn Caldera De Fanti; show runner Dennis Leoni; producer David Damian Figueroa; director Joel Bailey; director and producer Sylvia Morales; producer William Virchis; actor Mike Gomez, and many more.

Representatives from film studios, film distributors and financial institutions will be present, providing an excellent opportunity for filmmakers to make an impression.

The Mexican-American Film and Television Festival & Awards will be a first-class, star-studded red carpet event to celebrate and promote Mexican-American/Chicano films, television, celebrities and filmmakers, a place to be seen by some of the major players in the industry and influential leaders. On May 15, at 7 p.m., the festival will celebrate its Award Ceremony, with eight categories receiving the “Mexican-American Illustrious Awards,” in honor of our illustrious Mexican cultural heritage. One notoriously stereotypical scene in a movie or TV show will also receive the “La Chancla Award,” which denounces tired old stereotypical depictions of Mexican-Americans.

It was an unforgettable night of celebration for Mexican-Americans in Hollywood!
Check out LatinHeat’s overview of the festival.

‘Love & Baseball’ Wins Best Feature at The Mexican-American Film & TV Festival – Latin Heat

Poster for the Mexican-American Film & Television Festival & Awards 2022, held May 14-15 at Raleigh Studios in Hollywood, encouraging support for positive stories about people like you.

THE FOLLOWING THREE MACEF PRODUCTION GRANT RECIPIENTS WERE SCREENED

Poster for the film 'Borderers' showing two men with serious expressions. The man in the foreground has dark hair and a mustache, wearing a checkered shirt. The man in the background has long hair, a beard, and is wearing a dark shirt. The film's title is written with letters spelling 'BORDERERS' in a diagonal pattern across the poster, with credits and director information at the bottom.
A woman with wind-blown hair looking out of a window, leaning against a wooden wall outside a building. She is wearing a red top with white patterns.
Poster for a short film titled '¡Baca The Kid!' featuring a man dressed as a cowboy holding two guns, with a red background and black bugs scattered across the poster.
Logo for Eastside Arts Initiative with colorful lowercase 'ea' and a yellow dot, alongside a tree logo with a cityscape background and text 'EASTSIDE ARTS INITIATIVE' and 'LA PIZZA'.
Elegant monogram of the initials 'M' and 'R' intertwined with decorative floral elements in a gold and silver color scheme.
A stylized checkmark logo in blue and red with black text

Borders
Director: Frank Velasquez
Producer: Marina Coutinho
Cast: Daniel Mora, Michael G. Martinez
Grant Donor: La Plaza EAI

IN TOW
Director: Sharon Arteaga
Producer: Sommer Garcia Saqr, Chelsea Hernandez
Cast: Sandy Avila, Katy Atkinson, Alec Franco
Grant Donor: Dr. Maria Elena Rodriguez

íBACA THE KID!
Director: Antonio Marquez
Grant Donor: Vasquez Company LLP

THE ILLUSTRIOUS AWARDS

BEST FILM – LOVE & BASEBALL – DIRECTED BY: STEVE ACEVEDO
BEST DIRECTOR – ANDREW GUTIERREZ FOR “PAZ”
BEST SHORT FILM – “IN BROAD DAYLIGHT” DIRECTED BY: ALEX FERRUFINO
BEST TV SERIES: “THE KING OF DOWNEY” DIRECTED BY: MOSES MEDINA
BEST MALE ACTOR – MAX ARCINIEGA FOR “LOVE & BASEBALL”
BEST FEMALE ACTRESS – BLANCA ORDAZ FOR “DEATH & DEATHABILITY”
BEST SCREENPLAY FOR FILM – “THEY CALL US SEDICIOSOS” BY IZ GUTIERREZ
BEST SCREENPLAY FOR TV – “GHETTOBUSTERS” BY FREDDY FALCON & DANNY SAUCEDA

A woman with red hair and a man are close, holding hands, with a blurred background of warm, glowing lights. Movie poster titled 'Love and Baseball' directed by Steve Acevedo.
Poster for the movie 'Blood Daylight' featuring a skull with a rose in its eye socket, and images from the film at the bottom. Contains text with the film's title and credits.
A young woman in a blue checkered dress with a gray cardigan looking out a window in a wooden room. The image is a promotional poster for a film titled 'Paz' (Peace), featuring the names Heidi Marfin, Armando DuBo Jr., and Elena Sahagun.
A girl with braided hair and a confused or concerned expression, wearing a digitally added large orange flower crown. The background features a green overlay with doodles related to food, animals, and everyday objects, along with the title 'Death & Deathability' and the subtitle '(a period piece).
Four people dressed as ghostbusters standing behind a shield-shaped emblem with 'GB' on it, with a smoky background and a lightning bolt coming from a woman’s hand, under the text 'GHETTOBUSTERS'.
A movie poster for 'Broad Daylight' featuring a stylized skull with part of its face covered by a hood, and the title written in graffiti-like font with glitter effect, along with smaller images of scenes from the movie at the bottom.
A woman with dark hair, dressed in white, looking downward with a somber expression, holding a strap over her shoulder. The poster for the film "They Call Us Sedicios" features the names Blanca Aracel, Carolina Vargas, and Rafael Cobos Delgado at the top, and a small figure walking in a dark landscape at the bottom.

THE LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT AWARD

The Lifetime Achievement Award was awarded to Moctesuma Esparza in recognition of his contributions to improve the lives & image of Mexican-Americans & All Latinos in film.

Thank you Moctesuma for all you do!

Two men in suits standing on a red carpet at an award event, one holding a trophy, with a backdrop featuring logos and text related to Los Angeles Latinx Music and Media Awards.

THE PRESIDENT’S AWARD 

MACEF honored Antonia Hernandez, President and CEO of the California Community Foundation, Mexican-American Activist and Philanthropist, with the MACEF President’s Award. For her tireless work for social justice for our community! Thank you Antonia!

Portrait of a woman smiling outdoors, with the name Antonia Hernandez displayed at the bottom.
Three women and a man standing together at an awards ceremony, with a large screen behind them displaying 'ANTONIA HERNANDEZ' and 'MACET president's Award' on a dark background.

LA CHANCLA AWARD

The “winners” of La Chancla Award were announced at the Mexican American Film and TV Festival on May 15th at Raleigh Studios. This Award is in fact a denouncement to films, TV shows or segments in them which continues to use tired and offensive old stereotypical depictions of Mexican-Americans/Chicanas/os.

The first Chancla Award went the movie Knives Out where the characters are belittling Mexican-immigrant and comparing them to the “better” Latinos. ATT/Warner Media/Discovery received the Chancla Award for not adding Latinos to their newly created corporate that does include Asian and Blacks yet Latinos are the largest minority in the U.S.

The third Chancla Award recipients this year are SNL, Selena Gomez & Melissa Villaseñor for an offensive and unfunny depiction of a Pico Rivera “Cholas”. This sketch portrays an antiquated and ignorant view of a Latina subculture. We invite you to consider the consequences of your irresponsible portrayal of people who for far too long, have been depicted as ignorant in media, SNL you get a “Chancla Award”!

HUGE THANK YOU TO OUR FILM FESTIVAL BOARD 2022!

  • Jose Luis Ruiz

    Dr. Jose-Luis Ruiz — President MACEF

    Author, Researcher, Activist, Cosmetic Dentist

  • jerry velasco

    Jerry Velasco — Chair of Judging

    Actor, Producer, Councilman, Activist

  • A woman with short brown hair, wearing an orange button-up shirt, smiling at the camera against a plain white background.

    Bel Hernandez — Programming Director

    CEO, Founder and Publisher of Latin Heat Media, Actress, MACEF Advisory Board member

Thank you to our panel Judges!

  • Mike Gomez

    Mike Gomez

    Actor, Producer, Activist, Councilman

  • Enrique Castillo

    Enrique Castillo

    Actor/Director

  • jesus trevino

    Jesus Treviño — Judge

    Director, Producer & Writer

  • Dennis Leoni

    Dennis Leoni — Judge

    Actor, Producer, Writer

  • Joel Bailey

    Joel Bailey — Judge

    EMMY Award recipient, Producer, Writer, Director, Actor

  • Sylvia Morales

    Sylvia Morales — Judge

    Film Director, Screenwriter, Author, Professor

  • David Damian Figueroa

    David Damian Figueroa

    Actor, Music & Film Producer, Director

  • Bill Virchis

    Bill Virchis — Judge

    Producing, Artistic and Theatre Director

  • Carolyn Caldera De Fanti

    Carolyn Caldera De Fanti — Producer

    Film and Television Producer

And thank you to our Sponsors!

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Text image with the words 'chicano' in elaborate blackletter font and 'HOLLYWOOD' in bold, block letters below, set against a simple graphic background.
Signature logo with text 'DrRue.com' in stylized script.
Logo with a cracked line, numbers 70 and 400, and an agave plant with the text 'Salvadore Mezcal Artesanal' below.