American Sons Costa Mesa Premiere with PBS SoCal

On Thursday, Oct. 9, 2025, PBS SoCal will support a regional Orange County-based screening of the upcoming 2026 PBS documentary film at its PBS SoCal Costa Mesa Studios. Filmed, in part, in Southern California, AMERICAN SONS is a profoundly intimate documentary that traces the enduring scars of war through the story of Cpl. JV Villarreal, a Mexican American Marine from Texas, was killed in action in Afghanistan. Told through raw, never-before-seen combat footage and the decade-long emotional journey of his Marine brothers and family, the film is both a tribute and a courageous exploration of grief, resilience, and love.

Producer Laura Varela and Producer/Director Andrew James Gonzales will be in attendance.

AMERICAN SONS is a special presentation of VOCES, made possible by the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, Latino Public Broadcasting, Black Public Media, and California Humanities.

This event is part of PBS SoCal's Latino Heritage Month programming.

For more information about the award-winning film, please visit https://americansonsfilm.com

PBS SoCal Costa Mesa Studio is located at

3080 Bristol St #100, Costa Mesa, CA 92626

Paid Parking is in the adjacent parking garage.

*By registering for this event, you have agreed to receive marketing emails from PBS SoCal and American Sons.

ABOUT THE FILMMAKERS

Producer / Director – Andrew Gonzales:

Andrew James Gonzales is an award-winning Texas filmmaker and the Producer, Director, Cinematographer, and Editor of American Sons, a feature-length documentary that reveals the sacrifices of veterans and their families and confronts the mental health epidemic impacting those who return from combat.

Dedicated to telling underrepresented stories with raw, honesty, Gonzales brings a rare blend of technical skill and emotional sensitivity to his work. His dual role behind the camera and in the editing room gives American Sons a visual and emotional cohesion that captures the veteran experience with unprecedented intimacy.

More than a filmmaker, Andrew is an advocate. His work is rooted in a commitment to honoring veterans, raising awareness about mental health and ensuring that the sacrifices of service members are both recognized and remembered. Through storytelling, he seeks to create connection, healing, and a deeper cultural understanding.

Producer – Laura Varela:

Laura Varela is a cultural translator and channels her upbringing on the US/ Mexico border in El Paso, TX, into her work, transcending cultural, linguistic, and physical borders through film and contemporary art installations. She is based in San Antonio, TX, a hub for her filmmaking and artistic endeavors. American Sons, Produced by Laura Varela, had its World Premiere at SXSW 2025 and will broadcast nationally on PBS on January 12, 2026. She is a producer for the VoxFem Network, a platform for innovative, international women artists and changemakers. Her work as a Producer/Director/Writer for documentary films further underscores her commitment to social justice movements and her life’s mission to use art and storytelling to uplift the Latinx/Chicanx community. She is developing a feature film, QUEEN OF THE ACCORDION, based on the life of Conjunto musician Eva Ybarra; and the documentary REBECCA FLORES: UNDER THE SOUTH TEXAS SUN with Anne Lewis.

Varela’s documentary, AS LONG AS I REMEMBER: AMERICAN VETERANOS, was broadcast nationally on PBS from 2010 to 2016 via American Public Television. UN TRIP: RAÚLRSALINAS AND THE POETRY OF LIBERATION (documentary short) by Anne Lewis and Laura Varela has completed its film festival run and has won numerous awards and has been broadcast on PBS stations across Texas as part of the Frame of Mind Series. She is the Associate Producer on Anne Lewis’s 2028 film A STRIKE AND AN UPRISING (IN TEXAS!) EMMA TENAYUCA AND THE 1938 SAN ANTONIO PECAN SHELLERS STRIKE and helped develop the academic website.