Past Screenings
The Dreamers and I
©2025 — 74 minutes
is a new film that intimately follows three immigrant entrepreneurs as they navigate the cutthroat world of the American startup.
THE DREAMERS AND I will air on PBS stations nationwide starting August 1, 2026, and stream on PBS.org.
Where to Watch THE DREAMERS AND I on PBS
It will also air on The WORLD Channel in September! This nationwide channel airs on PBS stations covering 70% of the country. Enter your zip code at WORLD Channel to find your local source for broadcast and streaming.
The stories unfold in an underground Silicon Valley “hacker house” over the course of a tumultuous 10-year period. As they build their ventures, our DREAMERS are confronted by crushing self-doubt, looming financial collapse and stress – both in Silicon Valley and back home. Through it all, these young founders remain defiantly hopeful, believing that in this place, even failure is a step toward success.
THE DREAMERS AND I is an unflinching examination of the New American Dream and offers an intimate look into how innovative ideas are born, incubated, shattered, and revived.
THE MESSAGE
THE DREAMERS AND I strips away the illusion of glamorous get rich quick entrepreneurship–instead offering an unvarnished, deeply human look at the struggle of trying to build something from nothing. This film doesn’t lionize entrepreneurship, but it does honor the resilience of those who pursue it. In an era when immigration is politicized and increasingly restricted, we often forget that almost half of America’s billion-dollar startups have been founded by immigrants.
THE DREAMERS AND I is a testament to the reality that Silicon Valley is not just an American success story. It’s a global one, powered by people who risk everything to build, to innovate, and to belong. DREAMERS is creating space for advocacy and conversations reminding us all that immigrant founders aren’t just participants in the American innovation economy — they are often driving it.
Key Credits
Director/Producer/Cinematographer/Editor:
KENJI YAMAMOTO
Producer/Writer:
NANCY KELLY