John Leguizamo will receive the Impact Award at the 40th edition of the Miami Film Festival along with a screening of Leguizamo Does America, a series airing on MSNBC that follows Leguizamo across the country to celebrate Latino history, culture, and communities. The Miami Film Festival screening will be the world premiere of the Miami episode from the six-episode series produced by NBC News Studios. The festival runs from March 3-12, 2023.
In Leguizamo Does America, Leguizamo travels across the country to bring viewers inside America’s thriving Latino communities – all with his characteristic edge, energy and wit. From San Juan to East LA with some surprising stops in between, Leguizamo will celebrate the history, culture, food and other contributions of Lantinos shaping America , from young actors sharing their heartfelt stories at a Washington, D.C. Latino theater, to the immigrants who transformed the city of Chicago and the indigenous people of Puerto Rico who invented barbecue. The first part of the MSNBC Films and NBC News Studios series will premiere on MSNBC April 16 at 10pm ET.
A multi-faceted creator, Leguizamo has established a career that defies categorization. His work in film, theater and television covers a variety of genres, continually threatening to create a few of its own. Recently, he co-starred in Mark Mylod’s film The Menu. He will star in Amazon’s upcoming series The Power alongside Toni Collette. Leguizamo’s directorial debut, Critical Thinking, was selected to premiere at SXSW Film Festival. He has garnered numerous other accolades throughout his career, including an Emmy Award, a Drama Desk Award, as well as nominations for Tony Awards and Golden Globes. Leguizamo received a Special Tony Award at the 2018 Tony Awards for Latin History for Morons, his most recent one-man show. His more than 75 film credits include Carlito’s Way, To Wong Foo: Thanks for Everything Julie Newmar, Romeo + Juliet, Moulin Rouge!, Summer of Sam, Encanto, and The Ice Age franchise.
Other MFF 2023 honorees include Nicolas Cage (Variety Legend & Groundbreaker), Diego Luna (Variety Virtuoso Award) and Nicholas Britell (Art of Light Composer Award, presented by Alacran Group).