Kiki Melendez An Entertainment Pioneer

by Kiki Melendez

An inspirational Hispanic businesswoman, actress and comedienne

 

Kiki Melendez and her daughters

Latina comedienne Kiki Melendez has created a smash hit with her bilingual docu-comedy The Journey of a Female Comic (La Trayectoria de Una Comediante). The dual language bilingual subtitles format has not yet been done for an American feature documentary, and this film’s release marks a first for moviegoers across the country.

The documentary, unveiled for the public at a special screening at the famed Palace Theater in downtown Los Angeles, is a lens centered on the Melendez’s personal story growing up in the Dominican Republic. It details her trials and tribulations on the way to comic stardom in the United States. Melendez also showcases the stories of other Latinos in Hollywood and their efforts and successes at realizing their own American Dreams. The theme threaded through the film is one of making it in America while staying true to your roots.

Who is Kiki Melendez?

Kiki Melendez is a leader not just in Hispanic business but also in women’s comedy. She was catapulted to national stardom in 2008 when her hit show Hot Tamales Live! was chosen as the closing act at the HBO Comedy Festival in Las Vegas. Her success with the Showtime series Hot Tamales Live! a comedy show based on her routine, has been a launching pad for female comics of all races since its debut in 2009.

Melendez studied at Florida Atlantic University majoring in Psychology and communications and currently has a Clinical Hypnotherapy Degree, she also studied at the Lee Strasberg Theater and Film Institute in New York City, and she has written and produced a TV Series for Galavision “Kiki Desde Hollywood” in addition to her TV specials for Showtime Network. “In Hollywood they call me the cross over poster child”…says Kiki

Film Synopsis

 

Kiki and Co-director Erick Crespo

The Journey of a Female Comic is inspiring for people of all races, genders and backgrounds. Melendez’s talents lie in her ability to showcase the human feelings that transcend boundaries as well as her ability to draw out candid, hilarious reactions from Hollywood professionals about their paths, dreams and personal stories.

If you still believe in getting your slice of the American Dream, this documentary’s honest and downright funny look at the lives of people who have made it or are trying to make it in Hollywood will have you laughing in solidarity no matter what your ethnicity. Along the way, Melendez interviews Hollywood Hispanic business professionals and actors like Nadine Velazquez, Esai Morales, Jacob Vargas, Lupe Ontiveros, Maria Conchita Alonzo, Felipe Esparza and more. The film also features stock footage of Melendez with international stars including Aaron Spelling, Usher, Sofia Vergara, Halle Berry, Hugh Jackman, John Travolta, Shakira and Marc Anthony.