The first panel of the summit, Las Voces of Episodic, featured episodic television Directors Zetna Fuentes (Black Cake), Linda Mendoza (Grown-ish) and Antonio Negret (The Lincoln Lawyer) in an exploration of how embracing unique Latino perspectives both in front of and behind the camera can enrich storytelling. With Latino representation in media still lacking, the conversation moderated by Director Edward Ornelas (Promised Land) emphasized the importance of advocacy and creating opportunities for emerging voices.

During the conversation, Mendoza discussed how she thinks of her directorial voice and not categorizing herself as a Latino woman Director but as a comedy Director who happens to be Latin. Fuentes recalled how watching telenovelas when she was younger set her on her directorial path and how more serious shows influenced her darker narratives in Ray Donovan and The Deuce. Negret revealed how his Latino heritage led to extra pressure to “do the job right” and implementing Latino representation while working on the series, The Lincoln Lawyer.

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https://dga.org/Events/2023/November2...