Sundance 2013: Robert Rodriguez Made 'El Mariachi' With Lab Rat Money

Filmmaker Robert Rodriguez returned to Sundance for the 'From the Collection' series, which brings back classic indie flicks to the film fest. His first feature film El Mariachi celebrated 20 years since debuting and winning the Audience Award at the Sundance Film Festival in 1993.

Rodriguez made his first feature film, about a Mariachi musician who gets mistaken for a killer, for $7,000. He acquired the money after testing meds for a month. His attitude when making the film was "nobody's gonna see this anyway..." but the end result was much different, launching him towards a career in Hollywood that has included such kick ass films as Sin City, Desperado, From Dusk Till Dawn and many more. Here, Rodriguez talks to VIBE about how it all began.