New documentary series focuses on the iconic Tacos of Texas on Indie Lens Storycast

Austin, Texas, September 25, 2018 – Based on The Tacos of Texas book, a new documentary series explores the Iconic Tacos of Texas and taco culture through the eyes of the people in the Lone Star State. The new seven-episode digital series premieres on Tuesday, September 25, 2018, at 12:00pm CST with Indie Lens Storycast, a YouTube channel in partnership with PBS Digital Studios.

The new series is produced and co-hosted by Taco Journalism’s Mando Rayo & Jarod Neece and directed by Dennis Burnett. The series will feature one iconic taco and taco style per city, highlighting local issues such as taco gentrification in East Austin, a tradition in the Rio Grande Valley, Dreamers in Houston, the importance of the masa in San Antonio, cultural appropriation in Corpus Christi, Modern Mexican in Dallas and border fluidity in El Paso. 

“It’s great to showcase the different styles of tacos in Texas and share the stories of the tacos, but most importantly, they are about the people that make them, the culture, and our traditions,” said Mando Rayo, Series Producer. 

“We’ve eaten tacos our entire lives, we’ve written about them for over a decade on our blog and in our two books. Now, after traveling thousands of miles across Texas, we are thrilled to share The Tacos of Texas with the World! Tacos. Never. Die.” said Jarod Neece, Series Co-Producer. 

Starting on Tuesday, September 25, 2018, The Tacos of Texas episodes will be streamed on the #IndieLensStorycast Youtube channel and people can subscribe and view the episodes at www.StoryCastDocs.com.  

“As a filmmaker, it was our goal to be as authentic as possible when discussing the culture, cuisine, and traditions of Texas through the tacos. We achieved this by asking the right questions and giving a platform for each character of every scene to tell their own story and share their experiences. Making sure to showcase the true backbone of Mexican culture and cuisine which are the Madres, Tías, and Abuelas who have crafted these recipes for decades and deserve the recognition,” said Dennis Burnett, Director. 

Stay up-to-date and go behind the scenes by subscribing to Indie Lens Storycast and following The Tacos of Texas:

  • Indie Lens Storycast: www.StoryCastDocs.com
  • Tacos of Texas: www.tacosoftexas.com
  • Tacos of Texas on Instagram: www.instagram.com/tacosoftexas
  • Tacos of Texas on Facebook: www.facebook.com/tacosoftexas

About the Producers

Mando Rayo and Jarod Neece are the authors of the best-selling books, The Tacos of Texas (the University of Texas Press, 2016), Austin Breakfast Tacos: The Story of the Most Important Taco of the Day (The History Press, 2013) and Founders of the blog TacoJournalism.com. Rayo is the CEO and engagement strategist at Mando Rayo + Collective, a multicultural advertising agency and Neece is the Senior Film Programmer for SXSW Conference & Festivals, working with them since 2002.

 Crew

Mando Rayo, Producer/Co-Host

Jarod Neece, Co-Producer/Co-Host

Dennis Burnett, Director

Zachary Edick, Co-Director

Chase McDaniel, Camera Operator

Wynona Becker, Editor

Mira Lippold-Johnson, Editor

Nick Worthen, Sound Engineer

Robert Gomez, Key Grip / Still Photographer

Maria Real, Field Producer

Gerald Flores, Field Producer

About Indie Lens Storycast

Indie Lens Storycast is a free docuseries YouTube channel presented by Independent Lens in partnership with PBS Digital Studios. Created by indie filmmakers, and developed by ITVS, Indie Lens Storycast showcases stories that reflect the funny, strange, and dynamic world we live in. Featuring a range of topics and expanding Independent Lens’ content offerings to connect with a digital-savvy audience and experiment with new formats to spark conversations vital to communities across America. Visit the Indie Lens Storycast channel on YouTube for more information.

 About Independent Lens

Independent Lens is an Emmy®Award-winning weekly series airing on PBS Monday nights at 10:00 PM. The acclaimed series, with Lois Vossen as executive producer, features documentaries united by the creative freedom, artistic achievement, and unflinching visions of independent filmmakers. Presented by ITVS, the series is funded by the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, a private corporation funded by the American people, with additional funding from PBS, the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation, Wyncote Foundation, and the National Endowment for the Arts. For more visit pbs.org/independentlens. Join the conversation:facebook.com/independentlens and on Twitter @IndependentLens

About PBS Digital Studios

The PBS Digital Studios network on YouTube includes more than 15 ongoing original series, including from PBS member stations across the country, designed to engage, enlighten and entertain online audiences. The PBS Digital Studios network has more than 12 million subscribers and has generated more than one billion views. Series include the Webby Award-winning It’s Okay To Be Smart, Physics Girl, and Crash Course, as well as popular series such as BrainCraft, PBS Space Time, and more.

 About ITVS

ITVS is a San Francisco-based nonprofit organization that has, for over 25 years, funded and partnered with a diverse range of documentary filmmakers to produce and distribute untold stories. ITVS incubates and co-produces these award-winning films and then airs them for free on PBS via our weekly series, Independent Lens, as well as on other PBS series and through our digital platform, OVEE. ITVS is funded by the Corporation for Public Broadcasting. For more information, visit itvs.org.