My Dad's Tapes awards, festival updates and next steps

2024 was a very exciting and memorable year for us with the release of My Dad’s Tapes. We thought we’d do a little photodump and remember some of the standout screenings and awards that we are grateful to have experienced and received up to now. We are so grateful for all the support and connections we’ve made from these screenings, and it is so rewarding to see the impact the film is making on audiences worldwide. 

Hot Docs International Film Festival

#11 in Audience Choice

Awareness Film Festival - Los Angeles

Emerging Filmmaker Award

Scottish Mental Health Arts Festival - Glasgow

Personal Narrative Award

Windsor International Film Festival

Official Selection

Mental Filmness Film Festival - Chicago

Realism Award

Rendezvous With Madness - Toronto

Official Selection

North East International Film Festival - Newcastle UK

Best Feature Documentary

Reframe International Film Festival

Official Selection

A particular highlight...

…was something the happened at the Scottish Mental Health Arts Festival awards presentation evening. Presenting us with the Personal Narrative Award was Rory O’Conner, a world leader on suicide research and prevention, and he had this to say about our film:

“What Kurtis and Rob have done so amazingly is remind us of the complexity and uniqueness of people’s narratives and people’s stories. It reminded us that when we think about suicide and the complexity of suicide, there’s no one simple answer and often it’s not possible to know why an individual took their own life. But what I thought was so incredible was that although it’s a reflection on devastation and loss, and uncertainty and unanswered questions, ultimately I left with a message of hope.”

Rob and Kurtis on stage accepting the Personal Narrative Award.
Rob and Kurtis pose in front of the WIFF backdrop.
Post-screening q&a panelists.
Post-screening q&a panelists.
Rob and Kurtis pose together with their award.
Award winning filmmakers pose together with their awards.
Kurtis introduces the film to the audience at WIFF
Post-screening q&a panelists. Janet is speaking.
Rob and Kurtis post in front of the Workman Arts backdrop.
Post-screening q&a panelists. Rob is speaking.
Kurtis accepts the best documentary award.
Rob and Kurtis pose with best feature documentary award.
Rob and Kurtis pose in front of a wall of movie posters

What's next for the film

The film will continue to screen in festivals in the coming months before its wider release on digital platforms, which we are still developing a plan for. We are still seeking distribution partners, but we are also considering an independent release sometime in 2025.

We have begun developing an educational package for the film which we will be making available for educational institutions and organizations who may be interested in utilizing the film, as part of our goals of raising awareness about mental health issues and suicide awareness. 

If you’ve seen the film, it helps us a lot if you can leave us a rating or review on IMDB, Letterboxd, or wherever you review films. 

More news...

Frame grab of The Monarch Ultra title card.

Monarch Ultra

“The Monarch Ultra,” cut by Rob Viscardis, set to premiere Rodney Fuentes’ long awaited documentary…