BY CARMEN VALENCIA | LOS ANGELES (Spectrum News/Carmen Valencia)

Watching his latest project, a comedy series called “Doggy Bank,” where he takes center stage on the big screen, still feels unreal to Thales Corrêa. Pursuing cinema was a dream he always knew he’d chase after.

“I’ve always seen cinema as a powerful tool to create change,” says Thales. The road has been long for Thales, a Brazilian film director in the LGBTQ+ community. He came to the US with a passion for film but often felt his community was not well represented in Hollywood.

“Films were a tool that helped me understand things that weren’t clear for me, things that maybe were inside me,” he reflects. “So I think with that, I always wanted to tap into it and see how it was made.” He noticed that roles depicting Latinos and LGBTQ+ Latinos were often violent or stereotypical, such as gang-related characters. USC’s latest report on Latinos in film highlighted the absence of representation for Latinos in the LGBTQ+ community. In 2022, only seven Latino characters were LGBTQ+ identified, while more than 95% of movies from 2014 to 2022 lacked LGBTQ+ Latino characters.

“I want to make sure people understand that we are plural, that we’re like a multitude, and that we have powers and strengths and things that are not portrayed on screen,” says Joel Gonzales, a film producer and board member of NOSOTROS, an organization that advocates for visibility and opportunities for modern Latin actors. He emphasizes the importance of appreciating Latino films and helping new actors and directors find their way in the industry by cultivating community.

“We do programs that are accessible with our master classes. We do monthly mixers that kick off in April and culminate in Hispanic Heritage Month. It’s not about throwing a party, but about creating a community where people can come together,” he explains. Jo emphasizes the importance of writing and creating films that are for and by all Latinos, with the dignity and humanity they deserve.

“We can be different types of people and get out of the stereotypes and the boxes that people usually put Latinos or LGBTQ+ people in,” he says. Using the power of storytelling and his own experiences, Thales brings joy, laughter, and diversity into the films he creates.