Charley Trujillo is a Viet Nam War veteran who co-directed and produced a 2003 POV film Soldados: Chicanos in Viet Nam based on his award-winning book of the same name.  The documentary recounts the harrowing experiences of five Chicano soldiers, whose first trip outside the cotton fields of their hometown was to the war-ripped rice paddies of Viet Nam.  Testimonies by family members of the veterans enhance the story by contributing to the understanding of readjustment to civilian life while coping with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD).

 

A former college professor, he has recently launched an ethnic studies learning channel directed toward colleges and universities.  The first four videos launched vary in style, length, and subject.

Tiburcio Vasquez is a lecture/documentary narrated by Charley on the life and execution of the California social bandit of the same name.

 

He directed La Señora Gonzales, Grandma Molly; a short documentary that focuses on the centenarian Amalia Gonzales and her family.

 

He directed a video lecture by college professor Arturo Villarreal on an overview of the ancient civilization of the Olmecs in Mexico.

 

He directed a video demonstration by artist Emmanuel Cervantes on the process of creating an oil painting.

 

Charley received degrees from UC Berkeley and San Jose State University in Ethnic Studies. He taught college for 15 years before he began his writing and publishing career.  He has written a Viet Nam War novel titled Dogs from Illusion and is currently writing a fictional memoir, The Real Life of a Dead Chicano: Patas de Perro.  His company Chusma House has published 35 books.

Art Cervantes is a documentary filmmaker and media producer. His first film, a twenty-eight-minute short on Tresa Koewacich, a Las Vegas mixed media artist was screened in May of 2009. The transcendental experience of the film process changed his life almost immediately.

 

Twenty years of success in the financial services field could not anchor him and since December 2012, Art has been a prolific producer of shorts for numerous projects with a diverse portfolio of patrons.

 

He most recently was selected to collaborate and produce an initiative launch short for the U.S. Catholic Church. Over the course of 18 months he produced more than 3 dozen shorts for the government of Mexico through their Consulate General offices in San Jose, California. His documentary shorts were key factors in the continuance of local programs.

 

Art is sought after for his documentary approach in covering important events. During the first week of August 2017, he produced a daily short for the person selected as Mexican of the week. A national program in Mexico. He followed Roberto Saint Martin as he led a group of talented kids on a field trip known as The Silicon Valley Experience.

 

His collaboration with Charley Trujillo began in the summer of 2016 when he edited Charley’s short documentary, La Señora González, Grandma Molly. Together they have launched an ethnic-studies learning channel on YouTube found under Chusma House. Noteworthy to the channel is a one-hour biographical production on the California social bandit, Tiburcio Vasquez.

 

In summary, Art is a prolific and consummate story teller. Born in Michoacan, Mexico, the U.S. has been his home since age three. He is the father of four; among them musicians, dancers, and painters.