Latino Public Broadcasting

LPB has had a profound and lasting impact in affirming who and what we are as Americans today. The most powerful moments I’ve had as a filmmaker are when audience members come – some wiping tears – and thank me for reflecting their American experience. This longing to be recognized as woven into – and actively weaving – the American tapestry wouldn’t be possible without the vision and support of Latino Public Broadcasting. I can think of no other organization that is as singularly focused in identifying, fostering and showcasing emerging and established Latino storytellers. Thanks to LPB, schools and libraries have stories to place on their shelves so that new generations won’t grow up as I did with only a negating void on the screen. --Carlos Sandoval, Filmmaker: Farmingville, A Class Apart, The State of Arizona

When Latino Public Broadcasting champions a film project, they become committed crusaders for the film's success. In addition to their invaluable financial support, LPB's wisdom and knowledge of the broadcast business guides filmmakers through an often-unintelligible distribution maze, enabling filmmakers to do their best work. --Ilana Trachtman and Kelly Sheehan, Producers for 'Mariachi High'

"LPB has been key for me because of their unwavering support of my films from R&d through post-production and distribution. From 'Race is the Place' to 'The Storm that Swept Mexico' the 'Latino Americans' series and now 'A Photographer’s Journey,' LPB has been there every step of the way. LPB not only supports filmmakers with grants but it also serves as an advocate for our films.

My most memorable experience with LPB was with 'The Storm that Swept Mexico' which took eleven years from development to completion. LPB funded the project at production and post-production stages. But it was their support of the film-especially at the back end-that really made a difference. LPB got behind the film with outreach and publicity for the broadcast and by lobbying PBS for a great time slot. They helped us by funding and working with us on our social media campaign…and that made all the difference. The broadcast was a success." --Raymond Telles, Producer

"These days, independent producers consider themselves lucky to find any broadcast partner, but with Latino Public Broadcasting, we found the ideal broadcast partner for our film. LPB became a co-producer of our debut feature documentary, UNFINISHED SPACES (2011) during the post-production phase. LPB's support not only allowed our film to be completed, but also for it to have a special premiere at the Los Angeles Film Festival and to screen at the Havana International Film Festival. UNFINISHED SPACES went on to air nationwide on the acclaimed LPB / PBS series VOCES, where millions of Americans responded to the film's story. Our professional relationship with LPB has been positive from start to finish. The suggestions from our LPB Executive Producer, Luis Ortiz, were always honest and respectful of our creative vision. LPB advocated for the widest possible PBS broadcast and shared news about our film screenings and events. Through an introduction by LPB, we also secured a DVD distribution agreement with PBS Distribution. We feel that LPB understands the value of independent film and shares our aim to tell stories that illuminate diverse experiences and connect people across cultures." -- Alysa Nahmias and Benjamin Murray, Co-Producers/Directors of UNFINISHED SPACES

"Latino Public Broadcasting has been essential to my ability to create and finish my project REBEL, about a Latina woman soldier and spy of the Civil War that aired nationally on PBS in 2013 and has continued to premiere semi-theatrically in cities around the nation through museums, film festivals and theatrical screenings. In an additional outreach partnership with the National Park Service, we are now rolling out our film in over 30 National Park Service historic homes, museums and sites around the country, starting with the Women's Rights National Historic Park. We have just been awarded the 2014 Eric Barnouw Award Honorable Mention for best historical film in America, given in the past to luminaries such as Ken Burns, with our hybrid dramatic/documentary about this unlikely Latina heroine and it could not have happened without the support of Latino Public Broadcasting at every step of the way. They were one of our first funders, allowing us to leverage their funds to encourage other funders. LPB funded us again in a critical post production phase, helping insure that the film would get finished. Once we had a fine cut, they helped us navigate the complex PBS system and advocated for a national one hour special broadcast, insuring that our film would be broadcast by over 350 plus stations across the country in prime-time. They helped publicize our film to the press so that within the first month of airing we received over 42 million impressions. And they funded us additionally to create study modules available through PBS Learning Media so that k-12 educators would have free materials with which to teach this film in the schools. With the explosion of the Latino population, now the largest ethnic minority in the US, it is imperative that our stories are represented on what continues to be the gold standard of television documentary, Public Television, and LPB allows Latino mediamakers to succeed within this system. Our film is having a broad and deep impact and this could not have happened without the support of the incredibly talented staff at Latino Public Broadcasting." - Maria Agui Carter, Producer/Director/Writer of 'Rebel'