In its second year, McDonald's USA Spotlight Dorado announced the 2023 short film finalists on July 11, 2023. The finalists include Marissa Díaz, Kryzz Gautier, and Pablo Risego. The Spotlight Dorado short film finalists are being mentored by an exciting roster of Latino filmmakers, artists, actors - above all - game-changing storytellers. Additionally, each finalist will receive a $75,000 production budget and will be provided with the necessary tools and production personnel to produce the best short film possible. 

Finalist Marissa Díaz and mentor Gloria Calderón Kellett recently spoke with Script about this incredible and life-changing opportunity, what the process has been like so far before production begins, why mentorship is important, and why it's worth taking a chance on yourself to tell your stories.

This interview has been edited for content and clarity.

Sadie Dean: Well, first off, Marissa, congratulations. I just love what this contest is doing and the opportunities it's bringing for new voices, which we need more of. So, I'm glad that a company like McDonald's can put their money where their mouth is.

Marissa Díaz: Absolutely. Thank you so much for saying this. Receiving this finalist spot has been so overwhelming, so exciting, and I still have to pinch myself every day. Like, is it really me? Am I one of the three? So, it's been a huge honor to be a part of the program that McDonald's USA has set up for us so far. I'm so excited to be a part of it, especially as a Latina filmmaker.

Sadie: How did you hear about this opportunity, and your reasons behind entering?

Marissa: It's actually a fun story. So, I hadn't heard about the program last year. But a mentor of mine from my TV days, I started off as an assistant on Girls, the TV series for HBO, and one of the EPs on the show had seen somebody post about it, and she's like, ‘You're Latina filmmaker, you would be amazing.’ And she sent it to me on Instagram. So, it was one of those things where I'm like, I don't know if I can make the deadline. But I'm going to do my best to try. And thankfully I did, because here I am today.

And this is sort of a dream opportunity, because for so many of us, getting jobs is about having samples. And when it comes to being a director, those samples can be cost-prohibitive. And so, it's great that a program like this exists where they're giving you $75,000 to make your dream film that could be a proof of concept, a short film, to really further your career. And it really moves the needle in terms of getting more filmmakers out there who are more diverse, and especially Latino in general. So, I'm super excited about it. And I'm glad that Ilene Landress told me about this. So, it was a match made in heaven.

Sadie: Well, shout out to Ilene for sending you that via Instagram. I'm curious is your script for a proof of concept for a feature or a standalone short?

Marissa: So, I have it as a proof of concept for a TV series that I'm thinking about. So that's in the works right now. Of course, there's always a version of it that can be a film, but right now, I imagine it as a television series.

Sadie: As for you Gloria, this is so cool that you're a part of this. You're one of the biggest voices and advocates for just shepherding new voices. How did this opportunity to be a mentor come across your desk and why did you want to participate?

Gloria Calderón Kellett: Stephanie Beatriz is who told me about it. She did it last year. And she had a really incredible experience. She invited me to go - I was super impressed by, you know, by money - McDonald's is spending money. And what we need so much is for our communities to be truly supported. I can't tell you how many things I go to that are just sort of chintzy and it makes me sad. And I'm like, ugh, they just want the credit, but they're not really willing. And boy, McDonald's really showed up. And they put on this beautiful event. And they supported these filmmakers, and they're giving them the tools. I mean, 75k is a legit budget to make a short proof of concept. That is incredible. So, I was really moved. And then I was really moved by the people that I've met. And I thought this is a really great opportunity for me to do the thing I do anyway, but now with McDonald's support. [laughs] So it was really a no-brainer when they came and asked me to participate.

Sadie: When you came on board Gloria, do you get to choose who you're going to mentor based on their material or do they pair you up based on what they think would be a great fit?

Gloria: We're all mentoring all three. We're talking to all of them and just saying like, ‘What do you need beyond this?’ This is the first step, Marissa is already crushing it, but this hopefully will be the ladder of what's coming next for them and how can we help them in this moment and beyond.

Sadie: And for you Marissa, what has this process been like for you in terms of having these mentors and anything that you've learned in these beginning stages before you go into production?

Marissa: What I think is really exciting for me is the mentorship aspect is different than any other program that I've been a part of, because it not only exists to serve me within this program. So, every week, we're having meetings with people like Gloria, Carlos López Estrada, and performers across the gamut. We're getting a post-production supervisor, so there's someone to help us through every stage of this filmmaking process, which doesn't exist necessarily in other labs or other fellowships. So, I think that's what sets it apart. But I think more than anything, they also are looking at how do we help this filmmaker exist in this ecosystem long-term. And Gloria has been so amazing and has been giving me great advice and insight. So not only are we talking about story through postproduction, but it's like, how do we make this Latina filmmaker exist in our ecosystem long-term, and make her successful at that? So, I think that's what sets this program apart and is why I'm so excited to be part of it.

Sadie: Yeah, that's huge. And for you, Gloria, in the spirit of the name of Dorado, also meaning opportunity and golden opportunity, all puns intended with McDonald's, but the importance of mentoring these new voices – I feel like for someone in your position, you're also building your own network and your own roster of voices that you'd probably want to work with down the line. And who knows, maybe they'll l be your boss 30 years from now.

Gloria: I can't wait…Marissa, please be my boss! Please, when I'm a little viejecita, please, please keep me in the room when I'm the old lady in the room. No, it's so wonderful. It's so wonderful. And I'm so excited to join the other mentors. Al [Madrigal] and I are very good friends, Danay [Garcia] and I have gotten really close since meeting in Austin when we were launching the last year's winner. And it's been such a beautiful coming together. Because even just creating space where we're able to come together and celebrate wins is a big deal. And something that's very rare that we're trying to do more of.

And I just love that McDonald's is very on board with understanding that this is a community that loves what they do and what they make. I mean, I went to McDonald's when I was a little kid, [laughs] with my grandparents, every Friday - every Friday after school, my abuela would pick me up and then during Lent, it was the filet of fish. [laughs] It's such a mainstay in my life. And so now for it to be the thing that is giving back to this community that loves them. It's a big deal. I wish more brands took the time to do that and understand the impact of this community. I mean, we are 20% of the population, 1% of what is creating story. That's crazy. That's embarrassing. 

And so, to be in a space where I can be supporting with colleagues who I adore and love, we've been hitting the ground for a while trying to push through to hopefully make this Dorado road easier for this next generation so that there can be more storytellers is really something that will have impact for years to come. So, it's something I'm really honored to be a part of. And then I'm like in love with Marissa already, like obsessed with Marissa, low-key trying to figure out a way to be her friend after this is over so we can just have coffee - building community, it's great.

Marissa: And by the way, just to piggyback off of that, Gloria obviously has been a shining star in my life before she even knew me. So, it's such an honor to meet these people in real life, who are Latino filmmakers, creators, who inspire you in the work that you do, meet them in person, and then they become a part of your creative life. It's a dream come true. So, I want to be your friend forever Gloria.

Gloria: Yay! We did it! You're a witness Sadie!

[ALL LAUGH]

Sadie: Any advice for storytellers in your community of why it's important to tell your stories, but also finding these opportunities and taking a chance on yourself to join these things, because you never know what's going to happen?

Marissa: Yeah, so for me, I think it's a frightening thing. A lot of these programs are very competitive. It's a big swing. The materials you're being asked for are quite thorough. So, it's definitely a big-time commitment. But it's also the thing of just believing in yourself. And these things are difficult to get, but when they are they're so rewarding. 

So, for me, it's really thinking about all the stories that I wish were out there when I was a kid and for me, I'm from South Texas and this interesting community that you often don't see on TV, because a lot of times it's focusing on folks in the urban hubs on the West Coast and on the East Coast. And it's about creating opportunity for myself to be able to get my story about being Tejana, and in a state that isn't always kind to us and get those stories out in the world. And for me, this is a meaningful way to be able to do that, with the support of McDonald's, with the support of all my mentors. And so, I'm so glad that I applied. Again, it's a big swing, but at the end, it's so worth it.

Gloria: I'll get real heavy. Storytelling is vital. Who holds the microphone and gets to tell their story is vital. And this country is still a very young country. And we are trying to figure it out. The ups and downs of what happens in politics are, we see it every day, and storytelling affects that. The person that wins is the person with the most compelling story. 

And so, when I see the policies that are happening with women, with LGBTQ people, with Latino people, with a lot of disenfranchised, marginalized communities, that goes back to storytelling, that goes back to who people think we are versus who we actually are. And so, if we are able to tell our stories, and connect with our common humanity, and say, 'All we want is safety, and to live our lives and to drink our cappuccinos, and to love how we want, to love and live how we want to live. And we just want that too.' And so, we need to create a space for everybody. 

The promise of this country is for all of us to come here and be free. So, we want that pursuit of happiness as well. And I see that threatened. And I see storytelling being a very important part in making that go away so that we can truly all be here with the promise of what this country intended.

Sadie: Yeah, I love that. But it's so true, though. We have to have these stories to teach the next generation and persevere. It's all universal at the end of the day, whether people like or not.

Gloria: That's right. Leading with love and kindness and decency. But I think there's people who have like, never met a Latino person, right? Or they think they haven't, because sometimes we can hide in plain sight. So, if they just watch the news, or they just watched one of the crime shows, they're gonna think of us in a certain way. And that's not true to the totality of who we are. So, we have to rectify that. We have to right that wrong by writing.

Marissa is showing a specific point of view of a little girl that grew up in Texas, like, we need that. We need that story out there. I haven't seen that story. How crazy that I haven't seen that story?! So, it also I think makes for more interesting storytelling. I mean, I think that a lot of times what's on network TV is the same stuff again, and again, it feels regurgitated. Literally, I saw a poster the other day where I was like, 'Wait, wasn't he just a cop on another show?' I'm so bored! Give me a little girl in her swimsuit, who is like me, who was self-conscious in her swimsuit, but was like, 'You know what, I'm gonna own it, and let's go!' And I want that all day, every day. 

About Spotlight Dorado Finalist Marissa Díaz:

Marissa Díaz is a Tejana writer, director, and producer who has worked on notable projects including HBO’s Girls and HBO Max’s teen drama, Generation. She is also a Film Independent + Netflix Episodic Lab Fellow, a Film Independent + CNN Original Series Docuseries Fellow, and a Producers Guild of America + Google Create Fellow.

Fancy Florez’s Summer Staycation Synopsis: For ten-year-old Fancy Florez, it's all in the name. She wants the finer things in life and puts in the work to manifest the greatest summer staycation ever, even if it means standing up to her archenemy. This slice of life comedy is a peek into all the ups and downs that come with girlhood.

About Spotlight Dorado Mentor Gloria Calderón Kellett:

Gloria Calderón Kellett is an award-winning writer, producer, director and actress, best known for her work on Emmy-winning sitcom “One Day at a Time” and critically acclaimed Amazon Original series, “With Love”. The latter is the first series coming out of an overall deal between her company, Glonation and Amazon Studios. Along with Blumhouse Television and Spotify, Glonation is also producing “The Horror of Dolores Roach” based on the hit Gimlet podcast reuniting her with star Justina Machado.

Beyond her work both in front and behind the camera, she is involved in various advocacy groups relating to encouraging gender parity and uplifting Latine talent in Hollywood. These groups include ReFrame, the UNTITLED LATINX PROJECT (in which she was a founding member), The NHMC, and the Creative Coalition. She also recently partnered with the Latinx House/Adelante to support up and coming Latina directors to help them have set experience on her show WITH LOVE. She also launched a “Hollywood 101” web series with Buzzfeed’s PeroLike, where she offers free advice to new artists beginning their entertainment careers. She is also an Executive Committee Member of the Television Academy.

About McDonald's USA Spotlight Dorado:

McDonald’s USA is bringing back Spotlight Dorado, its multi-year platform aimed at empowering and amplifying Latino and Hispanic voices across different industries, starting off with film. Together with a roster of key industry leaders and film experts, we aim to support emerging filmmakers and screenwriters in the Latino and Hispanic community with the tools and resources they need to bring their stories to life.

Through Spotlight Dorado, McDonald’s is using its influence and scale to help advocate for Latino and Hispanic representation in film. Our goal is to provide these talented storytellers with the platform, financing, and distribution to produce their films, while receiving invaluable mentorship from renowned industry leaders to help bring their stories to life and advance their careers. 

To follow Marissa's and her fellow finalists' Spotlight Dorado journey, click here.