Children of 'Giant'

Songs of the Homeland

Filmed on location throughout Texas, Songs of the Homeland tells the story of Tejano Music. This critically acclaimed documentary features images of the past and present and includes performances and interviews with musical pioneers such as Tony de la Rosa, Valerio Longoria, Lydia Mendoza, Isidro Lopez, Sunny Ozuna, Mingo Saldivar, and Little Joe Hernandez. Produced and Directed by Award Winning Filmmaker Hector Galán, Songs of the Homeland is an exuberant journey into the heart and soul of Tejano music. Songs of the Homeland tells the story of Tejano Music. This critically acclaimed documentary features images of the past and present and includes performances and interviews with musical pioneers such as Tony de la Rosa, Valerio Longoria, Lydia Mendoza, Isidro Lopez, Sunny Ozuna, Mingo Saldivar, and Little Joe Hernandez. Produced and Directed by Award Winning Filmmaker Hector Galán, Songs of the Homeland is an exuberant journey into the heart and soul of Tejano music.

Accordion Dreams

The arrival of the European button accordion to Texas and its merging with traditional Mexican songs gave birth to an explosive new sound called conjunto. From the early pioneers to the new generation of accordionists experimenting with rock, blues, and metal, ACCORDION DREAMS captures yesterday's and today's squeezebox trailblazers. Produced and directed by critically-acclaimed filmmaker Hector Galan and narrated by singer/songwriter Tish Hinojosa, ACCORDION DREAMS features performance footage of conjunto greats like Valerio Longoria, Mingo Saldivar, Ruben Vela, Eva Ybarra, and Flaco Jimenez and the newer generation of accordionists like Joel Guzman, Jaime De Anda, Albert Zamora, and Jesse Turner.

Chicano! The History of the Mexican-American Civil Rights Movement

PBS doc series about the Chicano Civil Rights Movement.

Porvenir, Texas

In the early morning hours of January 28th, 1918, the west Texas border town known as Porvenir ceased to exist. Discover the true story behind the 1918 massacre of 15 Mexican men in this tiny border town. 100 years later, the film asks what led to the events of that fateful night and reveals the tensions that remain along the border a century later.

Willie Velasquez: Your Vote is Your Choice

Political empowerment for Latinos in the United States has always been difficult. A Mexican-American butcher's son from Texas, Willie Velasquez questioned the lack of Latino representation in his city's government, propelling him into a lifelong battle to gain political equality for Latinos. This documentary examines obstacles Latinos had to overcome to obtain representation, and addresses issues facing Latinos today.

The Hunt for Pancho Villa

Just before dawn on March 9, 1916, a band of Mexican revolutionaries loyal to General Francisco “Pancho” Villa crossed the border into the United States and attacked the town of Columbus, New Mexico. Within a matter of hours, seventeen Americans and 67 Mexicans lay dead. The next day, President Woodrow Wilson announced the formation of the Punitive Expedition under the command of General John “Blackjack” Pershing. Within three months over 150,000 U.S. National guardsmen and Army regulars would be mobilized, in what was the largest troop deployment in the United States since the Civil War. “The Hunt for Pancho Villa” recounts the events that brought the U.S. and Mexico to the brink of war in the early part of this century.

The Forgotten Americans

A look at the lives of the urban poor living in "Las Colonias", a group of over 1500 unincorporated settlements along the Mexican-American Border Region.

Vaquero: The Forgotten Cowboy

The unsung hero of the American West is the Mexican American "Vaquero," literally translated as "cowboy" in the Spanish language. Today, there are only a handful of these descendants of America's first cowboys since a rapidly changing industry has quickly made this lifestyle obsolete. Shot on location in South Texas, this moving documentary pays homage to a breed of men that history has overlooked as they continue a trade from an era gone by.

A Migrant's Masterpiece: The Life and Legacy of Patrick Flores

Spanning a period of almost eighty years, this inspirational and compelling film captures the life and legacy of Patrick Flores, the first Mexican American to be appointed Bishop in the history of the Catholic Church. The film chronicles his childhood and early years as a migrant farm worker, high school drop- out and cantina musician. Patrick Flores dreamed of becoming a priest, a nearly impossible goal for a Mexican American in those days in Texas. The film is a microcosm of the struggles and triumphs of Mexican Americans. The film captures Patrick's amazing journey to the top hierarchy of the Catholic Church, becoming one of the most influential Latino leaders in the United States.

When We Were Kings

It's 1974. Muhammad Ali is 32 and thought by many to be past his prime. George Foreman is ten years younger and the heavyweight champion of the world. Promoter Don King wants to make a name for himself and offers both fighters five million dollars apiece to fight one another, and when they accept, King has only to come up with the money. He finds a willing backer in Mobutu Sese Suko, the dictator of Zaire, and the "Rumble in the Jungle" is set, including a musical festival featuring some of America's top black performers, like James Brown and B.B. King.

His Name Was Jason: 30 Years of Friday the 13th

A retrospective documentary about the groundbreaking horror series, Friday the 13th, featuring interviews with cast and crew from the twelve films spanning 3 decades.