Overview
- The feature profiles the Sesame Street icon through interviews with Manzano, Justice Sonia Sotomayor and composer Stephen Schwartz, alongside archival footage, animation and staged dramatizations.
- Director Ernie Bustamante shifted from a planned TV adaptation of Manzano’s memoir to a documentary after years of pitching and the pandemic.
- Festival stops have included Bentonville, Oak Cliff and CineFest Latino, with Toronto’s Doc Soup slated for December and DOC NYC’s virtual screenings open through Nov. 30.
- Manzano recounts her 1971–2015 tenure as Maria and her push for authentic Latino representation, sharing anecdotes about playful chemistry with Oscar the Grouch and Jim Henson’s supportive leadership.
- She is completing season three of her PBS Kids series Alma’s Way, which she says is expected in 2026.