Roberto Clemente documentary wins Alma Award.

Quiet Pictures, a New York-based production company, announced that “Roberto Clemente” won the 2008 NCLR ALMA Award(R) for Outstanding Made-for-Television Documentary.

Written, Directed and Produced by Bernardo Ruiz, the American Experience (PBS) documentary chronicles the life of an exceptional baseball player and committed humanitarian, who challenged racial discrimination to become baseball’s first Latino superstar.

“This is an exciting award and we are grateful for the recognition,” said Bernardo Ruiz. “This only pushes us to work harder, and to make more dynamic, compelling and intelligent films that really connect with a wide and varied viewership.”

Roberto Clemente is a one hour HD documentary that delves into who Clemente was as a person as well as how issues of race, immigration and culture have shaped the United States in the second half of the 20th century.

Narrated by Golden-Globe winning actor Jimmy Smits (The West Wing, NYPD Blue) the film features interviews with Pulitzer-Prize winning authors David Maraniss and George F. Will, Clemente’s wife, Vera, Baseball Hall of Famer Orlando Cepeda, and former teammates, to present an intimate portrait of a man whose passion and grace made him a legend. The film is a co-production of Quiet Pictures and WGBH with support from Latino Public Broadcasting.

“Latino Public Broadcasting is proud of Bernardo’s accomplishment, and salutes American Experience and PBS for bringing this moving portrait of a Latino hero to television audiences,” said Patricia Boero, Executive Director of Latino Public Broadcasting.