Curated News
By: NewsRamp Editorial Staff
October 02, 2025

Carlos Ponce Honored with Lifetime Achievement Award at GALIFF

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Original Source

TLDR

  • Carlos Ponce's Minivela platform offers creators a competitive edge by pioneering Latino micro-shorts that capture emerging digital audiences and festival recognition.
  • Minivela produces advertiser-supported digital shorts ranging from 10 to 90 minutes in English, Spanish, or bilingual formats distributed through YouTube and social media platforms.
  • Ponce's Minivela platform empowers Latino filmmakers to share authentic stories, fostering cultural representation and creating opportunities for underrepresented voices in media.
  • Carlos Ponce receives the Pepe Serna Lifetime Achievement Award at GALIFF following a three-decade career spanning telenovelas, Hollywood films, and chart-topping music.

Impact - Why it Matters

This recognition highlights the growing importance of Latino representation in media and the evolving landscape of digital storytelling. As streaming platforms continue to reshape entertainment consumption, Minivela's micro-shorts model represents an innovative approach to reaching younger Latino audiences who increasingly consume content through social media and digital platforms. The award underscores how established artists like Ponce are leveraging their influence to create new opportunities for emerging Latino creators, ensuring authentic cultural narratives reach wider audiences. This matters because it demonstrates the ongoing transformation of media distribution and the critical need for diverse storytelling that reflects the experiences of Latino communities in the United States and beyond.

Summary

Award-winning actor, producer, music artist, and entrepreneur Carlos Ponce will receive the prestigious Pepe Serna Lifetime Achievement Award at the Georgia Latino International Film Festival (GALIFF) on October 2, 2025, during the Opening Night Gala at Atlanta's Fox Theatre. The honor recognizes Ponce's groundbreaking contributions across film, television, and music spanning more than three decades, his significant philanthropic impact, and his latest entrepreneurial venture with Minivela—the first U.S. Hispanic micro-shorts platform that is redefining Latino storytelling for the digital age. Jose Marquez, CEO of the Georgia Latino Film Alliance, emphasized that Ponce embodies the pioneering spirit the award celebrates, opening doors for generations of Latino artists while remaining deeply committed to his community.

Ponce's remarkable career includes hosting the Spanish-language variety show Control in the early 1990s, starring in telenovelas, Hollywood films like Couples Retreat, and hit series including Santa Diabla, 7th Heaven, and Beverly Hills, 90210. As a voice actor, he contributed to animated favorites such as Rio and Ice Age: Collision Course. His musical achievements are equally impressive, with his 1998 debut album going Double Platinum and topping the Latin Billboard charts, six total albums released, a Best Pop Album win in 1999, and chart-topping singles including Disney's "Bella Notte" for Lady and the Tramp II: Scamp's Adventure. Beyond entertainment, Ponce has established himself as a dedicated philanthropist supporting education, children's health, and cultural development initiatives.

The festival will showcase Ponce's innovative Minivela platform through two productions: El Clavito, a prestige micro short making waves across the festival circuit, and Cholita Takes L.A., a breakout cultural comedy-drama blending indigenous heritage and modern urban flair available on YouTube. Minivela represents a joint venture between Ponce, Brilla Media, and Numatec, featuring strategic production partnerships with Chicano Hollywood on the West Coast and TikTok creator Haydita Veloz. The platform targets Latinos 18-34 with advertiser-supported digital shorts ranging from 10 to 90 minutes across content verticals including romantic comedies, original series, supernatural themes, and family-friendly stories in English, Spanish, or bilingual formats, available free on Minivela's YouTube channel and social media platforms through Numatec's distribution partnerships and Brilla Media's Nuestro Media network.

Source Statement

This curated news summary relied on content disributed by Noticias Newswire. Read the original source here, Carlos Ponce Honored with Lifetime Achievement Award at GALIFF

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