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UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA Los Angeles United States-Based Latina Producers of Feature Films (1976-Present): The Role of Community, Creativity, and Currency in Synergistic Authorship A dissertation submitted in partial satisfaction of the requirements for the degree Doctor of Philosophy in Film and Television by Mirasol Aurelia Riojas 2012 ©copyright by Mirasol Aurelia Riojas 2012 ABSTRACT OF THE DISSERTATION United States-Based Latina Producers of Feature Films (1976-Present): The Role of Community, Creativity, and Currency in Synergistic Authorship by Mirasol Aurelia Riojas Doctor of Philosophy in Film and Television University of California, Los Angeles, 2012 Professor Chon A. Noriega, Chair Latinas’ marginalization within the film industry has been reproduced in the writing of film history as a result of many factors, including (but not limited to) male-centered notions of history and dominant models of authorship that center the director as the principle creative force behind the filmmaking process. Motivated by a commitment to securing Latina filmmakers’ place in film history, this study of U.S.-based Latina producers of Latina/o-themed feature films proposes a “synergistic” model of authorship that makes visible creative contributions of authors who do not occupy designated roles such as “director” or (less so) “writer,” traditionally associated with authorship. Instead, it acknowledges the way numerous creative, institutional, historical, sociological, and economic forces come together to shape a film. ii This dissertation involves a series of case studies that represent various modes of production, from independently produced, self-distributed films to those made and distributed by Hollywood studios. The case studies include: Josey Faz, who was involved with the making of the first three Chicano features during the 1970s; Elizabeth Avellán, who is co-owner of Troublemaker Studios and one of the most successful and prolific producers working on Hollywood films today; the making of Chasing Papi (2003) at 20th Century Fox, which involved writer/producer Laura Angélica Simón, director Linda Mendoza, and associate producer Christy Haubegger; and Hollywood star-turned-producer, Salma Hayek, who was a driving force behind the film, Frida (2002) and the television series, Ugly Betty (2006-2010). This study investigates the way creative control is conceptualized, as well as dynamics at work in the production culture of Latina filmmakers and the variety of activities involved in the work they do. While there is no “ideal” mode of production that provides “better” opportunities for Latinas to create more “positive” images than others, there are unique advantages and challenges associated with each. Utilizing a feminist, cultural studies approach to the subject, this study mobilizes oral histories, discourse analysis, and to a lesser extent, textual analysis to show Latinas are creative authors who are gaining power to change the way feature films are made while diversifying who it is that gains opportunities to make them. iii The dissertation submitted by Mirasol Aurelia Riojas is approved. John T. Caldwell Kathleen A. McHugh Toby Miller Chon A. Noriega, Committee Chair University of California, Los Angeles 2012 iv In memory of Tejana film pioneer Josey Faz (1948 – 2011) v TABLE OF CONTENTS Chapter One: Introduction: Writing Latinas Into Film History 1-23 Chapter Two: Josey Faz: Traces of a Tejana in Chicana/o Film History 24-62 Chapter Three: Elizabeth Avellán: Producing an Army of Troublemakers 63-139 Chapter Four: Fox(y) Latinas and Chasing Papi (2003): Trying to Sell 140-209 Ketchup in a Salsa Bottle Chapter Five: Salma Hayek: Stars Producing/Producing Stars 210-246 Chapter Six: Conclusion 247-260 Bibliography 261-275 vi ACKNOWLEDGMENTS When I entered the PhD program in Cinema and Media Studies at UCLA I had very different reasons for beginning the journey than I now have for completing it. I could not have anticipated the many ways in which I would grow over the last seven years, nor could I have known just how many people would become so instrumental to the process of earning this degree. I owe many thanks to a great number of people, beginning with my advisor, Professor Chon Noriega. Chon, you have provided me with unparalleled opportunities as both a mentor and an employer. I have learned many lessons about being thorough in my work and welcoming the challenge to step out of my own comfort zone. Thank you for taking this Tejana under your wing when she knocked on the door of the Chicano Studies Research Center (CSRC). Thank you for sharing your knowledge, experience, resources, and time, even if you have been trying to make me a Calijana all the while… To the rest of my committee, you likewise have my undying gratitude. Kathleen McHugh, in addition to being a model of what it is to be a rigorous scholar, always challenging me to do my best, you have been a constant source of warmth and humanity that was absolutely vital to my surviving and eventually thriving in this world. Working with you as both your student and as part of your team at the Center for the Study of Women (CSW) has been an absolute joy. John Caldwell, first and foremost, I thank you for your kindness and your unwavering support. Your work inspires me and so many others to push the envelope in terms of what we think media studies is all about. Thank you for reminding us that the little people are not little at all. Toby Miller, when I was your student at NYU I had no idea that I would have the good fortune to work with you again, years later, on the other side of the country. You are an vii endless source of knowledge and your curiosity and positivity are just infectious. We all have so much to learn from each other and your sincerity about that makes my heart smile. In addition to my committee I owe many thanks to UCLA faculty Vivan Sobchack and Janet Bergstrom. My dissertation was born in Vivian’s Historiography class, where I wrote my first words about the filmmaker, Josey Faz, to whom this dissertation is dedicated. Vivian, thank you for reassuring me that Josey’s story needed to be told and that I was the one to tell it. You gave me courage to truly begin my research. To Janet Bergstrom I extend my sincerest gratitude for your Contemporary Film and Criticism class, where I discovered my love of video editing. As a media scholar, the hands-on experience with the medium we critique has given me both a valuable tool to share my research and also a new critical perspective from which to approach the films and filmmakers I study. Editing has also been an unexpected source of work and a creative outlet for me, and for that I am grateful. I am indebted to the CSRC and CSW, as well as their incredible staffs, as they have been my homes away from my academic home (meaning the Department of Film, Television, and Digital Media). Yolanda Retter Vargas introduced me to the many treasures at the CSRC library and she was a true force at the Center. Lizette Guerra, I am absolutely sure there are things I would never have found in those cabinets, without you. Mike Stone, you make archiving fun. Tere Romo, while my own research has focused on film these last few years, you helped me maintain my love of the other arts as an equally important priority. As for CSW, generosity and cooperation are two of the first words that come to mind when I think about this team, which similarly holds an enormous place in my heart. One of the most welcoming places on campus, CSW is a testament to the fact that the academy can be a place where people truly take interest in each other’s work and strive to help each other succeed. I also thank CSW for their phenomenal viii summer writing workshops, one of which proved to be my first big writing breakthrough, where I learned I could, in fact, produce multiple pages in one sitting. And thus my addiction to writing partners was born. Thank you to all my partners in crime, beginning with the group that grew out of the CSW writing retreat, back in 2010. Stacy Macías, Jennifer Musto, and Laurel Westrup, you were my first consistent writing partners. Thank you for getting the train on the right track! Melissa Hidalgo, my UCSD pal, you helped me keep it going, even after you became a Doctora proper. Mil gracias, amiga. Dawn Fratini, you’ve seen me through to the end and you can bet I’ll do the same for you. If it were not for the incredible courage, strength, and generosity of the filmmakers I have had the honor of studying over the last several years, I would have had nothing to write. Thank you Josey Faz, Elizabeth Avellán, Laura Angélica Simón, Linda Mendoza, Christy Haubegger, and Salma Hayek, for doing the important work that you do. I also owe great debt to Josey, Elizabeth, Laura, and Linda, for trusting me with their stories, which they shared with the utmost enthusiasm and honesty. I owe that same debt to many of their colleagues who also agreed to be interviewed for the purposes of this study: Efraín Gutiérrez, David Peña, Jack Landman, Rana Joy Glickman, and Louis Black. Rana, a special shout out to you for the incredible spirit that you are and have shared. You helped relight a fire in me and for that I am forever grateful. To Women in Film, the Austin Film Society, and Mark Quigley at the UCLA Film and Television Archive, thank you for providing me with access to valuable film and video footage that was so important to this project.