Earlier this week, we introduced the first four mentees in our mitú x Walmart Filmmaker Mentorship Program. In an effort to bring more Latino representation to the big screen and in partnership with Walmart Together Somos Más, mitú brought these young Latino filmmakers out to our mitúStudios in L.A. for a six-week filmmaking intensive. They’ll have the opportunity to write, prep, direct, and edit their own short film, see it on a giant screen at a premiere event, and then share it with you, the mitú audience!

Over the next few weeks you can get a behind the scenes look at the full mitú x Walmart Filmmaker Mentorship Program experience on our @wearemitu social platforms!

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Today, you can meet the remaining four mentees here:

Ernest

San Diego, CA

Kathryn Boyd-Batstone

Ernest Govea is a Marine Corps veteran currently pursuing his Bachelor's degree in film production. He got into filmmaking as a child and saw that making movies could be a creative storytelling outlet. His goal in the mitú x Walmart Filmmaker mentorship Program is to become the best possible director he can be and wishes to cultivate stories of transitioning veterans, specifically highlighting the Hispanic community.

Janira

Ontario, CA

Kathryn Boyd-Batstone

Janira Natalie Hernandez is a writer, director and multimedia artist based in Ontario, CA. They grew to love film from an early age, having watched many Spanish dubbed films with their family after they had a long day's work. They graduated with a B.A in Fine Art and have since transitioned into film – marking 4 years of industry experience as a post-production coordinator for TV shows under major Hollywood studios. Janira is simultaneously developing music videos, documentaries and short films centering femme and working class experiences. Their work explores themes revolving around friendship, family, isolation and belonging. Janira aspires to write and direct feature films, tv shows and visual albums. 

Carmen

Dallas, TX

Kathryn Boyd-Batstone

Carmen got into filmmaking because she loved how a good movie would make her feel by the end credits: exactly as inspired to play the hero as she was by her mom's immigrant stories. Now, she plays screenwriter and aims to make movies that inspire other wanna-be heroes. As a military veteran, she’s grateful for veteran’s film programs that open doors to the industry.

Victoria

New York, NY

Kathryn Boyd-Batstone

Victoria Leandra is an award-winning Puerto Rican journalist. Victoria is the executive producer and host of 'El ADN Podcast,’ a show that deep dives into the success stories of your favorite female CEOs, public figures and influencers by providing context and a personal insight into their career journey. From interviewing reggaeton superstars to covering political unrest in Puerto Rico, Victoria’s work has been published by the biggest names in digital news. Her love for video storytelling and her natural inclination toward new challenges attracted her to the idea of translating her communication skills into filmmaking. 

Now that you’ve had a chance to meet all of our eight mentees, be sure to follow along with their journey at @wearemitu! And don’t forget to check out their finished short films later next month!