Celebrating Creativity and Puerto Rican Heritage Through Cortitos

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HITN continues to inspire middle school students to celebrate Puerto Rican Heritage Month through Cortitos, its national short-film competition. Presented for its third year, HITN’s initiative Cortitos encourages student creativity, storytelling, and cultural exploration. The contest invites students to write a script and produce one-minute films highlighting one of HITN’s five Puerto Rican Heritage honorees.

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This year’s winners include two standout entries from Esperanza Academy Charter School in Philadelphia. One was written, directed and edited by 8th grader Alarberto Ortiz, and the other co-written, co-directed and co-edited by 14-year-olds Awildaliz Martinez Dejesus and My’Lan Baez. A cash prize was shared between both winners.

Reflecting on his piece, Alarberto shared, “I made my film about Roberto Clemente because I really admire him as a successful baseball player. He also did a lot for the Hispanic community, something I hope I can do when I grow up.”

“We chose to make this film about Sonia Manzano because she still became successful even if things were hard growing up. We liked the book she wrote, it was called ‘Becoming Maria: Love and Chaos in the South Bronx’,” said Awildaliz and My’Lan about their film’s inspiration.

At HITN, competition co-founder Luis Alejandro Molina commended the students’ creativity and dedication, noting, “Their work is truly inspiring, and we hope they continue sharing their talents with the world.”

Cortitos is more than a contest—it’s an educational experience that connects generations and fosters creativity, cultural awareness, and media literacy. Through hands-on activities, students explore identity, history, personal and cultural expression, and the art of filmmaking, all while honoring the legacies of influential Puerto Ricans.

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HITN-TV is the leading Spanish-language media company that offers educational and cultural programming for the whole family. It reaches more than 35 million homes in the US and Puerto Rico via DIRECTV, DIRECTV NOW, AT&T U-verse, AT&T TV, AT&T TV Now, DISH Network, Verizon FiOS TV, Comcast Xfinity, Charter Spectrum, Mediacom, CenturyLink Prism, and Altice. Edye users can learn more about the platform at www.edye.com and download the Edye app through the Apple App Store and Google Play.

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At HITN, competition co-founder Luis Alejandro Molina commended the students’ creativity and dedication, noting, “Their work is truly inspiring, and we hope they continue sharing their talents with the world.”