Fort Myers Film Festival at the Alliance

The Alliance for the Arts is thrilled to serve as a venue for the 15th Annual Fort Myers Film Festival, hosting special matinee showings May 15–17. Join us for an inspiring selection of films that celebrate creativity, storytelling, and the power of independent cinema. Don’t miss this opportunity to be part of one of Southwest Florida’s most dynamic cultural events!

### CLIMBING TO LIFE @ 11:00 AM

#### Directed by Melissa J Davey (52 min)

Synopsis: The inspiring story of Dierdre Wolownick, the oldest woman to climb El Capitan. Initially not athletic, she found her passion for running and climbing in her 60s, mentored by her son, Alex Honnold of Free Solo.

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### SANIBEL ISLAND’S STORE @ 12:00 PM

#### by Janine Zeitlin (57 min)

Synopsis: Sanibel Island’s Store traces the journey of a family, a small business, and an island determined to rebuild and thrive after Hurricane Ian in 2022.

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### ENVIRONMENTAL AWARENESS SHORTS BLOCK @ 1:15 PM

#### Friends Not Food Directed by Peter Stray (30 min)

Synopsis: Rachel, a city worker, joins a struggling farm sanctuary, learning life lessons and working to save the sanctuary.

#### MONCH! Directed by Mia Rae Sunday (3 min)

Synopsis: A tiny orangutan tries to get a mango dangling high in a tree.

#### Kletpocracy Directed by Alexander Flores (7 min)

Synopsis: A young campaign planner uncovers a devastating secret about her candidate, forcing her to decide between compliance and exposing the truth.

#### Yellowstone Voices Directed by Greg Cairns (12 min)

Synopsis: A political story about the mass slaughters of Yellowstone bison and potential solutions for managing wild bison populations.

#### Blue Directed by Amy Cristina Lam (8 min)

Synopsis: A sea-turtle’s tumor growth is believed to be human-induced, urging action.

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### LOVE & LAUGH SHORTS BLOCK @ 2:30 PM

#### Lover Eternal Directed by Dominic Czarnota (13 min)

Synopsis: A husband becomes obsessed with a virtual reality simulation of his deceased wife, leading him through grief and technology.

#### Happy Life Directed by Sara Caldwell (9 min)

Synopsis: A stop-motion animation about an elderly woman who overcomes loneliness with the help of three balloons and a mysterious stranger.

#### Back To One Directed by Nathan Wallace & Victor H Muriel (5 min)

Synopsis: A comedic short where directors continuously reset film sets in Fort Myers, Florida.

#### Trendsetters Directed by Alexis Baca (8 min)

Synopsis: Four famous clothing designers make a side bet that they can create off-the-wall fashion designs the public will wear.

#### Walk of Generations Directed by Delaney Mann (2 min)

Synopsis: A young artist at a thrift store discovers a magical pair of Dr. Martens that connect her to the boots’ previous owners.

#### Golden Years Directed by Tim Ritter (15 min)

Synopsis: An aging couple breaks into rich people’s homes and throws themselves parties, but their retirement adventures may be coming to an end.

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### CURVEBALLS @ 3:30 PM

#### Directed by John Biffar (1 hr 30 min)

Synopsis: The inspiring story of America’s only amputee baseball team, The Louisville Sluggers.

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