Jon Mercedes III is a multi-talented creator, writer, producer and executive in the entertainment industry. He is Chairman and CEO of Fiesta Studios, President of Entertainment Consulting Services and President and CEO of Mercedes Entertainment.
Fiesta Studios is recruiting the best and brightest affiliate companies and associates for the first Latino studio in the history of Hollywood.
"The Latino audience out there is a sleeping giant," Mercedes said in a 1994 interview with The Hollywood Reporter.
"The marketplace is such that everybody is looking for something different, something fresh."
Fiesta Studios has several projects in development including the theater musical "The Orishas Are Coming to America!" Mercedes' creative responsibilities range from creating, developing and co-writing motion pictures and television projects to producing and directing.
In his long career, Mercedes have produced and staged over 50 Latino stand-up comedy nights at Hollywood's legendary comedy clubs, The Improv and The Comedy Store. Mercedes created the Latino Comedy Olympics Competition and Festival which began in 2003.
Mercedes began his career as an actor, writer and manager. In 1997, he co-wrote and created three network television pilots. The unique and exceptional versatility of Mercedes and his co-writer was that they wrote three pilots for three networks in three different genres ­ comedy, drama and sketch comedy/variety.

Writer
Jon Mercedes III has been in the entertainment industry for 25 years as a writer/producer. His experience in film and television is substantial and varied. He has overlapped careers ranging from producer and writer to production exective, personal manager, publicist, nightclub owner, publisher and entertainment consultant.
As a writer, Jon's professional career began in 1975. He was developing stories and writing screenplays. In 1976, he sold his first script and joined the Writers Guild of America, west. He also wrote two years for the Canadian hit game show "Party Game," hosted by Jim Perry.
In 1978, Mercedes became a staff writer for Paramount and ABC's "Happy Days." He spent a year learning the rigorous process of grinding out a weekly television hit show.

Producer
Jon's first executive producing credit is on the movie "Pale Horse, Pale Rider," based on Katherine Anne Porter's Pulitzer prize-winning short story. The film starred Charlene Tilton (of "Dallas" fame) and Ray Walston (of "My Favorite Martian") This short feature film was critiicially acclaimed and seen at film festivals throughout the world.
Mercedes also served as Associate producer on four films for Action International Pictures. Those were "Deadly Prey," "Mankillers," "Chase" and "Phoenix the Warrior.

Las Vegas stages and Los Angeles theaters have also hosted Mercedes'
productions. He started the New Mercury Players in 1973, a repertory theatre company inspired by Orson Wells' famous Mercury Theatre. Mercedes was Executive Producer and Artistic Director for the group of 65 actors, five directors and five production designers.
Jon was also named Executive Producer for the New Playwrights Foundations, a theatre group dedicated to new writers. He has produced and executive-produced over 15 plays in Los Angeles.
In Las Vegas, Jon teamed up with producer/manager Tony De Lauro and co-produced a live stage show starring Chubby Checker and comedian Marty Cohen. Chubby's return to Vegas and Marty's debut proved to be one of the most exciting shows to hit the Strip in years with standing ovations for both artists every night for three weeks.

Manager
In 1978, Jon founded two companies, Mercedes/Cohen Management and United Public Relations. Both companies were partnered with personal manager Paul Cohen. They represented many television stars for management and publicity including Charlene Tilton ("Dallas"), Susan Richardson ("Eight is Enough"), Claudia Lonor ("Knot's Landing'), Danielle Brisebois ("Archie Bunker's Place"), Tracy Bregman ("The Young and the Restless"), Jimmy Baio ("Soap"), Marty Cohen ("Solid Gold") and Jim Perry ("Card Sharks").
Two years later, Mercedes formed the Mercedes Company, a firm representing television stars and behind-the-camera talent. Among his clients were James Orr , award-winning writer/director/producer ("Tough Guys," "Three Men and a Baby," "Father of the Bride," and Warden Neil, seven-time Emmy-nominated costume designer and author/journalist Christopher Stone.
Mercedes also represented some of the top Latinos in below-the-line areas: Bob Morones, casting director; Joe Aubel, production designer, Sylvia Vega-Vazquez, costume designer and Ken Diaz, make-up artist.

Executive
As an executive, Mercedes has worked with great talents and top executives. He served a two-year term at Esparza/Katz Productions where he was Vice President of Development and Creative Affairs. The company developed and produced a number of great projects including "Gettysburg" for TNT, "A Bowl of Being" for PBS and many others.
Jon attended Los Angeles City College and UCLA where he was a film major. He wrote, directed, produced and acted in more than twenty student films.
Mercedes is an active member of the Academy of Television Arts and Sciences, the Hollywood Radio and TV Society, the Independent Feature Project West, the Screen Actors Guild and the Writers Guild of America, West.
Jon has also served as Chairman of the Latino Writers Committee of the WGA West for three and a half years. He is also president of the Screenplay Readers Company, a story analyst and creative executives firm which provides coverage for independent production companies, literary agencies, directors and producers.