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The National Association of Latino Independent Producers’ Ninth Annual Conference Presented by HBO® and The National Latino Media Council
Examines Trends in Pan-Latino Cinema
Musical performances by BMI artists Gustavo Alberto, Los Radares, Upground and Ceci Bastida
and a Special Latino edition of Back Stage’s Actorfest at Conference 9
Los Angeles, CA (March 4, 2008) The National Association of Latino Independent Producers (NALIP) examines the global effects and remarkable growth of the Latino media landscape at their 9th Annual NALIP Conference, Sin Limites: Trends in Pan-Latino Cinema. Presented by HBO, the three-day Conference brings together the best Latino filmmakers, producers and executives to empower attendees and feel the full force of the impact Latino productions are having on the entertainment industry. The Conference kicks off with a powerful opening plenary, “Creating a Pan-Latino Cinema with Global Appeal” with Rodrigo Garcia (“In Treatment”), Frida Torresblanco (PAN’S LABYRINTH), Phillip Rodriguez (BROWN IS THE NEW GREEN) and Mireya Navarro from The New York Times. Latinos have compelling and diverse stories. Are Latinos leveraging these stories to create a stronghold in the market? Are they effectively utilizing the advantage of increased demand for Latino content?
Co-sponsor HBO will host an opening night welcome reception for Conference attendees as well as a panel titled “Inside HBO: Diverse Voices, Compelling Stories” that will address the telling of Latino stories as well as covering what opportunities exist for filmmakers in partnership with HBO, HBO Latino and HBO Latin America. Esteemed Academy Award®, Emmy Award® and Golden Globe® winners and nominees lead the rest of the weekend’s Conference case studies, workshops and plenaries.
Additionally, NALIP will host a sneak preview screening of the Fox Searchlight film LA MISMA LUNA with director Patricia Riggen, writer/executive producer Ligiah Villalobos and actor Adrian Alonso present for a Q&A and award presentation to Ligiah Villalobos. Ms. Villalobos will be honored by NALIP with an Outstanding Achievement Award. The following two days will chart the emergence and global success of pan-Latino cinema through case studies of Alex Rivera’s Sundance premiere SLEEP DEALER moderated by Luis Mandoki (VOCES INNOCENTES), and the new Diego Luna-Gael Garcia Bernal film RUDO Y CURSI, directed by Carlos Cuarón. Case studies of the new Maya Pictures films AUGUST EVENING, MALDEAMORES and THE STARTUP will also include the filmmakers and distribution executives.
Reality TV is a hot topic that now includes successful Latino producers like Chris Abrego (“The Surreal Life”) and Luis Barreto (“Extreme Makeover”), as is the disturbing problem of Hate Speech directed at Latinos. Members of the FBI, MALDEF and the Anti-Defamation League will look at strategies to combat this abuse of our airwaves.
In addition to dynamic networking events, NALIP will present, with Back Stage Magazine, a special Latino edition of Back Stage's Actorfest. Casting directors from CBS, ABC, mun2, NBC, Fox, Telemundo and the Disney Channel along with managers and independent casting directors will be on hand to seek out fresh Latino talent for roles in upcoming film and television productions. NALIP will also showcase some fresh new Latino comedy and music talent with Payaso Entertainment and LATV. The Latino State of Comedy on Saturday night, March 8, MC’ed by Rick Najera will be followed by a Latin music showcase presented by BMI, Gibson and Peer Music.
Conference Agenda
Conference 9 is co-chaired by Academy Award® winning producer Frida Torresblanco (PAN’S LABYRINTH) and acclaimed playwright Elaine Romero (Secret Things). Executives from HBO, Universal, CBS, Fox, Lifetime, NBC/Telemundo/mun2, Warner Bros., Maya Pictures, Picturehouse, the Walt Disney Studios, the WGAW, Multicanal Spain, PBS and many others are scheduled to attend and participate. The Conference agenda includes performer/director panels on voice-over careers and cold readings, opportunities to pitch SiTV, plus tips on how to break into Spanish-language series and reality television - get that hit show off of your laptop and on to a t.v. set near you! Documentary makers have a track of seminars that includes a two-part documentary seminar on pitch and presentation making for doc makers of all stages. Get into the minds of Maya Pictures (AUGUST EVENING, MALDAMORES, THE STARTUP) as they host a case study to discuss the process and inspiration behind each of their three unique feature film projects.
Co-chair Elaine Romero states, “Imagine every film and television professional interested in Latino work that you ever dreamed of meeting thrown together at a picturesque site on the cliffs of Dana Point for three days straight. It’s not just a dream. It’s the National Association of Latino Independent Producers’ National Conference. Filmmakers will find their teams. Deals will be made. Films will be born. The Conference is a must-attend for any aspiring or experienced Latino filmmaker.”
Speakers include Maya Pictures Chair Moctesuma Esparza, Fox Sr. VP of Programming Pancho Mansfield, Fox VP of Emerging Markets Rick Ramirez, CBS Casting Executive Fern Orenstein, Universal Studios Creative Executive David Ortiz, Nacional Records VP of Business Affairs Josh Norek, HBO VP of Market Development Lucinda Martinez-Desir, National Hispanic Media Coalition President Alex Nogales, HBO Films VP Sam Martin, Executive Director of Administration of the Latino International Film Institute Angel Rivera, HBO VP of Documentary Programming Jackie Glover and Lifetime VP Lucia Cottone. A complete list of speakers is available at: www.nalip.org/conference2008/.
The Conference kicks off with its first-ever, special Latino edition of Back Stage’s Actorfest in association with Back Stage. This full-day open call for Latino talent runs 9 am – 4 pm on Friday, is free to all, as it is pre-Conference, and hosts over a dozen casting directors and talent executives. Actorfest will also include special informational panels for performers by AFTRA, Nosotros and mun2 including a master class with Yancey Aria. AFTRA's panel includes recording artist Dan Navarro, comedienne Kiki Melendez, TV actor Jason George and Univision newsperson Pepe Barretto discussing upcoming opportunities for actors!
NALIP sessions will include a panel hosted by top diverse television directors Jesus Trevino (“Cane”), Seith Mann (“The Riches”), Felix Alcala (“Criminal Minds”), Roxanne Dawson (“Cold Case”), Julie Hebert (“Numb3rs”) and Norberto Barba (“Law & Order”) explaining how to break into directing on TV. Nacional Records will look at how musica has gone mainstream with a panel on Latin Music in English-Language film and television. Latinos are an ever-increasing percentage of English-language media consumers. Music supervisors are more open than ever to the inclusion of Latin music in general market films and television projects. Actors Benito Martinez (“The Shield”), James Roday (“Psych”), Yancey Arias (“Kingpin”) and Andre Royo (“The Wire”) will discuss the diversity in network television and explain how they create an authentic multi-cultural reality in an often non multi-cultural television show.
“A NALIP Conference offers tremendous professional development and networking opportunities to filmmakers and performers at all levels,” says NALIP Executive Director Kathryn Galan. “Here you have a chance to meet top casting directors at Actorfest, plus industry execs like HBO’s Sam Martin and Jackie Glover, wonderful directors like Sergio Arau and Luis Mandoki, top public television program officers like Kathy Lo, Richard Saiz, Patricia Boero and WGBH’s Judith Vecchione and Joseph Tovares. Plus a world of international contacts, like Studiocanal’s Roberto Blatt and filmmaker Carlos Cuarón. This, plus talent showcases and your weekend is a full one! “
Writer-actor-director Rick Najera will MC the Payaso Entertainment and LATV comedy showcase. Performers include Latino 96.3 radio personality Joey Medina, Cory Fernandez, Juan Garcia, Rene Garcia, Gene Pompa, Rick Ramos, Sandra Valls and Jose Velasquez. Opening this showcase, NALIP’s dedicated sponsor the McDonald’s Corporation will present two cash grants to NALIP’s Estela Award winners, one rising Latino documentary director and one rising Latino feature filmmaker who each receive $7,500 to support their work, leadership, creativity, vision and passion. This year’s winners are Patricia Riggen (LA MISMA LUNA) and Almudena Carracedo (MADE IN L.A.).
Following the comedy showcase, BMI will bring together rising Latina/o music talent at a Latin Music Showcase. The BMI showcase, which was designed to expose unique emerging singer/songwriters to music fans and industry leaders, will feature live performances by Gustavo Alberto, Los Radares, Upground and Ceci Bastida. The showcase will fuse the many different sub-genres under the Latin music umbrella such as salsa, merengue, pop, cumbia, hip-hop, reggaeton, rock and alternative. BMI’s showcase will feature Gustavo Alberto from 10:10 pm until 10:30 pm; Los Radares between 10:40 pm and 11:00 pm; Upground from 11:10 pm until 11:30 pm; and Ceci Bastida between 11:40 pm and midnight.
Sunday will conclude with a closing plenary, “Conversation with…RUDO Y CURSI”, the NALIP Lifetime Achievement Award in Advocacy will be given to Maggie Rivas-Rodriguez, Ph.D. (“Defend the Honor” campaign) and closing remarks made by HBO Executive Vice President, Affiliate Marketing Olivia Smashum.
Concurrent with Conference 9 and with the support of the National Endowment for the Arts, NALIP presents the fourth Latino Media Market™. Thirty two select feature production and development projects, documentary works-in-progress and reality television series ideas will be accepted to participate in a special executive meeting series designed to advance each producer’s project, arrange financing and attract broadcast licenses. SiTV will once again return as the exclusive non-scripted television channel taking series concept pitches and will award a $2,000 prize, plus a 4-month development option to the strongest series concept pitched at the Market. Additionally, NALIP will hold a special Loteria with all of the proceeds going to one lucky Conference attendee in order to advance the winner’s project plus second and third-place prizes donated by Showbiz Software Store and Corazonas Chips.
About the Honorees & Special Guests
LIGIAH VILLALOBOS, Outstanding Achievement Award
Ligiah Villalobos was the Head Writer on the Nick Jr. series, “Go, Diego! Go!” and is the writer/executive producer on the feature film LA MISMA LUNA/UNDER THE SAME MOON, which was an official selection at the 2007 Sundance Film Festival and will premiere in theatres on March 21, 2008.
After several years as a studio executive, writer-producer-director Ligiah Villalobos made the leap into the independent film community with the film DANCING IN SEPTEMBER, which she co-produced in 2000. The film was an Official Selection to the 2001 Sundance Film Festival and premiered on HBO in February 2001. Since becoming an independent, Ms. Villalobos has been a staff writer on the NBC show, “Ed” and sold TV projects to NBC, Showtime and F/X. Her documentary ONE WORLD screened at the L.A. International Latino Film Festival and the Texas Film Festival.
Born and raised in México, Ms. Villalobos moved to the U.S. at the age of 11. She attended Brigham Young University, majoring in Cultural Geography and Dance. Since arriving in Los Angeles, Ms. Villalobos has held several positions at studios including Director, Programming for Buena Vista Productions where she oversaw all television production in Latin America, including eight #1 rated “Disney Club Shows.” She also developed the CD, Navidad en las Americas, for Disney Records, which landed at #8 on Billboard’s Latin Chart, and two prime time TV specials which aired in 18 countries.
She was later hired by Touchstone Television to oversee Walt Disney’s prestigious Writers Fellowship Program and Director’s Training Program. After leaving Disney, Ms. Villalobos served as Director, Current Programming for the WB Network where she oversaw six prime time series – four sitcoms and two dramas. She made a transition into film production when she became VP, Creative Affairs at Esparza/Katz Productions. There she was involved in two HBO Films, INTRODUCING DOROTHY DANDRIDGE and WALKOUT, and a movie for New Line Cinema, PRICE OF GLORY.
Currently, Ms. Villalobos is writing DIEGO ASCENDING, an adaptation of the Israeli film BONJOUR, MONSIEUR SHLOMI for Salma Hayek’s production company, Ventanazul. She is also writing a biopic and has sold a one-hour drama, EASTSIDE/WESTSIDE, to ABC/Family with Sander/Moses and Eva Longoria’s production company, UnbeliEVAble.
Ms. Villalobos was named, “One of the 25 Most Powerful and Talented Hispanic Women in the Entertainment Industry” by the Hollywood Reporter and Billboard Magazine in 2007.
MAGGIE RIVAS-RODRIGUEZ, Lifetime Achievement Award in Advocacy
Maggie Rivas-Rodriguez is an associate professor at the University of Texas at Austin’s School of Journalism. In 2007, she spearheaded a national initiative to ensure that the experience of Latino WWII veterans was included, in a meaningful way, in the Ken Burns documentary series, “The War.” Thanks to an unprecedented mobilization of grassroots Latino veterans and Ms. Rivas-Rodriguez’s sheer persistence, the “Defend the Honor” Campaign garnered support from all corners of the Latino community. She continues to underscore the fact that the story of Latino contributions in and throughout history needs to be told to and needs to be known by all of our fellow Americans.
Ms. Rivas-Rodriguez has gone to great efforts to ensure that the Latino story of WWII will never be forgotten. In 1999, she founded the U.S. Latino & Latina World War II Oral History Project, which has videotaped interviews with over 560 men and women across the country. The interviews and related material, including thousands of high-resolution photographs, are being transferred to the Nettie Lee Latin American Collection at the UT campus. The project has produced A Legacy Greater than Words, a book that summarizes 425 of the interviews, edited
volumes of academic manuscripts, a play, Voices of Valor, and educational materials. In October she won the 2007 Leadership Award from the National Association of Hispanic Journalists. She was on the committee that organized and founded the NAHJ in 1982, and in 1988 she originated one of their most successful student projects: a convention newspaper produced by college students and professionals. The model she developed for that convention newspaper has been adopted by most other newspaper industry organizations (American Society
of Newspaper Editors, the National Association of Black Journalists, and the Asian American Journalists Association).
Ms. Rivas-Rodriguez has more than 17 years of daily news experience in major market news outlets including newspapers, television and wire services. Her most recent journalism job was as the Border Bureau Chief for The Dallas Morning News, covering the U.S.-México border out of a one-person bureau in El Paso. She earned her Ph.D. in mass communication as a Freedom Forum doctoral fellow from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill in August 1998. Her MA is from the Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism (1977) and her BA in journalism is from the University of Texas at Austin (1976). She grew up in Devine, Texas, 30 miles south of San Antonio.
PATRICIA RIGGEN, Estela Award
Patricia Riggen is the director and producer of LA MISMA LUNA, which premiered at the Sundance Film Festival in January 2007 and will be released by Fox Searchlight in March. Her first short film, LA MILPA, screened in over 30 international film festivals and received 20 awards, among them the Student Academy Award and the Mexican Academy Award for Best Short Film. Patricia’s second short film, FAMILY PORTRAIT, won several awards among the festival circuit, including the Jury’s Prize for Best Short Film at Sundance ‘05. She was the writer for a television documentary series and later worked as a Creative Executive for the Mexican Film Institute (IMCINE) where she produced short films, commercials, and documentaries. She is a recipient of the National Fund for the Arts and Culture in México and holds a Master’s degree in film direction from Columbia University.
ALMUDENA CARRACEDO, Estela Award
Almudena Carracedo is director, producer, cinematographer, co-editor and co-writer of the documentary, MADE IN L.A.. Her film premiered at SilverDocs and the Los Angeles Film Festival in 2007, then went on to win numerous awards before its U.S. broadcast premiere on PBS’ POV series. It was funded by ITVS, POV, and the Sundance Institute Documentary Fund. Almudena trained in film production in Madrid and Paris, then worked as a television director in Spain, directing programs for broadcast on Canal Plus and on the first edition of “Gran Hermano.” Her documentary on Tijuana, WELCOME: A DOCU-JOURNEY OF IMPRESSIONS, received the Sterling Award for Best Short Documentary at Silverdocs Documentary Festival. Almudena is a member of the WGA’s Non-Fiction Writers Caucus and both a Fellow and a mentor of NALIP’s Latino Producers Academy™.
NARRAT IVE winner
FRIDA TORRESBLANCO, Conference Co-Chair
Frida studied Film and Literature in Madrid. At Lolafilms for 5 years she was responsible for all international productions, including THE DANCER UPSTAIRS, directed by John Malkovich; she also produced Susan Seidelman's GAUDI AFTERNOON starring Marcia Gay Harden. In 2001, Frida moved to New York to head filmmaker Alfonso Cuarón's newly established production company. She served as Executive Producer and creative on-set Producer for the films THE ASSASSINATION OF RICHARD NIXON, directed by Niels Mueller and starring Sean Penn and CRONICAS, directed by Sebastián Cordero and starring John Leguizamo.
In 2005, as Head of Esperanto, she produced PAN’S LABYRINTH, directed by Guillermo del Toro, which won three Oscars at the 79th Academy Awards. In December 2006, Frida completed production on a documentary directed by Alfonso Cuarón entitled THE POSSIBILITY OF HOPE, which includes interviews with Naomi Klein, James Lovelock, Tzvetan Todorov, and Slavoj Zizek, among others. She recently completed work on Jonás Cuarón’s AÑO UÑA, which is currently making the rounds in the festival circuit.
Frida is proud to participate as a Producer on Carlos Cuarón’s original opera prima, RUDO Y CURSI.
ELANIE ROMERO, Conference Co-Chair
Elaine Romero is an acclaimed playwright Walk into the Sea, Barrio Hollywood, Secret Things. She participated in NBC's Writers on the Verge and CBS's Diversity Mentorship Program. She is an alumni of NALIP's Latino Writers Lab, the Latino Producers Academy, and attended Los Angeles Film School. On commission, she recently completed Xochi: Jaguar Princess for the Kennedy Center for Performing Arts, Undocumented, her contribution to a binational project with Mexican playwright Berta Hirart, and Something Rare and Wonderful for the Alley Theatre. She was recently awarded a 20/20 Commission from InterAct Theatre Company for The Dali Lama is Not Welcome Here. Her award-winning theatre work has been produced nationwide and is frequently published. Elaine has taught playwriting and screenwriting at Linfield College and the University of Arizona. She is a Core Member of the Playwrights' Center and a member of the Dramatists Guild. She is honored to Co-Chair this year's national conference in Dana Point, close to where she grew up.
KATHYRN F. GALAN, Executive Director
Ms. Galan has been NALIP’s Executive Director for seven years, establishing it as the preeminent national Latino media organization by taking it from an NCLR special project with a steering committee to an autonomous and substantial advocacy and professional development organization. She has overseen the growth of its membership 5-fold, plus created and programmed six respected National Signature programs. She has been responsible for all of the organization’s staffing and day-to-day management, millions in corporate and foundation fundraising, publicity strategies and branding, regional programs and chapter development, plus design of the www.nalip.org website and eNewsletter Latinos in the Industry. In addition, she has supervised NALIP’s Third, Fourth, Fifth, Sixth, Seventh and Eighth National Conferences. At Media on the Move: Power for Independents in March 2007, she and her team programmed over two hundred speakers, instructors, funders and executives into plenary sessions, workshops and seminars. She also oversaw the third Latino Media Market™ at Conference 8, a program designed to further advance the opportunities for project funding and Latino media employment.
She has been an independent producer (FRENCH KISS, SQUANTO, DAYBREAK), new media consultant and studio executive. She was head of production for Atlantic Entertainment Group and a production Vice President at Walt Disney Studio’s Hollywood Pictures, then ran Meg Ryan’s Prufrock Pictures and her own consultancy firm, EKR Strategies. In addition to the management and development responsibilities of these film and television production companies, she arranged for over $60 million in international co-financing. She is a graduate of Amherst College, and did initial media studies in video art at SUNY Buffalo, then MA studies in film history and criticism at UCLA, specializing in World Cinema.
RICK NAJERA, Comedy Showcase Host
Rick Najera is the VP of Development at LATV. He is often referred to as a 'Latino' Tyler Perry; Najera is an award-winning writer-actor-director and producer with credits in film, television, theatre and Broadway. Najera, honored twice by Hispanic Magazine as one of the '100 Most Influential Latinos in America and most notably, his writing credits include groundbreaking television comedies such as “Mad TV” and “In Living Color”, his live stage comedy LATINOLOGUES? which went on to Broadway, and his newest comedic stage play SWEET 15 - Quinceanerera. For the third consecutive year Najera will be directing the CBS Multicultural Sketch Comedy Showcase Jan 2008. 2007-08 Rick Najera has developed Homies Hip Hop Show, Cesar and Chuy and Mas Comedy for LATV.
GUSTAVO ALBERTO, Musical Showcase
The Los Angeles-based singer/songwriter confidently merges his American, Mexican and Chicano worlds to create definitively modern rock. Entertainment Weekly dubbed Alberto one of the top artists to watch in 2008, praising his innate knack for “merging Latin music with almost a classic Bruce Springsteen songwriting style.” www.myspace.com/gustavoalbertomusic
LOS RADARES, Musical Showcase
Copious creator Abie Toiber’s new band Los Radares offers tantalizing Latin pop rock. A versatile composer, producer and musician, Toiber’s recent solo albums, Lotus and Relativity, expose his ravenous exploration and subsequent mastery of diverse sounds, including British pop and world music. www.myspace.com/losradares
UPGROUND, Musical Showcase
The bilingual East L.A. progeny, which frenetically melds ska, reggae, cumbia and rock, to form sui generis dance jewels. In four short years, Upground has garnered tastemaker accolades from the New York Post and Los Angeles Times, underscoring the group’s immediate chic and auspicious future. www.myspace.com/upgroundmusic
CECI BASTIDA, Musical Showcase
With a 2006 Pitchfork Critic’s Pick for Best Song under her belt, Tijuana native Ceci Bastida strode into ready-and-waiting U.S. terrain for her solo debut at the 2007 South By Southwest Music Festival and Conference. The buzz couldn’t be better - an iTunes “What’s Hot” nod and Latino chart ascension soon followed. www.myspace.com/cecibastida
NALIP ACCOMPLISHMENTS
Since its inception in 1999, NALIP has emerged as the premiere Latino media organization addressing the most underrepresented and largest ethnic minority in the country. NALIP has four national initiatives:
- The National Conference – Sin Limites: Trends in Pan-Latino Cinema is NALIP’s ninth national conference. This year the conference includes their first ever Latino Actorfest and a spectacular line up of musical and comedic showcases. The conference will also offer a Loteria which is a special cash prize awarded to a conference attendee for project development or completion. The Latino Media Market will again be on the agenda selecting top film, television and documentary projects for targeted one-on-one meetings with executives, representatives and funders in order to facilitate more business deals and steps to production.
- The Latino Writer's Lab™ -- The sixth lab is presented in collaboration with Time Warner and the Writer's Guild of America East in Santa Fe, New Mexico, May 7-11, with a second session scheduled for Santa Monica in September. This 10-day intensive program attracts Latina/o film and television writers from around the country. The curriculum advances their screenplays through work on craft, as well as through direct mentoring; the program also introduces writers to agents, managers, producers and funders in order to expand their professional network and further their projects and careers.
- Latino Producers Academy TM – Feature, television and documentary producers and directors attend this ten-day intensive seminar in Santa Fe, New Mexico by special selection and invitation. Producer/director teams participate in seminars on advanced professional skills development and in-depth mentoring that support all aspects of their project development, production skills and marketing understanding as instructed by top industry professionals. Feature casts and crews are provided so that scenes can be rehearsed, shot, edited and scored. Presented in association with Time Warner and Nielsen Media Research, the UCLA Film and Television Professional Certificate Program and the University of Arizona, School of Media Arts Department, the fourth LPA will be held August 5 - 22, 2008.
- Latino Media Resource Guide™ – A printed directory of Latina/o writers, directors, producers, crew members, executives and production companies, including their contact and credit information, plus deadlines for diversity initiatives, film schools and funding opportunities, distribution companies and Hispanic American film listings. This book is provided free to members, as well as to all studios, networks, production companies and agents in order to enhance employment and build community. The database is also available and updatable online, along with additional resources, links, and connections at www.nalip.org/nalip/NALIP-Resources-LMRG.html. The fifth edition will be available at Conference 9.
- NALIP has 15 regional chapters that provide professional development workshops and support in project development, fundraising, proposal writing and other essential media skills.
About NALIP:
Founded in 1999 by a group of Latino producers, educators and media activists, NALIP’s mission is to promote the advancement, development and funding of Latina and Latino film and media arts in all genres. NALIP is committed to improving access and opportunities for Latina/os at all points in the media production pipeline, including the training of our next generation of media makers, and the support of emerging and mid-career professionals. It is a national organization of industry, independent and community producers dedicated to increasing the quality and quantity of images by, for and about Latinos in the media. For the latest information about NALIP Conference 9, or to register online, go to www.nalip.org. All those interested in exhibiting, please contact Conference Director, Octavio Marin at 310.395.8484.
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Press Contact:
Monica M. Jaramillo
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