Last to Ask

Last to Ask is a short documentary I produced, directed, and edited for WEDU PBS, born from an open-ended commission around the topic of mental health. Research and community conversations led me toward a corner of that subject that doesn't get much coverage: the mental health crisis inside the first responder community. The film follows Chris, a long-tenured firefighter who nearly lost everything to a hidden alcohol addiction, and weaves his story together with local subject matter experts to create something both information-rich and deeply human. The subject matter demanded I earned trust quickly, which shaped everything from the interview approach to the edit. The film aired on PBS and went on to win a Suncoast Regional Emmy Award for Health/Medical coverage, an IAFF Media Award for Best Feature Broadcast, and a NETA Public Media Award for Content.