“I’m incredibly grateful to NATPE for this opportunity to share our projects with such influential decision-makers,” said Grace Santos. “Being selected as a finalist is a huge honor, and I’m excited to collaborate with my talented team to bring these stories to life. This is a chance to connect with the industry and showcase narratives that resonate globally.”
Set in 1990s Miami, The Coolest Labels is a limited series that captures the struggles and triumphs of high school students in the aftermath of Hurricane Andrew. Root High School opens its doors to thousands of displaced and traumatized teens from diverse socioeconomic backgrounds. The series explores whether the students will unite or fall apart. The novel, pilot, and series bible are written by Fred Smith, who attended the real-life high school during this tumultuous time. The director is Nayip Anthony Garcia, renowned for launching the careers of young talent and collaborating with top artists such as Camila Cabello and Sofia Carson. Grace Santos serves as executive producer.
A mystery-driven crime series, Lost Ghosts is set in rural Manitoba, Canada. The first season follows Toronto-based reporter Charlie as she investigates the disappearance of two girls. The journey forces Charlie to confront her Ojibwe heritage, the dangers surrounding an oil fracking operation, and the issue of violence against women and girls. Writers S.M. Turrell, a TIFF Filmmaker Lab Alumnus and award-winning Metis director/writer, & Andrew Kirkwood bring their creative synergy to the project. Gabriel Correa, an award-winning director with director credits on Riverdale and AD credits on The Twilight Saga, Supernatural, directs, while Kevin Leeson (1922, The Confirmation), Correa, and Grace Santos serve as executive producers.
Grace Santos is an Executive Producer, Producer, and Attorney with an extensive track record in film and television. Her producing credits include the upcoming teen comedy Almost Popular (2025) directed by Nayip Anthony Garcia and starring Ruby Rose Turner (Disney’s Descendants), Isabella Ferreira (Netflix’s Incoming), and Elijah M. Cooper (Disney’s Goosebumps, CW’s All American) and AFI DWW’s Silk (by Catherine Dent, starring Shohreh Aghdashloo) and Election Night (by Tessa Blake, starring Peri Gilpin). Grace has held leadership roles in entertainment companies that have financed, produced, and distributed hundreds of films and television content, including VP and Head of Business Affairs and Operations for Gamechanger Films, Development and Production Executive at Patriot Pictures, VP of Business Affairs and part of the programming team for the Bentonville Film Festival, and Director of Business & Legal Affairs for RLJ Entertainment/ALLBLK/AcornTV (now part of AMC Networks). She also serves on the Board of FilAm Creative, a Los Angeles nonprofit that champions Filipino American stories. Grace is an alum of the Producers Guild of America Power of Diversity Lab.
