Feliz Año Nuevo!

Holy cow, how'd it get to be 12/31/08?? Resolution time! I know, I know - you don't like to make resolutions b/c you either forget them 2 minutes after you make them (thank you, Dom Perignon) or you don't want the guilt of not fulfilling them. I don't really get that. I mean, I appreciate it - to each his/her own. Rock on. I just think that's kind of a cop out and, more importantly, a missed opportunity for reflection and goal-setting. Because time seems to compress as we get older (trust me) and the years literally whizz-bang by, I think it's easy to grow complacent and just go with the flow. Year in, year out - same, tired routine. But, we are all constantly evolving creatures. If you take the time to think about your life -- your career, relationships, habits, desires, dreams -- you'll discover realistic, obtainable baby steps that, ultimately, add up to major personal and/or professional achievements and growth. Shake it up! Take a chance! As Obama says, "Yes you can!". :)

For Cinedulce and the NY Int'l Latino Film Festival in 2009, Calixto and I have both concrete and general goals. I'm going to keep those private - no need for bad luck! But, what I will say is, on a personal level, I'm working on work/life balance (aren't we all??) and focusing on today; learn from the past, plan for the future, but stay focused on the present. Find joy in each day and count my blessings. Be kind and forgiving to myself (and, for that matter, to all in my life) because no one can be everything to everyone all of the time. We can only aspire to be our best selves. I want to try not to sweat the small stuff and pick my battles. Give back to the community because the reward is far richer than the effort. And, of course, dream big - I still believe I can have it all if I work hard, stay patient, be flexible and make smart decisions. Most importantly, I want to continue to enjoy the ride 'cause, otherwise, what's the point?

Best wishes for a happy, healthy, fulfilling New Year and I'll catchya in '09!

~ Liz
(P.L.H.H.)
www.Cinedulce.com

Give (Back) and Ye Shall Receive

I'm back! I hope you had a very merry Christmas and happy Hanukkah. Sorry for the short hiatus, but I said I was going to unplug for a few days... I wasn't kidding. ;) Okay, so, I spent this AM and early PM volunteering (peeling + chopping veggies + packaging meals) at the West Harlem Community Kitchen, an extension of a local food bank. I decided if I was going to stay in NYC during the holidays, I should take advantage of the free time and give back to the community. Besides the obvious good karma and awesome feeling of selfless giving (particularly during this holiday time), I did it also to remind myself what it's like to be a volunteer. Our NY Int'l Latino Film Festival is so reliant upon its volunteers that, w/o them, there literally would be no festival. For those of you who have attended the festival, you definitely feel me because it's impossible to walk into any venue without having some sort of volunteer interaction. It's very easy (for me) to get caught up in the whirlwind of it all and forget how much work those 150+ volunteers are doing for us, not only during the actual event, but also during the weeks surrounding it. Would you believe some people actually use their precious vacation time to work with us? ASTOUNDING. It's actually almost overwhelming to me. I mean, I'm sorry, but it doesn't get more flattering or generous. That said, I feel strongly they have a positive experience with us. Based on our rate of return, I have to believe we're doing something right. But, you know, it's a constant, nagging concern I have: how do we continue to run this fast-growing festival efficiently and effectively, but also provide a meaningful, enjoyable takeaway for the staff and volunteers? I recognize this is Management 101, but it ain't easy and you'd be surprised how many folks in major positions of power can't manage their way out of a cardboard box. I firmly believe the downfall of many companies can be attributed to poor management. Trust me, I experienced it first-hand; it's not fun and it's not pretty. But, I learned very valuable lessons about how I want to treat others and how I want to be treated. At the very least, everyone, top to bottom, deserves respect. So, anyway, that's how I spent a good part of today and I'm scheduled to return on Friday afternoon. I feel good. You should too. So, I recommend you make doing some volunteer work an '09 resolution. I promise, you will gain as much, if not more, than what you contribute.

Side note: have you visited the new and improved Cinedulce.com? Hello! As Gwen Stefani so aptly put it, "What'cha waiting for?".

~ Liz
(P.L.H.H.)
www.Cinedulce.com

Cinedulce 2.0 Esta Aqui!!

It’s almost the New Year…did you make your resolutions yet? We did and we’ve already started making those goals a reality. Check out the new and improved Cinedulce.com, with an updated video player and added functionality, including voting and user comments! Plus, now you can share your favorite Cinedulce film by emailing it to your friends or posting it on your social networking profile. This is one indulgence that won’t expand your waistline!

PLUS! Just in time for the holidays, we've added the following new content as our gift to you:

“Blondes are Latin Too”
Watch this tongue-in-cheek journey through the streets of NYC that asks the public and entertainment professionals: are Latinos fairly portrayed in Hollywood with regards to skin color and ethnic type? Directed by Jezabel Montero. Click here to watch!

New HBO Latino Content
HBO Latino has jam-packed our stockings with so much new content we can’t release it all at once. To start, check out new 5 new hilarious “Habla” spots plus 2 segments from their new “Road Trip” series and look for more new HBO Latino releases in the comings weeks and months. Also, check out the touching “Hispaniola”, winner of the 2007 NYILFF/HBO Short Film Contest.

A Look Back at the 2008 NYILFF
Relive your favorite moments from the 2008 NY Int’l Latino Film Festival with our brief video recap. Plus, watch our behind-the-scenes look at ’08 NYILFF/Kodak Gallery honoree Nely Galan’s experience at the festival. Get ready for next year… the NYILFF’s 10th anniversary!

Finally, I have to give huge props to our creative agency, Spoon + Fork. As a result of their hard work and RIDICULOUSLY GOOD creative, Cinedulce.com received a 2008 American Graphic Design Award! For more info on Spoon + Fork, check out www.spoonandforkstudio.com. I also have to give an extra special, super-duper, we could never-do-it-without-you shout-out to Lyndon.

CHECK OUT WWW.CINEDULCE.COM and treat yourself to some of the best in Latino and Urban film. Coming soon in 2009: more content and new channel introductions!

~ Liz
(P.L.H.H.)
www.Cinedulce.com

All Quiet on the Eastern Front

First off, for those of you (like I) who celebrate the Jewish holidays, Happy Hanukkah (Feliz Hanukkah?? LOL!). Second, it's a good thing I'm busy with the launch of Cinedulce 2.0, the forthcoming NYILFF call for entries (filmmakers, get ready!!) and writing the Latina Mag. agreement b/c it seems Corporate America is, understandably, sloooooowing down. During these next two weeks, I don't think all that many, if any, folks are interested in discussing July sponsorships nor Cinedulce biz dev. It's all about closing out 2008. In fact, from what I gather, most folks just took the entire two weeks off since the holidays this year fall mid-week. Okay, I'm down with that. Seasons greetings to all. But, this is where it's a bit peculiar to be your own boss in a start-up context. The thing is, I'm not taking vacation this year, which is totally fine, but it's sort of strange not to have that set vacation or a larger corporate directive dictating my holiday schedule. So, you know, when do I stop working? How do I allow myself the time off without feeling guilty (See? I told you I was Jewish! We're good with guilt.) Clearly, I'm a wee neurotic. I understand that. I embrace it. I think it takes a somewhat neurotic, Type A personality to forge your own professional path b/c it requires an extraordinary level of dedication, drive and resilience. Look at Reese Witherspoon: she's so comfortable with her Type A'ness that she named her production company, Type A Films. I think you'll agree it's worked out pretty well for Reese...The flip side is it's hard to allow yourself the break because it's not like there's some guaranteed salary paying for the days off. Plus, I'm smack in the middle of the fundraising season so I start to feel like I'm slacking or something. Of course, intellectually, I understand that's goofy b/c the people I am approaching for fundraising are all on vacation, so nothing can get done now anyway. But, emotionally, it's easy to forget that and just feel like a slacker. That said, over the years, I have improved a great deal at dealing with this issue. I recognize everyone deserves a break, time to smell the roses, so to speak, and recharge. I worked my fanny off this year and, quite frankly, I've earned at least a couple of days off. I mean, hey, I went to a late AM yoga class today... that's good, right?! ;) I'm going to have to think of some fun things to do during my precious time off. Maybe I'll go ice skating? And take a day ski trip with my bro? Go see the Gilbert and George exhibit at the Brooklyn Museum with Jamie? See some live music? Do lots of yoga? Catch up on some movies? Check out the pretty department store holiday windows? Sleep? Yeah, I could get used to this...
~ Liz
(P.L.H.H.)
www.Cinedulce.com

Time to Unplug and Recharge

Just when I think things are slowing down for the holidays, I find myself totally swamped with work on the Friday before Christmas week. What's up with that? Perhaps, just perhaps, it has something to do with the fact I spent 2+ hours yesterday afternoon and another 1.5 hours today on the phone with RIM and AT&T figuring out why my Crackberry spontaneously stopped receiving both emails (data/RIM) and text (telephony/AT&T) messages. You've got to be kidding me! To the hate list it went. The good news is I stayed super calm, which is un milagro b/c these things tend to drive me bananas. If this happened during fest prep, like say June, it would've taken all of my energy to prevent a full-on coronary. Who has the time or patience to sit on the phone for almost 4 hours to get a PDA working - a PDA, which, I might add, was working perfectly fine just 36 hours ago?? On top of that, I had to go into our email server and delete 6,200 emails because that overwhelms the device - too many for it to scan. Yep, that's what I did last night while watching Ace of Cakes (don't even try to pretend you don't love that show and Duff's not the man because you totally do and he totally is) - delete by hand 6,200 emails because our server apparently has no Delete All function. Awesome. To top it off, this whole fiasco forced me to miss my friends' script reading. So, Gary & Juan: I'M SO SORRY! But, now you know what I was doing instead of watching your actors read what I'm certain is your awesome film to-be. Now that my Curve is back in business, it's back on my love list. This whole process, however, made me realize how completely and utterly absurd we all are. I am so addicted to immediate communication that I bring my Blackberry to pick up my dry cleaning, which is literally around the corner from my apartment. Hey, you never know what random, trivial messages may require immediate, urgent attention! What that's you say?? Andy Samberg's hilarious new SNL video ("Jizz in MY Pants") is now on YouTube? I must check that out RIGHT NOW because, you know, it was emailed to me so it MUST be vital. Ridonculous. My recommendation during this holiday season is this: try to unplug your devices and, instead, recharge your own battery.
~ Liz
(P.L.H.H.)
www.Cinedulce.com

Liz Loves Latina

This AM, I had a meeting with Latina Magazine (yes, some people are actually still working and taking meetings!). And, guess what?? They're back in as the magazine partner for the NY Int'l Latino Film Festival! Woo-hoo! Nothing like last-minute good news at year's end. Plus, we're discussing a few cool potential partnership ideas for Cinedulce, including a long-term concept which is super-groovy (ahem, cough, cough, thank you very much). Basically, they would sell this content-based concept to their advertisers and rev-share with Cinedulce. Beautiful. The timing couldn't be better for something like this, especially in light of today's Business Week article, entitled "Online Marketers Wooing Minorities". Basically, it says Latinos, African-Americans and Asians are the shizzle online and finally! Corporate America has taken note and is spending more media and marketing dollars against those audiences. Hispanics (after African-Americans) are the 2nd fastest-growing online population and have a 79% penetration rate. Jiminy Cricket, that's good news!
~ Liz
(P.L.H.H.)
www.Cinedulce.com

Help is on the way!

I just returned from meeting with this great woman, Allison, a Texas transport, who's one of those people who's clearly a mover and shaker. You know when you meet someone like that? She just oozes that get-shit-done kind of quality I love. Affable. High energy. Lots of contacts. Good charisma. Gets it. As luck would have it - that's exactly what I need...someone who gets it. Trust me, it's harder to find than you think. So, this afternoon, I'll send her various proposals for the NY Int'l Latino Film Festival and Cinedulce so she can brainstorm a bit about who she knows and the various ways she can contribute. First and foremost, I could use some sponsorship support for the festival. Second, I'd like to see how she can help with Cinedulce partnerships - strategic, sponsor or otherwise. After all of these years, I recognize I now cast a very wide net, but there are always more contacts, more companies and many more potential relationships that exist outside of my database and sphere of influence. New introductions and open doors, directly or indirectly, frequently lead to interesting, unexpected opportunities. Any successful entrepreneur will tell you a key to his/her success is the ability to remain open and receptive to new ideas and approaches, and the willingness to adapt and evolve the original vision to changing cues in the marketplace and specific opportunities that arise along the way. Eventually, the venture takes on a life of its own; either you maintain flexibility and bend as needed, or remain stiff and break. So, let's see where Allison's new doors lead...
~ Liz
(P.L.H.H.)
www.Cinedulce.com