In a story for the you-can’t-make-this-stuffup files, “Don’t Stop Believin’: Everyman’s Journey” charts the meteoric rise to fame of Filipino singer Arnel Pineda, who went from homeless fanboy to frontman for the legendary rock band Journey in the course of a few short years. After a friend uploaded videos of Pineda covering classic Journey songs to YouTube, he was discovered by Journey guitarist Neal Schon, who plucked Pineda out of obscurity in Manilla and recruited him to go on tour as their new lead singer. Director Ramona Diaz smartly moves beyond simply using Pineda’s story as a backstage pass for the iconic group, focusing also on Pineda’s hard-fought early life and his struggle to cope with his newfound fame, while capturing more than enough concert footage to satisfy even the most rabid Journey fan. Meeting the members of this band is one of the best and most unexpected experiences you can have at this year’s festival. In English and Tagalog with English subtitles.
In Person: Director Ramona Diaz and producer Capella Fahoome Brogden.