“God, at the Pentagon”: 9/11 20th Anniversary Documentary
Because of the Diocese of Arlington's unique geographic location adjacent to the nation's capital, the 20th anniversary of 9/11 in 2021 was a major occasion for the Diocese to commemorate. The terrorist attack at the Pentagon happened within our Diocese, and many parishioners still bear first-hand memories of that day.
I pitched the idea for, directed, filmed, edited, and interviewed the subjects for this short, inspiring documentary film, which was completed in partnership with multimedia producer Jim Salitsky. We told both the stories of priestly heroics on that day as well as the power of our Catholic faith in the face of tragedy. Using historical records and news articles, we were able to source subjects and capture the story of how one “moves forward” without “moving on” from loved ones. This project also involved complicated logistics managing permissions to film on government installations (The Pentagon) during COVID times.
The video received widespread attention and mentions in outlets including Aleteia and EWTN. I was interviewed by Teresa Tomeo on Ave Maria Radio Network about my experiences producing the film. The film was recognized as a 1st-place award-winner in multiple categories by the Catholic Media Association.
Catholic Media Association judges’ feedback included comments such as:
“This is unbelievable. Fantastic work. I don’t really have words. The video is incredible.The stories here have so much power and weight — bravery, perseverance, loss and faith and more. One of the best pieces I’ve ever seen.”
“This harrowing and beautifully produced documentary combines historical footage with interviews to gather the experiences of people affected by the 9/11 attack on the Pentagon and how their faith has sustained them. It is thoughtful, compassionate and unforgettable.”
“Really touching. Very well edited. Great lighting in interviews and archival footage.”
AWARDS WON
Catholic Media Association Awards 2022 - 1st Place, Best Freestanding Presentation of Online Video
Catholic Media Association Awards 2022 - 1st Place, Best Multimedia Package
Catholic Media Association Awards 2022 - 1st Place, Best Use of Video on Social Media - News Organization
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"Portraits of the Call" Vocations Documentary
“Portraits of the Call” is a 2023 documentary I produced highlighting different Catholic vocations in life, intended to be used as an educational tool for presentations and events by the Diocese of Lansing’s Vocations team. It involved filming in many places, from inner-city Flint, Michigan, to New York City to film with the Sisters of Life in their Hell’s Kitchen convent.
Snippets of the film, posted on the Diocese’s social media channels for National Vocations Awareness Week, caught the attention of international Catholic media outlet, Aleteia, which wrote a piece on the clips titled, “All young Catholics should watch these inspiring vocation stories.”
The project won a 2024 Michigan Regional Emmy Award in the Religion category, as well as Silver recognition in the 45th annual Telly Awards. It was also cited as a primary contributor to my selection as the 2024 Cardinal John Foley Award winner by the Catholic Media Association.
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"The First Noel" - Diocese of Arlington Christmas Video
In 2021, the world was starting to come out of the dreaded COVID times, and to celebrate that I decided to pitch the idea of a musical extravaganza for Christmas. This project involved our four diocesan high schools, each of whom provided singers and instrumentalists for the project. I chose the music, storyboarded the video, directed the production, recorded the audio, created the rough mix of the music, and edited the final product.