National Hispanic Foundation For The Arts Launches Latinx Story ARC Writer's Room Program

The National Hispanic Foundation for the Arts (NHFA) has announced the creation of the Latinx Story ARC Writer's Room program. Thanks to a $100,000 grant from The ArcFord Foundation, NHFA will be developing a writing program that will help create a strong television and film Latinx writer pipeline. "NHFA is uniquely equipped to bring together the best and the brightest of next generation Latino writers," said Noel Greene, whose ArcFord Foundation has made this program possible. The ArcFord Foundation is a family organization named in memory of Noel Greene's grandparents: Andy Candelaria, Rose Norton Greene, Charlie Greene, William Alexander and Fannie Lee Ford. "Until more Latino writers are able to achieve representation and guild membership, Latino on-screen and behind-the-camera presence will continue to lag behind," said Greene.

NHFA's ARC Writer's Room will select 5 writers in 2019, who will attend a two-week intensive program with an experienced showrunner; followed by an additional two weeks to polish scripts. The goal of the mock writer's room program is to write a 5-episode television series that would be developed for commercial sale.

This program has the potential to serve as a real pipeline for the many capable Latino writers, waiting and ready in the wings, but lack the institutional employment to march up the ranks to showrunner," said Felix Sanchez, NHFA Chairman and Co-founder. "This writer's program has a precise purpose and focus that will open doors for more Latinx writers."

Founded by actors Jimmy Smits, Esai Morales, Sonia Braga, Merel Julia, as well as Washington D.C. attorney Felix Sanchez, the NHFA addresses the underrepresentation of Hispanic-Americans in entertainment through education initiatives, audience and industry outreach, content and talent development, diversity and civil rights advocacy.

In keeping with their dedication to education and the arts, in their 21 year span the National Hispanic Foundation for the Arts has provided over $10 million in mentoring and outreach, including college scholarships to more than 375 Hispanic Students from eight elite universities and colleges. Such beneficiaries include young and emerging talent such as NYU's award-winning director Alfonzo Gomez-Rejon (Me and Earl and the Dying Girl, 2015), and Yale's Roberto Aguirre-Sacasa, whose writing credits include television shows Glee, Big Love, Looking, as well as films Carrie (2013), The Town That Dreaded Sundown (2014) and Spider-man on Broadway, NYU's Rashaad Ernesto Green, Gun Hill Road (2011) and Reinaldo Marcus Green, Stop (2015) and Sundance Institute Grant recipient (2017).

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