Francisco Bello
Directing
Known For

When Covid-19 hit New York City in 2020, filmmaker Matthew Heineman gained unique access to one of New York’s hardest-hit hospital systems. The resulting film focuses on the doctors, nurses, and patients on the frontlines during the “first wave” from March to June 2020. Their distinct storylines each serve as a microcosm to understand how the city persevered through the worst pandemic in a century
The First Wave

Cancer: Few words are more feared. But in her sharply researched, deftly humorous message of hope, survivor Meghan O’Hara changes the way we think about this terrifying disease, showing that it’s time to stop being afraid of cancer and time to make cancer afraid of us. Following her diagnosis, O’Hara met neurologist Dr. David Servan-Schreiber, who was diagnosed with brain cancer while doing cancer research. Together they explore daily Western behaviors that are linked to 70% of cancer deaths: smoking, processed foods, stress, contaminants, and lack of exercise. Narrated and executive produced by Morgan Freeman, “The C Word” is an unflinching look at our complacency with cancer culture, the vibrant cast of characters who are changing the game, and the tools we already have to beat the dreaded scourge of our time.
The C Word

For 40 years, the community-organizing group ACORN advocated for America’s poorest communities, while its detractors accused it of promoting the worst of liberal policies. Riding high on the momentum of Barack Obama’s presidential victory in 2008, ACORN was at its political zenith when a hidden-camera video sparked a national scandal and brought it crashing down. The story involves voter fraud, a fake prostitute, and the rise of Breitbart.com.
Acorn and the Firestorm

Never before seen Super 8 home movies filmed by Richard Nixon's closest aides - and convicted Watergate conspirators - offer a surprising and intimate new look into his Presidency.
Our Nixon

Comprised entirely of archival footage taken during those pre-reality-television years, The Reagan Show looks at how Ronald Reagan redefined the look and feel of what it means to be the POTUS.
The Reagan Show

He is a poor glass cleaner. She lives in Carrasco. One day at the crossroads something happens that can change their lives forever.
23 seconds

The true story behind one the of most daring rescues in modern US history: a secret mission to free hostages captured during the 1979 Iranian revolution.
Desert One

Explores the history and mystery of Migraine, and its remarkable place in the human condition. Migraine is a devastating but fascinating neurological condition with a compelling story to tell. Alice in Wonderland, Thomas Jefferson, Sigmund Freud, and Joan Didion all figure into its colorful history.
Out of My Head

In 1970, a group of young Puerto Rican activists took over a decrepit hospital in New York City, launching a battle for their lives, their community, and healthcare for all.
Takeover

In the US Midwest, plagued with opioid abuse and rising incarceration rates for women, three unforgettable mothers return home from prison to rebuild their lives after years of separation from their children.
Apart

Documentary examining the 2014 shooting of 17-year-old Laquan McDonald by Chicago police officer Jason Van Dyke and the cover-up that ensued.
16 Shots

People from all over New York City meet in Spanish Harlem once a week at Santo Rico Dance School, where they learn the art of salsa.
The Spirit of Salsa

Salim Muhammad is a 55-year-old man who lives in North Kolkata with his wife and five children. Since the age of ten he has made a living using a hand-cranked projector to screen discarded film scraps for the kids in his surrounding neighborhoods.
Salim Baba

The Interpreters follows the lives of Iraqi and Afghan interpreters, and the American veterans they worked with. In many cases, interpreters face danger in their countries because of their affiliation with the US war effort. This is the story of how they are rebuilding their lives.
The Interpreters

This gripping documentary follows the trial of Issa Sesay, a leader in Sierra Leone's civil war who stands accused of crimes against humanity. Can the trial of one man uncover the truth of a traumatic past?
War Don Don

A Newark, New Jersey high school teacher struggles to prepare her students with autism to survive in the brutal world that awaits them once they graduate.
Best Kept Secret
At a time when the country is rethinking its drug policies large and small, one state raises to the forefront of national attention. Once a pioneer in legalizing medical marijuana, the state of Montana is poised to become the first in the nation to repeal its medical marijuana law. Set against the sweeping vistas of the Rockies, the steamy lamplight of marijuana grow houses, and the bustling halls of the State Capitol, CODE OF THE WEST follows the 2011 Montana State Legislature as it debates the fate of medical marijuana. This is the story of the many lives and fraught emotions tied to one of the most heated policy questions facing the country today
Code of the West

Throughout Maoist China's turbulent history, the artist Mu Xin sacrificed everything to create his art. While illegally imprisoned during the Cultural Revolution, he risked his life writing and painting while in solitary confinement. It was through his artistic faith that he survived this period, while so many others did not. He has avoided speaking of the horrors he has seen - until now. A documentary portrait by OSCAR® Nominated filmmakers Tim Sternberg and Francisco Bello, "DREAMING AGAINST THE WORLD" will expose audiences to one of the most original, yet largely unknown artists of the past century.