Selena Quintanilla Doc to Premiere at Sundance Film Festival

No matter how many years pass by after her untimely death in 1995, Selena Quintanilla will always be beloved in the Latinx community. From her albums to her depictions in media, including the 1997 film Selena starring J.Lo, it seems like everyone knows the story of the Queen of Tejano music. There have also been many looks at her life through miniseries like the Netflix show Selena: The Series, as well as documentaries, including most recently Selena and Yolanda: The Secrets Between Them. However, there has never been a documentary made with the consent or input of Selena’s family until now. Her family recently announced Selena y Los Dinos, a new documentary about her life featuring never-before-seen footage, which will premiere at the Sundance Film Festival in 2025 as part of the U.S. Documentary competition. Directed by Isabel Castro (Mija), it will focus on her beginnings as a quinceañera singer, her rise to fame, and her bond that she formed with family, friends, and fans alike, according to a press release from the festival.

“The warmth of the home videos is like sitting with the Quintanillas and reliving their journey firsthand,” the festival stated in their press release. “Castro showcases Selena’s charisma and love of performing while giving her family space to celebrate their daughter, sister and wife. Whether a lifelong fan or just discovering Selena, Castro offers an intimate new lens to experience Selena’s legacy and a reason to want to belt out ‘Como la Flor.'”

Born in Corpus Christi, Texas, Selena first found her love for music by performing with her family as quinceneras. Later, she would go on to be the lead singer of her family band Selena y Los Dinos, featuring her brother A.B., her sister Suzette, and later her husband Chris Perez. They would release seven albums together before Selena began her solo career. From 1989 until 1995, she released six albums including Selena, Ven Conmigo, Entre a Mi Mundo, Amor Prohibido, and Dreaming of You. Her life took a tragic turn when she was about to crossover into the English-language market, when her fan club manager Yolanda Saldívar fatally shot her just before her 24th birthday. Today, her legacy and her influence lives on in modern fashion and music including Moonchild Mixes, an album her family released in 2022 which employed digital technology to age her voice. She was also most recently honored with a posthumous National Medal of Arts, the highest award given to artists by the U.S. government, which her sister accepted on her behalf.

This new documentary will celebrate Selena’s success in the machismo genre of Tejano music, especially as a female singer and performer. Fans will be able to view never-before-seen footage of family videos from her childhood in Texas, performances, and interviews with close friends and family.

The documentary will premiere at the Sundance Film Festival, which will be held in person from January 23 to February 2 in Utah in Park City and Salt Lake City. It will be able to stream online through the festival website from January 30 to February 2.