EXCLUSIVE: Academy Award nominee Yalitza Aparicio (Roma) will be honored at the GuadaLAjara Film Festival with the Árbol de la Vida Trailblazer Award, to be presented in Los Angeles on Friday, November 7.
The award celebraties cinematic figures whose artistry and advocacy transcends borders and inspires global audiences. Aparicio, who made history as the first Indigenous woman ever nominated for a Best Actress Academy Award, has used her platform to amplify underrepresented voices and champion gender equality and Indigenous rights worldwide as a cultural ambassador for Mexico.
“Yalitza embodies the essence of what the Árbol de la Vida represents — growth, strength, and deep cultural roots,” Ximena Urrutia, Festival Director of GLAFF, shared with Deadline “Her journey reminds us that representation matters, and that storytelling can transform the way we see ourselves and each other. Honoring her at this year’s festival is both a tribute to her artistry and to the generations of women she continues to inspire.”
Additionally, there will be two masterclasses to be held on the same day, featuring conversations with actor Danny Trejo, and filmmaker Gia Coppola.
The ASU Yuhaaviatam Event Center will host “Danny Trejo In Conversation: A Look at the Legend” at 1 p.m. The session will begin with a screening of the short film From a Son, directed by Gilbert Trejo, Danny Trejo’s son, with a fireside chat between the pair, discussing Sr’s four-decade career spanning film, TV, video games, and voice acting, as well as his transformation from “tough-guy” roles to entrepreneur and addiction recovery advocate.
Danny Trejo is best known for his performances in the big screen hits Machete, Heat, From Dusk Till Dawn, and Spy Kids.
At 5 pm, GLAFF will host “Visual Poetry: The Collaborative World-Building of Gia Coppola and Natalie Ziering,” in partnership with the Art Directors Guild at the ASU Yuhaaviatam Event Center. Coppola and production designer Ziering will explore their creative partnership, the aesthetic and emotional storytelling that defines Coppola’s visual universe — from the suburban melancholy of Palo Alto to the luminous complexity of The Last Showgirl.
The GFF, currently in their 15th year, champions diverse voices and harnessing the power of storytelling to inspire, connect, and transform communities across borders. The 2025 festival lineup includes Guillermo Del Toro’s adaptation of Frankenstein, starring Oscar Isaac, Jacob Elordi, Mia Goth and Christoph Waltz.
Proceeds from the whole festival will benefit Public Counsel, the nation’s largest nonprofit public interest law firm dedicated to advancing civil rights, racial and economic justice, and community empowerment through direct legal services, education, and systemic reform.
