Editor

LatinWorks, the full-service cultural branding firm named Ad Age's 2012 and 2013 "Multicultural Agency of the Year", has partnered with the cultural arts non-profit organization Cine Las Americas to produce an innovative fundraising platform which showcases an interactive film that provides multiple endings based on donation level. It launches on January 15th and can be viewed at https://savecinelasamericas.org. 

The idea was conceptualized and produced by LatinWorks as part of its ongoing relationship with Cine Las Americas which began at its inception in 1998. Besides sharing a passion for Ibero-American, Latino and indigenous cinema, LatinWorks provides support through ad campaigns, graphic design and production, as well as strategy and audience development. Their on-going brand campaign for Cine Las Americas "if this is our reality, imagine our films" won multiple awards at Cannes and other international festivals.  

The original donation platform was designed to increase awareness and support fundraising efforts for the cultural organization which promotes cross-cultural understanding and growth by educating, and entertaining diverse audiences through film and media arts. In support of this campaign, LatinWorks produced a groundbreaking bank heist-themed short film which includes nine alternate endings that can be unlocked by supporters based on a range of donation levels ranging from $5 to $5,000.

The funds will be used to build a foundation and ensure year round continuity for the organization's operations and programming for the cultural organization which includes its annual Cine Las Americas International Film Festival, now in its 17th year, showcasing an average of 120 films from over 30 different countries, which highlight cultural diversity and artistic excellence. Cine Las Americas is positioning itself as a resource for multinational film production and distribution, creating exhibition spaces for traditionally underrepresented groups and offering special support to minority filmmakers based in Texas and the rest of the United States.

The bank heist-themed film was conceived as a unique alternative to crowd-sourced fundraising sites to showcase the creativity of the Latin community that it was designed to support. The goal was to create a campaign that embodied the innovation and cinematic experiences supported by the organization by combining the essence of successful online fundraising campaign tools with a spin that captured the spirit of Cine Las Americas. The result is a highly interactive experience for cinema fans that serves to entertain and incentivize with a total of nine distinctive endings that encourage users to make multiple donations in an effort to reveal multiple plot lines. The film, which runs a total of 4-5 minutes, was shot in English and Spanish to engage the international film community.

"We have always shared our love for film with Cine Las Americas and this is the foundation of our long-term partnership", said Sergio Alcocer, President and Chief Creative Officer at LatinWorks. "This fundraising effort is part of our strategy to engage a broader audience and make them feel that they are a part of the adventure."

"Cine Las Americas offers a vision deeply committed to cultural diversity and artistic excellence in cinema," said Eugenio del Bosque, Executive Director of Cine Las Americas. "Putting together a week long film festival that offers cultural relevance, high artistic quality and economic development is great enterprise. It takes an entire year of work to do it right, and we have been doing it for seventeen consecutive years.  Today we face the challenge of building a foundation to be a sustainable and permanent institution."

About LatinWorks

LatinWorks is a full-service advertising agency, with specialty in cultural branding, headquartered in Austin, Texas. A certified minority enterprise and member of the Omnicom DAS Global network, LatinWorks brings forth a fresh and progressive vision for a multicultural America that has made them one of the most in-demand and awarded creative agencies in the country. Their mission is to lead brands as Chief Culture Officer; with a relentless focus on consumers, they live to anticipate cultural shifts and help brands successfully navigate today's dynamic marketplace. Some of their clients include: Aio Wireless, Anheuser-Busch, Lowe's, Target, PepsiCo, Mars, Wrigley and Domino's Pizza. LatinWorks is an eight-time Cannes Lions winner and was recently named one of the top 10 agencies in the country by Advertising Age magazine as well as the 2013 Multicultural Agency of the Year. For more information, visit www.latinworks.com.

About CINE LAS AMERICAS 

The mission of Cine Las Americas is to promote cross-cultural understanding and growth by educating, entertaining and challenging diverse audiences through film and media arts. Cine Las Americas is a multi-cultural, 501(c) 3 non-profit organization based in Austin Texas. Cine Las Americas will host its 17th annual film festival in April of 2014. Eugenio Del Bosque is the Executive Director of the festival.