True Stories
Shorts Package
Swimming Through
2022, NR, U.S., Documentary, 15 minutes
Director: Samantha Sanders
Producers: Samantha Sanders, Paula Froehle, Steve Cohen
Cast: Deirdre Hamill-Squiers, Jennefer Hoffmann, Helen Wagner
As the brutal winter descends over Chicago, avid open-water swimmers Deirdre, Helen and Jennefer make a pact to swim Lake Michigan daily — through snow, ice and wind — as the pandemic rages on. Their extreme daily ritual becomes a powerful beacon of hope and perseverance, and they forge a powerful bond of friendship by Swimming Through together.
The Face of Immokalee: Public Art for Social Change
2023, PG, U.S., Documentary, 9 minutes
World Premiere
Florida Film
Filmmakers in Attendance
Director: Tara Calligan
Producer: Tara Calligan
Writer: Tara Calligan
Cast: Michelle Tricca, the people of Immokalee, Florida
Immokalee, Florida, is commonly referred to as a “migrant” or “agricultural” region. The Face of Immokalee is a public art installation created to honor, humanize and put a face to the people of this community.
In Cod We Trust
2022, NR, U.S., Documentary, 18 minutes
Florida Premiere
Directors: Raphael Edwards, Seonghoon Eric Park
Writer: Raphael Edwards, Seonghoon Eric Park
Cast: Al Cottone, Mark Grant, Angela Sanfilippo, Kellen Omaley, Francesco Paul Vitale, Dave Leveille, Jim Seavey, Gail Seavey
Gloucester, Massachusetts, is home to one of the oldest and largest fishing communities in the United States. Generations of Sicilian immigrants have worked on the rough waters of New England since the late 1600s, but recent changes in government regulations and ocean temperatures have endangered their tradition.
The Orchestra Chuck Built
2023, G, U.S., Documentary, 23 minutes
Florida Premiere
Director: Christopher Stoudt
Producers: Ryan Suffern, Maryann Garger, Bob Logan, Brainz Prasad
Cast: Chuck Dickerson, Hannah Innis, Amber Daughtry, Kevon Fortune, Kenichi Fortune, Janiyah Fortune, Malik Taylor, Isaac Green
In 2016, the League of American Orchestras conducted a study that revealed a shocking statistic: Only 1.8% of the professional orchestra workforce in the U.S. is Black. From an old church rec room in the inner city of Los Angeles, former lawyer-turned-conductor Chuck Dickerson is on a mission to change that.
Funny Not Funny
2023, NR, U.S., Documentary, 14 minutes
Florida Premiere
Director: Ben Feldman, Marc D'Agostino
Writer: Ben Feldman, Marc D'Agostino
Kirsten is a comedian, a 9/11 survivor and she has a terminal illness. But she doesn't take time to feel sorry for herself, choosing to embrace the tragic absurdity of the cards she's been dealt. Ultimately, Kirsten shows how comedy can be a lifesaver.