After #OscarsSoWhite, More Latino Stories Are Finally Being Featured
Hispanic and Latino audiences made up the highest per-capita attendance in U.S. movie theaters.
“Encanto”
Source: Walt Disney Co.
Legend has it that the golden statuette known as Oscar was modeled after a Mexican actor, Emilio Fernández. And at this year’s Academy Awards, plenty of Latinos in Hollywood stand a chance to take home their own renowned trophy — a marked change from years past when the group has been underrepresented.
“West Side Story” and “Encanto,” both products of Walt Disney Co. that center on Puerto Rican and Colombian characters, respectively, netted multiple nominations across categories, as did “Nightmare Alley,” from Disney’s Searchlight division and helmed by Mexican director Guillermo del Toro. “West Side Story” and “Nightmare Alley” received best picture nominations, while “Encanto” is up for best animated feature. The latter film also received nods for its score, by Germaine Franco, and original song, “Dos Oruguitas,” written by Lin-Manuel Miranda.