Latinos Doing Their Thing Presents…
Bel Hernandez
Beginning her entertainment career as an actress, she appeared in films such as Selena, Mi Familia, and Losin’ It which starred a young Tom Cruise. On television she appeared in the original pilot for Beverly Hills 90210, Saved by the Bell, The Alamo: 13 Days to Glory, and PBS’ La Carpa among others.
In 1992 Bel Hernandez co-founded Latin Heat, the only English language entertainment trade publication focused on Latino Hollywood, serving as the publisher for over 15 years and now as an internet magazine www.latinheat.com.
In 1995 Ms. Hernandez also founded and served as the Executive Director of the Latino Entertainment Media Institute (LEMI), a non-profit organization which produced an entertainment industry conference focused on providing educational seminars, networking opportunities and resources to up and coming filmmakers and on-camera talent and produced an awards show honoring such luminaries as Gregory Nava (Selena), Rita Moreno, Francis Ford Coppola (for his executive producing Mi Familia/My Family), producers Jeff Valdez, Moctezuma Esparza and Dennis Leoni.
As an invited public speaker, Ms. Hernandez travels across the country speaking on the topic of Latinos in the entertainment industry. She has appeared in numerous national and international television & radio shows and magazines. She has been featured in numerous national and international television shows in her position of publisher, including NPR Radio, and CNN’s “Ask the Expert” in addition to the print publications The Hollywood Reporter, Vogue, Latina Magazine, and was selected as “One to Watch” in Hispanic Magazine. She is featured in the book Careers in Entertainment, Career Role Models for Young Adults from Mitchell Lane Publishers.
Ms. Hernandez recently completed a six year term as a Board member of the prestigious George Foster Peabody Awards, the last year, serving as the first Latina Chair in the award’s 68 years in existence.
She is currently working on publishing, along with 7 other Latina women, a book entitled “How to Say I Love My Life and Mean it!, which was recently staged as a theatrical production and won the prestigious Imagen Award this past August.
Bel Hernandez is currently executive producing, and serves as a co-host for Let’s Talk! an internet talk show featuring four dynamic Latinas with a unique perspective on culturally relevant topics with universal appeal.
To hear more about Bel visit Latin Heat.
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