PBS to Premiere New Season of Latino Public Broadcasting's VOCES

Latino Public Broadcasting (LPB) today announced that Season 5 of VOCES, the acclaimed PBS documentary series exploring Latino arts, culture and history, will premiere on four consecutive Fridays, September 13-October 4, 2019 (check local listings) on PBS, pbs.org and the PBS Video app. VOCES is presented by PBS SoCal.

The season launches on September 13 with "Raúl Juliá: The World's a Stage," a special co-presentation of VOCES and AMERICAN MASTERS. This new documentary is a revealing look at the brilliant and charismatic actor, from his native Puerto Rico to the New York stage to Hollywood, whose mesmerizing performances took the world by storm. "The Pushouts" (September 20) follows Dr. Victor Rios - a former gang member turned celebrated professor, TED Talk speaker and author - as he mentors a new generation of young people. In "Adios Amor: The Search for Maria Moreno" (September 27), the discovery of lost photographs sparks the search for a hero that history forgot - Maria Moreno, an eloquent migrant mother of 12 who became an early and outspoken fighter for farmworker rights. The season concludes on October 4 with "Porvenir, Texas," an investigation into the tragic 1918 murder of 15 Mexican men in the tiny Texas border town of Porvenir.

"These four documentaries illuminate the lives of extraordinary people - some famous, some unknown - who dared to speak out and make a difference," said Sandie Viquez Pedlow, executive director of LPB and executive producer of VOCES. "They provide a unique look at our collective past and its impact on our present and future, and we're proud to bring them to a national audience on PBS."

"This season of VOCES is particularly personal to me," said LPB Co-founder and Chairman Edward James Olmos. "I had the honor of working with Raúl Juliá on 'The Burning Season' and he had a profound effect on my life. I've also been inspired by the important work that Victor Rios is doing with young people of color. And, now more than ever, the stories of Maria Moreno, and what happened in Porvenir, Texas, deserve to be told and remembered."

"CPB is committed to providing support for stories reflecting the diverse experiences and cultures of all Americans, and LPB is an important partner in fulfilling our diversity mission," said Maja Mrkoci, CPB Chief Content Officer. "We're proud to support VOCES and the impactful stories told in this new season."

In addition, VOCES will be supported by a national community engagement campaign in partnership with local public television stations and community organizations to encourage thoughtful dialogue on the films and the issues presented.

The schedule for the Fall 2019 season of VOCES follows:

Friday, September 13, 2019, 9:00-10:30PM ET (check local listings)

Juliá: The World's a Stage" (a co-presentation with AMERICAN MASTERS)

Producer/Director: Ben DeJesus

"Raúl Juliá: The World's a Stage" is the first documentary about the brilliant and charismatic actor whose magnetic work on stage and screen took the world by storm. Juliá's journey from his native Puerto Rico, to the creative hotbed of 1960s New York City, to prominence on Broadway and in Hollywood, was one of passion, determination, and joy - a groundbreaking career tragically cut short with his untimely death. This revealing portrait features Rita Moreno, Edward James Olmos, Anjelica Huston, John Leguizamo, Jimmy Smits, Rubén Blades, James Earl Jones, Andy Garcia, Esai Morales, and more. The film is a co-production of ITVS, NGL Studios, Diamante Content, and Latino Public Broadcasting in association with AMERICAN MASTERS Pictures. Major support for American Masters-Raúl Juliá: The World's a Stageis provided by the Corporation for Public Broadcasting. Additional support has been provided by the National Endowment for the Arts.

Friday, September 20, 2019, 10:00-11:00PM ET (check local listings)

"The Pushouts"

Producer/Director/Writer: Katie Galloway;

Co-Director/Producer: Dawn Valadez; Executive Producers: Sharon Tiller, Chana Ben-Dov

"I was in prison before I was even born." So begins the story of Victor Rios, a high school dropout, gang member, and three-time felon by age 15. But when a teacher's quiet persistence, a mentor's moral conviction, and his best friend's murder converge, Rios's path takes an unlikely turn. Twenty years later Rios, by then an award-winning professor, author and expert on the school to prison pipeline, rejoins his old mentor to work with young people who have been pushed out of school for reasons beyond their control.

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Featuring footage filmed over more than 25 years, "The Pushouts" weaves Rios's inspiring dropout-to-professor narrative with stories from YO! Watts, a youth center serving 16-24 year-olds who are out of school and out of work. Trading narratives of tragedy and victimization for true stories of grit and resilience, the film highlights the vast potential of young people to thrive when given access to meaningful opportunities and connections to adults who care. "The Pushouts" is part of American Graduate, public media's long-term commitment, made possible by the Corporation for Public Broadcasting (CPB) to help young people succeed in school, career and life.

Friday, September 27, 2019, 10:00-11:00PM ET (check local listings)

"Adios Amor: The Search for Maria Moreno"

Producer/Director: Laurie Coyle

In "Adios Amor," the discovery of lost photographs sparks the search for a hero that history forgot - Maria Moreno, an eloquent migrant activist and mother of 12. Years before Cesar Chavez and Dolores Huerta launched the United Farm Workers, Maria used the only weapon she had - her voice - and became an outspoken leader in an era when women were usually relegated to the background. The first woman farmworker in America to be hired as a union organizer, Maria's story was silenced and her legacy buried - until now.

Friday, October 4, 2019, 10:00-11:00PM ET (check local listings)

"Porvenir, Texas"

Director: Andrew Shapter; Producer: Christina Fernandez; Executive Producer: Hector Galan

In the early morning hours of January 28, 1918, in the border town of Porvenir, Texas, a group of 15 fathers, uncles, brothers and sons were taken from their homes and executed; soon after, their families fled. Who were the killers? Why did they carry out such a horrific act? "Porvenir, Texas" explores this tragic story, asks what led to the events of that fateful night and reveals the tensions that still remain along the border a century later.

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