Calexico, CA — The Calexico Arts Council, Borderlands Institute at SDSU-IV, City of Calexico Arts Commission and the Calexico Chamber of Commerce announced that actor/director/playwright/author Enrique Castillo has been selected to receive their 2016 Distinguished Artist Award on November 10, 2016 at 7:00 pm at the Carmen Durazo Cultural Arts Center. The Distinguished Artist Award is given to professionals who were born or at one time resided in the City of Calexico, CA and whose body of work has distinguished them in the visual arts, performing arts and/or literature professions.
An exhibit of Castillo’s works will be on display and will consist of photos, movie posters and video of his work. The signature recognition of the Calexico Arts Council is the unveiling of Castillo’s name permanently inscribed on the Distinguished Artists Wall where he joins other notable hometown honorees like Pulitzer Prize winning photographer Librado “Lee” Romero.
Enrique Castillo will receive the Distinguished Artist Award from Carmen Durazo, Chairperson of the Calexico Arts Council and will be joined by Dr. Carlos R. Herrera, Director of the Borderlands Institute at San Diego State University – Imperial Valley Campus and Hildy Carrillo, Chairperson of the City of Calexico Arts Commission.
“It is an honor and privilege to include Enrique Castillo as a 2016 Distinguished Artist Award honoree,” said Hildy Carrillo, Executive Director of the Calexico Chamber of Commerce. “Kiki” Castillo is one of our Bulldogs from the Class of 1968… we embrace him and all the artistic and talented things he has done within his career. He is a great example for our Calexico youth!”
Enrique Castillo Performing Los Vendidos with El Teatro Campesino
Born and raised in Calexico, Castillo comes from a family of farmworkers. He graduated from Calexico High School before enrolling at the University of California Berkeley. He then began his acting career in 1969 as a member of Luis Valdez’s El Teatro Campesino. He made his television debut in 1969 performing in the EMMY in El Teatro Campesino’s award-winning Los Vendidos on NBC. He has appeared in over 50 television shows and feature films.
Castillo made his feature film acting debut working opposite Charles Bronson in Borderline. Since then he has worked with such notable film directors as Tony Scott, (Déjà Vu) Taylor Hackford, (Blood In-Blood Out), Stephen Frears (The Hi-Lo Country), Wim Wenders (The End of Violence), Gregory Nava (My Family and El Norte), Oliver Stone (Nixon), Tim Burton (Mars Attacks), and most recently, Miguel Arteta (Beatriz at Dinner). Early in his career he was the lead in the Academy Award-nominated short film Graffiti, directed by Matthew Patrick.
“I would like to thank the Calexico Arts Council,” Castillo stated. “I am deeply honored to receive such a prestigious recognition and to be included among the other distinguished and notable artists”.
Enrique Castillo is a national member of the Television Academy with voting privileges for the EMMY Awards and he is a member of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences with voting privileges for the Hollywood ACADEMY Awards.
Castillo has recently completed three films, The Green Ghost, Love Kills and Beatriz at Dinner where he stars opposite Salma Hayek. He also recently published his debut novel The Dead of Summer a suspense crime thriller which at the core is about the violence against women. It is available on Amazon and Kindle. “The Dead of Summer brings to life the vivid reality of evil and the counter forces it’s capable of unleashing,” said one of the critics.
For further information, please call Carmen Durazo, President of the Calexico Arts Council, at (760) 357-3322. The Calexico Arts Council, established in 2004, is a 501(c)3 organization.
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