The Benson Latin American Collection presents the ninth annual ¡A Viva Voz!, “Machetes, Mariachis and Spy Kids: Elizabeth Avellán Makes Movies” in which film producer Elizabeth Avellán will discuss her life as one of the few Latina film producers who has been able to succeed in the male-dominated film business. The event takes place at 7 p.m. on Thursday, April 7.
Venezuelan-born Avellán grew up in Houston and attended Rice University before moving to Austin in the mid-’80s to work in the Office of the Executive Vice-President and Provost at The University of Texas at Austin.
Avellán co-founded Los Hooligan Productions with Robert Rodriguez when the two began work on “El Mariachi” (1992) in 1991. She co-produced Rodriguez-directed films “From Dusk Till Dawn” (1996), “Desperado” (1995) and “The Faculty” (1998). In 2000, Los Hooligan became Troublemaker Studios, which has since generated such notable films as the “Spy Kids” franchise, “Sin City” (2005), the Rodriguez/Tarantino double-feature, B-Movie homage “Grindhouse” (2007), “Predators” (2010) and “Machete” (2010).
The evening will include a brief introduction by Dr. Charles Ramirez-Berg of the Department of Radio-Television-Film and a reception with light refreshments after Avellán’s presentation.
The event will also feature a cinema exhibit with materials from Troublemaker Studios as well as rare materials on the Golden Age of Mexican Cinema from the Benson’s extensive archival holdings.
Please RSVP to Eve McQuade by April 4 at emcquade@austin.utexas.edu or call 512-495-4363 if you would like to attend.
