RUDY VALDEZ

Three-time Emmy winning filmmaker Rudy Valdez has become known in the entertainment industry for his commitment to telling powerful, diverse, and dynamic stories through an unparalleled and self-taught cinematic lens. From documenting the rise of one of the world’s best-known musicians to delving into the devastating impact mandatory minimum prison sentences can have on a family, Valdez’s dedication to shining a light on cultural, social, and political moments not only reveals untold stories but also sparks significant conversations. His ability to capture the essence of human emotion and experience has earned him critical acclaim and has firmly established Valdez as a transformative and influential figure in the world of filmmaking.

Valdez’s six-part docuseries Choir, where he served as Director, Executive Producer, and Cinematographer, debuted on Disney+ in early 2024. Produced by Imagine Documentaries and Blumhouse Television, Choir follows the kids of the Detroit Youth Choir as they prepare for the performance of a lifetime. Through their eyes, viewers experience the highs and lows of growing up in Detroit, navigating the challenges of balancing family, school, and athletics, all while pursuing their dreams of taking their talents to the next level following an appearance on America’s Got Talent. The series premiered at the 2023 Tribeca Film Festival and was praised for its intimate and emotionally resonant storytelling.

In addition to Choir, Valdez recently Directed, Executive Produced and was Cinematographer on the poignant and award-nominated documentary Carlos (Sony Pictures Classics, Imagine Documentaries), which was released in September 2023. The film chronicles Carlos Santana’s journey from a 14-year-old street musician to a 10-time Grammy Award-winning global sensation, featuring unseen archival footage and tracks. The film was an official selection at the 2023 Tribeca Film Festival and earned a 2023 Critics’ Choice Documentary Award nomination for Best Music Documentary.

In 2025, Valdez directed, executive produced, and served as cinematographer on Final Finishers, a documentary short produced by Bluff Road Films alongside New York Road Runners and Tribeca Studios. The film follows back-of-the-pack runners at the TCS New York City Marathon. Final Finishers premiered at the 2025 Tribeca Festival and streams on ESPN+ and Disney+. The film went on to win the National Sports Emmy Award for Outstanding Sports Documentary Short at the 47th Annual Sports Emmy Awards.

Valdez’s award-winning documentary short Translators (in partnership with U.S. Bank) also debuted in 2023 and follows three Latino families and the children who act as their translators on matters that are sometimes more adult than they are. The short was an official selection at LALIFF and the Tribeca Film Festival and won the Tribeca X Award for Best Short Documentary.

In 2024, Valdez directed and executive produced Big Dreams: Little League World Series 2024, an ESPN Films documentary that follows the personal journeys of young athletes from 20 international and U.S. teams competing in the Little League World Series. The film captures the emotional highs and lows of the tournament, celebrating the resilience, joy, and global community found in youth sports. Produced in association with Imagine Documentaries, Cookie Jar & A Dream, and MLB Studios, Big Dreams premiered on ESPN and ESPN+ to critical acclaim.

Additionally, Valdez directed Episode 4, “Spoil the Vine (1982–2011),” of Eyes on the Prize III: We Who Believe in Freedom Cannot Rest, HBO’s continuation of the iconic civil rights documentary series. First launched in 1987, Eyes on the Prize has long been considered one of the most important works chronicling the American civil rights movement. In directing this new chapter, Valdez contributes to the legacy of a series that has shaped generations of understanding about race, justice, and activism in America. His episode examines environmental racism, health justice, and the long arc of community organizing, underscoring his ongoing commitment to powerful, truth-driven storytelling.

Valdez helms Bluff Road Films, an independent production company focused on creating meaningful social, cultural, and political stories while championing equity both on screen and behind the camera. The mission is two-fold: to expand the range of stories told and to provide a platform for diverse storytellers. Bluff Road Films takes pride in sharing impactful human stories without limiting labels, and its critically acclaimed projects have premiered at prestigious festivals and have been distributed by major platforms such as Netflix, HBO, and Disney+, to name a few.

Raised in Lansing, Michigan, Valdez’s breakthrough project The Sentence (HBO, 2018) marked his directorial debut and was a true labor of love. Shot over the course of a decade, Valdez learned the art of filmmaking on the job as he worked as a producer, editor, sound mixer, production assistant, and everything in between. The feature documentary tells the very personal story of his sister’s plight in the criminal justice system, while tackling subjects like mandatory minimums and sentencing reform. The Sentence put Valdez on the map as a director and filmmaker on the rise, winning the 2019 Primetime Emmy Award for Exceptional Merit in Documentary Filmmaking, the U.S. Documentary Audience Award at the 2018 Sundance Film Festival, and earning him a 2018 Critics Choice Documentary Awards Best New Director nomination.

Valdez launched his career as a camera operator on the Peabody Award-winning Sundance series Brick City. He went on to work as a cinematographer on a plethora of projects including The Last Patrol (HBO), Whoopi Goldberg presents Moms Mabley: I Got Something To Tell You (HBO), produced and directed by Whoopi Goldberg, Remembering the Artist: Robert De Niro, Sr. (HBO), Prison Dogs (directed by Emmy Award winners Geeta Gandbhir and Perri Peltz), Buried Above Ground (directed by Ben Selkow), and The Talk (PBS), directed by Academy Award nominee Sam Pollard.

Additional credits include: ReOpening Night (HBO Max), Breakaway (ESPN), Make Him Known (which premiered at the 2021 Miami Film Festival and made appearances at the Sarasota Film Festival, The Brooklyn Film Festival, Minneapolis Film Festival, and Nantucket Film Festival), and the four-part docuseries We Are: The Brooklyn Saints (Imagine Documentaries, Netflix). Valdez also co-directed the premiere episode of Through Our Eyes (HBO) alongside Academy Award-winning director Geeta Gandbhir—an Emmy Award-winning four-part docuseries from Sesame Workshop that explores the lives of American families from the perspective of children and how they navigate their circumstances with their families and the world at large.

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