Kamala Lopez

Kamala Lopez is an American actress, director, writer, and political activist who has appeared in such films as Any Day Now (2012), I Heart Huckabees (2004) and Born in East L.A. (1987).

Lopez was born in New York City and raised in Caracas, Venezuela.She attended Yale University graduating with a Bachelor's Degree in philosophy and theater studies.

Lopez has worked as an actor in more than thirty feature films, including I Heart Huckabees (2004), Born in East L.A. (1987), Deep Cover (1992), and The Burning Season (1994) and more than seventy television shows, including 21 Jump Street, Lie To Me, Alias, Star Trek: Voyager, NYPD Blue and It's Garry Shandling's Show.

In 2007 Lopez hosted Wired Science on PBS, a production of KCET Los Angeles in association with Wired, along with comedian Chris Hardwick.

Lopez directed the Spanish-language short film Ese Beso in Madrid, Spain, starring Daniel Freire and Lia Chapman. She directed A Single Woman (2008), about the life of the first US congresswoman, Jeannette Rankin. The film was adapted from the play of the same name, written by Jeanmarie Simpson, a relative of Lopez.

Lopez produced the new media series Speechless Without Writers with director George Hickenlooper during the Writers Guild of America strike of 2007.

In 2009 Lopez created the ERA Education Project, a national media campaign to raise awareness about the Equal Rights Amendment in the United States. Lopez began interviewing women nationwide about how civil rights issues such as equal pay and domestic violence affect their daily lives.

In October 2013, she launched a Kickstarter campaign for the documentary Equal Means Equal. Lopez's project about the status of women in America also meant to revive public support for the ERA. Gloria Steinem appears in the film, along with more than 100 interviewees.

Lopez blogs for The Huffington Post.

• 2016 - Champion of Justice - National Civil Rights Group Equal Rights Advocates

• 2016 - Best U.S Documentary Audience Award - Traverse City Film Festival

• 2016 - Latino Spirit Award for Achievement in Advocacy and Entertainment - State of California

• 2015 - Woman of the Year Award - Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors and the Women's Commission.

• 2013- Jury Award - Senorita Cinema Festival

• 2013 -Audience Award - Boyle Heights Latina Film Festival]]

• 2012 -Named one of the 21 Leaders for the 21st Century by Women's eNews.

• 2011 - Woman of Courage Award from the National Women's Political Caucus.

• 2009 - Retrospective For Work as an Actor and Director - Museum of Latin American Art.

• 2009 -Exceptional Merit Media Award for A "Single Woman" - National Women's Political Caucus