The Highland Park Independent Film Festival (HPIFF) officials have announced that much loved homegrown San Fernando Valley resident Danny Trejo is to receive this year’s Humanitarian Award on Oct. 3 during the festival’s opening ceremony at the Highland Theaters, located at 5604 N. Figueroa Street in Highland Park.
“A Night with Danny Trejo” kicks off the 6th Annual HPIFF festival, which proudly features talent in the Los Angeles community and far beyond.
Trejo will make a grand entrance as he travels along Figueroa Street in one of his personal lowrider cars accompanied by a procession of L.A.’s and the San Fernando Valley’s finest lowriders arriving on the red carpet in front of the Highland Theaters at 6:30 p.m.
The community is encouraged to come out as Trejo greets festival goers and fans before entering the theater for a showing of his personal film favorite, “Machete!”
The Humanitarian Award will be presented to Trejo followed by a brief Q & A with the audience.
“Danny Trejo can give anyone pause with a stare, but behind that expression is a man of great compassion and integrity who continuously offers a hand up,” said Marita de la Torre, HPIFF co-founder. “He gives his heart — he loves the community and the community loves him back. “
“We are thrilled to be awarding Danny Trejo with this prestigious award. Indie film is an honest art form built by hard working individuals with original ideas outside of the Hollywood construct,” said HPIFF co-founder Alessandro Gentile. “Trejo’s will to overcome tremendous adversity and go outside the box to creatively achieve and accomplish so much in the entertainment industry and in business while helping others is a great motivator for filmmakers and audience members attending the festival.”
The “Night with Danny Trejo” will continue with a celebratory Afterparty at Checker Hall 104 N. Ave 56, with music from Danny’s new record label, Trejo’s Music.
“With a mission to support and provide opportunity to both new and veteran filmmakers, it’s a pleasure to kick off the festival positively with an actor who supports those behind him. We have kept our admission price to see Danny Trejo and for the film festival to be very affordable so that the community can fully participate.
“We have an exciting lineup of films. This year’s film submissions have come to us from our own local filmmaking art nest throughout Los Angeles and have also received submissions as far away as Asia,” Gentile said. “Our submissions this year include a large number of dramedies, suspense and foreign films as well as Latinx and LGBTQ film submissions.”
For more information and tickets go to: HPIFF:https://www.hpifilmfest.com/index.html