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.
