SXSW 2023: "Going Varsity in Mariachi" captures Texas high school band's state championship run

AUSTIN, Texas - Students from Edinburg North High School's competitive mariachi band are making their way on the big screens for the screening of "Going Varsity in Mariachi" during SXSW 2023.

"I think it's very exciting because it's such a unique experience and we're here and we get to watch it and see the audience reaction we really love it," says student Mariah Guel.

"To be premiering at this huge theater we're so excited to bring this film to these audiences," says co-director Alejandra Vasquez.

"Going Varsity in Mariachi", a short film directed by Vasquez and Sam Osborn, captures the moments leading to the final competition for state championship. The film previously premiered at the Sundance Film Festival in January, where the film's editor, Daniela I. Quiroz, won the Jonathan Oppenheim Editing Award: U.S. Documentary,

"Mariachi is not very well known especially in the competition aspect, a lot of people didn't know about it so to put in on-screen, show we're proud of our culture," says student Abby Garcia.

In the film Vasquez and Osborn wanted to show Latino representation.

"Going into the classroom. I saw a lot of kids like me that are half Mexican-American and they're like making the choice to get back in touch with their roots. And I think being able to put that on screen that other people can see themselves in that experience is important. It's like….why we're here," says co-director Osborn.

And of course coming to the theater, the cast walked in with style.

"We wanted to I mean, we want to look like we were on like in a varsity mariachi team. All the mariachi students have these jackets and we have like little mariachi patches on them. We thought it was really cool we wanted to honor that," says Osborn.