Yes I Am (film)
| Yes I Am – The Ric Weiland Story | |
|---|---|
 Festival poster | |
| Directed by | Aaron Bear |
| Produced by | Aaron Bear Fenton Bailey Randy Barbato |
| Starring | Bill Gates Mike Schaefer Gil Bar-Sela Urvashi Vaid |
| Narrated by | Zachary Quinto |
| Edited by | Celia Beasley Stephen Michael Simon |
| Music by | Taylor Delph |
Production company | World of Wonder Productions |
| Distributed by | Kino Lorber (Home media) WOW Presents Plus (streaming) |
Release date |
|
Running time | 62 minutes |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
Yes I Am – The Ric Weiland Story is a 2021 American documentary film directed by Aaron Bear. Narrated by actor Zachary Quinto, the film profiles Microsoft co-founder and philanthropist Ric Weiland, tracing his innovations in early personal-computer software, his substantial LGBTQ and HIV/AIDS philanthropy, and his long-private struggle with depression. The picture premiered at the 2021 Provincetown International Film Festival and later screened at Mountainfilm, Inside Out Toronto, and more than a dozen other LGBTQ or documentary events.[1] In 2024 the documentary received a Special Recognition Award at the 35th GLAAD Media Awards.[2]
Synopsis
Through archival footage and first-person interviews with colleagues such as Bill Gates, the film charts Weiland's trajectory from prodigious Lakeside School programmer to Microsoft's second employee. It documents his decision to leave the company in 1988, his subsequent donations exceeding US$200 million to LGBTQ, environmental, and health charities, and his death by suicide in 2006. The narrative juxtaposes Weiland's public generosity with private journals that reveal impostor-syndrome and HIV-related depression, framing his legacy within the broader history of queer visibility in tech.[3]
Production
Director Aaron Bear began principal photography in 2016 after securing the cooperation of Weiland's partner Mike Schaefer and the trustees of the Weiland estate.[1] World of Wonder founders Fenton Bailey and Randy Barbato boarded the project as executive producers, bringing financing and post-production resources.[4] Filming spanned Seattle, Silicon Valley, and New York City, with interviews that include Bill Gates & Urvashi Vaid, extensive personal diaries, photographs, and never before seen photos of Microsoft during it's infancy. Ric's diaries were digitized at Stanford University Libraries' Special Collections.[5]
Release
Festival circuit
The film debuted at the 2021 Provincetown International Film Festival followed by Mountainfilm (Telluride), OUTshine (Miami), Inside Out (Toronto), and the Palm Springs Cinema Diverse festival.[4][6]
Home media and streaming
Kino Lorber issued the documentary on region-A DVD on June 13, 2023;[7]. WOW Presents Plus acquired worldwide VOD rights later that year, making the title available for streaming from November 15, 2023.[8]
Reception
Critics praised the film's blend of tech history and queer biography.
- Bay Area Reporter called it "an essential corrective to Silicon Valley lore" and commended its frank treatment of mental health.[1]
- The Arts STL noted that "by letting Weiland narrate his own journals, the documentary sidesteps hagiography."[3]
Awards
| Year | Award / Festival | Category | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | Inside Out Toronto LGBT Film Festival | Documentary Feature | Official Selection |
| 2021 | OUTshine Film Festival (Miami) | Audience Award – Documentary | Won |
| 2021 | Dumbo Film Festival | Best Documentary Feature | Won[9] |
| 2024 | GLAAD Media Awards (35th) | Special Recognition Award | Won[2] |
Legacy and impact
Since release, the film has been used by LGBTQ nonprofits—including GLSEN and Lambda Legal—as a fundraising and educational tool; screenings on World AIDS Day 2023 were paired with mental-health panels in Seattle and Ventura County.[10] Stanford Libraries cited the documentary as a catalyst for its 2024 digital exhibit on the Ric Weiland papers, crediting the film with renewed scholarly interest in early queer tech history.[11]
References
- ^ a b c Bromberger, Brian (May 18, 2021). "Gay tech guru: 'Yes I Am'". Bay Area Reporter. Retrieved June 1, 2025.
- ^ a b "GLAAD Announces Nominees for the 35th Annual Glaad Media Awards" (Press release). GLAAD. May 14, 2024. Archived from the original on March 27, 2025. Retrieved June 1, 2025.
- ^ a b Boslaugh, Sarah (July 10, 2023). "Yes I Am: The Ric Weiland Story (Kino Lorber, NR)". The Arts STL. Retrieved June 1, 2025.
- ^ a b "Yes I Am – The Ric Weiland Story". Mountainfilm. 2021. Archived from the original on September 25, 2022. Retrieved June 1, 2025.
- ^ "Richard William Weiland papers, 1969-2006". Stanford University Libraries.
- ^ "Yes I Am – The Ric Weiland Story". OUTshine LGBTQ+ Film Festival. April 24, 2021. Retrieved June 1, 2025.
- ^ "Yes I Am – The Ric Weiland Story (DVD)". Kino Lorber. June 13, 2023. Archived from the original on January 22, 2025. Retrieved June 1, 2025.
- ^ "Yes I Am – The Ric Weiland Story". WOW Presents Plus. November 15, 2023. Retrieved June 1, 2025.
- ^ "2021 winners". Dumbo Film Festival. Archived from the original on June 4, 2025. Retrieved June 2, 2025.
- ^ Allen, Tess (November 19, 2023). "Documentary Recounts Story of Microsoft Co-founder Ric Weiland". Diversity Collective Ventura County (Press release). Archived from the original on November 30, 2023. Retrieved June 1, 2025 – via Noozhawk.
- ^ Yankowitz, Hana/Connor (December 18, 2024). "Digital exhibit on Ric Weiland sheds light on early Microsoft employee & gay philanthropist". Stanford Libraries. Archived from the original on February 14, 2025. Retrieved June 1, 2025.