Luis Valdez Chicano Playwright (cropped)

Chicano films are films that have been associated as being part of the tradition of Chicano cinema. Because of the generally marginal status of

Chicano Chicano or Chicana is a chosen identity for many Mexican Americans in the United States. The label ''Chicano'' is sometimes used interchangeably with ''Mexican American'', although the terms have different meanings. While Mexican-American ident ...

s in the film industry, many Chicano films have not been released for wide theatrical distribution. Not all of the films that have been associated with Chicano cinema have been directed by or written by a

or a Mexican American, who are not often directors of major films.

Films

* '' The Lash'' (1930) * ''

The Lawless ''The Lawless'' is a 1950 American film noir directed by Joseph Losey and features Macdonald Carey, Gail Russell and Johnny Sands. A newspaper editor in California becomes concerned about the plight of the state's fruit pickers, mostly immigrant ...

'' (1950) * '' The Ring'' (1952) * '' Salt of the Earth'' (1954) * ''

I Am Joaquin ''I Am Joaquin'' (also known as Yo soy Joaquin), by Rodolfo "Corky" Gonzales and translated by Juanita Dominguez, is a famous epic poem associated with the Chicano movement of the 1960s in the United States. In ''I am Joaquin'', Joaquin (the narra ...

'' (1969) * ''Los Vendidos'' (1972) * ''Yo Soy Chicano'' (1972) * '' El Corrido'' (1976) * '' Please, Don't Bury Me Alive!'' (1976) * '' Trackdown'' (1976) * '' Agueda Martinez: Our People, Our Country'' (1977) * ''

Alambrista! ''Alambrista!'' is a 1977 film directed by Robert M. Young and starring Domingo Ambriz and Trinidad Silva. It won four awards in 1977. Cast *Domingo Ambriz as Roberto * Trinidad Silva as Joe *Linda Gillen as Sharon *Ned Beatty as Angelo Coyote ...

'' (1977) * '' Raíces de sangre'' (1978) * '' Up in Smoke'' (1978) * '' Chicana'' (1979) * '' Walk Proud'' (1979) * '' Boulevard Nights'' (1979) * ''Once in a Lifetime'' (1979) * '' Cheech and Chong's Next Movie'' (1980) * ''

Nice Dreams ''Nice Dreams'' is a 1981 American action adventure comedy film directed by Tommy Chong and starring Cheech & Chong, in their third feature film. Released in 1981 by Columbia Pictures, the film focuses on the duo having gotten rich selling canna ...

'' (1981) * '' Zoot Suit'' (1981) * ''Seguín'' (1982) * ''

The Ballad of Gregorio Cortez ''The Ballad of Gregorio Cortez'' is a 1982 American Western film directed by Robert M. Young and starring Edward James Olmos as Gregorio Cortez. It is based on the book ''With His Pistol in His Hand'' by Americo Paredes. In 2022, the film ...

'' (1982) * ''

Things Are Tough All Over ''Things are Tough All Over'' is a 1982 American action comedy film directed by Thomas K. Avildsen and starring Tommy Chong and Cheech Marin as two aging hippies, and additionally as Arab businessmen Mr. Slyman and Prince Habib. Plot Cheech an ...

'' (1982) * ''

Heartbreaker Heartbreaker(s) or The Heart Breaker(s) may refer to: Film and television *''The Heart Breakers'', a 1916 film starring Andrew Arbuckle *''The Heart Breaker'', a 1925 film directed by Benjamin Stoloff * ''Heartbreaker'' (1983 film), an American f ...

'' (1983) * '' El Norte'' (1985) * ''Break of Dawn'' (1987) * '' La Bamba'' (1987) * '' Born in East L.A.'' (1987) * ''

The Milagro Beanfield War ''The Milagro Beanfield War'' is a 1988 American comedy-drama film directed by Robert Redford from a screenplay written by John Nichols and David S. Ward based on Nichols's novel of the same name. The ensemble cast includes Ruben Blades, Richar ...

'' (1988) * '' Stand and Deliver'' (1988) * ''

Colors Color (American English) or colour (British English) is the visual perceptual property deriving from the spectrum of light interacting with the photoreceptor cells of the eyes. Color categories and physical specifications of color are associa ...

'' (1988) * ''

Sweet 15 ''Sweet 15'' is a 1990 American made-for-television family drama film directed by Victoria Hochberg and starring Karla Montana, Panchito Gómez, Jerry Stiller, and Tony Plana. The plot concerns a fourteen-year-old girl whose dreams of having a ...

'' (1990) * '' Angel Town'' (1990) * ''La Ofrenda: Days of the Dead'' (1990) * ''

American Me ''American Me'' is a 1992 American crime drama film produced and directed by Edward James Olmos, his first film as a director, and written by Floyd Mutrux and Desmond Nakano. Olmos also stars as the film's protagonist, Montoya Santana, loose ...

'' (1992) * ''

El Mariachi ''El Mariachi'' is a 1992 Spanish language American independent neo-Western film and the first part of the saga that came to be known as Robert Rodriguez's '' Mexico Trilogy''. It marked the feature-length debut of Rodriguez as writer and direc ...

'' (1992) * ''

Blood In Blood Out ''Blood In Blood Out'' (also known as ''Bound by Honor'' and ''Blood In Blood Out: Bound By Honor'') is a 1993 American epic crime drama film directed by Taylor Hackford that has become a cult-classic film with a cult following among the Mexi ...

'' (1993) * ''La Carpa'' (1993) * ''The Search for Pancho Villa'' (1993) * ''

Mi Vida Loca ''Mi Vida Loca'' (also known as ''My Crazy Life'') is a 1993 American drama film directed and written by Allison Anders. It centers on the plight of cholas (the female counterparts to cholos) growing up in the Echo Park section of Los Angeles, w ...

'' (1994) * '' A Million to Juan'' (1994) * ''Songs of the Homeland'' (1994) * ''Tierra'' (1994) * ''

The Cisco Kid The Cisco Kid is a fictional character found in numerous film, radio, television and comic book series based on the fictional Western character created by O. Henry in his 1907 short story "The Caballero's Way", published in '' Everybody's Magaz ...

'' (1994) * '' The Devil Never Sleeps'' (1994) * ''

My Family ''My Family'' is a British sitcom created and initially co-written by Fred Barron, which was produced by DLT Entertainment and Rude Boy Productions, and broadcast by BBC One for eleven series between 2000 and 2011, with Christmas specials broadc ...

'' (1995) * ''

Desperado Desperado may refer to: * Outlaw, particularly in the American Old West Books * ''Desperadoes'' (comics), a comic book series * ''Desperadoes'' (novel), a 1979 novel by Ron Hansen * Desperado Publishing, an American independent comic book publ ...

'' (1995) * '' A Walk in the Clouds'' (1995) * '' Follow Me Home'' (1996) * ''

From Dusk till Dawn ''From Dusk till Dawn'' is a 1996 American action horror film directed by Robert Rodriguez and written by Quentin Tarantino from a concept and story by Robert Kurtzman. Starring Harvey Keitel, George Clooney, Quentin Tarantino, Ernest Liu, and ...

'' (1996) * '' Lone Star'' (1996) * '' Star Maps'' (1997) * ''

Selena Selena Quintanilla Pérez (; April 16, 1971 – March 31, 1995), known mononymously as Selena, was an American Tejano singer. Called the " Queen of Tejano music", her contributions to music and fashion made her one of the most celebrated Mex ...

'' (1997) * ''

One Eight Seven ''One Eight Seven'' (also known as ''187'') is a 1997 American crime thriller film directed by Kevin Reynolds. It was the first top-billed starring role for Samuel L. Jackson, who plays a Los Angeles teacher caught with gang trouble in an urban ...

'' (1997) * '' Fools Rush In'' (1997) * '' Melting Pot'' (1998) * ''

Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas ''Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas: A Savage Journey to the Heart of the American Dream'' is a 1971 novel in the gonzo journalism style by Hunter S. Thompson. The book is a ''roman à clef'', rooted in autobiographical incidents. The story follo ...

'' (1998) * ''

The Wonderful Ice Cream Suit ''The Wonderful Ice Cream Suit'' is a 1998 American fantasy comedy film directed by Stuart Gordon, written by Ray Bradbury and starring Edward James Olmos, Joe Mantegna, Esai Morales, Clifton Collins Jr. (credited as Clifton Gonzalez Gonzalez), Si ...

'' (1998) * '' The City'' (1998) * ''

The Mask of Zorro ''The Mask of Zorro'' is a 1998 American swashbuckler film based on the character of the masked vigilante Zorro created by Johnston McCulley. It was directed by Martin Campbell and stars Antonio Banderas, Anthony Hopkins, Catherine Zeta-J ...

'' (1998) * ''Luminarias'' (1999) * ''

Bread and Roses "Bread and Roses" is a political slogan as well as the name of an associated poem and song. It originated from a speech given by American women's suffrage activist Helen Todd; a line in that speech about "bread for all, and roses too" inspired ...

'' (2000) * ''Indigenous Always: La Malinche'' (2000) * ''

Price of Glory ''Price of Glory'' is a 2000 American sports drama film written by Phil Berger, directed by Carlos Avila and starring Jimmy Smits. The movie was nominated for several ALMA Awards in 2001. The film was shot in Huntington Park, California, Los Angel ...

'' (2000) * ''

Tortilla Soup Tortilla soup ( es, sopa de tortilla) is a traditional Mexican soup made of fried corn tortilla pieces, submerged into a broth of tomato, garlic, onion, and '' chile de árbol'' and epazote. It is served with pieces of pasilla chiles, chicharr ...

'' (2001) * ''

Real Women Have Curves ''Real Women Have Curves'' is a 2002 American comedy-drama film directed by Patricia Cardoso, based on the Real Women Have Curves (play), play of the same name by Josefina López, who co-authored the screenplay for the film with George LaVoo. Th ...

'' (2002) * ''

Once Upon a Time in Mexico ''Once Upon a Time in Mexico'' (also known as ''Desperado 2'') is a 2003 American neo-Western action film written, directed, produced, photographed, scored, and edited by Robert Rodriguez. It is the third and final film in Rodriguez's '' Mexico ...

'' (2003) * ''

A Day Without a Mexican ''A Day Without a Mexican'' is a 2004 fantasy film directed by Sergio Arau in his directorial debut from a screenplay co-written with Yareli Arizmendi and Sergio Guerrero. It stars Yareli Arizmendi, John Getz, Maureen Flannigan, Muse Watson, F ...

'' (2004) * ''

Spanglish Spanglish (a portmanteau of the words "Spanish" and "English") is any language variety (such as a contact dialect, hybrid language, pidgin, or creole language) that results from conversationally combining Spanish and English. The term is mos ...

'' (2004) * ''

The Three Burials of Melquiades Estrada ''The Three Burials of Melquiades Estrada'' (also known as ''Three Burials'') is a 2005 neo-Western film directed by and starring Tommy Lee Jones and written by Guillermo Arriaga.

'' (2005) * ''

How the Garcia Girls Spent Their Summer ''How the Garcia Girls Spent Their Summer'' is a 2005 American comedy film starring America Ferrera. It was not released on DVD until May 16, 2008. The film won the Silver George for the Best Film of the Perspective competition at the 27th Moscow ...

'' (2005) * '' Wassup Rockers'' (2005) * ''

Walkout In labor disputes, a walkout is a labor strike, the act of employees collectively leaving the workplace and withholding labor as an act of protest. A walkout can also mean the act of leaving a place of work, school, a meeting, a company, or an ...

'' (2006) * '' Quinceañera'' (2006) * '' Goal!'' (2006) * '' Bordertown'' (2006) * ''

Amexicano ''Amexicano'' is a drama film directed by Matthew Bonifacio and written by Carmine Famiglietti. The film explores the relationship between a blue-collar Italian-American man and an Undocumented Mexican immigrant as they both try to make a living ...

'' (2007) * '' El Muerto'' (2007) * ''

Freedom Writers ''Freedom Writers'' is a 2007 American drama film written and directed by Richard LaGravenese and starring Hilary Swank, Scott Glenn, Imelda Staunton, Patrick Dempsey and Mario. It is based on the 1999 book '' The Freedom Writers Diary'' by te ...

'' (2007) * ''

Under the Same Moon ''Under the Same Moon'' ( es, La misma luna) is a 2007 Mexican-American drama film in Spanish and English directed by Patricia Riggen (in her feature film directorial debut) and starring Kate del Castillo, Adrián Alonso, and Eugenio Derbez. P ...

'' (2008) * '' Sleep Dealer'' (2008) * '' La Linea'' (2008) * ''A Crushing Love: Chicanas, Motherhood and Activism'' (2009) * ''Don't Let Me Drown'' (2009) * ''

Machete Older machete from Latin America Gerber machete/saw combo Agustín Cruz Tinoco of San Agustín de las Juntas, Oaxaca">San_Agustín_de_las_Juntas.html" ;"title="Agustín Cruz Tinoco of San Agustín de las Juntas">Agustín Cruz Tinoco of San ...

'' (2010) * ''

From Prada to Nada ''From Prada to Nada'' is a 2011 American romantic comedy film directed by Angel Gracia, loosely based on Jane Austen's 1811 novel '' Sense and Sensibility''. The screenplay was adapted by Fina Torres, Luis Alfaro, and Craig Fernandez to be a L ...

'' (2011) * '' Down for Life'' (2011) * '' La Mission'' (2010) * ''Antonia: A Chicana Story'' (2013) * ''

Mosquita y Mari ''Mosquita y Mari'' is a 2012 coming-of-age film written and directed by Aurora Guerrero and starring Fenessa Pineda and Venecia Troncoso. It premiered at the 2012 Sundance Film Festival. Plot When Yolanda Olveros meets her new neighbor Mari Ro ...

'' (2013) * '' Bless Me, Ultima'' (2013) * '' A Better Life'' (2011) * '' Cesar Chavez'' (2014) * '' Frontera'' (2014) * '' Spare Parts'' (2015) * ''

McFarland, USA ''McFarland, USA'' (also known as ''McFarland'') is a 2015 American sports drama film directed by Niki Caro, produced by Mark Ciardi and Gordon Gray, written by Christopher Cleveland, Bettina Gilois and Grant Thompson with music composed by An ...

'' (2015) * '' East Side Sushi'' (2016) * '' Lowriders'' (2016) * ''

Dolores Dolores, Spanish for "pain; grief", most commonly refers to: * Our Lady of Sorrows or La Virgen María de los Dolores * Dolores (given name) Dolores may also refer to: Film * ''Dolores'' (2017 film), an American documentary by Peter Bratt * ' ...

'' (2017) * ''

Beatriz at Dinner ''Beatriz at Dinner'' is a 2017 comedy-drama film directed by Miguel Arteta from a screenplay by Mike White. The film stars Salma Hayek, John Lithgow, Connie Britton, Jay Duplass, Amy Landecker, Chloë Sevigny, and David Warshofsky. ''Beat ...

'' (2017) * '' Overboard'' (2018) * '' Sicario: Day of the Soldado'' (2018) * ''

El Chicano El Chicano was an American brown-eyed soul group from Los Angeles, California, whose style incorporated various modern music genres including rock, funk, soul, blues, jazz, and salsa. The group's name was from Chicano, a term for United States ...

'' (2018) * ''

Extinction Extinction is the termination of a kind of organism or of a group of kinds (taxon), usually a species. The moment of extinction is generally considered to be the death of the last individual of the species, although the capacity to breed and ...

'' (2018) * ''

Beneath Us ''Beneath Us'' is a 2019 American horror-thriller film written by Max Pachman and Mark Mavrothalasitis, and directed by Pachman. The film stars Lynn Collins, Rigo Sanchez, Josue Aguirre, James Tupper, Roberto Sanchez, and Thomas Chavira. It wa ...

'' (2019) * ''

The Curse of La Llorona ''The Curse of La Llorona'' (also known as ''The Curse of the Weeping Woman'' in some markets) is a 2019 American supernatural horror film directed by Michael Chaves, in his feature directorial debut, and written by Mikki Daughtry and Tobias ...

'' (2019) * '' The Devil Has a Name'' (2019) * '' Walking with Herb'' (2021) * ''Murder in the Woods'' (2021)

References

Chicano Film genres Mexican-American cinema {{Film-genre-stub

Films

See also

References