Arriving at the Village East Cinemas earlier today, I came across a moment that’s often lost in the bright lights of a premiere or the grandeur of the red carpet. Near the theater, two men walked toward me in nervous conversation. It turned out to be a filmmaker trying to calm down his leading man, in this case Kassim Ouma, the subject of a richly moving doc titled Kassim the Dream, about a child soldier (Ouma) turned world-champion boxer. Apparently, the star needed to be reassured about the use of a montage that included shots of him smoking a joint (which made for a hilarious scene in the film).

Witnessing this moment illustrated one of the best things about being at a film festival. The filmmakers of these undiscovered gems are still untouched and unspoiled by the industry they hope to conquer, which can often overwhelm the artist within them. Before popularity, bodyguards, publicist-approved sound bites, arm candy, big entourages and much bigger egos, we get to glimpse these artists as ourselves—excited but still a bit nervous before the big show.