Juan Gonzalez | Writer

As a columnist for one of the largest newspapers in America, the New York Daily News, and as a panelist on WNET's "Informed Sources," the film's writer, Juan Gonzalez has a great deal of experience in understanding the needs of an Hispanic audience. Juan Gonzalez published "Roll Down Your Window," stories from a forgotten America. He was a columnist for the Philadelphia Inquirer. He was born in Puerto Rico and brought up in New York City. He studied at Columbia College where he played a leadership role in the 1968 strike. He was a founding member of the Young Lords Party in New York City and was President of the National Congress for Puerto Rican Rights. He was the writer for Perry's "Haiti: Killing the Dream."

David Sandoval | Executive Producer

Executive Producer, David Sandoval has an in depth understanding of the educational needs of "Valley of Tears" target audience, through his work as Director of the Equal Opportunity Program at Cal State LA for almost two decades. David Sandoval started the production of "Valley of Tears" in 1978. From 1981 to the present he has been Director of the Educational Opportunity Program at Cal State LA. He was the co-producer of "La Raza", a docudrama for McGraw Hill Broadcasting; Producer, Issues for an On-going Agenda, a video production for the School of Health and Services, Cal State LA; Fundraiser for "Resurgence of the KKK", a PBS documentary special; "Bilingualism: Promise of Tomorrow", a PBS documentary; Producer, "Una Nacion Bilingue?"; and Producer, "Los Lobos Del Este De Los Angeles: Just another Band from East LA".

Hart Perry | Producer/Director

Hart Perry has extensive production experience - John Hammond: From Bessie Smith to Bruce Springsteen for American Masters, winner of the Cine Golden Eagle, Peabody Award, Leonard Bernstein's New York (Cable Ace), "Rhythm, Country and Blues" with which he won a Best Director award at the Monitor Awards, Sun City (IDA award) and "Haiti: Killing the Dream" (First Prize at the Latin American Film Festival and selected for the New York Film Festival) are among the dozen documentaries he has produced and directed which have been prime time PBS broadcasts. He recently directed the highly rated series The 70's for VH1 and Motown 40 for ABC. He has won a Guggenheim Fellowship, three documentaries he filmed won Academy Awards - "Woodstock", "Harlan County: USA", and three have won Emmys. In 1995 he was hired by CPB to develop cultural programs with Gustavo Sagastume. Together, they produced two programs that were broadcast by PBS in national prime time.

Hector Galan | Consulting Producer

Hector Galan produced location filming of Valley of Tears in 1980. He has produced 11 episodes of the PBS series Frontline. These include: "Shakedown in Santa Fe", an insider's account behind the bars of the Penitentiary of New Mexico eight years after one of the bloodiest prison riots in American history; "The Color of Your Skin", which examines the dynamics of race relations in the military; and "Who Cares About Children", a profile of Arkansas's troubled foster care system and the ensuing political battle between children's advocates and then Governor Bill Clinton. For American Experience he produced the multi-award winning film "The Hunt for Pancho Villa". His "Songs of the Homeland" was selected for the San Sebastian Film Festival. He acted as series producer for the landmark PBS documentary series "Chicano! History of the Mexican-American Civil Rights Movement". He has earned awards from AFI, AFVA, the New York International Film Festival and many others.