PARK CITY, Utah — The new documentary “Selena y Los Dinos” – which touted never-before-seen footage from the personal archives of the Queen of Tejano’s family – has won an award at the Sundance Film Festival, where it premiered this month.
The film took home the U.S. Documentary Special Jury Award for Archival Storytelling on Friday, when the festival announced its slate of 2025 winners. The jury wrote in its notes that director Isabel Castro’s movie “transported us to a specific time and place, evoking themes of family, heritage, love and adolescence” while speaking to “the essential nature of the archive—employed in this film to chart the emergence of a once-in-a-generation talent.”
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Chris Perez, Selena’s widow, took to Instagram to share the news.
“Thank you to everyone who voted and also to everyone that continues to push Selena’s music/ legacy into the future!” Perez said in the post.
Directed by a festival alumna in Castro, the film documents Selena Quintanilla — one of Texas’ most beloved musical products — and her family band, Selena y Los Dinos, and how they rose from performing at quinceañeras to selling out stadium tours.
“The celebration of her life and legacy is chronicled through never-before-seen footage from the family’s personal archive,” Stephanie Owens said in a review on the Sundance website. “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.'”
The Sundance Film Festival continues until Feb. 2. Public distribution plans for “Selena y Los Dinos” have yet to be announced, so fans will have to wait a bit longer to find out when they might be able to watch it.