Festival media contacts:
Herrera Communications (For this event only.)
Brenda Herrera – [email protected]
Madeline Padilla – [email protected]
Trio to be honored with 2010 Reel Rasquache awards
Cal State L.A. to co-host Reel Rasquache Art & Film Festival at
Regency Academy 6 Cinemas in Pasadena
LOS ANGELES, CA – On Sunday, June 6, 2010, the 7th Annual Reel Rasquache Art & Film Festival will honor three remarkable individuals—Enrique Castillo, Betty Kaplan and Ligiah Villalobos—at the Regency Academy 6 Cinemas in Pasadena, California.
Celebrating its seventh year, Reel Rasquache—originally hosted on the Cal State L.A. campus—provides a forum to acknowledge the contributions of U.S. Latinos in the entertainment industry and the arts. With continued CSULA partnership, the three-day Festival (June 4-6) will showcase some 20 recent Latino-produced and/or themed films produced nationally and internationally, most of them Los Angeles premieres.
Awards will also be presented to those who have been selected based on their achievements and contributions to the film industry and to filmmakers in the following categories: Best Feature, Best Short, Best Documentary, Audience Award and Featured Artist Award.
For his contributions to U.S. independent films, Enrique Castillo will be presented the 2010 Pioneer Award. The Pioneer Award honors one whose contributions engage multiple entertainment industry platforms and forums, while introducing new practices and/or challenging understandings in U.S. Latino representations. Appearing on the scene in 1961 in Raices de Piedra, Castillo’s acting career has seen more than 40 film and television performances that include the seminal classics of Chicano Cinema: SeguÃn (1982), El Norte (1983), Bound by Honor (1993), Mi Familia (1995), and American Family (2002). Additionally, his performances have contributed to significant groundbreaking works of film and television, such as The Waltons (1980), L.A. Law (1992), Melrose Place (1995), Nixon (1995), The End of Violence (1997), Touched by an Angel (2000), and Weeds (2008-09).
The 2010 Trailblazer Award—that honors achievements in advancing new practices and/or challenging understandings of the U.S. Latino perspectives and representation—will be presented to Ligiah Villalobos. Appearing on the scene in 2000, over the relatively brief span of 10 years, Villalobos has been described as “enriching the cultural landscape immeasurably by her exemplary talents and sensibilities” as a writer (La Misma Luna, 2007), producer (Dancing in September, 2000; One World, 2001; Walkout, 2006; La Misma Luna, 2007) and developer (Introducing Dorothy Dandridge, 1999; Price of Glory, 2000; Diego Ascending, current; Crew Six, current) of independent film, television, and cable fare for both family and child audiences. Throughout these illustrious achievements, Villalobos has sustained a commitment to and focus upon neglected voices of Latinos, immigrants, women, and children.
The 2010 Career Achievement Award will be presented to Betty Kaplan, who is recognized as one of the top-leading Latina directors in the U.S. She will be honored for her contributions in the U.S. and internationally, offering cinematic images and stories that create “universality” and a better understanding of cultures. Demonstrating the breadth of her work, Kaplan’s television achievements include the landmark mini-series, Bolivar; her Peabody Award-winning U.S. TV film, Almost a Woman; a short film, El Violinista; and the full-features Of Love and Shadows and Dona Barbara.
Interviews with the Reel Rasquache 2010 honorees are available upon request by contacting [email protected] or [email protected].
For more information or a complete program on the Reel Rasquache Art & Film Festival, visit www.reelrasquache.org or call (323) 343-4207.
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