In 1968 Moctesuma Esparza was a young Mexican American teen who marched in student walkouts as part of the Chicano Student Movement to protest the injustices in the Los Angeles public school systems. Mr. Esparza’s passion for his Chicano roots would follow him through life and later inspire him to create Maya Entertainment, a full-service motion picture production and distribution company created to provide entertainment to Latinos in the United States.

Mr. Esparza’s dedication to shining a light on the Latino community was inspired by his father who moved to Los Angeles in 1919 from Jalisco, Mexico. The elder Esparza worked in the restaurant industry. He started off as a cook and worked his way up to executive chef at a restaurant in Beverly Hills. “He worked 12 hours a day, six days a week then would come home and do work around the house,” Moctecsuma recalls. “I’m still challenged to meet that kind of standard he had to this day.”

Moctesuma Esparza grew up living in housing projects in Boyle Heights and attended Lincoln High School. He went on to receive a B.A. of Theatre Arts-Motion Pictures, Television in 1971 and a M.F.A of Theatre Arts-Motion Pictures, TV in 1973. Mr. Esparza says he knew from a young age education was key to making his aspirations come to life. “I knew to emphasize and work hard on my education because I knew it’s the platform I needed to stand on to achieve my dreams,” he said.

Mr. Esparza’s educational background and commitment to providing opportunities for Latinos in Hollywood has no doubt paid off. He has received more than 150 honors including an Emmy, an Academy Award nomination, a Clio Award, a Cine Golden Eagle Award and an IMAGEN Award. In addition he has produced several notable films including Selena, The Milagro Beanfield War, Gods and Generals and the HBO film Walkout, to name a few.

Along with being an award-winning producer and filmmaker Esparza is an entertainment executive and entrepreneur who founded Maya Entertainment, which caters to the Latino community by providing them with Spanish language and Hispanic themed films. He is also the founder and CEO of Maya Cinemas – a chain of state of the art movie theatres in Latino communities across the country, and built and operated Buenavision Cable Television, the first all-Latino-owned cable company. But it doesn’t stop there; Mr. Esparza also founded a Charter school and performing arts academy in Los Angeles and participates in several organizations to help promote the economic advancement of Latinos in the United States. His work has clearly set him apart as one of the most prolific Latino filmmakers in Hollywood and for that matter in the world.