THE FAITHFUL is my favorite film we’ve screened in my five years as Associate Programmer of the USC School of Cinematic Arts. The film manages to be both deeply personal and universal, scratching at the itch of why and how we seek belonging and greater meaning. Annie’s dexterous direction reads almost like a poem, weaving across decades and seamlessly jumping between subjects and stories in a stream of consciousness guided by her unique artistic vision, which provides critical, self-reflexive insights into the nature to textuality and authenticity within a fan-driven world of replication and reproduction. THE FAITHFUL is a must-see not only for those seeking to gain new insights into the nature of fandom, but also into the role of documentarians as active participants in this world, as creators of texts that contribute to bodies of fandom and preserve these images and ideas for generations to come.

— Matthew Meier, Associate Programmer, USC School of Cinematic Arts