Our Team
E. Michael Diaz
President
Michael Diaz is the Founding President of the Latin-American Cinemateca of Los Angeles. Actively involved in a number of groups working to preserve Los Angeles history and culture, he is a former board member of the Los Angeles Conservancy and past Commissioner of the Los Angeles Historical Records & Landmarks Commission. He is the founder of the Lincoln Heights Neighborhood Preservation Association and currently serves as chair of the Lincoln Heights Historic Preservation Overlay Zone. He is the recipient of a Los Angeles Emmy for producing a bilingual-educational series.
Marisa Hicks-Alcaraz
Director of Programming
Marisa Hicks-Alcaraz is a Ph.D. student at Claremont Graduate University in Cultural Studies with interests in Chicanx/Latinx cinema and moving-image arts, identity formation, ethnographies of cultural institutions, and curatorial practices. She received her M.A. in Cinema Studies from New York University, focusing primarily on the intersections of race, identity and representation in Latinx and Latin American film. She has collaborated with institutions like the Vincent Price Art Museum, the Chicano International Film Festival, and the Museum of Modern Art. She also currently participates in the Watsonville Film Festival as an annual guest curator.
Mariluz González
Public Relations
Mariluz Gonzalez graduated with a B.A. in Latin American Studies from UCLA, and began working in public relations with well-established entertainment entertainment labels. However, her love of Latino Arts & Culture and entrepreneurial spirit led her to successfully launch Vesper Public Relations & Marketing in 2008. Mariluz Gonzalez is also a long-time co-host of KPFK’s long-running Latin Alternative music show, Travel Tips for Aztlan, bringing a deeper level of entertainment expertise to Vesper’s clients. Lastly, Gonzalez is co-founder of pioneering Latin punk label SourPop Records an indie label which released over 7 albums of Mexico’s underground music