Critics Choice Association to Honor Rita Moreno at Inaugural “Celebration of Latino Cinema”

It’s a special celebration for the legendary Rita Moreno

The 89-year-old Puerto Rican actress, dancer and singer will be honored alongside Lin-Manuel Miranda and Demián Bichir at the Critics Choice Association’s inaugural Celebration of Latino Cinema.

Rita MorenoMoreno, Miranda and Bichor will be honored alog with a group of additional honorees, many associated with upcoming 2021 films, still to be announced.

The Celebration of Latino Cinema, to be presented virtually, will take place on Thursday, December 9, 2021 and aims to put a spotlight on the contributions of great Oscar-winning and -nominated artists like Moreno, Miranda and Bichir, but also Latino filmmaking in general, a facet of the motion picture industry that doesn’t always get the recognition it deserves during awards season.

Among other things, the CCA’s Celebration of Latino Cinema aims to change that.

“We are thrilled to be launching the first annual Celebration of Latino Cinema which recognizes the talented performers and skilled professionals who create the acclaimed films we are so proud to honor,” said Claudia Puig, a CCA member and co-programmer of the event.

“Films by our honorees represent the diverse and multi-faceted Latino community, and reflect our increasingly inclusive industry” said CCA board member and event co-programmer Clayton Davis.

The Celebration of Latino Cinema will be produced by Madelyn Hammond and Javier Infante of Madelyn Hammond & Associates. Stagedge will be responsible for transforming the show into an immersive virtual experience.

A portion of the proceeds from the event will be donated to LA Collab, whose mission is to accelerate Latino access, visibility and representation in the entertainment industry.

Moreno has won all four of the most prestigious awards in show business: an Oscar, a Tony, two Emmys, and a Grammy. She recently co-starred in the Latinx reimagining of Norman Lear’s classic sitcom One Day at a Time, and her documentary Rita Moreno: Just a Girl Who Decided to Go For It had its world premiere at this year’s Sundance Film Festival before being released in theaters; it will be broadcast on PBS’ American Masters in October. Moreno also co-stars in and executive produces Steven Spielberg’s remake of West Side Story.

She is a recipient of the Peabody Career Achievement Award, a Kennedy Center Honor, the Screen Actors Guild Life Achievement Award, the Presidential Medal of Freedom and the National Medal of Arts.

Miranda is a Pulitzer-, Grammy-, Emmy– and Tony Award-winning songwriter, actor and director, and creator and original star of Broadway’s Hamilton and In the HeightsA recipient of the MacArthur Foundation Award, a Kennedy Center Honor and the Portrait of a Nation Prize, he received an Emmy with Tom Kitt for their song “Bigger” from the 67th Tony Awards. Upcoming projects include Disney’s Encanto and his directorial film debut, tick, tick… BOOM!

Bichir received a Best Actor Oscar nomination in 2012 for his role in Chris Weitz’s A Better Life, becoming the first Mexican-born actor to be nominated in that category by the Academy since Anthony Quinn in 1957. He more recently received rave reviews for his performance in the film Land, directed by Robin Wright. His film credits include Steven Soderbergh’s Che, Oliver Stone’s Savages, Quentin Tarantino’s The Hateful Eight, Robert Rodriguez’s Machete Kills, Paul Feig’s The Heat, Richard Shepard’s Dom Hemingway, Ridley Scott’s Alien, George Clooney’s The Midnight Sky, and Adam Wingard’s Godzilla Vs. Kong.

Demián Bichir to Star in Jonas Cuaron’s Feature Film “Chupa”

Demián Bichir is getting mythical…

The 57-year-old Mexican Oscar-nominated actor has joined the cast of Jonás Cuarón’s feature Chupa alongside Dominic MaricheAdriel Manzano and Isabella Patron.

Demián Bichir

The film follows teenager Alex (Mariche), who while visiting his family in Mexico, gains an unlikely companion when he discovers a young chupacabra hiding in his grandpa’s shed. In order to save the mythical creature, Alex and his cousins (Manzano and Patron) must embark on the adventure of a lifetime.

Cuarón and Tim Sexton wrote the most recent screenplay based on an original script by Marcus Rinehart, Sean Kennedy Moore and Joe Barnathan.

“Demián, Dominic, Adriel and Isabella all bring a genuineness to the characters they play,” says Cuarón. “Growing up in both Mexico and the US, I’m fortunate to have my own life experiences to inspire the stories that I tell. It’s even more special to have found a cast that is able to lend an additional layer of authenticity to Chupa.”

The film is part of 26th Street Pictures’ first look deal at Netflix. 26th’s Chris Columbus, Michael Barnathan and Mark Radcliffe are producing. EPs are G. Mac Brown and Brendan Bellomo.

Columbus said, “A story is only as good as the actors who can make it come to life. Demián is an acclaimed actor and after an extensive search, we’re thrilled with the true talent we’ve found in Adriel, Isabela and Dominic, all of whom lend heart and authenticity to their roles. We can’t wait for people around the world to meet them and see just how special they make this film.”

Bichir’s feature credits include Land, Godzilla vs. Kong, The Midnight Sky, The Hateful Eight and Alien: CovenantHe received a 2012 Best Actor Academy Award nomination for his turn in A Better Life

Mariche starred on television shows like The Good Doctor, See and Are You Afraid of the Dark?.

Demián Bichir to Star in Showtime’s Vampire Drama Pilot “Let the Right One In”

Demián Bichir is sinking his teeth into a new project…

Showtime has given a formal pilot green light to Let the Right One In, a vampire drama starring the 57-year-old Mexican Oscar-nominated actor.

Demian Bichir

The project hails from Andrew Hinderaker, who’ll serve as showrunner, Seith Mann, who will direct, and Tomorrow Studios, which has been the driver behind the project in its various incarnations for more than six years.

Inspired by the best-selling 2004 novel by Swedish author John Ajvide Lindqvist and its 2008 Swedish film adaptation, the series centers on a father, Mark (Bichir) and his 12-year-old daughter whose lives were changed forever 10 years earlier when she was turned into a vampire. Locked in at age 12, perhaps forever, Eleanor lives a closed-in life, able to go out only at night, while her father does his best to provide her with the minimal amount of human blood she needs to stay alive.

Bichir’s Mark is a husband and father who had the perfect life until it was turned upside down by a mysterious creature who bit his daughter (Eleanor) and then vanished into the night.

Let the Right One In, which had been in the works at Showtime for awhile and recently started casting the male lead, is described as an elevated genre drama, which is turning a naturalistic lens on human frailty, strength and compassion.

Let the Right One In quickly establishes itself as a thrilling, high-stakes drama that asks the question: How far would you go to save your child from the monsters out there – would you risk becoming a monster yourself?” said Amy Israel, Showtime’s EVP, Scripted Programming. “Demián Bichir is one of the world’s most dynamic and engrossing actors, and his charisma and vulnerability will surely bring Andrew Hinderaker’s exquisite script to life, guided by Seith Mann’s deft direction. We couldn’t be more excited about the potential of this show.”

Bichir will serve as a producer on the potential series.

“The series is both a love letter to the original film, and a story entirely our own,” said Hinderaker. “And casting a true artist like Demián epitomizes our bold aspiration to be one of the most terrifying shows on TV, and one of the most moving.”

Let the Right One In was originally developed by Tomorrow Studios and set up at A&E and A+E Studios in 2015. A year later, it moved to TNT where a pilot was ordered and cast but did not go to production. That version was closer to the original source material and was described as an eerie drama about a young boy, long tormented by his classmates, who finds solace in a friendship with a charismatic female vampire who appears to be near his age. Tomorrow Studios shopped the project and it ultimately landed at Showtime for redevelopment with a new writer.

Bichir received an Oscar nomination for his performance in the film A Better Life, becoming the first Mexican-born actor to be nominated in that category since Anthony Quinn.

His most recent films include starring in George Clooney’s The Midnight Sky, Robin Wright’s Land and the upcoming Godzilla vs. Kong.

Demián Bichir Among AARP The Magazine’s ‘Movies for Grownups Awards’ Winners

Demián Bichir has landed another acting honor…

AARP The Magazine has announced the winners of its annual Movies for Grownups Awards, with the 57-year-old Mexican Oscar-nominated actor taking home a prize.

Demian Bichir, Land

Bichir was named Best Supporting Actor for his performance in Land opposite Robin Wright.

Bichir portrays soft-spoken local Miguel, who meets Edee (Wright) just in time to save Edee (Wright), not only physically but spiritually. Over the next few seasons, he teaches her how to live with the land rather than fight against it.

AARP, which advocates for the 50-plus audience and with its awards highlights films that resonate with older viewers, also featured television categories for the first time.

The Movies for Grownups Awards will air its ceremony on March 28 on PBSGreat Performances with Today’s Hoda Kotb as host.

Here’s the full list of winners:

MOVIES

Best Picture/Best Movie for Grownups
The United States vs. Billie Holiday

Best Actress
Sophia Loren (The Life Ahead)

Best Actor
Anthony Hopkins (The Father)

Best Supporting Actress
Jodie Foster (The Mauritanian)

Best Supporting Actor
Demián Bichir (Land)

Best Director
Aaron Sorkin (The Trial of the Chicago 7)

Best Screenwriter
Aaron Sorkin (The Trial of the Chicago 7)

Best Ensemble
One Night in Miami

Best Intergenerational
Minari

Best Buddy Picture
Da 5 Bloods

Best Time Capsule
Mank

Best Grownup Love Story
Supernova

Best Documentary
A Secret Love

Best Foreign Film/Best International Film
Collective (Romania)

TELEVISION

Best Actress
Catherine O’Hara (Schitt’s Creek)

Best Actor
Mark Ruffalo (I Know This Much Is True)

Best Series
This Is Us (NBC)

Best TV Movie/Limited Series
The Queen’s Gambit (Netflix)

Career Achievement
George Clooney

Demián Bichir Earns Movies for Grownups Awards Nomination from AARP

Demián Bichir has landed on an awards list…

The AARP has announced its nominees for the upcoming Movies for Grownups Awards, with the 57-year-old Oscar-nominated actor earning a nod.

Demian Bichir

Bichir is nominated in the Best Supporting Actor category for his performance as Miguel, a local hunter, in the drama Land.

Ruben Santiago-Hudson, who earned a USC Libraries Scripter Award nomination last month, is nominated in the Best Screenwriter category for penning Netflix’s Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom, while Colman Domingo and his cast mates are nominated in the Best Ensemble category for their work in the drama, based on the play of the same name by August Wilson.

Two Latin films are in the running for the Best Foreign Language Film prize.

Kleber Mendonça Filho and Juliano Dornelles are representing Brazil with their western thriller Bacurau, which Barack Obama chose as one of his favorites of 2020, while Juan José Campanella’s The Weasels‘ Tale is representing Argentina.

For two decades, AARP’s Movies for Grownups program has championed what it calls “movies for grownups, by grownups.” It claims to advocate for the 50-plus audience, fighting industry ageism and encouraging films that resonate with older viewers. AARP’s Movies for Grownups continues its commitment to celebrate quality content by expanding to honor standout television programs in new categories.

Hoda Kotb, NBC News’ Today coanchor and cohost of Today with Hoda & Jenna, will host the awards ceremony broadcast by Great Performances on Sunday, March 28 at 8:00 pm ET on PBS, its PBS.org website for the event, and the PBS Video app. Winners will be announced on March 4 on the website section dedicated to the event.

George Clooney will receive the Movies for Grownups Career Achievement Award.

Here’s the complete list of nominees:

Film

Best Picture/Best Movie for Grownups
Minari
Nomadland
One Night in Miami
The Trial of the Chicago 7
The United States vs. Billie Holiday

Best Actress
Viola Davis (Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom)
Sophia Loren (The Life Ahead)
Frances McDormand (Nomadland)
Michelle Pfeiffer (French Exit)
Robin Wright (Land)

Best Actor
Ralph Fiennes (The Dig)
Tom Hanks (News of the World)
Anthony Hopkins (The Father)
Delroy Lindo (Da 5 Bloods)
Gary Oldman (Mank)

Best Supporting Actress
Candice Bergen (Let Them All Talk)
Ellen Burstyn (Pieces of a Woman)
Glenn Close (Hillbilly Elegy)
Jodie Foster (The Mauritanian)
Yuh-Jung Youn (Minari)

Best Supporting Actor
Demián Bichir (Land)
Bill Murray (On the Rocks)
Clarke Peters (Da 5 Bloods)
Paul Raci (Sound of Metal)
Mark Rylance (The Trial of the Chicago 7)

Best Director
Lee Daniels (The United States vs. Billie Holiday)
Regina King (One Night in Miami)
Spike Lee (Da 5 Bloods)
Aaron Sorkin (The Trial of the Chicago 7)
George C. Wolfe (Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom)

Best Ensemble
Da 5 Bloods
Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom
One Night in Miami
Promising Young Woman
The Trial of the Chicago 7

Best Intergenerational
Hillbilly Elegy
Minari
On the Rocks
The Father
The Life Ahead

Best Buddy Picture
Bad Boys for Life
Bill & Ted Face the Music
Da 5 Bloods
Let Them All Talk
Standing Up, Falling Down

Best Screenwriter
Danny Bilson, Paul De Meo, Kevin Willmott, Spike Lee (Da 5 Bloods)
Paul Greengrass, Luke Davies (News of the World)
Kemp Powers (One Night in Miami)
Ruben Santiago-Hudson (Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom)
Aaron Sorkin (The Trial of the Chicago 7)

Best Time Capsule
Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom
Mank
One Night in Miami
The United States vs. Billie Holiday
The Trial of the Chicago 7

Best Grownup Love Story
Emma
Ordinary Love
Supernova
Wild Mountain Thyme
Working Man

Best Documentary
A Secret Love
Crip Camp
Diana Kennedy: Nothing Fancy
Dick Johnson Is Dead
Sky Blossom: Diaries of the Next Greatest Generation

Best Foreign Language Film
Another Round (Denmark)
Bacurau (Brazil)
Collective (Romania)
The Life Ahead (Italy)
The Weasels’ Tale (Argentina)

Television

Best Series
Perry Mason
Succession
Ted Lasso
The Crown
This Is Us

Best TV Movie/Limited Series
Mrs. America
Small Axe
The Queen’s Gambit
Unorthodox
Watchmen

Best Actress (TV/Streaming)
Jennifer Aniston (The Morning Show)
Cate Blanchett (Mrs. America)
Regina King (Watchmen)
Laura Linney (Ozark)
Catherine O’Hara (Schitt’s Creek)

Best Actor (TV/Streaming)
Jason Bateman (Ozark)
Ted Danson (The Good Place)
Hugh Grant (The Undoing)
Ethan Hawke (The Good Lord Bird)
Mark Ruffalo (I Know This Much Is True)