National Humor Prize 2018 awarded to Churrisco

June 27, 2018

The 2018 National Humor Award was given to actor Octavio Fernández "Churrisco" and cartoonist Pedro Méndez, in recognition of a life entirely dedicated to the development of humor in Cuba.

Luis Enrique "Kike" Amador Quiñones, director of the Centro Promotor del Humor, informed the press that the award will be officially presented at nine o'clock in the evening on July 5th, at a gala that will take place at the Teatro Mella, as part of the program for the XXIV National Humor Festival Aquelarre 2018.

At the event, held at the Centro Cultural Plaza 31 y 2, Quiñones reported that the festival, to be held from July 1st to 8th, will present around 16 premiere works, more than 35 performances and will begin on the first day of next month at the Karl Marx, with the show Están todos imitados.

According to the renowned humorist, at the gala the recognition Humor a quien humor merece will be awarded to people and institutions that have collaborated with the genre in the country.

Dedicated this year to baseball and music, according to Kike fundamental expressions within Cuban culture, Aquelarre 2018 will have some preliminary activities such as a baseball game on June 30th between the team Los cómicos and Glorias del beisbol de Industriales.

That day at four o'clock in the afternoon, at the Estadio Latinoamericano, the humorists Pánfilo, Otto Ortiz, Mustelier, Facundo, Ruperto, El Bacán, Riquimbili, Cabo Pantera and El habanero will face off against sports legends such as Antonio Scull, Rey Vicente Anglada, Germán Mesa, Lázaro Valle and Juan Padilla, among others.

Important moments were highlighted including the awards ceremony for the Graphic Humor and Literature competition at two o'clock in the afternoon on June 29th at the Mella, as well as a theoretical section that will host, from July 2nd to 4th in the Sala Villena of the Unión de Escritores y Artistas de Cuba, a series of lectures, audiovisual presentations and book launches.

The National Humor Festival, which will also have the Centro Cultural Bertolt Brecht and the Llauradó and Raquel Revuelta halls as venues, will end with the awarding of the performing arts prizes for Best Show of the Year and the Grand Aquelarre Prize, on July 8th at nine o'clock in the evening at the Karl Marx.