DGA Monthly

N O V E M B E R 2 0 2 5 I 2 1 See more detailed descriptions, additional photos and video, where available, online at www.dga.org. In celebration of Latin Heritage Month, on October 4, attendees gathered in the Guild's Los Angeles Theater for No Permission Needed, the fifth annual DGA Latino Summit. Hosted by the Latino Committee (LC) and its Career Advancement Sub-Committee — both dedicated to empowering Latinos in all Guild categories — the event provided attendees with an opportunity to connect and learn from their successful peers during an inspiring day of community, career development, and celebrating Latino excellence in the arts. The Summit also sought to reaffirm the Guild's commitment to inclusion, representation and amplifying diverse voices across the entertainment industry. Following a welcome from Summit Subcommittee members Alejandro Brugués, Eli Gonda, SJ Main Muñoz, all of whom have served as current or former LC Co-Chairs, Gonda then kicked off and introduced the first panel of the day that dealt with working in television. From Obstacle to Opportunity: Navigating A New Age of TV In a conversation moderated by Muñoz, Directors Aurora Guerrero, Norberto Barba, Ben Hernandez Bray and UPM Canella Williams-Larrabee engaged in a discussion on how to navigate the current industry flux and shared practical, firsthand insights on thriving (and surviving) in this new age of television. Barba discussed the unique challenges the climate creates for Producing Directors when approaching hiring. Guerrero discussed how creators from underrepresented backgrounds leading productions helped create opportunities for others early on in her career. Hernandez Bray discussed the importance of mentors in his journey. And Williams-Larrabee discussed her twenty-year journey and the impact the current climate has had on hiring and how those decisions are being made. Beyond the System: Making your Feature Happen The second Summit panel was a powerful blueprint for turning your creative vision into a successful reality outside the mainstream system. In a conversation moderated by Director Antonio Negret, Directors Alonso Alvarez-Barreda, Marvin Lemus, and Patricia Riggen shared tips on how to take control of your career by making your own feature. Riggen noted the importance of independent filmmaking and the freedom it presents the filmmaker. Lemus spoke about the importance of understanding how to connect to audiences in nontraditional ways to build success. Alvarez-Barreda emphasized how his own lack of knowledge of the system allowed him to navigate spaces where others may have seen limitations. Spotlight: In the Directors' Chairs DGA Latino Summit 2025's final panel featured a thought-provoking conversation between Directors Issa López and Phil Lord where they discussed their careers as well as today's challenges and opportunities. López recalled the projects that die in your hands that almost take you with them that then become your fuel and how that can propel you forward. And Lord ended the conversation with a final note from on how the art of filmmaking is so much more than a single Director — "it is not a singular person's vision; it's a conversation and the conversation is what makes the movie." DGA Latino Summit 2025: No Permission Needed A Latino Committee Event See more detailed descriptions, additional photos and video, where available, online at www.dga.org. DGA Events Roundup 2 photos by Elisa Haber 3 4 5 1 Photos: 1. DGA members and guests attend No Permission Needed, the Latino Committee's fifth Latino Summit. 2. Summit Subcommittee members Alejandro Brugués, Eli Gonda, SJ Main Muñoz welcome the audience. 3. Director SJ Main Muñoz (moderator), UPM Canella Williams-Larrabee and Directors Norberto Barba, Aurora Guerrero and Ben Hernandez Bray were the panelists for From Obstacle to Opportunity: Navigating A New Age of TV. 4. Directors Antonio Negret (moderator), Alonso Alvarez-Barreda, Patricia Riggen and Marvin Lemus were the panelists for Beyond the System: Making your Feature Happen. 5. Directors Issa López and Phil Lord engage in the Spotlight: In the Directors' Chairs panel.

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