Reading & Industry Workshop Series

Hey LFN Familia!

✨ Save the Date! ✨ Thursday, September 25th at 7 PM
Celebrate Latino Heritage Month with us at a free Hollywood event you won’t want to miss!
We’re bringing together top industry professionals (check below) for an inspiring conversation, adding a touch of comedy because who couldn’t use a good laugh right now? and creating a space for true community connection.
The conversation consists of professionals who focus on different aspects of the industry: acting, directing, producing, writing, and casting for a powerful conversation on storytelling, representation, and collaboration in today’s entertainment world. While highlighting Latino voices and experiences, this discussion will also explore universal lessons on creativity, resilience, and the future of Hollywood, insights that every filmmaker & talent can carry forward.
Mark your calendar, bring your energy, and join us for an unforgettable evening.RSVP HEREInformation on speakers:
Ben DeJesus: Ben DeJesus is an Emmy and Tony-nominated director, producer, writer and co-founder of NGL Studios with his partner John Leguizamo. With over a decade of experience in the U.S. multicultural, Latinx and youth markets, DeJesus has created over 100 hours of award-winning content including non-fiction, episodic, music videos and branded content. His recent credit includes "Leguizamo Does America" & "American Historia: The Untold History of Latinos" which awarded him the 2025 Imagen Award. He was producer of the hit Broadway show "John Leguizamo's Latin History for Morons", where he received a Tony nomination. This was followed by a national tour that broke attendance records at the Ahmanson Theatre in Los Angeles.
Alexa Pereira: An Emmy Nominee and Artios Award winner, Alexa has been in casting for over a decade. As well as independently casting her own projects, she is also working with the wonderful casting office of Greenstein/Daniel Casting. Past credits include "New Girl" (Fox), "Home Economics" (ABC), "Dollface" (Hulu), "On Becoming a God in Central Florida" (SHO), Feature Film "The Fire Inside" and most recently "Nobody Wants This" (Netflix). Also an audition coach, Alexa loves helping actors with their audition technique and confidence.
Danny Pino: Danny Pino is a versatile actor and director who has enjoyed success in television, film, and theater. He can be seen as the lead of the MGM+'s series HOTEL COCAINE. He also starred as the tormented organized crime boss ‘Miguel Galindo’ in FX’s smash-hit show MAYANS M.C. and made his episodic directorial debut in the fourth season. In 2021, Danny played opposite Amy Adams in Stephen Chbosky’s film adaptation of DEAR EVAN HANSEN. Danny portrayed the charmingly streetwise police detective ‘Nick Amaro’ in four seasons of LAW & ORDER: SPECIAL VICTIMS UNIT, and is perhaps best known for his seven seasons starring as the laconic ‘Detective Scotty Valens’ on the Warner Brothers' series COLD CASE. Danny also completed the short film, UNIÓN DE REYES (Union of Kings), which he wrote, directed, produced and starred in.
Edlin Ortiz: Edlin is a first-gen Mexican-American writer from Orange County, CA. Since completing the NHMC Series Scriptwriters Program, she’s worked for Disney Publishing, Spotify’s Parcast Network, PBS Kids, and Warner Bros. Animation. Most recently, she was Staff Writer for Disney’s first Latine animated series, PRIMOS, where she penned the GLAAD-nominated episode, “Summer of Heart Eyes.”
Alex Fumero: Alex Fumero is an award-winning producer, writer, podcaster and co-founder of Trojan Horse Media. Recent credits includeNecaxa (FX), Menudo: Forever Young (HBOMax) which premiered at the 2022 Tribeca Film Festival, the Emmy-nominated Mucho Mucho Amor: The Legend of Walter Mercado (Netflix), the critically-acclaimed sketch show, I Think You Should Leave with Tim Robinson (Netflix/Irony Point) and the iHeartMedia podcasts More Than A Movie: American Me and Crumbs. He previously served as Vice President, Original Programming, for HBO, where his projects included 2 Dope Queens, Random Acts of Flyness, Felipe Esparza: Translate This and Chris Gethard: Career Suicide, among others. Prior to joining HBO, Fumero was Senior Director of Programming & Development for Fusion. He’s been a member of the Television Academy since 2016.