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Critics Choice Association to Honor Rita Moreno, Lin-Manuel Miranda, Demián Bichir at Celebration of Latino Cinema

The Critics Choice Association (CCA) announced the first annual Celebration of Latino Cinema, which will take place on Dec. 9. The event will honor Latino figures who have made significant contributions to film in 2021.

At the event, which will be presented virtually, Rita Moreno will receive the Icon Award. Her documentary “Rita Moreno: Just a Girl Who Decided to Go For It,” premiered earlier this year, and she also appears in and executive produces Steven Spielberg’s “West Side Story” adaptation premiering on Dec. 10. Lin-Manuel Miranda will receive the Visionary Award. The film adaptation of his Broadway musical “In The Heights” was released earlier this year, and he wrote the songs in the Disney animated film “Encanto,” which premieres in December. Actor Demián Bichir will receive the Career Achievement Award in recognition of the tenth anniversary of “A Better Life,” the film that made him one of only four Latinos to ever receive a nomination for the Academy Award for best actor. Additional honorees will be announced in the coming weeks.

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“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, 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 Clayton Davis, Variety film awards editor, CCA board member and co-programmer of the event.

The Celebration of Latino Cinema will be produced by Madelyn Hammond and Javier Infante of Madelyn Hammond & Associates. Production company Stagedge will lead the virtual presentation of the show.

A portion of the proceeds from the event will be donated to LA Collab, a group that aims to accelerate Latino access, visibility and representation in the entertainment industry.

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