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Join us for a screening of "They Dream" followed by a conversation with the filmmaker, William D. Caballero.After 20 years of chronicling his Puerto Rican family, a director and his mother craft animations that bring their loved ones back to life.
About the Filmmaker:
William D. Caballero is an American filmmaker whose work merges documentary, animation, and handcrafted miniature worlds to explore memory, migration, faith, and the emotional architecture of family. Across film, television, and short-form media, Caballero has developed a singular visual language rooted in tactile set-building, intergenerational storytelling, and a deep reverence for his Puerto Rican heritage. In 2001, he was awarded the prestigious Gates Millennium Scholarship, recognizing his academic promise and leadership at an early stage in his career. He went on to earn a Bachelor of Fine Arts from Pratt Institute in 2006 and a Master of Arts from New York University (NYU) in 2008.
This foundation in both fine art and cinematic storytelling laid the groundwork for a practice that bridges visual art, documentary realism, and experimental fabrication. While at NYU, Caballero created "American Dreams Deferred," his first (but not last) autobiographical feature about his family. Caballero first gained widespread recognition in 2015 as the creator of the HBO series "Gran’Pa Knows Best," which premiered on HBO and ran for two seasons. Centered on 3D-printed miniature recreations of his Puerto Rican grandfather, the series combined playful scale with emotional depth, redefining what personal storytelling could look like on television. Its inventive approach to memory and intergenerational dialogue positioned Caballero as a bold new voice in hybrid nonfiction storytelling.
Southern Circuit screenings are funded in part by a grant from South Arts, a regional arts organization, in partnership with the National Endowment for the Arts.
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Event venue
2 South Pack Square, Asheville, NC, United States, North Carolina 28801
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