When I look over this year’s incredible lineup and see the names of the talented individuals responsible for creating these exceptional films and then bringing them to our annual celebration of documentary filmmaking, the one word that continually springs to mind is resilience.

It perfectly encapsulates the indomitable spirit and fierce dedication of this particular vibrant and essential filmmaking community, a community that bravely continues to do work that is more important and needed than ever before. Since the Bay Area is such a respected and supportive hub for creative nonfiction filmmaking, it’s little surprise that some of the films have ties to this region.

But it goes beyond geographic designations. These filmmakers are a determined, resourceful and talented bunch. They have certainly weathered challenging times of late: funding and grant cuts and belt tightening, streaming services that are often most interested in true crime stories and, of course, a confused culture constantly bombarded by fictions masquerading as truths.

 Yet these dogged documentary makers remain steadfast, unwavering in their core purpose to enlighten and educate and to introduce audiences to fascinating, often inspirational, people, all of whom you will meet within our three programming strands—Art of Impact, The Great Outdoors, and Wonderlands.

That word resilience certainly applies to the person who is the subject of our opening night film—heralded playwright and director Luis Valdez. The boundary breaker epitomizes standing up for his ideals and raising up voices that need to be heard. Director David Alvarado’s Sundance award winner American Pachucho: The Legend of Luis Valdez is a testament to Valdez’s influential work and surveys the impact he has had on elevating Chicano storytelling. 

You will find many more stories pertaining to strength and courage in this year’s crop of films that have the power to move and inspire as they dig deeper into relevant topics and explore them with intelligence and creativity.