It was an inspirational evening for the Celebration of Latino Cinema & Television presented by the Critics Choice Association. Last year’s inaugural edition was virtual so it was a real pleasure for everyone to be in person at the Fairmont Century Plaza with some of the leading lights in the industry.
They included esteemed directors Guillermo Del Toro and Alejandro González Iñárritu, both of whom have awards contention pictures in theaters right now (Pinocchio and Bardo) potentially adding to each of their respective Oscars on the mantelpiece.
The level of enthusiasm and joy ran at high levels throughout the event, which began with a red carpet and cocktail hour before a seated dinner in the packed hotel ballroom.
The awards ceremony lasted for a few hours, celebrating both veteran and new talent in film and TV.
“We Latins, we have to keep our ambitions,” Del Toro exclaimed to the cheering crowd as he accepted his Lifetime Achievement Award as the capper to the festivities. “We should be ambitious, we should be fierce and we should be disobedient about the things they tell us we cannot be or cannot do!” The audience rose to its feet in a lengthy standing ovation for his passionate speech, which included some strategic f-bombs.
Another Guillermo had also made his way to the podium, Jimmy Kimmel’s famous go-to guy Guillermo Rodriguez.
Also among the honorees: “Ted Lasso” breakout star Cristo Fernández, who accepted the Rising Star for Television Award with the same excitement he brings to his role as Dani Rojas in the Emmy Award-winning series, as well as Breakthrough Actor for Television Award winner Ismael Cruz Córdova, the Afro-Latino actor, acclaimed or his work as the Elf Arondir in “The Lord of the Rings: Rings of Power.”
