Our first of two stops on the East Coast was the Phoenixville Film Festival. Now in its second year, we weren’t sure what to expect, but it quickly became one of our favorite festival experiences yet. Located just outside Philadelphia, Phoenixville is a charming small town that has seen a revival over the last 20 years, with much of the buzz centered on the historic Colonial Theatre. Made famous by the 1958 classic The Blob, the Colonial is a wonderful place to screen a film.

From the moment we arrived, the Phoenixville festival team made us feel right at home. They also thoughtfully programmed our film alongside HIVE, a short documentary directed by firefighter Ryan Rust. Our screening drew an enthusiastic crowd, and the subsequent Q&A session sparked some truly thought-provoking conversation.

​After wrapping up in Phoenixville, we headed south to the University of Maryland for a screening hosted by the Society of Professional Journalists and Merrill College. We were greeted by a packed house of students and faculty. After the film, Professor and filmmaker Josh Davidsburg led another lively and insightful Q&A.

A special shout-out goes to our East Coast friends—both old and new—who came out to support us at these events. Thank you for making our trip such a success!

Four years of hard work led us to this moment—the public premiere of our little film that could at the Blue Whiskey Independent Film Festival. Despite friends, family, and an entire college class having already seen countless edits of the film, presenting it to strangers for the first time was a nail-biting experience. We simply had no way of knowing if they would connect with our story. Thankfully, our nerves quickly turned into excitement!

We couldn’t have asked for a better debut: two sold-out screenings on a gorgeous May weekend at Chicago Filmmakers—housed in a historic, converted Chicago fire station. It was an unforgettable experience, and we’re thrilled to invite you to relive it through our photo gallery below.

Here’s to an incredible start to Fire Department, Inc.’s festival run!

Step into the heart of North Riverside, Illinois, and witness the story of a group of firefighters who refused to let budget cuts compromise safety. We're elated to roll out the red carpet for the world premiere of the documentary Fire Department, Inc. at the Blue Whiskey Independent Film Festival!
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We hope you’ll join us in person for a screening followed by a Q&A with the director, producer and interview subjects.

Premiere Details:

• When: Saturday, May 4th, 2024, at 7pm
• Where: Chicago Filmmakers (1326 W Hollywood Ave Chicago, IL 60660)
• Cost: Tickets are $15 and can be purchased here

​Adding an extra layer of excitement to the evening, the premiere will take place at the historic Chicago Filmmakers Theater in Edgewater.  We are honored to screen in this wonderful venue that was once a Chicago firehouse!
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Built in the 1920s, it was home to The Chicago Fire Department's Truck Company No. 47 and later Engine Company 59. We couldn’t ask for a better venue for a night that pays homage to the brave souls who risk their lives to protect Chicagoland.

With limited seating at the historic Chicago Filmmakers Theater and high anticipation for Fire Department, Inc., early ticket purchase is highly recommended.
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Let's come together to celebrate the power of documentary filmmaking and the indomitable spirit of those who serve and protect us. See you at the movies!

An exciting new article from the Riverside-Brookfield Landmark is out! It has an interview with director Colin Hughes and producer Caley Fox Shannon covering the current state of the film, how it started, and everything in between!

For a detailed look at our upcoming documentary and the story behind it, don't miss the full article here. It's a tale of resilience, community, and the fight for justice. Stay tuned for more updates on its release and screening details!

What a year! As 2023 comes to a close, its amazing to look back and see how much was accomplished in just 12 short months. From locking our edit, to a score, to legal, to final color — we've been busy!

A quick aside: To those looking for a end of the year tax write off, please consider giving a donation to our film, through our fiscal sponsor Film Independent (link in comments). Every dollar counts and is greatly appreciated.

For many of you, this year was the first time you'd ever heard of Fire Department, Inc. However today actually marks the 4 year anniversary of when we started researching the attempted privatization of the North Riverside Fire Department. I didn't know then what this little documentary project would become, and the amazing moments we'd have the privilege of capturing — moments we wouldn't have been able to capture without your support. We have self funded and relied on the generous donations of so many and we can't thank you enough!

​We have an exciting 2024 planned and hope to have some more updates to post soon! Happy Holidays and heres to an exciting new year!

Late last night, IATSE, one of Hollywood's largest labor unions settled on a new contract for its members. This resulted in them calling off Monday's strike, what would have been the first strike in it's 100+ year history. Add this to workers from John Deere, Kellogg, and Hospitals nationwide going on strike and a pattern emerges; organized labor is having a moment!

​Earlier today Time published an article detailing the conditions that led to this pro-union atmosphere. Chief among those listed are grueling hours, a tight labor market, and a groundswell of support for them — all while their companies see soaring profits. We encourage you to support these striking workers by not crossing picket lines and boycotting their company's products.

As members of Local 2714, North Riverside Firefighters Union, continue to negotiate a new contract, we are hopeful that this atmosphere helps to quickly reach a fair contract. We continue to document their struggle and any donations to the film are greatly appreciated!

We are incredibly proud to have been named as a spring 2021 Hot Film in the Making by From The Heart Productions! These are projects highly supported by From The Heart Productions and include many other excellent films currently being produced. You can view the entire list here.

We are incredibly excited to announce we have been invited to pitch at the 10th annual American Documentary and Animation Film Festival Fund! As one of the premiere documentary film festivals, Am Docs selecting us as one of 10 finalists for the fund is an incomprehensible honor! We look forward to pitching our film and meeting fellow documentary film makers in the process!

​If you'd like to make a donation to help us compete the film, please click the button below. It will redirect you to our official Film Independent donation page.

Today we received word that FiLM iNDEPENDENT, the independent film behemoth, will be providing Fire Department, Inc fiscal sponsorship! You may know FiLM iNDEPENDENT from the Spirit Awards — which they host every year, or from the numerous independent films they help every year through labs, funding, and in our case, fiscal sponsorship.

The term Fiscal Sponsorship can be misleading, it is not a blank check being offered to us. In fact no money is involved in a fiscal sponsorship agreement at all. It is an arrangement between an existing 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization and an individual or entity lacking the legal status needed to receive grants from foundations, individual donors and government agencies. FiLM iNDEPENDENT provides administrative services and oversight to, and assume limited legal and financial responsibility for, the activities of groups or individuals engaged in work that furthers the fiscal sponsor’s mission, in this case, to champion creative independence in visual storytelling and support a community of artists who embody diversity, innovation and uniqueness of vision.

In other words; your donations are now tax deductible!

To make a tax deductible donation to Fire Department, Inc click here to go to the nifty online donation page FiLM iNDEPENDENT set up for us!

For more on what fiscal sponsorship is, check out this great video ​FiLM iNDEPENDENT put together!