She Changed Latin Music Forever: The Story of Selena Comes to Life in This Must-See Film

Selena posing during photoshoot - Credit: Cynthia E. Orozco

Sierra Pope | Multimedia News Intern

3-minute Read

GRAND PRAIRIE, Texas – Selena Quintanilla-Pérez, known as the “Queen of Tejano Music,” tragically left the things of Earth behind 30 years ago. Yet, her life, love, and legacy have carried on through her upbeat music, intriguing biographical films, and devoted fanbase. 

On January 26, 2025, a new documentary, Selena y Los Dinos, had its world premiere at the Sundance Film Festival, which captured deeper elements of Quintanilla-Pérez’s personal life in relation to the peak of her stardom. 

Since Quintanilla-Pérez was born and raised in the Lone Star State, South by Southwest (SXSW), an annual film and music conference in Austin, Texas, hosted a screening on March 12, 2025 in her honor, revealing never-before-seen footage of past interviews and conversations with her husband (Christopher Perez), and bandmates (A.B. Quintanilla, Suzette Quintanilla, Ricky Vela, Joe Ojeda, Arturo Meza, Pete Astudillo, and Don Shelton).

Selena y Los Dinos is personal without appearing invasive of Quintanilla-Pérez’s upbringing and rise to fame. The movie scenes’ describe the family’s financial hardships, while also highlighting the battle of sexism in the Tejano music scene, and other challenging norms.

The SXSW’s audience were impressed–many dressed in Quintanilla-Pérez’s merchandise, engaging with her through the big screen as she made sarcastic comments or jokes in home videos and walked different musical stages with radiant energy. 

By the end, a high-level of saddened emotions arose once Quintanilla-Pérez’s family members recalled where they were on the day of her death. However, due to the crew’s developed execution of storytelling, the project won the Audience Award amid 24 Beats Per Second.

Certainly, Selena y Los Dinos left a mark on individuals around the world by remembering Quintanilla-Pérez’s heartwarming spirit and unforgettable charm. Overall, the memories illustrated in the newest documentary were meant to bring peace into the hearts of loved ones, providing a gentle reminder of Quintanilla-Pérez’s present inspiration.