LOS ANGELES– Panelists: actors Lou Diamond Phillips, Esai Morales and Rosana DeSoto (schedules permitting). Written and directed by Luis Valdez. Produced by Taylor Hackford, Bill Borden. Cast: Lou Diamond Phillips, Esai Morales, Rosana DeSoto, Elizabeth Peña, Danielle Von Zerneck, Joe Pantoliano, Rick Dees. The dramatic true story of early Chicano rocker Ritchie Valens (aka Valenzuela) comes to life in this film written and directed by Luis Valdez. Lou Diamond Phillips shot to stardom with his portrayal of Valens, a one-time migrant worker who achieved nationwide fame as a rock ’n’ roll performer in the 1950s before his death in a plane crash with Buddy Holly. Valdez’s film offers a vivid portrayal of the largely unexplored history of Latino musicians and their contributions to the birth of rock ’n’ roll. This event will take place outdoors at LA PLAZA with live music, food, art vendors and more. Free event; no tickets required. From Latin America to Hollywood: Latino Film Culture in Los Angeles 1967-2017 is a series of film screenings and filmmaker conversations, film restorations, online content, educational initiatives, and a publication exploring the shared influences of Latino and Latin American filmmakers and the work they created or presented in Los Angeles during the past half-century. This series is part of Pacific Standard Time: LA/LA, a far-reaching and ambitious exploration of Latin American and Latino art in dialogue with Los Angeles. Led by the Getty, Pacific Standard Time: LA/LA is the latest collaborative effort from arts institutions across Southern California. This project was supported in part by California Humanities’ Humanities for All Project Grant. To learn more about Humanities for All Project Grants, please visit our webpage here.
