Cuban actor Héctor Medina nominated for LEJA Film Awards

February 9, 2025

The actor also shares a credit as coproducer of the film, which was shot in the Dominican Republic as it could not be filmed in Cuba.

Cuban actor Héctor Medina Valdés was nominated in 2025 for the Latino Entertainment Film Awards, presented annually by the Latin Entertainment Press Association (LEJA), according to an announcement by Variety magazine.

The artist is competing in the "Best Supporting Actor" category thanks to his performance in the film Los frikis, an independent feature film inspired by true events in Cuba during the 1990s. The film was directed and written by Americans Tyler Nilson and Michael Schwartz.

The 2024 film is also nominated in the categories of "Best Ensemble Cast," "Best Original Screenplay," "Best Foreign Film," and "Best Makeup and Hairstyling."

In addition to Medina, competing for the Best Supporting Actor award are Yuri Borisov (Anora), Kieran Culkin (A Real Pain), Clarence Maclin (Sing Sing), Guy Pearce (The Brutalist), and Sean San José (Sing Sing), it was announced about the awards days ago.

"I am so grateful for this space provided for our film @losfrikis.movie, a story that I consider necessary. This momentum helps us reach more people. Congratulations to my #losfrikis family. I am very proud of you," Medina wrote on Instagram regarding the news.

Los frikis, according to the official synopsis, tells the story of a group of young punk rockers who inject themselves with HIV in order to live in a sanatorium far from the city, where they enjoy relative freedom to express their music and their way of life.

The actor also shares a credit as coproducer of the film, which was shot in the Dominican Republic as it could not be filmed in Cuba.

Medina Valdés, 35 years old and a Miami resident for the past eight years, plays the leading role: Paco.