Local Filmmakers Share Central Valley Stories at Tower Theatre

A program that invests in Central Valley storytelling will bring 10 short documentaries to Fresno's Tower Theatre on November 19, 2025, offering an evening of films that center local lives and local issues. Doors open at 7 p.m., and the screening begins at 7:30 p.m. Admission is free, but organizers ask attendees to RSVP through TheBigTell.org.

The Big Tell Showcase awarded $5,000 grants to each of 10 filmmakers and provided mentorship as they produced 5 to 8 minute documentary pieces focused on people, places and stories from Fresno and neighboring Central Valley counties. The event is presented in partnership with CMAC and local funders, and organizers say the effort is meant to strengthen community storytelling while supporting the careers of local filmmakers.

For Fresno County residents, the showcase is more than an arts event. Short documentaries can surface urgent public health concerns and long standing inequities by putting faces and personal narratives to data. Stories about farmworker health, access to care in rural communities, housing instability, environmental exposures, and the social determinants of health can influence public awareness and pressure policymakers to respond. Local screenings create forums where neighbors, advocates and decision makers can see how policies play out in daily life.

The program's emphasis on mentorship and modest grants also has economic and equity implications. Funding and professional support help broaden who can tell local stories, countering barriers that have traditionally limited media opportunities for low income and marginalized communities. By investing in early stage filmmakers from the region, the showcase helps build a pipeline of storytellers who may continue to document community needs, mobilize resources, and hold institutions accountable.

Organizers note the films are drawn from across the Central Valley, reflecting Fresno and adjacent counties. That geographic focus matters for a region that often receives less media attention than urban centers. Bringing these films to a prominent downtown venue may increase civic visibility for neighborhoods and populations that are frequently underrepresented in regional conversations about health, education and economic development.

The screening also functions as a low barrier public forum. With free admission and a central location, the event can draw residents who might not otherwise attend film festivals or policy briefings. Those attendees can leave with new perspectives, potential connections to local advocates, and a clearer sense of how community stories intersect with systems of care and public resources.

The Big Tell Showcase offers Fresno an opportunity to celebrate local creativity while amplifying pressing community issues. Residents who want to attend should reserve tickets at TheBigTell.org and plan to arrive when doors open at 7 p.m. The screening begins at 7:30 p.m.