{"id":1186087,"date":"2026-01-13T12:16:54","date_gmt":"2026-01-13T20:16:54","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.moviemaker.com\/?p=1186087"},"modified":"2026-01-13T12:17:23","modified_gmt":"2026-01-13T20:17:23","slug":"nfmla-docuslate-2025","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.moviemaker.com\/nfmla-docuslate-2025\/","title":{"rendered":"Sesame Street, Yard Signs and Love Birds Are Among Highlights of NFMLA’s DocuSlate Program"},"content":{"rendered":"

Political yard signs, a history of Sesame Street<\/em> and a research expedition that changed gay history were among the subjects of the films as NewFilmmakers Los Angeles (NFMLA) presented its annual line-up DocuSlate documentary program. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

DocuSlate began with the Los Angeles premiere of Street Smart: Lessons from a TV Icon<\/em> from director and Emmy-nominated TV writer Ernie Bustamante. The film is a behind-the-scenes look and cultural analysis of how Sonia Manzano became the beloved and groundbreaking \u201cMaria\u201d on Sesame Street<\/em>, the first Latina with a regular role on American TV, and the impact her career had on millions of children. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cSonia Manzano is truly a pioneer. I made this film to reveal the person behind the character, to cement her place as an American icon, and to remind us why representation still matters,\u201d said Bustamante.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The program continued with the Los Angeles premiere of Moses<\/em>, the heartfelt and remarkable story of one man\u2019s life on the streets of San Francisco, filmed over the course of fifteen years by award-winning director Francisco Guijarro. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cBeing homeless is being behind the fog \u2014 you are invisible. People don\u2019t see who you really are because they just see a category. But homelessness is not your identity and you need to show that,\u201d Moses told Guijarro, and the director delivered.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The programming continued with short documentaries, and then with Loulwa Khoury\u2019s timely portrait of the Lebanese diaspora, We Never Left<\/em>, in its Los Angeles premiere. The film follows people caught between the revolution in their homeland and their lives in New York. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIt\u2019s important for me to shed light on what\u2019s happening in my country and tell the story of my people, but it\u2019s also cathartic for me and the protagonists to talk about this constant duality in our lives. We found each other through these circumstances and our relationships grew since then, finding common grounds to fight for,\u201d said Khoury.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The line-up contuied with more shorts, and concluded with the Los Angeles premiere of Encuerados<\/em> by Orlando Bedolla. Bedolla originally shared the short version of this film at NFMLA, and the NFMLA proudly welcomed him and his team back with the feature-length project. It documents Latino men in the leather scene in Los Angeles.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

NFMLA<\/a> showcases films by filmmakers of all backgrounds throughout the year, across both general and InFocus programming. All filmmakers are welcome and encouraged to submit their projects for consideration for upcoming NFMLA Festivals, regardless of the schedule for InFocus programming, which celebrates representation by spotlighting various communities of filmmakers as part of the NFMLA Monthly Film Festival. This project is made possible in part by grant support from the City of Los Angeles Department of Cultural Affairs (DCA), and the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Here is more information on the films and filmmakers, as well as interviews, provided by NFMLA. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cCirilo, A Legacy Untold\u201d directed by Justin O’Shea Cooper<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

About Justin:<\/strong> Justin O. Cooper is a Los Angeles\u2013based filmmaker and founder of JOCMedia & Entertainment. He directed and produced the Oscar-qualifying documentary Cirilo, a Legacy Untold<\/em>, which has screened at international festivals, including Diversity in Cannes, the Seattle Latino Film Festival, and the Detroit Black Film Festival. Cooper also consults for the Royal Film Commission \u2013 Jordan, liaising with Hollywood productions filmed in the Kingdom, such as Aladdin<\/em> and Dune: Part One<\/em>. A former film liaison in Georgia and ASCAP Plus Award\u2013winning writer, his career bridges film, music, and global production.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

About \u201cCirilo, A Legacy Untold\u201d: <\/strong>The inspiring story of Cirilo McSween, who rose from poverty in Panama to become a civil rights leader and pioneering entrepreneur whose legacy bridged the Americas.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Watch the NFMLA interview with Justin O\u2019Shea Cooper, the director of \u201cCirilo, A Legacy Untold\u201d: <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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