
Feature Film Program
Going Varsity in Mariachi
New York Premiere! The teen captains of Edinburg North High School’s famed mariachi team must turn a shoestring budget and diverse crew into state champions.
Sat Aug 5 7:00 PM
The Film
Going Varsity in Mariachi
Alejandra Vasquez & Sam Osborn | US | 104
In a South Texas high school auditorium, trumpets ring out, thick guitarrón strings thrum, and violin bow hairs snap and swing wildly through the air. This is the world of competitive scholastic mariachi. This energetic documentary captures the highs and lows of Edinburg North High School’s Mariachi Oro, a green team, striving for state championship. With tough love, finely tuned empathy, and a fiery passion for the music, Coach Abel Acuña guides the varsity band through a steep competition season and a fraught year in their adolescent lives. Team captains Abby, Marlena, and Bella prove the value of the skills taught in the band room as they navigate life’s challenges on and off the stage with grace, immutable work ethic, and total charm.
Filmmakers Alejandra Vasquez and Sam Osborn transport their audience to this symphonically, aesthetically, and emotionally vibrant world. A directorial debut for Vasquez and sophomore effort for Osborn, Going Varsity in Mariachi is a testament to their ability to explore identity, cultural roots, and pressing social issues with a nuance that foregrounds frankness, boldness, and joy.
Filmmakers Alejandra Vasquez and Sam Osborn transport their audience to this symphonically, aesthetically, and emotionally vibrant world. A directorial debut for Vasquez and sophomore effort for Osborn, Going Varsity in Mariachi is a testament to their ability to explore identity, cultural roots, and pressing social issues with a nuance that foregrounds frankness, boldness, and joy.
Performer
Academia de Mariachi Nuevo Amanecer
Academia de Mariachi Nuevo Amanecer (AMNA) was founded in 2015. The mission of AMNA is to preserve Mexican culture centered on youth activism in their home communities ranging from diverse backgrounds: Mexican, Colombian, Ecuadorian, and AAPI community participants. The organization began with 20 participants (between the ages of 5-18) and has since grown to over 100 students participating and learning the music and sound of mariachi all over the 5 Boroughs and also Including Passaic New Jersey.
Event Details
7:00 PM
Doors Open & Reception
7:45 PM
Live Music, featuring a special ensemble from Academia De Mariachi Nuevo Amanecer
8:30 PM
Film Begins
10:00 PM
Q&A with filmmakers Alejandra Vasquez & Sam Osborn
Venue
Brooklyn Army Terminal
80 58th St, Brooklyn, NY 11220