HARLINGEN, Texas (ValleyCentral) — The 32nd annual Cinesol Film Festival is taking place this weekend at Texas Southmost College in Brownsville.
One of the films premiering is a documentary on the late Johnny Canales, “Take It Away: The Rise and Fall of Tejano Hollywood.”
Filmmaker Adrian Arredondo, the producer and director of the documentary, spoke with ValleyCentral about the project.
“Our movie is called Take It Away because that was Johnny’s famous catch phrase – ‘You got it, take it away,’” said Arredondo.
“I think Johnny deserves a movie to be made about him. I grew up in South Texas in McAllen, with Johnny’s show around me, and his presence was felt everywhere,” he said. “When I was a little older, I moved out of Texas, and I recognized that the visibility that the people from the Valley and from border culture doesn’t quite exist, and Johnny paved the way for that visibility.”
Arredondo, a graduate of the University of Texas at Austin from the Radio, Television and Film Department, said Canales made the music feel bigger than the region.
“It would elevate our culture, and it would show the world how we have paved the way for Latin music to be at the top of the charts today,” Arredondo said.
Canales meant a lot to the Rio Grande Valley, and the Valley meant a lot to him, according to Arredondo.
“In making this film, I discovered that he was bigger than the Valley. He was bigger than music. He was everybody’s uncle because he was in your household every Sunday with his show,” he said.
Canales gave artists such as Selena, Intocable, Ramon Ayala, Michael Salgado, and Bobby Pulido a chance on his platform, especially from the Rio Grande Valley, a shot at being someone.
The 32nd annual Cinesol Film Festival runs from Dec. 5 to 7 at Texas Southmost College in Brownsville.
Organizers will screen 45 independent films from around the world, 15 of which have ties to the Rio Grande Valley.
“Take It Away: The Rise and Fall of Tejano Hollywood” airs on Friday, Dec. 5. Doors open at 6:30 p.m.
Texas Southmost College faculty, staff, and students are admitted free of charge. Ticket prices and weekend passes vary.