FLAMIN’ HOT
Section: Headliners
Directors: Eva Longoria
Screenwriter: Linda Yvette Chávez, Lewis Colick
Logline: Flamin’ Hot is the story of Richard Montañez (Jesse Garcia), the Frito Lay janitor who channeled his Mexican American heritage and upbringing to turn Flamin’ Hot Cheetos into a snack that disrupted the food industry and became a global phenomenon.
Panelists: Eva Longoria and DeVon Franklin
Premiered: March 11, 2023
Key Quote: Longoria: “There was no doubt [Jesse Garcia and Annie Gonzalez]—when we tested them together—that they were our Richard and Judy. We felt this heavy weight to do a service to the real Richard and Judy because this movie is also a love story about a couple who have been together their entire lives and are still together.”
Franklin: “I met Richard and Judy back in 2017, I was like, ‘Wow, all that you went through and all that you endured.’ He had this vision for his family and also, for the company. Richard, even to this day, is seen with a Pepsi bottle in his hand. For him to feel that loyal to his company and to want to serve them, his family, and his community after all that he went through, I knew I wanted to help me tell his story.”
The Deadline Studio at SXSW runs March 10-13, where the cast and creatives behind the best and buzziest titles in this year’s lineup sit down with Deadline’s festival team to discuss their movies and the paths they took to get to Austin, Texas.
DeVon Franklin and Eva Longoria at the Deadline Studio at SXSW Film and Television Festival held at the Thompson Hotel on March 11, 2023, in Austin, Texas.