Guatemalan actor Enrique Salanic has been blocked from entering the United States ahead of the U.S. premiere of his award-winning movie “José,” by the U.S. embassy in Guatemala.

The film is to premiere in New York City on Jan. 31, and Salanic is still campaigning to be granted entry to the U.S. “José” has received critical praise and has won the Queer Lion at the Venice Film Festival and other awards. “José ” focuses on Salanic’s young, gay character falling in love for the first time while living with his mother in Guatemala.

The U.S. embassy in Guatemala has twice denied his non-immigrant visa applications, citing a concern that he is a “flight risk” because he lives with his parents in Guatemala and has no permanent address in the U.S.

“Denying Enrique Salanic his entry visa to promote his work in a film produced, financed and distributed by American citizens and companies represents just one way in which the current administration’s immigration rules impact U.S. businesses, and it perpetuates the negative impression the world has of America. Denying entry to a man who has already successfully studied in the U.S. just because he is from Guatemala is unjust and cruel,” Outsider Pictures’ Paul Hudson said.