Angelina Villapiano, aka Miss Angelina, is an actress, rapper, writer and director whose signature style fuses music and comedy together with a Latin flare. After coming up in the Hip Hop culture of New York, she moved back to her motherland, Puerto Rico, where she runs Nueva Productions - an entertainment company that creates award-winning web series, films and music videos highlighting Latino culture and talent. She has been featured on the TV show American Latino, and selected for the National Hispanic Media Coalition Latinx Stream Showcase. She has two Hip Hop projects on Spotify (and all major streaming platforms), and is most recently recognized for her viral hit songs on TikTok that showcase her mix of music and comedy.
Tell us about your experience at the Hip Hop Film Festival. I live in Puerto Rico and wasn't able to travel to New York, so I enjoyed the festival virtually from the comfort of my own home. The coolest part - my friends from around the country also got to watch my film virtually, and we could enjoy the festival together, even from miles apart.
Why are “stories from the culture” worthy of a platform? Representation matters! All too often we see the same stories made by the same types of storytellers coming out of Hollywood. We deserve to see ourselves and our humanity reflected back to us - our stories from the culture. Our rich, diverse, relevant voices and experiences matter. Why do you think the Harlem Film House and Hip Hop Film Festival are important? Hip Hop is more than a music genre - it's a culture, a way of life. What was created by Black and Latinos in the Bronx has now made an immense impact on every race and nationality in the entire world. This festival celebrates Hip Hop culture and the stories behind it, continuing the legacy. What projects are you working on now? I'm working on my first feature length film - a comedy about my real-life experience as a Nuyorican rapper that moves to Puerto Rico and mixes Hip Hop with Salsa music.