Guadalupe's CineFestival Returns, Debuts Local Icon’s Documentary
July 7, 2021 - San Antonio
Juanito’s Lab. “Juanito’s Lab” sees Castillo explore his musical heritage and experiment with various genres in his journey from teenager to fully-grown man. Courtesy Image: Yulelé Media.
By Ricardo Delgado, Staff Writer | San Antonio Sentinel
WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW:
- A full list of the films of the festival is available on the Guadalupe’s website, the two highlighted films being “Juanito’s Lab”and ”LOVE AND BASEBALL”.
- The Guadalupe Theater will showcase 10 feature films alongside more than 50 films which will be screened from July 7 to 11.
The 42nd Cinefestival returns to the Guadalupe Theater after a COVID-19 induced hiatus in 2020, headlined by the 15-year documented journey of one of San Antonio’s most fascinating musical prodigies.
The Guadalupe Theater will showcase 10 feature films alongside more than 50 films which will be screened from July 7 to 11, opening with “Juanito’s Lab”, a documentary following the life of Juanito Castillo, 32, multi-instrumentalist, Westside native and prodigious accordion player blind from birth. The film is directed by San Antonio residents Guillermina Zabala and Enrique Lopetegui, who both admitted filming lasted much longer than expected thanks to Castillo’s enthusiasm and incredible life story.
Competitions and showcases for short and feature films alike crowd the CineFestival schedule, with each day — apart from July 7 at 7 p.m., where “Juanito’s Lab” will debut alone — premiering at least two movies per night. A full list of the films of the festival is available on the Guadalupe’s website, the two highlighted films being “Juanito’s Lab” and ”LOVE AND BASEBALL”, a romantic comedy and drama directed by Steve Acevedo based on the Jerry Montoya play of the same name. “LOVE AND BASEBALL” closes the festival on July 11 at 7 p.m.
“Juanito’s Lab” sees Castillo explore his musical heritage and experiment with various genres in his journey from teenager to fully-grown man. According to Zabala, the film kept growing and growing as Castillo would show the co-directors more of his life, leaving the filmmakers with over 90 hours of footage to condense into 110 minutes.
“So you as an audience member you're sort of [exploring] a little bit the different musical [trends] with him in addition to his personal life,” Zabala said. “He's growing up as a teen, and in a context of family dynamics, and then other relationships with friends and girlfriends, and so it's sort of like, you see a big arc, especially because we follow him for so many years, you will definitely see that in the film, that change.”
Zabala herself helped organize and direct the CineFestival in 2005, around when she moved to San Antonio, so having a film showcasing a Westside icon of sorts is “a dream come true” for her.
“The Guadalupe Cultural Center, it's a really important community center in the west side, and Juanito is from the west side — we filmed a lot in that area, so [kind of] all the pieces came together, and tomorrow is gonna be a great night,” Zabala said. “So really, really excited.”
Lopetegui remarked Castillo’s already met with some world-famous musicians like legendary Argentinian producer and musician Gustavo Santaolalla, an interaction captured on film and one Lopetegui sincerely treasures.
“We took him to LA, and he jammed with Gustavo and he blew him away,” Lopetegui said. “That's my favorite part of the movie, those five minutes when they were jamming. And he was like on spec, because [Santaolalla], if he doesn't click in five minutes, he tells you to go home.”
With such an in-depth project comes exposure, something Lopetegui hopes will come to Castillo so he can develop his talents further on a much bigger stage than San Antonio.
“If Juanito was in New York, or LA, or Miami or Chicago, or San Francisco, something like that, he would be kicking ass big time,” Lopetegui said. “ I think Texas is too small for Juanito. That's my personal opinion. One of my dreams is to somehow get Juanito inside the Berklee College of Music and continue growing as a musician.”
Both directors say the film reached a natural stopping point, but would not specify what exactly told them it was time to wrap up, not wanting to spoil the film. Lopetegui hopes the film will elevate Castillo’s star to its deserved spot, where he performs with the world’s greatest musicians.
“Hopefully in the future, there will be more Juanito movies, not necessarily by us, but by other people,” Lopetegui said. “I'm sure that once he gets the chance to perform with the greats, not only here in Texas but all over the nation and all over the world, I think it's just a matter of time until Juanito is known everywhere.”
Ricardo Delgado transferred to Texas State University at San Marcos to study journalism and minor in political science. He graduated during the spring of 2021. Email him at reporter@sasentinel.com