9 July 10-16, 2025 miaminewtimes.com | browardpalmbeach.com NEW TIMES | CONTENTS | LETTERS | NEWS | NIGHT+DAY | CULTURE | CAFE | MUSIC | miaminewtimes.com MIAMI NEW TIMES | CONTENTS | LETTERS | RIPTIDE | METRO | NIGHT+DAY | STAGE | ART | FILM | CAFE | MUSIC | Short Attention Span Theater Meet Minivela, an online platform for bite-size telenovelas. BY CAROLINE VAL I f you’re one of the millions of Latinos who grew up watching Spanish tele- novelas with your parents, you’re famil- iar with the wild tales the 30- to 45-minute soaps are known to spin over the better part of a year. Dramatic clips from popular ‘80s and ‘90s novelas are staples on diaspora- and nostalgia-themed social media accounts. Still, in the time of reels and streaming, the notion of investing that much time and attention into a single story seems like a quaint memory of a bygone era. Minivela, a platform for short-form tele- novelas aimed at younger audiences, seeks to capitalize on the form’s popularity while adapting to today’s media demands. The project is based in Miami and backed by some industry heavyweights: Cuban and Puerto Ri- can actor Carlos Ponce, who has built his ca- reer not only in the world of Spanish soap operas, but across Hollywood in hits like ABC’s 2014 sitcom Cristela and the 2009 comedy film Couples Retreat; and Manny Ruiz, cofounder of Brilla Media and for- mer CEO of Hispani- cize Media Group, a digital platform telling Latino stories, which actor John Leguizamo purchased in 2019. In scouring ideas for their next business venture, Ruiz and his wife landed on an in- teresting concept growing in popularity in China: short, bite-sized dramas filmed for reels across social media, with some garner- ing more views than contemporary box office hits. Ruiz and Ponce got to work on develop- ing the idea, structuring Minivela not just as a one-off experiment, but as a scalable plat- form that could become the go-to space for short-form Latino storytelling. They saw an opportunity to utilize familiar tropes — steamy love triangles, evil siblings, shocking betrayals — in a format fit for the mobile screen. Crucially, they thought the platform could allow nascent Miami creatives to break into film and TV production. “We feel we have an opportunity to bridge those gaps for Latinos that never get to see themselves in Hollywood, giving them one step closer to longer form series and films,” Ruiz tells New Times. “Yes, we’re having fun producing content that can go viral, but just as importantly, we’re testing stories that will be able to work for larger, future streamer deals.” The team behind Minivela — which is now streaming its summer programming on You- Tube, including its most viewed recent video, “Cholita Takes L.A.” — says Minivela aims to create accessible entry points for up-and- coming Latino filmmakers, actors, and writ- ers in the South Florida market. “Miami doesn’t have the culture or the depth yet, but it has the most gorgeous back- drop — so many stories, so many cultures — that it’s begging to have Minivela championed and produced here,” says Ruiz. “We’ve eliminated the need to have a half- million or million-dollar production to make it happen. We are democratizing filmmaking in a place that doesn’t have traditional finan- cial support.” Ponce has taken a hands-on role both be- hind the scenes and in front of the camera. “I was deeply attracted to Minivela because it truly represents a beacon of hope, experi- mentation, and opportunities for Latino cre- atives at a time when the Hollywood system is undergoing a much-needed reboot,” he tells New Times. “Producing the Minivela is a true blend of traditional filmmaking and social media content creation. Both disci- plines are essential. The core, however, is storytelling that is compelling and relevant.” The company has also recruited content creators with a proven track record of attract- ing audiences in the new media landscape. Among those collaborators are Ecuadorian influencer and actress Haydita Veloz — who boasts more than four million loyal followers on TikTok — and Alexander Arias, better known by his online alias “Mr. Red.” Known for his offbeat comedy about the trenches of Cuban-American life in Miami, Arias is step- ping into slightly different roles with Mini- vela, from exploring his dramatic range to cultivating local talent. “The way I started in my career, I wasn’t finding film opportunities or auditions in Mi- ami,” Arias explains. “Then I realized every single video I post on social media is just a different audition with a different character. I couldn’t get an audition, so if I waited for au- ditions to come around, I’d be waiting a long time. What I realized was that every single day, I can have an audition — I just had to film it and post that audition, and people could view it. And that’s what this is doing for other creatives.” [email protected] ▼ Culture Minivela is based in Miami and backed by telenovela industry heavyweights. Photo by Manny Ruiza “WE’VE ELIMINATED THE NEED TO HAVE A HALF- MILLION OR MILLION- DOLLAR PRODUCTION TO MAKE IT HAPPEN.” ALWAYS IN YOUR FEED. CHOOSE YOUR CHANNEL
