Latinos absent from film studio jobs

LOS ANGELES, Oct. 15 (UPI) -- Hollywood film studios' attempts at courting the Latino American demographic have been hindered by a noticeable lack of Hispanic studio executives.

U.S. Latinos see more films per capita per year than other ethnic groups, so several studios have attempted to hire more Latino execs but have found that such candidates are rare in Hollywood, the Los Angeles Times reported.

"When you are looking around to hire an experienced Hispanic executive, there are very few people there," Buena Vista Motion Picture Group exec Jason Reed said. "We are not starting minorities in the mailroom or as assistants so they can grow into that next generation of executives and agents. It's a question of access."

Veteran film producer David Valdes added that this trend is also indicative of a misrepresentation of Latinos in U.S. films, which tend to focus on drugs and gangs rather than more affirmative cultural topics.

The Times said each studio is making strides towards integrating Latinos into the film industry, including the Walt Disney Studio, which is set to release its first Latino film in its illustrious history.