With his rallying cry of “su voto es su voz” (“your vote is your voice”), the Mexican-American activist Willie Velasquez launched a grassroots movement that forever changed the nation’s political landscape. KLRN Public Television, in partnership with CineFestival, proudly presents Willie Velasquez: Your Vote is Your Voice.
- WHAT: Willie Velasquez: Your Vote is Your Voice film screening and panel discussion
- WHO: KLRN, Guadalupe Cultural Arts Center, CineFestival
- WHEN: Wednesday, September 21 | 7:30 p.m. (doors open at 6:30 p.m.)
- WHERE: Guadalupe Cultural Arts Center, 1301 Guadalupe St., San Antonio, TX 78207
- MORE: Free. RSVP is required.
Through his nonpartisan Southwest Voter Registration and Education Project (SVREP), Velasquez launched over one thousand voter registration drives in 200 cities, creating a movement that has continued to grow in power each year. “Today there are over 27 million eligible Latino voters,” said Sandie Viquez Pedlow, executive producer and executive director of Latino Public Broadcasting. “By encouraging Latinos to become invested in the democratic process by registering to vote, Willie Velasquez and SVREP paved the way for the continually increasing power of Latinos at the polls.”
Willie Velasquez: Your Vote is Your Voice is a VOCES/PBS Election 2016 special narrated by Luis Valdez and directed by Hector Galán (Children of Giant). This documentary is a co-production of Galán Incorporated and Latino Public Broadcasting with major funding from the Corporation from Public Broadcasting. Presented by KLRU Austin and KLRN San Antonio.
About the Filmmaker
Hector Galán (Producer/Director) has been producing critically-acclaimed and award-winning programs for PBS for over 25 years. His productions include the recent Children of Giant, eleven episodes for FRONTLINE, two programs for AMERICAN EXPERIENCE, and the landmark four-part series, Chicano! History of the Mexican-American Civil Rights Movement, which Galán was invited to screen at the White House for President Bill Clinton. His work has garnered numerous awards and recognitions including three Imagen Awards, the Cine Golden Eagle Award, the Telly Award, SXSW Best Documentary, the Golden Apple, and the Blue Ribbon Award and numerous festival awards.
About Latino Public Broadcasting
Latino Public Broadcasting (LPB) is the leader in the development, production, acquisition and distribution of non-commercial educational and cultural media that is representative of Latino people, or addresses issues of particular interest to Latino Americans. These programs are produced for dissemination to public broadcasting stations and other public telecommunication entities. Latino Public Broadcasting provides a voice to the diverse Latino community throughout the United States and is funded by the Corporation for Public Broadcasting.
Latino Public Broadcasting produces the series VOCES, PBS’ signature Latino arts and culture documentary showcase and the only ongoing national television series devoted to exploring and celebrating the rich diversity of the Latino cultural experience. Between 2009 and 2016, LPB programs have won over 85 awards, including the prestigious George Foster Peabody Award as well as two Emmys, two Imagen Awards and the Sundance Grand Jury Prize. In addition, LPB has been the recipient of the Norman Lear Legacy Award and the NCLR Alma Award for Special Achievement.
About CPB
The Corporation for Public Broadcasting (CPB), a private, nonprofit corporation created by Congress in 1967, is the steward of the federal government’s investment in public broadcasting. It helps support the operations of nearly 1,500 locally owned and operated public television and radio stations nationwide. CPB is also the largest single source of funding for research, technology and program development for public radio, television and related online services. For more information, visitwww.cpb.org and follow us on Twitter @CPBmedia, Facebook and LinkedIn.
About KLRN
KLRN is the Emmy-Award winning Public Television station for South Central Texas broadcasting to a 30-county radius. The mission of KLRN is to use the power of communications to provide quality programs and services which advance education, culture and community, to enrich the lives of people throughout our community.
