Today we’d like to introduce you to Fanny Veliz Grande and Nelson Grande.
Fanny grew up in Venezuela dreaming of becoming an actress. When she moved to the states to pursue her career she immediately learned that because she was a Latina, roles available to her were few and those that existed were mostly stereotypes. She decided to start creating roles not just for her but for other Latino actors.
Her goal was to transform the way society as a whole perceived Latinos. Throughout the years, she developed several projects. In 2014, she produced the award-winning feature film HOMEBOUND. She got the film funded via crowdfunding, she then self- produced it and self-distributed the film directly to audiences.
Nelson grew up in Los Angeles and also had dreams of becoming an actor. Growing up in Highland Park he lived first had issues affecting his community. He also witnesses a few movies being filmed in the neighborhood like Reservoir Dogs, that made a profound impact on him.
After booking a few roles on TV and film, he realized that most of the roles he would get would also be stereotypes and decided to do something about it. This is how Avenida was born two years ago. Fanny & Nelson teamed up, and with their shared experience they have coached dozens of filmmakers to bring their projects to life using the power of community and social media.
To date, they’ve help fund over 90 projects that celebrate diversity and have raised close to $2 million via crowdfunding.
Overall, has it been relatively smooth? If not, what were some of the struggles along the way?
It’s been a very rough road. Neither Fanny nor Nelson comes from wealthy families. They founded the company with only $3000. Running a new company is not easy, especially one that has a social mission.
Getting investors or grants has been difficult. Especially since most don’t quite understand that to transform Hollywood the answer is to serve the people who are already creating content that is diverse.
Avenida Productions – what should we know? What do you guys do best? What sets you apart from the competition?
We are a consulting and productions company, we specialize in empowering filmmakers tell stories that celebrate diversity. We provide all the services necessary to bring a production to life from crowdfunding to self-distribution.
We are proud that 90 projects that celebrate diversity both in front and behind the camera have been funded. What we’re most proud of is that we are helping transform behaviors not just of the industry but audiences who are demanding content that is a representation of the real world.
No one else is servicing the independent film community with a focus on diversity.
What is “success” or “successful” for you?
Success is enjoying the small victories along the way. Transforming an entire industry and empowering our clients.
Contact Info:
- Address: 3900 W Alameda Ave Burbank CA 91505
- Website: www.Avenida.tv
- Phone: 323-682-0882
- Email: [email protected]
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/fannyveliz/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/avenidaproductions/
Getting in touch: VoyageLA is built on recommendations from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you know someone who deserves recognition please let us know here.
