About this Event
THE DADS
2026 | USA | 72 MIN
Inspired by the Emmy Award-winning short documentary of the same name (Netflix, 2023), THE DADS chronicles a community of fathers of trans and nonbinary children as they are forced to choose family over country as a powerful anti-trans agenda takes hold in the United States. Filmed over the course of a year spanning retreats in rural Maine and Minnesota, protests, family milestones, a pivotal U.S. Supreme Court decision, and the collapse of gender-affirming care for youth, THE DADS captures this national reckoning with remarkable intimacy through verité footage and interviews with the film’s main protagonists, as documented by Emmy Award-winning director and producer Luchina Fisher and executive producer Dwyane Wade. This is fatherhood as an act of radical love and resistance.
DIRECTOR LUCHINA FISHER
PRODUCERS LUCHINA FISHER, STEPHEN CHUKUMBA
EXECUTIVE PRODUCERS DWYANE WADE, JON MARCUS, JOSEPH DEITCH, CAROLINA GARCÍA JAYARAM, EVA BLOOMFIELD, LAURA TANNER, ANTHONY CHUKUMBA, RICK WHITE, REBECCA B WHITE
EDITORS PATRICK WRIGHT, CHELSI BULLARD
DIRECTOR OF PHOTOGRAPHY UKACHI ARINZEH
ORIGINAL SCORE ELLA FEINGOLD AND CHARLIE HUNTER
ORIGINAL SONG “MAKE IT OUT ALIVE” CO-WRITTEN AND PERFORMED BY MORGXN
CAST STEPHEN CHUKUMBA, WAYNE MAINES, DAVID PARR, FRANK GONZALES, ED DIAZ, CHRISTOPH HEINZER, JOSE TRUJILLO, ALEX POLOTSKY, AC GOLDBERG, JR FORD, ANDY DUMONT, CARLOS SALAZAR, CASEY DECK, MIKE HOFFMAN, BILL MAGNESS, CHRIS
W/ short film
OUR FOUND FAMILY
2025 | USA | 7 MIN
rchive of Our Own (AO3) is a fan-created, fan-run digital archive that holds millions of transformative works, ranging from epic fanfiction to original fan art. But what does it truly mean to read fanfiction? What does it mean to be a fan? And who the heck is Ebony Darkness Dementia Raven Way?!
Our Found Family dives into the heart of fan culture to explore the vital role transformative art plays in building identity, connection, and digital sanctuaries. More than just a hobby, fanfiction provides a thriving space for queer creators and fans to express themselves freely. This short documentary celebrates the passion, creativity, and deep sense of community that turns an online archive into a true found family.
Director Biography
Stephanie Benson is a filmmaker currently pursuing a BFA in Documentary Filmmaking at the University of Central Florida. She strives to create films that spark creativity, inspire others, and foster a strong sense of community.
Stephanie has worked on a diverse range of narrative and documentary projects, including the Coca-Cola Screening Lovecommercial, the Denial is a River dance cover music video, and the short film Misfortune (2025). She brings deep empathy and creativity to every project, whether editing B-roll or crafting motion graphics. When not on set, Stephanie can usually be found curled up with a comically large book or exploring the wild Florida ecosystem.
Director Statement
"From the moment I started planning Our Found Family, my main goal was to create a safe space for fanfiction fans while sharing the joy of this medium with those who have never encountered it.
Our Found Family shines a light on a community that flourishes in passion, expression, and radical creativity. Fanfiction is so much more than a hobby—it validates, empowers, and connects queer creators and marginalized voices every day. As my directorial debut, navigating the worlds of graphics and documentary editing proved to me that there is nothing I’d rather do than bring meaningful human stories to light."
Event venue & nearby stays
Burns Court Cinema, 506 Burns Court, Sarasota, United States
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