NEW YORK, NY.- Film Forum will present the U.S. theatrical premiere of David Alvarado’s American Pachuco: The Legend of Luis Valdez on Friday, July 17.

Groundbreaking Chicano activist/director Luis Valdez mounted agitprop performances on flatbed trucks in the 1960s with his El Teatro Campesino, mobilizing California farmworkers to secure their first union contract; authored Zoot Suit, the first Chicano play on Broadway, and directed the 1981 screen adaptation, starring Edward James Olmos; and wrote and directed the highest-grossing Hollywood Latino movie in history, the Ritchie Valens biopic, La Bamba. American Pachuco (Valdez defines pachucos as Mexican-American “street cats with style”) playfully tracks his extraordinary life and career, with rarely seen footage from his subversive theater and television work, and interviews with Valdez; actors Olmos (who narrates the film in his Zoot Suit pachuco voice), Lou Diamond Phillips, and Cheech Marin; labor activist Dolores Huerta; and Linda Ronstadt.

American Pachuco had its world premiere at the 2026 Sundance Film Festival, where it won the U.S. Documentary Audience Award and Festival Favorite Award. It went on to screen at DOC NYC, Full Frame Documentary Film Festival, and more.

A 4K restoration of Valdez's La Bamba screens on Thursday, July 16 at 8:00, and a 35mm print of his feature film debut, Zoot Suit, screens on Saturday, July 18, at 9:10 pm.

“A rousing assertion that Chicano art is as American as it gets.” – Jake Cole, IndieWire

“This playful and comprehensive biographical documentary from director David Alvarado spends time with a deserving trailblazer whose name and accomplishments perhaps aren’t engraved in the American consciousness, but should be.” – Carlos Aguilar, Variety

“An informative, archive-packed documentary that charts Valdez’s rise from impoverished son of migrant farmers to director of a Hollywood hit… A generous homage to a major Latino talent.” – Jordan Mintzer, The Hollywood Reporter

“A reminder of how our past is prologue, covering decades of history and how it inspired one of America’s celebrated theatrical artists… feels timely as ever. As many Latinos are currently being discriminated against and persecuted, Alvarado’s documentary turns into a defiant reminder of our past struggles, a celebration of our successes and progress, and a call to remain proud of one’s roots.” – Monica Castillo, RogerEbert.com

American Pachuco: The Legend of Luis Valdez (2026, 93 min.) Written and directed by David Alvarado. Producers: David Alvarado, Lauren DeFilippo, Everett Katigbak, Amanda Pollak. Editor: Daniel Chávez-Ontiveros. Cinematographer: Zachary Fink. Sound: Peter Albrechtsen. Music: Eduardo Arenas. With Luis Valdez, Lupe Trujillo-Valdez, Edward James Olmos, Cheech Marin, Lou Diamond Phillips, Dolores Huerta, Linda Ronstadt, Jorge A. Huerta, Luis C. Garza, Taylor Hackford, Rose Portillo, Sal Lopez, Phil Esparza, Socorro Valdez, Daniel Valdez. USA. In English And Spanish With English Subtitles.