Oscar-winning filmmaker Steven Bognar has joined labor-themed documentary Who Moves America as an executive producer ahead of the film’s upcoming appearances at the SFFILM Festival and the Austin Film Society’s Doc Days. The documentary screened Wednesday night at DOC NYC’s Selects Spring Series, with a second screening added.

Director Yael Bridge and Oscar-nominated producer Yoni Golijov are expected to take part in a post-screening Q&A at the SFFILM Festival on April 27. The documentary premiered in early March at the True/False festival in Columbia, MO.

“Who Moves America explores the lives of UPS Teamsters facing long hours, unsafe conditions, and relentless physical demands,” SFFILM’s Jessie Fairbanks writes in the festival program. “Through intimate portraits and on-the-ground reporting, the documentary showcases the power of collective action, capturing organizing efforts led by union leaders as they negotiate fair pay, safer working conditions, and job security for members of North America’s largest labor organization.”

Bognar won his Academy Award in 2020 for the feature documentary American Factory, which he directed with the late Julia Reichert. That film also examined labor relations in the context of a Chinese auto glass manufacturer that took over a moribund GM plant in Ohio.

“I’m honored and excited to be coming on board as an executive producer on Who Moves America,” Bognar said in a statement. “This rousing and urgent film pulls us in immediately to the hard strategy questions faced by UPS workers as their contract expires. Not only is this a very suspenseful human drama, it has such practical use for anyone trying to build solidarity and organize in the current workplace. The standing ovation at the True/False Film Fest went on and on – I’ve been at that festival many times, and I’ve never seen such a sustained ovation from an audience at the Missouri Theater.”

Bridge made her feature directorial debut with 2020’s The Big Scary “S” Word. She also produced the acclaimed 2025 short documentary Classroom 4, directed and produced by Eden Wurmfeld.

“Few filmmakers have done more to shape our understanding of labor in America than Steven Bognar,” Bridge observed. “For decades, he has committed himself to telling these stories with unflinching honesty and deep humanity, building a body of work that has fundamentally changed how we see what it means to work in this country. His films have given workers a complexity on screen that is all too rare, and they’ve influenced an entire generation of documentary filmmakers – including me. To have him join the Who Moves America teams feels like a full-circle moment, and I couldn’t be more honored.”

Golijov’s producing credits included the Academy Award-nominated All the Beauty and the Bloodshed, directed by Laura Poitras, and Cover-Up, directed by Laura Poitras and Mark Obenhaus.

“American Factory was one of the defining inspiration points for Who Moves America, so it is a true honor and affirmation to have Steven join us as an executive producer,” noted producers Yoni Golijov, Mars Verrone, and Jeremy Flood. “Steven has built an astounding body of work grounded in humanistic narratives, which delve into the complexities of labor, class, and globalization. We are excited for this project to continue in his legacy of worker-centered labor storytelling and to work together to ensure this film reaches the next generation of labor activists.”

Who Moves America is a co-production of Sidereal Time LLC and ITVS, with funding provided by the Corporation for Public Broadcasting.

“We’re thrilled that Steven Bognar has joined the Who Moves America team,” said Royd Chung, ITVS SVP of Programming & Production. “Over the years, ITVS has been proud to support Steven’s work, including the Primetime Emmy Award–winning A Lion in the House and 9 To 5: The Story of a Movement, both of which were presented by Independent Lens. This film by Yael Bridge and her extraordinary filmmaking team exemplifies the kind of courageous storytelling that ITVS champions, centering the voices of those fighting for solidarity and telling stories that capture the humanity, complexity, and courage of workers.”

Who Moves America is edited by Thomas Niles (The Body Politic), with consulting editor Viridiana Lieberman (The Perfect Neighbor). The film’s director of photography is Erick Stoll (American Factory); the score is composed by Osei Essed and Santiago Arias-Rozo. Jun Stinson Yamagishi served as supervising producer for ITVS. Along with Steven Bognar, executive producers include award-winning filmmaker Carrie Lozano for ITVS and filmmaker and author Astra Taylor (What Is Democracy?).

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