Moctesuma Esparza (born March 12, 1949) is an American producer, entertainment executive, entrepreneur and community activist. He is the chief executive officer of Maya Cinemas, a theater chain servicing to the United States Latino audience. He is also a partner with Carolyn Caldera in the company Esparza/Caldera Entertainment. He founded film distribution and production company Maya Entertainment in 2007. Esparza is a promoter of Latino films, and many of his films focus on Chicano themes. He has produced over twenty films, several of them for television, and has won over 200 awards. A participant in the 1960s-era movement for the civil rights and equality of Mexican Americans, Esparza continues to work with educational, cultural, and professional organizations, especially those that aim to educate Latinos in the business of media production.
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Biography from TMDB.
- March 12, 1949 (77)
- Los Angeles, California, USA
- Producer, also actor
- 19 on MovieCove · 25 credits in all
What are Moctesuma Esparza's films like?
Across their 19 MovieCove titles with a thematic analysis, their films lean Morality and Society.
Genres
Their MovieCove films by primary genre. The badge is the typical Midcredits score of the genre's films, the median percentile; an up arrow marks a genre at or above their average across these genres.
Themes
What they feel like to watch
Ironic 0 · Wry 4 · Earnest 15
A split, not a type: Light 8 · Serious 5 · Dark 6
Grounded 9 · Stylized 9 · Heightened 1
Gentle 2 · Charged 14 · Intense 3
A split, not a type: Steady 10 · Shifting 6 · Whiplash 3
A split, not a type: Straight-faced 10 · Some laughs 4 · Funny 5
Slow burn 7 · Even-paced 11 · Relentless 1
A split, not a type: Casual 9 · Engaged 8 · Full focus 2
A split, not a type: Easy watch 8 · Affecting 6 · Heavy 5
Resolved 14 · Open-ended 4 · Ambiguous 1
Moods and endings
- Happy5
- Bittersweet9
- Tragic2
- Ambiguous3
AI-generated from each title's plot synopsis and cast list, with extra plot summaries, reviews and Parents Guide notes for titles the model may not know, and the model's own knowledge of the ones it recognizes. Only analyzed titles count, so this covers part of the filmography; the feel axes count films only for now.
Where can I watch Moctesuma Esparza's films?
As of October 24, 2026, 10 of their 19 MovieCove titles stream on a subscription or free service, most on Tubi (7).
Subscription and free streaming for Moctesuma Esparza's titles on MovieCove; rent and buy are not counted. Titles are listed by Midcredits score, highest first, at most 12 per service; a dashed chip is a producer credit or a minor one, such as a thanks. A service opens the browse page, which counts movies only, so its number can differ.
Filmography
25 credits, 19 with a MovieCove page; 1 appearance as themselves is hidden until asked for.
Fireflies at El Mozote(2025)
Midcredits score: 31st percentile of all films
The Dreamer Cinderella(2026)
Midcredits score: 72nd percentile of all films (provisional, few ratings)
Due Justice(2023)
Midcredits score: 8th percentile of all films
Como Caído Del Cielo(2019)
Midcredits score: 73rd percentile of all films
Taco Shop(2018)
Midcredits score: 7th percentile of all films
Without Men(2011)
Midcredits score: 4th percentile of all films
Midcredits score: 18th percentile of all films
One Hot Summer (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2009)
Hoxsey: When Healing Becomes a Crime (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2005)
Gods and Generals(2003)
Midcredits score: 47th percentile of all films
Midcredits score: 79th percentile of all films
Butter(1998)
Midcredits score: 11th percentile of all films
Selena(1997)
Midcredits score: 83rd percentile of all films
Death in Granada(1996)
Midcredits score: 45th percentile of all films
The Avenging Angel(1995)
Midcredits score: 36th percentile of all films
The Cisco Kid(1994)
Midcredits score: 27th percentile of all films
Gettysburg(1993)
Midcredits score: 93rd percentile of all films
The Ambulance(1990)
Midcredits score: 42nd percentile of all films
Midcredits score: 75th percentile of all films
The Telephone(1988)
Midcredits score: 14th percentile of all films
Radioactive Dreams(1984)
Midcredits score: 47th percentile of all films
The Ballad of Gregorio Cortez (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1983)
American Playhouse (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1982)
Villa Alegre (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1974)
Desert Runner (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)
Career shape
A full career of 23 titles, 22 of them dated from 1974 to 2025.
Biggest box office
Selena (1997)
Highest rated
Gettysburg (1993)
Most popular right now
Fireflies at El Mozote (2025)
Counts from TMDB across their full career, self appearances out; a title counts in every role they held on it. The ring is the typical Midcredits score (the median percentile) of the role's titles that are on MovieCove, shown from 5 scored.
Awards
2 major nominations and no wins, 1978–2000.
- Primetime Emmy, nominated · Outstanding Made for Television Movie
- Oscar, nominated · Best Documentary, Short Subjects
Major bodies only: the Oscars, Primetime Emmys, Golden Globes, BAFTAs and Screen Actors Guild Awards are named; Cannes, Venice, the Berlinale, Sundance, the directors', writers' and producers' guilds, the Grammys, Critics Choice and the Independent Spirit Awards count as other major bodies. Festival and regional prizes are not counted. Source: IMDb.
How do Moctesuma Esparza's films land?
Their typical MovieCove film has a Midcredits score in the 42nd percentile, the median of all 19; across their 19 films with reception data, the typical film sits in the 38th percentile for acclaim.
- 75th and up4
- 50th to 74th2
- 25th to 49th7
- Below 25th6
Shape of the crowd
11 of their 19 titles are Mixed.
- Universally Loved1
- Divisive1
- Cult Classic1
- Crowd Pleaser4
- Broadly Agreed1
- Mixed11
Reviewers score the acting 63/100 in their films, across 17 reviewed titles; fans 76, detractors 36. The element that speaks to their work as an actor.
Percentiles are each film's standing among all films on MovieCove; the typical film is the median, so one outlier cannot drag it. Percentiles and reviewer scores count the films IMDb credits them on, for now; the Midcredits score bands, the shape of the crowd and the two cards count their MovieCove titles, shows included (a show ranked among shows), appearances as themselves left out. A descriptor is the shape of a title's IMDb rating distribution against the catalog; "most divisive" needs a spread wider than half of all titles, and a card names only a principal credit: a craft role, and on a show a crew role or a run of episodes, never a courtesy credit or a one-off guest spot.
Is Moctesuma Esparza's work okay for kids?
Across a limited sample of up to 4 MovieCove titles with content scores.
Severity 0–100 from the Content Guide. Categories with under 10 votes on a title are not counted.
Who does Moctesuma Esparza work with?
People who share at least 2 of Moctesuma Esparza's MovieCove titles, grouped by what they did on them; Robert Katz shares the most, 9.
Actors
- Paul RodriguezShared titles: The Dreamer Cinderella (2026), Without Men (2011)See all 2 shared titles with Paul Rodriguez
- Jeff FaheyShared titles: Fireflies at El Mozote (2025), Due Justice (2023)See all 2 shared titles with Jeff Fahey
- Eric RobertsShared titles: Taco Shop (2018), The Ambulance (1990)See all 2 shared titles with Eric Roberts
- Andy GarciaShared titles: Across the Line: The Exodus of Charlie Wright (2010), Death in Granada (1996)See all 2 shared titles with Andy Garcia
Composers and cinematographers
- Robbie GreenbergShared titles: Introducing Dorothy Dandridge (1999), The Milagro Beanfield War (1988)See all 2 shared titles with Robbie Greenberg
- Dave GrusinShared titles: Selena (1997), The Milagro Beanfield War (1988)See all 2 shared titles with Dave Grusin
Producers
- Robert KatzShared titles: Introducing Dorothy Dandridge (1999), Butter (1998), Selena (1997), Death in Granada (1996), The Avenging Angel (1995), The Cisco Kid (1994), Gettysburg (1993), The Ambulance (1990), The Telephone (1988)See all 9 shared titles with Robert Katz
- Carolyn CalderaShared titles: Como Caído Del Cielo (2019), Selena (1997), Death in Granada (1996)See all 3 shared titles with Carolyn Caldera
- Elias AxumeShared titles: Fireflies at El Mozote (2025), Due Justice (2023)See all 2 shared titles with Elias Axume
- HemDee KiwanukaShared titles: Fireflies at El Mozote (2025), Due Justice (2023)See all 2 shared titles with HemDee Kiwanuka
