ASF's 'We Are Athletes' screens at the Santa Fe Film Festival

Prior to the screening, Camille Romero, executive director of the Adaptive Sports Program New Mexico (ASPNM), shared details of our festival event on ASPNM's social media platforms. Camille also sent out a dedicated email blast offering free tickets to members of the ASPNM community, generously donated by the festival.

The day before the screening, Antsis and Kleiman journeyed up the winding roads of the Santa Fe National Forest in the beautiful Sangre de Cristo Mountains to Ski Santa Fe. They met with Camille in the ASPNM facility, where she introduced them to some program volunteers and participants. The conversation provided a unique opportunity to share thoughts and ideas about our respective ski and snowboard programs.

As a result of combined outreach efforts, approximately two dozen members of Santa Fe's adaptive sports community, along with several other festival participants, attended Sunday's screening.

"From our first introductions, I sensed that 'We Are Athletes' would resonate deeply with the ASPNM community," Antsis said. "But what I didn't expect was how profound an impact the film would have on the audience members who had not come for our film, but had come to see the other short film playing with ours, 'Echoes from the Santa Fe Trail.' These viewers arrived at the festival with no expectation of connecting with our film and our mission, and yet they left feeling intensely moved by the story of two passionate athletes who came into their own through the power of adaptive sports and community. Unsurprisingly, the film brought several audience members to tears, and between the feedback we received at the Q&A and the conversations we had after the film, we heard nothing but rave reviews. People praised Farryl and Matt's courage and determination, applauded the storytelling and film production quality, and shared how impressed they were by our organization's mission and program."

"It was a genuine pleasure spending time with Camille, the ASPNM volunteers, board members, and participants," Kleiman said. "Each member of the Santa Fe adaptive community shares our deep commitment to empowering lives through adaptive sports. Though we were meeting for the first time, it was remarkable how much we have in common. It's always illuminating to learn from others who share our mission, to exchange insights on successes and challenges, and to explore new ways to enhance our programs. We are privileged to showcase our program and connect on an even deeper level with other adaptive sports programs through 'We Are Athletes.'"