Riley Keough and Clay Tweel have joined Brandon Kapelow’s documentary “Under Fire” as executive producers.
“Under Fire” follows Rob, a veteran Idaho fire captain living with PTSD who has spent decades responding to emergencies and saving other people. As the toll of his work follows him home, threatening his future and his relationship with his teenage daughter, Rob turns to psychedelic-assisted psychotherapy in an effort to reclaim his life.
The film marks Kapelow’s directorial debut and is based on his award-winning New York Times Op-Doc “An Act of Service.” Produced by Laurel Thomson for Long Holiday, the film will play at fall festivals as a title for acquisition, with an impact campaign launching alongside it.
Kapelow explores a mental health crisis that has hit first responder communities particularly hard, as well as the complicated cultural attitudes surrounding seeking help in professions where resilience and self-reliance are often deeply ingrained and expected.
“Although there’s a growing sense of optimism around destigmatizing public conversation on mental health topics, mental health outcomes in America are gradually getting worse,” Kapelow said in a statement on Monday. “Our hope is to add something to the conversation by spotlighting an intimate story of one family addressing increasingly common issues in an unconventional and beautiful way, and to build empathy for the experiences of individuals facing mental health challenges who stand to benefit from these therapies.”
For Kapelow, the subject is also deeply personal. A suicide loss survivor from Wyoming, much of his work has focused on mental health in the American West. He has also worked as a peer support facilitator with the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention, where he also serves on their Ethical Reporting Advisory Committee, an experience that has brought him into direct contact with families and individuals navigating mental health crises.
“Rob’s participation in the film was a gift,” Kapelow said. “His disarmingly open and empathetic personality makes him an ideal messenger to explore topics that are too often inaccessible to men in his profession.”
“Under Fire” is executive produced by Keough, Sacha Ben Harroche, Gina Gammell and Reef Oldberg for Felix Culpa, Tweel and Shannon E. Riggs for Parkside Films and Andrew Hutcheson for Voyager. Terry David Fine, Ronald Richardson and Emily Richardson round out the EPs.
“What moved me most about ‘Under Fire’ is the tenderness with which Brandon tells Rob’s story,” Keough said. “The experience of being the person everyone turns to for help while quietly struggling yourself is something we can all deeply relate to. I’m grateful that Felix Culpa has been able to stand behind a film that treats that experience with such honesty, compassion, and hope.”
The film’s impact campaign strategy is being led by Together Films, with support from Perspective Fund.
“Parkside Films is honored to champion Brandon’s voice as a director and support this film as executive producers,” Tweel said. “The film is beautifully crafted, from its visual storytelling to its editing, and Brandon brings a real sensitivity to the material. We love telling stories that explore why people do the things they do, and we believe ‘Under Fire’ can open up a meaningful conversation about mental health and the dynamics within families.”
The film is represented for sales by CAA Media Finance. Worldwide rights are available.
Thomson said, “We’re so excited to have Riley and Clay, and their teams at Felix Culpa and Parkside, behind Brandon’s film. Psychedelic therapy is moving from the fringe into federal policy, but the people who stand to benefit most are often the hardest to reach. We’re grateful to have their support amplifying Rob’s story for the communities that need it most.”
Hutcheson added, “Brandon deftly navigates every project he takes on with singular grace and empathy, and a keen eye for cinematic realism. These gifts are on full display in ‘Under Fire,’ a film that’s as brave as it is beautiful. It’s been a genuine honor to help support this project at every stage over the past few years since it first took root.”
