Bozeman Doc Series: Runa Simi
October 9 @ 7:00pm
On Thursday, October 9th, at 7pm at the Emerson Center, the Bozeman Doc Series returns for its eleventh season with the the beautiful, award-winning new documentary, Runa Simi.
Fernando Valencia, an Indigenous voice actor and single father from Cusco, Peru, became a viral sensation by dubbing beloved animated clips into Quechua — an endangered yet still widely spoken language in South America. Now, Fernando dreams of an ambitious new goal — to dub Disney’s The Lion King into Quechua, reimagining a global classic in the language of his ancestors. What began as a playful project with his son Dylan quickly transforms into a full-fledged mission: a joyful act of preservation, identity, and pride.
With rare tenderness and warmth, director Augusto Zegarra documents Fernando’s cultural mission, capturing each step as he assembles a voice cast, pursues financial support, and confronts the barriers of Hollywood gatekeeping, all while balancing the joys and responsibilities of fatherhood. Both intimate and expansive, Runa Simi is a buoyant and heartfelt portrait of resilience, cultural pride, and the transformative power of language.
Runa Simi world-premiered at this year’s Tribeca Film Festival, where it won the The Albert Maysles Award for Best New Documentary Director, and has screened at major festivals around the world.
“Simply delightful…This has all the inspiration and dream-big attitude of the best of the Walt Disney Studios catalog, and that is no small feat.” Film Threat
“Augusto Zegarra’s buoyant first feature Runa Simi delivers a big-hearted and emotionally-resonant story, anchored by a captivating exploration of fatherhood and cultural appreciation.” Tribeca Film Festival
“Heartwarming…a bonafide David and Goliath story…a beautiful story about inclusion and the preservation of language…You will undoubtedly find yourself rooting for Fernando’s mission.” Reel News Daily
Doors open at 6:30pm. Tickets are available at the door or before the show online at www.bozemandocseries.org, where you can also buy Season Passes and 7-film punch cards, learn more about the series, and view trailers for upcoming films. The series will continue every other Thursday through April, 2026.
