Maya Entertainment Group, Inc. was an

independent Independent or Independents may refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media Artist groups * Independents (artist group), a group of modernist painters based in the New Hope, Pennsylvania, area of the United States during the early 1930s * Independ ...

multi-platform video distribution company.

Moctesuma Esparza Moctesuma Esparza (born March 12, 1949) is an American producer, entertainment executive, entrepreneur and community activist. Moctesuma Esparza is well known for his contributions to the movie industry and commitment to creating opportunities ...

founded the company in

Los Angeles, California Los Angeles ( ; es, Los Ángeles, link=no , ), often referred to by its initials L.A., is the largest city in the state of California and the second most populous city in the United States after New York City, as well as one of the world' ...

in 2007.from maya-entertainment.com (domain for sale as of May 2014) Maya Entertainment procured and produced content that appealed to the new diverse

American American(s) may refer to: * American, something of, from, or related to the United States of America, commonly known as the "United States" or "America" ** Americans, citizens and nationals of the United States of America ** American ancestry, pe ...

Latino Latino or Latinos most often refers to: * Latino (demonym), a term used in the United States for people with cultural ties to Latin America * Hispanic and Latino Americans in the United States * The people or cultures of Latin America; ** Latin A ...

and multi-cultural audiences. The company acquired a library of over 100 titles. Maya Entertainment launched "Maya at the Movies" with

Time Warner Cable Time Warner Cable, Inc. (TWC) was an American cable television company. Before it was acquired by Charter Communications on May 18, 2016, it was ranked the second largest cable company in the United States by revenue behind only Comcast, operat ...

. They also participated in The Maya Indie Films Festival, a traveling summer film tour. The festival embodied a culturally diverse cinema and attempted to promote

prominence and talent in the film industry and to provide an outlet for independent film exposure. Maya Entertainment recently released ''

Sympathy for Delicious ''Sympathy for Delicious'' is a 2010 drama film, and the directorial debut of Mark Ruffalo. Filming took place in Los Angeles. Premise A newly paralyzed disc jockey (Thornton) gets more than he bargained for when he seeks out the world of faith h ...

'', a major motion picture starring

Mark Ruffalo Mark Alan Ruffalo (; born November 22, 1967) is an American actor and producer best known for playing Bruce Banner / Hulk since 2012 in the superhero franchise of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, and in the television series '' She-Hulk: Attorne ...

Laura Linney Laura Leggett Linney (born February 5, 1964) is an American actress. Having studied acting at Juilliard School (1986-1990), she became known for her complex and multilayered performances on stage and screen. She has received various accolades, ...

, and

Orlando Bloom Orlando Jonathan Blanchard Copeland Bloom (born 13 January 1977) is an English actor. He made his breakthrough as the character Legolas in ''The Lord of the Rings'' film series ''The Fellowship of the Ring'' (2001), ''The Two Towers'' (2002), a ...

History

Founder

was born and raised in

Los Angeles Los Angeles ( ; es, Los Ángeles, link=no , ), often referred to by its initials L.A., is the largest city in the state of California and the second most populous city in the United States after New York City, as well as one of the world' ...

. He received a B.A. and MFA in

Theatre Arts Theatre or theater is a collaborative form of performing art that uses live performers, usually actors or actresses, to present the experience of a real or imagined event before a live audience in a specific place, often a stage. The perform ...

Motion Pictures A film also called a movie, motion picture, moving picture, picture, photoplay or (slang) flick is a work of visual art that simulates experiences and otherwise communicates ideas, stories, perceptions, feelings, beauty, or atmosphere ...

and

Television Television, sometimes shortened to TV, is a telecommunication medium for transmitting moving images and sound. The term can refer to a television set, or the medium of television transmission. Television is a mass medium for advertisin ...

, from

UCLA The University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) is a public land-grant research university in Los Angeles, California. UCLA's academic roots were established in 1881 as a teachers college then known as the southern branch of the California St ...

, and has dedicated himself to empowering and transforming the images of

Latinos Hispanic and Latino Americans ( es, Estadounidenses hispanos y latinos; pt, Estadunidenses hispânicos e latinos) are Americans of Spanish and/or Latin American ancestry. More broadly, these demographics include all Americans who identify as ...

Hollywood Hollywood usually refers to: * Hollywood, Los Angeles, a neighborhood in California * Hollywood, a metonym for the cinema of the United States Hollywood may also refer to: Places United States * Hollywood District (disambiguation) * Hollywood, ...

Feature films

Theatrical films * '' Across the Line: The Exodus of Charlie Wright''- starring

Aidan Quinn Aidan Quinn (born March 8, 1959) is an American actor who made his film debut in '' Reckless'' (1984). He has starred in over 80 feature films, including ''Desperately Seeking Susan'' (1985), '' The Mission'' (1986), ''Stakeout'' (1987), ''Aval ...

Mario Van Peebles Mario Van Peebles (born January 15, 1957) is an American film director and actor best known for directing and starring in ''New Jack City'' in 1991 and '' USS Indianapolis: Men of Courage'' in 2016. He is the son of actor and filmmaker Melvin Va ...

, and

Andy Garcia Andy may refer to: People * Andy (given name), including a list of people and fictional characters * Horace Andy (born 1951), Jamaican roots reggae songwriter and singer born Horace Hinds * Katja Andy (1907–2013), German-American pianist and pi ...

* ''

The Dry Land ''The Dry Land'', or ''American Tragic'', is an American drama film, directed and written by Ryan Piers Williams. It opened worldwide on July 30, 2010. Plot James returns from Iraq to face a new battle readjusting to small-town life in Texas ...

'' - starring

America Ferrera America Georgina Ferrera (; born April 18, 1984) is an American actress. Born in Los Angeles to Honduran parents, Ferrera developed an interest in acting at a young age, performing in several stage productions at her school. She made her featur ...

Jason Ritter Jason Morgan Ritter (born February 17, 1980) is an American actor and producer. He is known for his roles as Kevin Girardi in the television series '' Joan of Arcadia'', Ethan Haas in '' The Class'', Sean Walker in the NBC series ''The Event'', ...

, and

Wilmer Valderrama Wilmer Eduardo Valderrama ( , ; born January 30, 1980) is an American actor, producer, and television personality. He is known for his role as Fez in the sitcom ''That '70s Show'' (1998–2006), Agustín Madrigal in ''Encanto'', and as Carlos ...

* '' Sins of My Father'' (''Pecados de mi Padre'') - the true story of

Pablo Escobar Pablo Emilio Escobar Gaviria (; ; 1 December 19492 December 1993) was a Colombian drug lord and narcoterrorist who was the founder and sole leader of the Medellín Cartel. Dubbed "the king of cocaine", Escobar is the wealthiest criminal in h ...

, the infamous boss of Colombia's Medellin drug cartel, as told through the eyes of his son * ''

'' - directed by

; starring Ruffalo,

and

Juliette Lewis Juliette Lake Lewis (born June 21, 1973) is an American actress and alternative rock singer. She is known for her portrayals of offbeat characters, often in films with dark themes. Lewis became an "it girl" of American cinema in the early 1990s, ...

* ''

Without Men Without Men is a 2011 romantic comedy film directed by Gabriela Tagliavini and starring Eva Longoria, Christian Slater, Kate del Castillo, and Oscar Nuñez. It is based on the novel '' Tales from the Town of Widows'' by James Cañón. Premise Wi ...

'' - starring Eva Longoria Parker,

Christian Slater Christian Michael Leonard Slater (born August 18, 1969) is an American actor and producer. He made his film debut with a leading role in ''The Legend of Billie Jean'' (1985) and gained wider recognition for his breakthrough role as Jason "J.D." D ...

and

Oscar Nunez Oscar Nunez (born November 18, 1958), sometimes credited as Oscar Nuñez, is a Cuban-American actor. He is best known for his role as the Dunder Mifflin accountant Oscar Martinez (The Office), Oscar Martinez on NBC's ''The Office (U.S. TV series) ...

International film distribution

International film distribution is currently headed by Elias Axume. Maya Entertainment sells rights to its entertainment properties worldwide and has a large presence at major markets including

Berlin Film Festival The Berlin International Film Festival (german: Internationale Filmfestspiele Berlin), usually called the Berlinale (), is a major international film festival held annually in Berlin, Germany. Founded in 1951 and originally run in June, the festi ...

/European Film Market,

Hong Kong Hong Kong ( (US) or (UK); , ), officially the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region of the People's Republic of China ( abbr. Hong Kong SAR or HKSAR), is a city and special administrative region of China on the eastern Pearl River Delt ...

FILMART,

Cannes Film Festival The Cannes Festival (; french: link=no, Festival de Cannes), until 2003 called the International Film Festival (') and known in English as the Cannes Film Festival, is an annual film festival held in Cannes, France, which previews new films o ...

, MIP-TV,

Toronto International Film Festival The Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF, often stylized as tiff) is one of the largest publicly attended film festivals in the world, attracting over 480,000 people annually. Since its founding in 1976, TIFF has grown to become a permane ...

MIPCOM MIPCOM (Marché International des Programmes de Communication, English: International Market of Communications Programmes) is an annual trade show held in the French town of Cannes, traditionally in the month of October and running for 4 days. It ...

and AFM. Currently * '' Across the Line: The Exodus of Charlie Wright'' - starring

and

Mario van Peebles Mario Van Peebles (born January 15, 1957) is an American film director and actor best known for directing and starring in ''New Jack City'' in 1991 and '' USS Indianapolis: Men of Courage'' in 2016. He is the son of actor and filmmaker Melvin Va ...

* ''

Café A coffeehouse, coffee shop, or café is an establishment that primarily serves coffee of various types, notably espresso, latte, and cappuccino. Some coffeehouses may serve cold drinks, such as iced coffee and iced tea, as well as other non-ca ...

'' - starring

Jennifer Love Hewitt Jennifer Love Hewitt (born February 21, 1979) is an American actress and singer. Hewitt began her career as a child actress and singer, appearing in national television commercials before joining the cast of the Disney Channel series ''Kids I ...

and

Jamie Kennedy James Harvey Kennedy (born May 25, 1970) is an American actor and comedian. He has played Randy Meeks in the ''Scream'' franchise (1996–2000) and a multitude of characters in ''The Jamie Kennedy Experiment'' (2002–2004) on The WB. His othe ...

* ''The Jesuit'' - starring

Michelle Rodriguez Mayte Michelle Rodriguez (born July 12, 1978) is an American actress. Rodriguez began her career in 2000, playing a troubled boxer in the independent sports drama film ''Girlfight'' (2000), where she won the Independent Spirit Award and Gotha ...

and

Willem Dafoe Willem James Dafoe (; born July 22, 1955) is an American actor. He is the recipient of List of awards and nominations received by Willem Dafoe, various accolades, including the Volpi Cup for Best Actor, in addition to receiving nominations for ...

* '' La Mission'' - starring

Benjamin Bratt Benjamin Bratt (born December 16, 1963) is an American actor and producer who has worked in film and on television. He had supporting roles in the 1990s in such box office hits as ''Demolition Man'' (1993), ''Clear and Present Danger'' (1994), ...

* ''

'' - starring Eva Longoria Parker,

and

List of releases

References

{{reflist

Sources

* "The Film Catalogue - Maya Entertainment - Www.thefilmcatalogue.com." ''The Film Catalogue'' - Www.thefilmcatalogue.com. Web. 13 June 2011. . * ''Maya Entertainment , Home''. Web. 13 June 2011. . * "Maya Entertainment Buys Sundance Title 'All She Can' - IndieWIRE." ''Filmmakers, Film Industry, Film Festivals, Awards & Movie Reviews'' , IndieWIRE. Web. 13 June 2011. . * "Maya Entertainment Makes Waves in Hollywood , HispanicTips." ''HispanicTips , The Ultimate Tool for Understanding & Appreciating Hispanics & Latinos :: Empower Yourself''. Web. 13 June 2011. . * "Maya Entertainment Nabs Eva Longoria Parker, Christian Slater Comedy 'Without Men' - The Hollywood Reporter." ''The Latest Entertainment & Hollywood News - The Hollywood Reporter''. Web. 13 June 2011. . * "Maya Entertainment s" ''The Internet Movie Database (IMDb)''. Web. 13 June 2011. . * "Our Team , Maya Entertainment." ''Maya Entertainment , Home''. Web. 8 June 2011. . * Jacoby, Anna. "FYIDC: The Maya Indie Film Festival." Washington Life Magazine. Web. 13 June 2011. . Film distributors of the United States Hispanic and Latino American culture in Los Angeles