THEYDREAM to Launch U.S. Theatrical Run, Executive Produced by John Leguizamo

TheyDream, the visionary hybrid animated documentary by William D. Caballero, a filmmaker of the Puerto Rican diaspora, will launch its U.S. theatrical release with an exclusive New York City engagement at AMC Empire 25 starting Friday, November 13, 2026, with additional U.S. cities to follow.

The theatrical rollout coincides with the film's continued festival engagements, including a special presentation at DOC NYC on Sunday, November 15. Executive produced by John Leguizamo, alongside ITVS and Latino Public Broadcasting, the film arrives in theaters following its world premiere at the Sundance Film Festival, where it earned the NEXT Special Jury Award for Creative Expression.

Blending 2D and 3D animation, motion capture, handcrafted miniatures, and digital rotoscoping with intimate live-action footage, TheyDream offers a deeply personal and formally inventive exploration of family, memory, and loss. Drawing from more than two decades of personal archives, Caballero and his mother, Migdalia 'Milly' Caballero, turn to artistic creation to process devastating family losses. Together, mother and son step in front of green screens and miniature sets, using animation and performance capture to bring their departed loved ones back to life on screen and give shape to their memories.

Rooted in the Nuyorican diaspora and tracing a journey from Brooklyn public housing projects to rural North Carolina, TheyDream offers a moving portrait of a working-class Puerto Rican family across generations. Through animation, miniature craftsmanship, and candid family conversations, the film explores cultural identity, queer self-acceptance, and intergenerational healing, celebrating the transformative power of art to preserve memories and strengthen family bonds.

Building on an acclaimed festival run with multiple awards, including the Documentary Achievement Award at the Miami Film Festival, the Best Feature Documentary Award at the New York Latino Film Festival, the Vox Populi Award at the Ann Arbor Film Festival, and a Special Jury Mention for Best Feature at the Los Angeles Latino International Film Festival, TheyDream emerges as a deeply moving testament to the power of artistic creation as an act of remembrance, resilience, and love.

Confirmed Screenings (Additional cities TBA)

Charlotte, NC: Independent Picture House — Screens Monday, October 19

Montclair, NJ: Montclair Film Festival — Screens Saturday, October 24 and Sunday, October 25

San Francisco, CA: San Francisco Latino Film Festival — Screens Friday, October 30

Asheville, NC: Southern Circuit Tour of Independent Filmmakers at Asheville Art Museum — Screens Sunday, November 1

Charlotte, NC: UNC Charlotte — Screens Monday, November 2

Columbia, SC: Southern Circuit Tour of Independent Filmmakers at The Nickelodeon Theatre — Screens Tuesday, November 3

Wilmington, NC: Southern Circuit Tour of Independent Filmmakers at UNC Wilmington / Jengo's Playhouse — Screens Friday, November 6

Memphis, TN: Indie Memphis Film Festival — Screens Saturday, November 7

New York, NY: AMC Empire 25 — Opens Friday, November 13

New York, NY: DOC NYC — Screens Sunday, November 15

New York, NY: El Museo del Barrio — Screens Friday, December 18

About the Film

THEYDREAM. USA, 2026, 88 min. In English and Spanish with English subtitles. Directed by William D. Caballero; Written by William D. Caballero; Co-Written by Erin Ploss-Campoamor, Brad Jones, and Elaine Del Valle; Produced by William D. Caballero, Erin Ploss-Campoamor, Brad Jones, and Elaine Del Valle; Executive Producers: John Leguizamo, Sandie Viquez Pedlow, Carrie Lozano, Grace Lay, Ina Fichman, Megan Gelstein, and Ben DeJesus; Co-Executive Producers: Jamie Wolf, and Nathalie Seaver; Creative Advisor: Dr. Jillian Báez. Featuring: Migdalia 'Milly' Caballero and William D. Caballero. A co-production of Colibri Creative Media, Latino Public Broadcasting, and ITVS.

About the Director

William D. Caballero is a queer filmmaker of the Puerto Rican diaspora whose work blends animation, live action, and meticulously designed miniature worlds to uplift underrepresented voices. Born in the Brooklyn housing projects and raised in a trailer in his grandparents' backyard in Fayetteville, North Carolina, Caballero crafts formally innovative narratives that explore identity, memory, and Latino cultural experience with grounded human depth. His feature documentary TheyDream won the Special Jury Award for Creative Expression at the 2026 Sundance Film Festival, following the Sundance premieres of his acclaimed shorts Victor and Isolina and Chilly & Milly. He is also the creator of Gran'pa Knows Best for HBO. A 2001 Gates Millennium Scholar, 2017 Sundance New Voices Lab Fellow, 2018 Guggenheim Fellow, 2022 Creative Capital Awardee, 2022 Sundance Documentary Humanities Fellow, and 2024 Webby Award winner for Best Art Direction, Caballero has built a reputation for work that pairs handcrafted spectacle with emotionally rich storytelling — occupying the space between art-house innovation and mainstream accessibility.