LOS ANGELES, Aug 07, 2008 /PRNewswire via COMTEX/ -- Maya Entertainment today announced that it has acquired the United States rights to Latin urban film TALENTO DE BARRIO, starring Latin phenomenon Daddy Yankee.
The acquisition of the film was negotiated by Kevin Benson along with Jose Martinez, Jr. for Maya Entertainment, and Edwin Prado, attorney with George Rivera, representing Pitchaera Records. According to the agreement Maya Entertainment will release TALENTO DE BARRIO theatrically in major cities across the U.S. in September 2008.
"We are excited for the opportunity to work with Daddy Yankee, such an innovative recording artist and now a movie star," said Kevin Benson who heads up New Business Development for Maya Entertainment and who brokered the deal.
"Maya Entertainment is a company that passionately believes in Latino films. They identify the smart strategy to position films, creating excitement and bringing quality to the marketplace." George Rivera, writer and producer.
In the style of City of God, TALENTO DE BARRIO tells the story of Edgar Dinero (Daddy Yankee), an angry young man from the slums of Puerto Rico who gets tangled between the thug life of his neighborhood and the beat of his barrio. On that path Edgar encounters disruption among his crewmen while falling in love with an uptown girl, from whom he must conceal his ties with the violent barrio underworld. Edgar may run, but he can't hide from the corrupt cops and the full-blown turf war amongst his men. Soon enough Edgar is faced with two choices: die as the Boss of the underworld or live as the King of Reggaeton.
In addition to having the leading role in the film, Daddy Yankee has recorded and produced the movie's soundtrack. The current single off of the album, entitled, "Pose" sat in the number one spot on the Latin Rhythm Airplay charts for 10 consecutive weeks. Daddy Yankee is credited with doing more than any other artists to establish reggaeton as a marketable music style. His album, "El Cartel: The Big Boss" received Billboard's prestigious "Album of the Year Award," and Time Magazine named Daddy Yankee one of the "100 Most Influential People in the World."
About Maya Entertainment
Maya Entertainment, headed by award winning producer Moctesuma Esparza and co-chaired by Jeff Valdez, is the only Latino owned and managed filmed entertainment company specifically focused on the growing U.S. Latino film-going audience. Maya Entertainment will release 8 to 10 films theatrically and 24 straight-to-DVD releases a year and will soon announce its feature film and television production slate, which is currently set to commence production in 2009. Maya Entertainment is the sister company of Maya Cinemas North America, Inc. a movie theater exhibition company featuring state-of-the-art multiplex cinemas with a site in Salinas, CA and new sites soon to be opened in Bakersfield, CA, Fresno, CA, Santa Fe, NM, Chicago, IL, San Antonio, TX, Houston, TX, New York and more.
About Daddy Yankee
Daddy Yankee is an International superstar who has received many accolades for his work in the music industry and as a humanitarian. His album, El Cartel: The Big Boss was the top Latin selling album of 2007 and received Billboards prestigious Album of the Year Award, selling over one million copies world wide. He was also recently awarded the Honor of the Year Award from Harvard University. In addition, Time Magazine named Daddy Yankee one of the 100 Most Influential People in the World, and People En Espanol named him in their list of Most Beautiful People. He has also been working on his new fragrance to be released in the fall 2008.
About Pitchaera Records
Founded in 2004 in Carolina, Puerto Rico by independent filmmaker Georgie Rivera. Rivera also has a video production company who has directed videos for rapper Miguelito and Daddy Yankee, among others.
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