AMERICAN SONS
A powerful Documentary Exploring the Enduring Impact of War on U.S. Veterans and their Families.
American Sons, the award-winning documentary from Producer Laura Varela and Producer/Director Andrew James Gonzales, returns home for a special Hometown Premiere on Sunday, November 9th, 2025, at the historic Carver. The evening includes a red carpet celebration, a screening, and a Q&A with the filmmakers and participants.
Audiences will experience the exclusive 72-minute Director’s Cut, a deeper, more intimate look at the challenges U.S. veterans face after combat—highlighting Cpl. JV Villarreal’s enduring legacy, the resilience of his brothers-in-arms, and the ongoing national conversation on veteran mental health.
Presented ahead of the PBS VOCES broadcast on January 12th, 2026, this San Antonio premiere brings the story full circle—back to where it all began.
The event is hosted with Bexar County and Film San Antonio with support from City of San Antonio Arts and Culture, Wounded Warrior Project, Morals Patch Wine Co., Lonestar Challenge Coins, Women In Film and Television Texas, National Veteran Outreach Program, Black rifle Coffee Company, Little lemon Shots, Jewish Family Services, The John F. Kennedy High School JROTC and Mariachi Band and Veteran SA Magazine.
EVENT DETAILS
DATE
Sunday November 9, 2025
TIME
1:30PM – Reception
2:30PM – Program
VENUE
The Carver
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Watch The Trailer
AMERICAN SONS
A brotherhood forged in war. The journey to heal together.
American Sons, Produced by Laura Varela, Produced and Directed by Andrew James Gonzales, follows a group of Marines a decade after their deployment to Afghanistan as they navigate the lingering trauma of war and the devastating loss of their comrade, Corporal JV Villarreal. Through Villarreal’s haunting first-person video diary, audiences gain an intimate view of life on the front lines and the unbreakable bonds formed through sacrifice. The film serves as a poignant exploration of resilience, grief, and the urgent need for mental health support among veterans.
“This project is our commitment to breaking the stigma of mental health and fostering healing through community support for Veterans. Through this story we mean to inspire meaningful conversations and amplify the voices of veterans being left behind.” Andrew Gonzales, Producer/Director
“We are deeply honored that Cpl JV Villarreal’s family and his fellow Marines have placed their trust in us to share their story. It is both a privilege and a significant responsibility.” Laura Varela, Producer
Above: Producer Laura Varela and Producer / Director Andrew James Gonzales
Award-winning Producer Laura Varela is an known for her commitment to narratives of social justice and Award-winning Producer / Director Andrew James Gonzales, an emerging talent in documentary filmmaking that brings a fresh and deep perspective to the film. Together, their work has pushed the boundaries of documentary storytelling, making American Sons a must-watch at this year’s festival.
Additional credits include Producer Elizabeth Avellan from Troublemaker Studios, Producer/Production Supervisor Fernando S. Cano II, Executive Producers Sandie Viquez Pedlow (Latino Public Broadcasting) and Leslie Fields-Cruz (Black Public Media). Award-winning UK composers Stew Jackson & Dan Brown provide the original soundtrack for this documentary.
Their work has been funded by the Jacquie Jones Memorial Award from Black Public Media and Latino Public Broadcasting highlighting stories of underrepresented communities. As reported by Deadline, this support underscores the increasing demand for diverse storytelling in the film industry.
Additional funding is provided by California Humanities, Bexar County, and the City of San Antonio Arts and Culture.
American Sons is funded by Latino Public Broadcasting, Black Public Media via the Jacquie Jones Memorial Award, Bexar County, and the City of San Antonio Department of Arts and Culture.
Note to Editors: For all Billings, publicity and print purposes, please refer to the film as:
American Sons Produced by Laura Varela, Produced and Directed by Andrew James Gonzales
For a press kit and more info please contact us here.
Above: American Sons Team: Associate Producer Oliver Garnier, Social Media Producer Andrea Porras, April Villarreal Rodriguez,
Producer / Director Andrew James Gonzales, Producer Laura Varela, Billy Branch, Producer Elizabeth Avellán, Producer Fernando S. Cano II.
This program is a Co-Production of Infinite Warrior, Latino Public Broadcasting and Black Public Media with major funding provided by the Corporation for Public Broadcasting. This project was also made possible with support from California Humanities, a non-profit partner of the National Endowment for the Humanities.
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