“February” Synopsis: A recent immigrant, Miguel (David Ezekiel Duran), struggles to fit into a small town in Wisconsin in February until discovering ice fishing. A portrait of family, resilience, the immigrant experience, and the things we have in common.
Winner of the 2024 Golden Badger at the Wisconsin Film Festival and a part of the “Year Project”, a series of 12 films inspired by and based on Wisconsin. Cinematography by Leo Purman (The Legend of the Vagabond Queen of Lagos) and produced by Adam Stunkle (Purity Camp).
Director Bio: Nathan Deming is an LA-based filmmaker originally from Wisconsin who studied at the London Film School under British filmmaker Mike Leigh. His debut feature “Speaking in Tongues” premiered at the Austin Film Festival and his short films have been screened around the world, most notably at the Edinburgh International Film Festival, Premiers Plans d’Angiers, London Short Film Festival, and British Shorts Berlin. He co-produced the upcoming horror comedy THINESTRA starring Brian Huskey and Norma Maldonado.
Director Statement: “As I approach making a film for each month of the year, I am not just thinking about likely stories or Wisconsin culture that might have a place in that episode (it’s going to be hard to avoid the topic of hunting come “November”) but more how the month makes me feel. February to me is about the doldrums, the monotony of winter as the holidays are truly behind you and all you can really look forward to is the hope and possibility of spring.
I’m not sure where Miguel initially came from, or his story, but I knew I wanted to explore someone as different as possible from the protagonist of “January”, a 75-year-old church volunteer and longtime Wisconsin resident. As soon as he arrived, it was like a welcome visitor I wanted to learn more about – diversity is sometimes hard to find in Wisconsin’s small towns, but it is there all the same and there’s many people living similar lives in the same place that get arbitrarily separated by race / culture / language. In “February” I sought to explore the things we have in common rather than the things that separate us.”
“Ultimate Citizen” Synopsis: In ULTIMATE CITIZENS, Jamshid is an Iranian who came to study in 1970’s America, and due to the Revolution, never went “home.” As a guidance counselor in Seattle Public Schools, Jamshid’s best work takes place out of the building and on a playing field with “his kids,” the children of refugees and immigrants. Their parents are in the grips of their own struggles to make a living and a home in a strange land. Mr. Jamshid is the charismatic, fiery, funny human with a Frisbee in hand, who is the first to show that “love wins” on the field, off the field, at home with family, or boldly forging a new community, in a new country – one kid, chicken, extreme mile and friend at a time.
Director Bio: Francine’s Strickwerda’s award-winning independent feature documentaries, including “Oil & Water,” and “Busting Out” have screened on Showtime, PBS, Netflix, Amazon and television channels all over the world. With stories ranging from one of the world’s worst toxic disasters, to the politics of America’s breast obsession, and now immigrant kids winning at Ultimate Frisbee, her films explore power, trauma and healing. Francine’s work has been funded by MacArthur Foundation, Corporation for Public Broadcasting, Chicken & Egg Pictures, and many others. As co-owner of Seattle creative video agency Hullabaloo, she directs, produces and writes strategic films for some of the world’s most recognizable brands and non-profits. Francine grew up a teacher’s kid and began her career in journalism, first as a newspaper reporter, and then as a producer at Seattle’s KCTS Public Television. She has a 12-year-old son and is an avid Salish Sea open water swimmer.
Director Statement: “
ULTIMATE CITIZENS is not a movie about Frisbee. The “flat ball” is one of many tools that Jamshid Khajavi, the film’s protagonist, uses in his work as a primary school coach and counselor. A fiery, funny 65-year-old Iranian immigrant and ultra-athlete, Jamshid does some of his best work on the playing field with his students, the children of refugees and immigrants.
In a season of healing, Jamshid coaches two intrepid 11-year-olds, Nyahoak, whose South Sudanese parents came to the U.S. as refugees, and Pio, whose Samoan parents wanted a better a life, but experience homelessness. Jamshid teaches the kids about life on their way to compete in the world’s largest youth Ultimate Frisbee tournament.
The story unfolds at Hazel Wolf K-8 School in Seattle, a city known for its high-tech companies and $7 coffees. It’s also an America where many families quietly struggle to afford housing and survive.
Jamshid’s efforts to build community where all kids can thrive are heroic. But in this story, it’s the parents who work low paying jobs around the clock, and their first-generation Americans kids, who become champions long before the tournament even begins. They save themselves, with a little help from a compassionate counselor in a supportive school.
At a time when schools are on the frontlines of America’s culture wars, some politicians and parents are fighting the work of counselors like Jamshid. He teaches social emotional learning and sex education. He talks with families about grief and loss, and helps remove barriers to learning and belonging.
Today there are roughly 100 million forcibly displaced people around the world – more than at any time in modern history. The plight of these asylum seekers is increasingly met with anti-immigrant policies and violence. This film showcases the potential of what immigrants like Jamshid and his students can bring into our communities instead of viewing asylum seekers as a drain on resources.
Underneath the “David vs. Goliath” tournament narrative that builds toward the film’s climax, this documentary offers an antidote to “us versus them” political headlines with a heartwarming vision of a more welcoming America. You often hear Jamshid saying to people, “I’m so glad you’re here,” and he means it. For almost 40 years, Jamshid has taught children how to be “ultimate citizens” – to look out for themselves and each other, and to choose inclusion over exclusion. He and the kids show how to do the hardest work of all – to find their way forward, together.”
