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Magical Bridge playground founder Olenka Villarreal wakes up her 20-something year-old daughter Ava, running her through her morning routine: helping her brush her teeth, walking her down the stairs of their home, eating Chex while Ava uses sign language to communicate and sifting through a bag of squishies with her older sister, Emma. The scenes play out in a new documentary by a Palo Alto filmmaker and paint an intimate portrait of what inspired Villarreal to create inclusive outdoor playspaces, starting in her hometown.
Annette King’s film, “Magical Bridge: Kind by Design,” will debut at the BraveMaker Film Fest in Redwood City on July 9. The festival, now five days long, runs July 8 to 12. Started in December 2018, the festival features local films with “thought-provoking brave stories that entertain, educate and create community experiences.”
“When I learned about Olenka Villarreal’s journey — a Silicon Valley mother whose quest to build a truly inclusive playground for her disabled daughter grew into a global movement — I knew this was a story that needed a wider audience,” said King in an email. “I wanted to capture how thoughtful, universal design can inspire empathy, combat social isolation, and build genuine community.”
Villarreal said in a press release that she hopes the film inspires others to design spaces that “truly include everyone.”
King, who runs Splicer Films, interviews park users and volunteers in the 25-minute film, which documents how the Magical Bridge’s first playground opened in 2015 and how it helps kids of all abilities play safely. It has expanded nationally and internationally. There are now playspaces in Singapore, New Zealand and the Netherlands.
Filming began in May 2025 and took about a year, according to King.
“Documentary filmmaking is always a profound journey of discovery, and it was a true labor of love to capture everything from the meticulous design of these spaces to the deeply personal stories of the families who play there,” King said.
The Schmidt Family Foundation executive produced the documentary. Splicer has produced films like “A Divine Journey: The Trilogy” in 2024.
What’s new this year at the festival
This year, the festival will honor actress Loretta Devine, according to festival Founder and Executive Director Tony Gapastione.
Gapastione said each year it’s a struggle to collect funding to finance the festival and he is looking for people to invest equity into these films or become tax-deductible donors.
“I’m really calling out Silicon Valley to come use your wealth and generosity to tell brave stories,” he said. “ I want it to be known that we are making films here in the Bay Area. We are creating jobs in the entertainment industry, and it’s something we’ve never done before.”
Feature films include: “Mermaid,” starring Academy Award winner Nat Faxon; “The End of Isolation” about a busload of anti-prison theater activists; and “Mr. Advocate” about a new teacher’s AI that “turns a test-obsessed school upside down.”
The festival will screen “Altadena: The Heart. The Art & The Soul,” a 30-minute film about the severe impacts of the Eaton Fire in 2025 on the Southern California community that’s shaped by memory, creativity and resilience where Black culture, history and the arts.
The short “Addie” promises to be similar to “Black Mirror” and follows a woman who turns to an AI assistant to bring order to her chaotic life.
“I’m just proud of what we’ve created,” said Gapastione. “I’m exhausted, to be honest, getting this up off the ground. I really hope and pray we can find more funding and generous people to make this possible, but what’s happening in Redwood City is life-changing. I just got to say that we coined a new phrase this year: stories save lives, and I really believe that.”
BraveMaker Film Fest, at venues in Redwood City, July 8-12. Passes start at $150. Purchase tickets at: bravemakerfilmfest2026.eventive.org/passes/buy.
Premiere of “Magical Bridge: Kind By Design,” at the Fox Theatre, 2215 Broadway St., Redwood City, July 9 at 6 p.m. Tickets available at: tinyurl.com/BravemakerScreening.
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