Tell us a bit about your organization and what your specialty is in the film and video space.

At Spark Media, storytelling meets purpose. We create films that entertain, challenge, and inspire, blending bold vision with emotional resonance, intellectual depth with cinematic craft. Integrity drives us, ingenuity fuels us, and impact defines us.

Our focus is on social issue films that open conversations and create ripples of change across communities.

What is your organization’s ethos and how does it set you apart from industry competitors?

Since 1989, Spark Media has been committed to impact storytelling, well before it became an industry buzzword. For us, a film isn’t finished when the credits roll. Its real power is in how it stirs people, sparks dialogue, and opens new ways of seeing. That’s why we’ve always paired our documentaries with imaginative, sometimes unexpected campaigns that keep the conversation going. From creative community activations to partnering with long-term advocates, we experiment with new ways to meet audiences where they are. Decades later, we’re still powered by that same spirit of collaboration and impact.

How can people join or learn more about what you do?

As America continues to descend into dark days of political turmoil, extremism, and violence, Public Defender offers a useful message of finding our better angels. We encourage anyone who is looking to foster meaningful dialogue to consider hosting a screening in their community. You can learn more at www.publicdefenderfilm.com/host-a-screening.

In the spirit of merging storytelling with impact, and inspired by Heather’s work as a defense attorney, our team has been collecting book donations for prisons across the country. To date, we’ve donated over 2,000 books and counting. Check out some of our partner organizations at www.publicdefenderfilm.com/impact and please consider working with us or making a donation to your local organization.

Tell us about your Telly Award winning piece. What’s the story behind it?

What happens when a liberal public defender represents right-wing January 6th rioters? Public Defender takes on America’s epidemic of division and misinformation with humanity and comic relief, modeling how to restore trust and accountability one relationship at a time.

As a Washington, D.C.-based production team, January 6th, 2021 was a day that impacted us more directly than most Americans. As the rest of the nation watched the shocking images unfold on live television and on social media, we heard the chaos coming from down the street and looked on as our beloved hometown was transformed into a militarized zone with barricades dissecting the city.

We were angry, but as storytellers we were also grasping for a way to digest what we had witnessed. Public Defender became a personal journey to understand how, even in the face of a vast political divide, Americans can confront their differences and, often to their own surprise, discover more common ground than they ever expected.

This project made us step back and do the hard work of challenging our own assumptions. We had to think hard about how we all sometimes unknowingly contribute to division, or, conversely, how we can foster real understanding.

Filming these real-life interactions, where participants were challenged and, at times, changed by the conversations they had, made us realize how crucial it is to tell stories that not only reflect our complex realities but also help us find ways to move forward.

Public Defender became, for us, more than just a film. It’s an invitation to stay engaged, even when the system feels designed to divide us. It’s about cutting through the noise of disinformation and embracing the hard, but necessary, work of changing the narrative.

What are you most proud of about this piece? What was your biggest challenge during production and how did you solve it?

The January 6th Capitol attack and the 2020 election subversion attempts made by President Trump continue to conjure both anger and confusion. On the left, many people want to see unforgiving accountability for all involved, while a majority on the right have either buried their heads in the sand or recast the day as one of “love” or a “normal tourist visit.”

Documenting a story that fits uncomfortably between those two perceptions made it a challenge to secure funding and enlist partners for Public Defender. During our fundraising campaign, one of the prevailing responses we faced from funders was their explicit disinterest in supporting efforts to humanize who they perceived as “the enemy.” As an issue-driven documentary team focused on stories that make connections, we were disappointed that many of the typical avenues for independent film funding were hesitant to cross the political divide themselves to support the film. Ultimately, we found partners and distributors who embraced the film and its message of empathy and humanity, such as The Pulitzer Center, Interfaith America, Living Room Conversations, The New Yorker, Scripps News Network, and WETA. Those partnerships continue to bear fruit as we focus on our community engagement campaign.

With President Trump back in the White House, new obstacles have emerged: lawsuits threatening the media, bridge-building efforts stalled, and January 6th nearly erased from national memory through sweeping pardons. Rising political violence makes the message of Public Defender more urgent than ever. At a time when the rule of law and political norms are under siege, and the legacy of January 6th continues to morph and recede, this film stands as both a historical record and a warning: a failure to hold leaders to account will leave lasting scars on our nation’s future.

Do you have any advice to other filmmakers based on your career or your team’s approach to work?

It is important for filmmakers to be clear-eyed about the impact they want their film to have. In the case of Public Defender, it was our goal to produce a documentary that seeks to narrow the political divide by embracing a message of recognizing humanity and demanding accountability. To meet that impact goal, we first had to check our own personal biases and be open to changing our own perspectives. In order to make a change through filmmaking, it is important for filmmakers to embrace what they are preaching and be open to change themselves before expecting audiences to do the same.

Can you share a behind the scenes story or fun fact about the making of your piece?

One of the most memorable and reaffirming experiences during production also happened to be one of the most nerve-wracking: one of Heather’s clients, Jack, inviting her to join him on a pro-Trump MAGA livestream.

While only a small portion of the hour-long conversation is featured in the film, what we saw unfold in real time was a collision of ideologies. On one side was the show’s host and listeners spouting conspiracy theories about election fraud and January 6th, with Heather remaining steadfast in her position that Trump bears responsibility for that day. At a moment when the debate comes to a head, Jack steps up and defends Heather from those on “his side” politically.

After the livestream ended, we were concerned that Heather would be put off by the combativeness of the conversation. There was worry that it was a bridge too far, even for her. When we spoke with her immediately after the show, to our relieved surprise, she was laughing hysterically, sharing that she genuinely enjoyed the challenging conversations and the opportunity to talk with people who held such different beliefs.

In that moment, we saw how coming to know each other inspired a connection that overcame politics and disagreements. Heather saw the opportunity to engage as a pleasure, not a burden, while Jack showed his willingness to stand up to his own community and showed us how he learned to value humanity and mutual respect over demonization and ridicule.

Tell us about the most memorable response you got from this work.

As we eagerly awaited the lights to dim at our premiere screening, our team tried to imagine how the audience would react to the documentary. On the precipice of a heated 2024 presidential election, and with nay-saying funders in the back of our minds, we prepared for an audience unwilling to give an inch of compassion to perceived enemies. “How could you humanize those monsters?” and “They’re getting what they deserve!” were commonly imagined refrains.

Joined by film participants Heather and Annie, it became clear during the post-screening Q&A that the audience was thirsting for a story about finding common ground. People were looking for a constructive framework through which to patch our divisions and heal as a country.

During the discussion, one person in particular perfectly reflected our goals in making the film. “In this day and age…we are all so quick to go to black or white,” she said. “This film for me is expanding this grey space…I just want to be a more tolerant person and this film has not only inspired me to be, but renewed my faith that I can be.”

At this trying time, we could all stand to find a little grace in the grey space and understanding for the perspectives of others, especially those we disagree with.

Complete this sentence: ‘Great video storytelling is…’

… is more than entertainment, it’s an invitation to feel, question, and reimagine what you thought you knew.

…an emotionally engaging experience that challenges audiences to reconsider their perceptions and understanding of the world.