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Logline

During the final months of his father’s early-onset Alzheimer’s, a son uses his camera to understand how his mother, uncle, and sister deal with the disappearing man in different, contradictory ways.

Synopsis

Filmmaker Pierce Ryan turns his camera on his own family to explore the profound impact of his father’s Alzheimer’s. At the heart of the story are Cindy, his mother and Jeff’s primary caregiver; Chris, his optimistic uncle who believes emotional connection can slow the disease; and Madison, his younger sister, who struggles to cope. As Jeff’s condition worsens, tensions surface—Chris and Cindy clash over caregiving approaches, and Madison withdraws, unable to face her father’s decline. When Jeff suffers his first seizure, Cindy reaches a breaking point, leading to a heated pseudo-custody battle over his care.

Jeff’s passing leaves the family fractured yet bound by grief. In a final act of remembrance, they gather for his water burial, releasing his ashes into a lake. One by one, they jump in, “swimming with Uncle Jeff,” a moment that is both cathartic and bittersweet. The film lingers in that tension, showing how love and grief are bound together—capable of pulling a family close while also tearing it apart.
 

Meet the Filmmakers

Pierce Ryan — Director
Pierce Ryan is a filmmaker from Tallahassee, Florida. His stories often tell of a search for connection against the backdrop of the rural Southeast and Gulf Coast communities he grew up in. His documentary short, The Book of Ramadani, earned Best Documentary Short at the Central Florida Film Festival. His narrative work, Suzzanne, was an award winner at the Los Angeles Independent Festival and showcased at the San Diego International Comic-Con, the world’s largest comic convention.

Carole Joyce — Executive Producer
Carole Joyce is the Vice President of From the Heart Productions, an organization dedicated to supporting independent filmmakers with impactful, socially relevant projects. With over three decades of experience, she has helped filmmakers secure funding and distribution, with one film being acquired by HBO and others screening at prestigious festivals like Sundance and Cannes. Carole’s passion for storytelling and commitment to socially conscious cinema have made her a key figure in the independent film community.

Bretton Miller — Producer
Bretton Miller is a filmmaker and graduate of the FSU Film School. His work as a director has been showcased at the Florida Film Festival and featured on NoBudge, the premier online platform dedicated to emerging filmmakers. Currently, he works for one of the most acclaimed film festivals in the world, SXSW, and programs films for Cincinnati’s Garfield Theater.

Liam Fineout — Producer
Liam Fineout is a Tallahassee native and graduate of the FSU Film School who works as a producer and unit production manager. He is best known for his work on the indie horror feature Parasomnia, adapted from the Gotham Award-winning short film Don’t Blink. Alongside Parasomnia, Liam has produced several award-winning short films and contributed to the scoring of various other projects.

Ben Feldman — Co-Producer
Ben Feldman is an LA-based filmmaker whose directorial debut premiered at AmDocs and was featured at IDFA Docs for Sale. His narrative work includes selections to the Chicago International Film Festival, a Best Directing award at the North Shore Film Festival, and a Best Horror win at the Virginia Emerging Filmmakers Festival, distributed by Gunpowder & Sky. Originally from Chicago, Ben studied Aerospace Engineering and Physics at the University of Virginia. By day, he works in aerospace, but he dedicates his free time to filmmaking.

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Contact

For inquiries, please contact fiscalsponsorship@filmindependent.org.