‘Going Varsity in Mariachi’ Sundance Documentary Showcases Competitive High School Mariachi

In 2019, while filming a project along the US-Mexico border in Texas, directors Sam Osborn and Alejandra Vasquez came across one of the first fully sanctioned University Interscholastic League State Mariachi Festivals, where high school mariachi bands perform at the same competitive level as students in cheer, football, and marching band. The duo was surprised to hear that within a state so politically entrenched against immigration there was a publicly funded arts program that celebrated traditional Mexican culture. Osborn and Vasquez, who are both Mexican American, immediately knew that the subject was ripe material for a documentary. Eventually they found… Read Full Article