John Joseph Valadez (born 1966) is an American Latino documentary filmmaker whose work focuses on the Chicano and Latino experience in the United States. His directed features have been nationally broadcast on PBS and CNN over the past 25 years. His series Latino Americans won a Peabody Award in 2013, and his work has received two national Emmy nominations.
Biography Valadez was born in Seattle, Washington.
He also taught photography in rural India. Valadez studied filmmaking at New York University's Tisch School of the Arts where he received a BFA. He received an MFA in filmmaking from the Vermont College of Fine Arts in Montpelier.
He served as Artist-in-residence at Texas State University, as Distinguished Filmmaker-in-Residence at The University of Texas, Arlington, and as a trustee of the Robert Flaherty Film Seminar.
Valadez previously taught at Michigan State University, and is currently a professor of documentary filmmaking at the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor.
Filmography His most recent film, American Exile, aired nationally on PBS in 2021. The film explores the deportation of US military veterans, and played a role in helping to change national policy, allowing deported veterans and their families to return home.
Film YearTitleDirectorProducerNotes1993Passin' It OnYesNoValadez's first film.2008The Last ConquistadorYesYesAired as a part of PBS's POV series.2010The Longoria AffairYesYesAired on PBS's Independent Lens series.2016The Head of Joaquin MurrietaYesYesShort film aired on PBS.2021American ExileYesYesAired on PBS.
Television YearTitleDirectorProducerNotes2003Matters of RaceNoYesMini series on PBS2004Beyond Brown: Pursuing the PromiseNoYes2005CNN PresentsYesNoEpisode High Stakes: The Battle to Save Our Schools2009Latin Music USAYesYesEpisode The Chicano Wave2013Latino AmericansNoYesEpisodes War and Peace and Prejudice and Pride
Awards and nominations YearTitleAwardResult1993Passin' It On1993 News and Documentary Emmy Awards- Best EditingNominated2005CNN PresentsIDA AwardWon2010Latin Music USAIDA AwardNominated2011The Longoria Affair2011 Outstanding Historical Programming- Long FormNominated2013Latino AmericansPeabody AwardWon References