Going Varsity in Mariachi

It’s Friday Night Lights but with a brass section instead of a string of stocky linebackers. Shot over the course of one school year in South Texas’ Rio Grande Valley, coach Abel Acuña must put together and train an underfunded but spirited high school mariachi band with sights set on the state championship. —M.G.

Every year several high school mariachi teams across Texas compete in major competitions, all hoping to achieve greatness in celebration of their heritage. GOING MARIACHI IN VARSITY takes us deep inside the trials of these competitions by following the Mariachi Oro team of Edinburg North High School. Capturing a school year’s worth of highs and lows experienced by the team, its coaches, and its team captains, Mariachi Oro grows from an unseasoned team of new talents to a collaborative powerhouse through their collective passion for their culture and commitment to their artform. The film culminates in transcendent musical performances from them and their fellow competitors that are an equal feast for the eyes and ears, making for a musically arresting and emotionally uplifting documentary experience. —C.F.

GUEST(S) ARE SCHEDULED TO BE IN ATTENDANCE FOR Q&A