Award-Winning Actor Carlos Carrasco: A Star Is Reborn

Carlos Carrasco With Damian Chapa in Blood in…Blood Out

Award-winning actor, director and producer Carlos Carrasco is originally from Panama City, Panamá. Carrasco’s iconic filmography spans over three decades including his role of ‘Popeye‘ in director Taylor Hackford‘s cult classic film Blood In & Blood Out, his role as ‘Norte‘ in Parker and his unforgettable role as Ortiz in the blockbuster Speed with Sandra Bullock and Keanu Reeves. Other film credits include Crocodile Dundee II and his highly acclaimed short ONE which is currently winning laurels on film festivals across the globe.

Television roles include award-winning television shows Insecure (HBO), Star Trek: Progeny (CBS), Looking (HBO), Parks & Recreation (NBC), and CSI: Crime Scene Investigation (CBS). His extensive work also include commercials and voice-over work.

In June 2018 Carrasco was invited to be part of The Sundance Institute‘s Director‘s Lab during which he found out The Panamanian Film Festival had received a grant from the California Arts Council.

Carrasco recently wrapped filming Diablo Rojo PTY on location in Panama. He also co-screen wrote the feature “Cause Justa” (Just Cause) also being shot in Panama. Back in California he reported to the set of the independent feature film Turnover, where he plays the role of Miguel.

Carlos Carrasco with Keanu Reeves, Sandra Bullock in the BTS of Speed

“While on the set of my new movie TURNOVER I noticed a lot of re-birthing going on. Hollywood veterans like Donna Mills, Kat Kramer are also in the movie. The lead was Paul Guilfoyle CSI veteran of 13 seasons. Meantime One continues to blaze through the festival circuit. It is a great time on my career.” Said Carrasco on the set of Turnover.

Carrasco has worked on the Indie scene mostly as a producer and director working the festival circuit and has a parallel non-profit arts career. He produces and directs The Panama International Film Festival Los Angeles (PIFF/LA) a film festival designed to integrate both Latin and American audiences, giving a platform to the voices of emerging filmmakers from the US, the Caribbean and the Americas.

PIFFLA also connects Latin America with the Hollywood film industry through panels and networking activities – all this in an event that celebrates the culture, music and gastronomy of Panama and Latin America.

This year the Panama International Film Festival Los Angeles and FASHA Films have been Honored by continued festival Success with the Award-Winning Short Film ONE.

The dramatic short film ONE, directed by veteran actor, director and producer Carlos Carrasco continues to earn success on the festival circuit with its latest win at the Golden State Film Festival in Los Angeles, winning Best Drama Short. Earlier this year, ONE premiered at the Manhattan Film Festival in NYC. It was a Finalist for Best Foreign Short and earned a Best

Foreign Actor Award for lead actor Joshua DuBois from the CKF International Film Festival in the UK. ONE made its Los Angeles premiere at the prestigious LA Shorts International Film Festival. It was also honored with an Award of Recognition by the Best Shorts Awards.

ONE addresses the difficult topic of a traffic stop gone wrong, but also offers a hopeful alternative to the all too common outcome so often seen in the headline news. Directed by Carlos Carrasco (notable actor as well as director of the short films Lossed, Let Me Finish, and Honesty, Pencil, Rose), ONE was written by and features Manny Rey in the cast. Both Carrasco and Rey are Executive Producers, along with their producing partner Annette Reid, who also directed the trio’s award-winning short Amor, Vale. TrueForm Films producers Yennifer Behrens, Mauricio Mendoza and DeWayne Cox were also instrumental in the success of the film.

The cast features Michael Broderick (NCIS, Five Points), Jay Reeves (AllAmerican, Kingdom Love), Manny Rey (Queen of the South, The Night Shift), Kevin Brief (Criminal Minds, Supernatural), and introduces the very talented actor Joshua DuBois whose film debut already earned him a Best Actor Award.