Bichir’s Groundbreaking Work in the film A Better Life Will Be Recognized
Los Angeles – Demián Bichir, an award-winning actor who redefined the immigration debate through his groundbreaking role in A Better Life, will be among this year’s recipients of the National Immigration Law Center’s Courageous Luminaries award. The organization will recognize Bichir and other luminaries at an awards dinner at the Westin Bonaventure in downtown Los Angeles on Thursday, December 6, 2012.
“Through his performance, Demián Bichir put a face on a group of people who are often vilified and marginalized by mainstream media: immigrant workers,” said Marielena Hincapié, executive director of the National Immigration Law Center. “His performance allowed a powerful immigrant story to reach an audience made up of all races, classes, and immigration statuses, and provided a powerful platform to remind all Americans of the devastating effects of our current immigration system. We are delighted to honor Demián for his extraordinary success in changing the hearts and minds of so many Americans on this extremely important social issue.”
Bichir received an Academy Award, SAG Award, and Independent Spirit Award nomination for his searing portrayal of an undocumented gardener trying to connect with his estranged teenage son in Chris Weitz’s feature A Better Life. He recently appeared in Oliver Stone’s Savages and Ian Power’s The Runway. He is currently shooting Don Hemmingway starring opposite Jude Law, and stars in the upcoming films Machete Killsfor Robert Rodriguez and The Heat for Paul Feig. Prior to A Better Life, Bichir became known to United States television audiences for his portrayal of Esteban Reyes opposite Mary Louise Parker in the hit Showtime series Weeds. He also portrayed a young Fidel Castro in Steven Soderbergh’s Che opposite Benicio Del Toro.
Demián will join a distinguished group of honorees, which include Jose Antonio Vargas, a Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist who last year disclosed that he is undocumented; SABEResPODER, a Spanish language marketing group that serves to inform and empower Latinos; Orrick, Herrington & Sutcliffe LLP, a multinational law firm that is deeply committed to pro bono work; and the Pomona Economic Opportunity Center, a grassroots champion for day laborers and workers.
Established in 1979, the National Immigration Law Center is the only advocacy organization in the United States exclusively dedicated to defending and advancing the rights and opportunities of low-income immigrants and their families. NILC uses a variety of tools, including policy analysis, litigation, education, and advocacy, to advance its mission. Over the past three decades, NILC has won landmark legal decisions protecting fundamental rights, thwarted policies that would have devastated the lives of low-income immigrants and their family members, and advanced major policies that reinforce our nation’s values of equality, opportunity, and justice for all.
To purchase tickets, please visit http://www.nilc.org/2012awardsdinner.html.
Comments