John Valadez Explained

John Joseph Valadez (born 1966) is an American Latino documentary filmmaker whose work focuses on the Chicano and Latino experience in the United States.[1] His directed features have been nationally broadcast on PBS and CNN over the past 25 years.[2] His series Latino Americans won a Peabody Award in 2013,[3] and his work has received two national Emmy nominations.[4] [5]

Biography

Valadez was born in Seattle, Washington.[6]

He also taught photography in rural India. Valadez studied filmmaking at New York University’s Tisch School of the Arts where he received a BFA.[7] He received an MFA in filmmaking from the Vermont College of Fine Arts in Montpelier.[8]

He served as Artist-in-residence at Texas State University,[9] as Distinguished Filmmaker-in-Residence at The University of Texas, Arlington,[10] and as a trustee of the Robert Flaherty Film Seminar.[11]

Valadez previously taught at Michigan State University,[12] and is currently a professor of documentary filmmaking at the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor.[13]

Filmography

His most recent film, American Exile aired nationally on PBS in 2021.  The film explores the deportation of US military veterans, and played a role in helping to change[14] national policy, allowing deported veterans and their families to return home[15] [16]

Film

YearTitleDirectorProducerNotes
1993Passin' It OnYesNoValadez's first film.
2008The Last ConquistadorYesYesAired as a part of PBS'sPOV series.
2010The Longoria AffairYesYesAired on PBS's Independent Lens series.
2016The Head of Joaquin MurrietaYesYesShort film aired on PBS.
2021American ExileYesYesAired on PBS.

Television

YearTitleDirectorProducerNotes
2003Matters of RaceNoYesMini series on PBS
2004Beyond Brown: Pursuing the PromiseNoYes
2005CNN PresentsYesNoEpisode High Stakes: The Battle to Save Our Schools
2009Latin Music USAYesYesEpisode The Chicano Wave
2013Latino AmericansNoYesEpisodes War and Peace and Prejudice and Pride

Awards and nominations

YearTitleAwardResult
1993Passin' It On1993 News and Documentary Emmy Awards- Best Editing[17] Nominated
2005CNN PresentsIDA Award[18] Won
2010Latin Music USAIDA Award[19] Nominated
2011The Longoria Affair2011 Outstanding Historical Programming- Long FormNominated[20]
2013Latino AmericansPeabody AwardWon

Notes and References

  1. Web site: John Valadez U-M LSA Department of Film, television, and Media . 2023-06-19 . lsa.umich.edu . en.
  2. Web site: John J. Valadez, Author at Exploring Hate . 2023-06-19 . Exploring Hate . en-US.
  3. Web site: Latino Americans . 2023-06-18 . The Peabody Awards . en-US.
  4. Web site: Passin' It On ITVS . 2023-06-19 . itvs.org . en.
  5. Web site: The Longoria Affair Nominated for an Emmy ITVS . 2023-06-19 . itvs.org . en.
  6. Web site: John Valadez U-M LSA Department of Film, television, and Media . 2023-06-18 . lsa.umich.edu . en.
  7. Web site: John Valadez U-M LSA Department of Film, television, and Media . 2023-06-19 . lsa.umich.edu . en.
  8. Web site: John Valadez, 2019 MFA in Film . 2023-06-19 . Vermont College of Fine Arts . en-US.
  9. Web site: Valadez061014 . 2021-07-02 . Latino filmmaker John Valadez named first CSSW artist-in-residence . 2023-06-19 . news.txst.edu . en.
  10. Web site: staff . Stephanie Knefel, The Shorthorn . 2011-04-04 . Independent filmmaker uses UT-Arlington as a resource for new film projects . 2023-06-19 . The Shorthorn . en.
  11. Web site: Past Films Screened . 2023-06-19 . Flaherty . en-US.
  12. Web site: John J. Valadez . 2023-06-19 . DocLab . en-US.
  13. Web site: John Valadez The Institute for Research on Women and Gender . 2023-06-19 . irwg.umich.edu.
  14. News: Sacchetti . Maria . 2021-07-02 . Biden administration formally launches effort to return deported veterans to U.S. . en-US . Washington Post . 2023-06-19 . 0190-8286.
  15. Web site: MSU documentary halts veteran deportations . 2023-06-19 . MSUToday Michigan State University . en.
  16. Web site: 2021-11-18 . The U.S. Has Deported Thousands of Veterans. A New Policy Change Offers New Hope for 'Soldiers Left Behind' . 2023-06-19 . PBS SoCal . en-US.
  17. Web site: Passin' It On ITVS . 2023-06-19 . itvs.org . en.
  18. Web site: International Documentary Association (2005) . 2023-06-19 . IMDb.
  19. Web site: International Documentary Association (2010) . 2023-06-19 . IMDb.
  20. Web site: The Longoria Affair Nominated for an Emmy ITVS . 2023-06-19 . itvs.org . en.