They’re Here – Hot Docs 2025
Natalie Portman Teaches Acting
April 24 to May 4, 2025
FILM FESTIVAL
Hot Docs
Hot Docs 2025
PROGRAMME
Nightvision
Four individuals from upstate New York tell their stories encountering UFOs in They’re Here. Upstate New York is a hotspot of UFO sightings and a number of individuals are not afraid to share their stories. The include Cookie Stringfellow, the elderly leader of a local meet-up group, Steve Wood, a man who undergoes hypnosis to recover repressed abduction memories and also sells a board game named U.F.O.oria, Twon Wood, a stand-up comic who incorporates his sightings into his routine, and Dave Rivera, a gas station attendee who reportedly recorded video proof.
They’re Here Synopsis
They’re Here is a documentary directed by Daniel Claridge and Pacho Velez about the UFO culture in upstate New York. The four main subjects of the film get to tell their stories without any judgement or criticism. Most of these believers gather at the Pine Bush UFO Festival to share their stories with anyone who would listen.
My Thoughts on They’re Here
While They’re Here doesn’t offer judgement towards the film’s subjects, they are already depicted as being not very credible witnesses to begin with, with one of them even admitting to being on drugs during his sighting. Combined with multiple heavily dramatized moments, particularly the film’s final moments, I would be hard pressed for even the most hardcore of UFO believers to trust the stories in They’re Here. I’d rather stick with the government coverup conspiracies.
