“Women have repeatedly earned their rightful place in our society, government, media, and the economy. The recent electoral victories in Congress are exceptional examples, where, for the first time ever, more than 100 Congresswomen will be sworn in come January 2019. This is an inspiration to women in all areas of the film and television industry who are standing up for gender equity, equal pay, and safer work environments.”
Cynthia López is an award-winning media strategist and former Commissioner of the New York City Mayor’s Office of Media and Entertainment, where she implemented strategies to support film and TV production throughout the five boroughs. Prior to working as Commissioner, López was Executive Vice President and Co-Executive Producer of the award-winning PBS documentary series American Documentary | POV, and was involved in the organization’s strategic growth and creative development for 14 years. López is a founding member of the Board of Directors of the National Association of Latino Independent Producers (NALIP) and is proud to have spent her career collaborating with independent filmmakers across all portions of the film and television industry. She served on the Board of Trustees for the Paley Center, NYC & Company, Museum of the Moving Image and the Tribeca Film Institute Latin America Fund Advisory Board. She currently serves on the Board of Directors for Latino Public Broadcasting, Manhattan Neighborhood Network and Hunter College IMA Program, as well as the Board of Trustees for the Hunter College Foundation.
Nationality: Puerto Rican
Industry: Media and Film
Q: On her intended career path and decision to pursue media Alliance of Women Film Journalists
A: “I had a little bit of an existential crisis. I’d always thought, ever since I was four, ‘I’m going to be a pediatrician. I’m going to help little kids who are sick.’ I remember a guidance counselor looking at my paperwork and saying, ‘But you have 65 credits in communication and marketing. What happened there?’ I said, ‘No, no, no, that’s just for fun. I don’t want to be an on-air personality.’ And he said, ‘There’s a full range of careers that are not on-air personalities!’ He started talking to me about the distribution of public information. I was connected, through the Center for Puerto Rican Studies and other departments within Hunter College. They said, you should really look at media, because you’ve already been doing it.’”
