In the 2006 film Quinceañera, Richard Glatzer shared the directing credit with Wash Westmoreland.
The film follows Magdalena, a teenager in Los Angeles whose planned quinceañera becomes complicated by pregnancy and family conflict. Glatzer and Westmoreland directed the movie together, and the story uses the celebration as a setting for questions about family, religion, sexuality, and acceptance.
Quinceañera premiered at the 2006 Sundance Film Festival, where it received major recognition. Emily Rios played Magdalena, while Jesse Garcia and Chalo González also appeared in important roles. The film was released under the title Quinceañera in the United States.
This film is distinct from the real-life celebration itself and from later television programs using the same word. Its title refers to the central cultural event around which the characters’ relationships and conflicts develop.