Start thrashing your air guitars and wearing your 2000s fashion staples this week because ASUP Films will host free screenings of “La Bamba” and the upcoming A24 film “Y2K.” Both films will be screened in the Buckley Center Auditorium, with “La Bamba” screening on Thursday, Nov. 21 at 6 p.m. and “Y2K” screening on Nov. 24 at 1 p.m.
“La Bamba” follows Chicano rockstar Ritchie Valens’ rise to fame before his death in a helicopter crash at age 17. The film will be screened in collaboration with the Latinx Student Union (LSU), which will provide chicharrones in addition to ASUP Films’ typical concessions of popcorn, candy and drinks.
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The movie will also precede with a virtual Q&A between students and the film's director, Luis Valdez. For ASUP Films Director Franky Sotelo, Valdez’s virtual visit to the screening brings a perspective not often accessible to UP students.
“I just really want students, mainly with having Luis Valdez speak about ‘La Bamba,’ to really get an insider perspective,” Sotelo said. “On campus, there isn’t really an organization that does that for students. So I’m hoping to be that, especially with the arts, [to] get an insider look into these big projects and how they’re created.”
The following Sunday, ASUP Films will host an advanced screening of the unreleased A24 film “Y2K” — a disaster-comedy following two teenagers who attend a deadly New Year’s Eve party.
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“Y2K” will hit theaters on Dec. 6.
Independent film studio A24 is known for partnering with universities to increase grassroots marketing of its films on college campuses. As with past screenings, ASUP Films will also provide free concessions to students for this screening.
Additionally, Sotelo says that students should attend these screenings to help create a future of similar ASUP Films’ events.
“I want to continue having experiences like these, like Luis Valdez, and same for this A24 collaboration,” Sotelo said. “However, I can’t do that without an audience present. Attendance … is essential to having a successful event.”
Camille Kuroiwa-Lewis is the Living Editor for The Beacon. She can be reached at kuroiwal26@up.edu.
