Films
Roots of Renewal | Short Doc |35 min
Directed by Max Zampieri
Coming soon to www.waterbear.com
Environmental advocate Flo journeys across Central America to reveal the transformative power of small-scale farms. The farmers, guided by the principles of agroecology, are feeding their communities and playing a critical role in healing the planet. The documentary explores the interconnectedness of food, environment, and climate, featuring expert voices like Bill McKibben, Vandana Shiva, Eric Toensmeier, Paul Luu, and Hans Herren, who explain how these regenerative practices can play a key role in reversing environmental degradation and ensuring a sustainable future. Roots of Renewal brings forward a powerful message: small-scale farmers, with the proper support, offer us tremendous hope for a resilient planet.
Not Much Has Changed | Short Doc |15 min
Directed by Max Zampieri
Coming soon to www.waterbear.com
Former child farmworker Yesenia reveals the hidden struggles of immigrant and child labor in U.S. agriculture. As she advocates for farmworkers’ rights, the film challenges viewers to confront uncomfortable truths about the food we eat. Through personal narrative, interviews, and archival footage, it tells Yesenia’s story, sparking vital conversations about labor, dignity, and systemic inequity, all while highlighting that much still needs to change.
Voicemails Vol 2 | Drama Short |6 min
Directed by Tony Cope
Cinematography by Max Zampieri
In the depths of a suicidal crisis, a veteran makes a life-saving call to his Wingman, fulfilling their pact to secure the firearm. This is a powerful story of brotherhood and resilience, where showing up for each other in the darkest hour saves lives.
Birdhouse | Drama/Family Short | 7 min
Directed by Max Zampieri
A young girl, having outgrown the world of fairy tales, now spends her days immersed in drawing and studying birds. She quietly prides herself on being a “scientist of birds,” firmly grounded in logic and reason. As a “girl of science,” she’s left magic behind—or so she believes. But when her younger sister’s belief in magic falters, she must find a way to keep the enchantment alive, only to discover that the extraordinary was always hidden in plain sight.
Voicemails Vol 1 | Drama Short |5 min
Co-directed by Max Zampieri & Javon Johnson
Bringing Javon Johnson’s 2013 poem “cuz he’s black” to life, “Voicemails To My Future Self: Vol 1" reveals the struggle Javon faces in teaching his young, black nephew about the complexities of interacting with the police. “It’s not about whether or not a shooter is racist. It’s how poor black boys are treated as problems well before we’re treated as people. Black boys in this country cannot afford to play cops and robbers if we’re always considered the latter.”
Lazarus| Drama Short |17 min
Directed by Kate Cortesi
Cinematography by Max Zampieri
A visit to an underground record store in Bed-Stuy, Brooklyn teaches a teenage kid about his neighborhood, music, and how to be a man.