Ivonne Coll and Patricia Velasquez to Receive LA Femme International Film Festival Award

11^th Annual LA Femme International Film Festival (LAFIFF) announces the first of its Celebrity Honorees for this year’s Awards Show and Gala event on October 18, 2015, (Red Carpet at 6:00pm; Show at 7pm), at the Los Angeles Theatre Center. “We are excited to honor such inspiring women in the entertainment fields this year,” said Ms. LaPage (Founder / Director). The Awards Show is a celebration of the accomplishments of those celebrated artists and the emerging filmmakers that are receiving recognition for their works in the entertainment field and competition categories. Ivonne Coll (“The Godfather: Part II”, “Jane the Virgin”), will be receiving the Lupe Ontiveros Image Award, and Patricia Velasquez (“The Mummy”, “Arrested Development”), will be receiving the Humanitarian Award.

Ivonne Coll is a People’s Choice Award winner and a Golden Globe nominated theater, television, and film actress. She made her film debut as "Redheaded Yolanda" in Francis Ford Coppola’s "The Godfather II." Studying under such drama legends as Lee Strasberg, Lucille Ball and musical theater with David Craig, ignited her passion for acting.

Coll is currently starring as a series regular on “Jane The Virgin” (CW). Her Film and TV credits include: “Waking the Dead”, (Polygram), “Lean on Me” (WB), “Instinct” (Touchstone Pictures), “In Too Deep” (Miramax), “The Pest” (Tristar), “A Rainy Day” (Universal) “Hemingway & Gelhorn” (HBO), “Switched at Birth” (ABC Family), “Teen Wolf “ (MTV), “Glee” (Fox), “East Los High” (Hulu), “Nip Tuck” (FX), “An American Family” (PBS) “Six Feet Under” (HBO), “NYPD Blue” (Fox ), “The Practice” (Fox), “ER” (NBC), “Heroes” (NBC), “Crossing Jordan” (NBC), “Judging Amy” (Fox), “Saturday Night Live” (NBC) “Cold Case” (CBS), “Joan of Arcadia” (CBS), “LA LAW” (Fox), “Wings” (CBS), “Without a Trace” (CBS), and “CSI” (CBS).

Ivonne’s Broadway credits include Tony Award Nominated play “Chronicle of a Death Foretold”, Joseph Papp's Shakespeare on Broadway: “Macbeth”, “Romeo & Juliet”, “As You Like It”, and “Goodbye Fidel”. Her regional work includes: playing the title role in “Mother Courage” at Berkley Repertory Theater, La Jolla Playhouse, Chicago’s Goodman Theater, Princeton’s McCarter Theater, Mark Tapper Forum, San Diego Rep, Arizona Theater Company and San Jose Rep Theater.

Patricia Velasquez is an international actress, supermodel, published author, entrepreneur, and passionate activist for Latino causes. She is best known for her role as Ank Su Namun in “The Mummy” and “The Mummy Returns”. Velasquez was critically acclaimed for her debut stage performance in the lead role of “School of the Americas” produced by Philip Seymour Hoffman and written by Jose Rivera, and was awarded the NCGLFF Jury Award for Best Actress (Women’s Feature) for her stunning performance in “Liz in September”. Her autobiography, “Straight Walk: A Supermodel’s Journey to Finding her Truth”, recalls her triumphant journey from poverty to international acclaim. As an advocate for UNESCO (UNESCO Artist for Peace), Velasquez received the “Women Together” award at the United Nations in 2009 and the Solidarity Award. Velasquez founded Wayúu Taya Foundation, a nonprofit organization dedicated to educating the public and funding ways to improve conditions of Latin American indigenous groups, while maintaining and respecting their traditions, culture and beliefs. www.wayuutaya.org

The Awards Show begins at 7pm (Red Carpet at 6pm) on October 18, 2015, at The Los Angeles Theatre Center, 514 South Spring Street, Los Angeles, CA 90013. Sandra Valls (Top 10 faces to watch by Diva Magazine, Showtime’s “The Latin Divas of Comedy”) will be Master of Ceremony.

LA Femme is a four day festival that screens over 100 films, special screenings, seminar, and networking mixers. The screening and event schedule for the festival is available online atwww.lafemme.org; Tickets on sale. Full Access VIP Passes are at $150 for Regular Price, tickets for individual films and special screenings are $10; and single seminars are $20.

Sponsors: SAG-AFTRA National Women’s Committee, (WGA) Writers Guild America West Women’s Committee, The Governor’s Office of Film and Entertainment State of Florida, CBS Entertainment Diversity, CW Network, Dollhouse Makeup, Columbia College, Creative Handbooks, Final Draft, Mark Us Bold Catering, Belle Entertainment