“American Pachuco” ~ Sundance Gives a Legend of Stage and Screen His Due!

I attended Sundance Film Festival very first screening and community gathering outside of Boulder, Colorado. I was happy to get a group of my Front Range Community College students on the guest list to experience this screening and community event. Thank you Sundance Institute. But the absolute highlight? During the Q&A, the legendary Luis Valdez (iconic creator of Zoot Suit and La Bamba), now in his 80s, was a cultural breath of fresh air.

There would be no Bad Bunny at the Super Bowl if Luis Valdez hadn’t been on Broadway in 1979 with Zoot Suit in Spanish. And the film we all came to see, “American Pachuco: The Legend of Luis Valdez” by David Alvarado was as captivating and inspiring as Luis Valdez.

This is exactly what Sundance is about: bringing the “best of the best” into our community spaces to inspire us all to make the world a better place. Sundance Film Festival comes to Boulder in January 2027!