Two UCF documentaries continue their remarkable festival success, with recent red-carpet appearances.
By: Rick Brunson | Published December 8, 2025
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Two documentaries collaboratively produced by the Nicholson School of Communication and Media (NSCM), Department of Legal Studies and Center for Distributed Learning have wrapped the year by being showcased at more than 50 film festivals around the world.
“Beneath the Same Sky’’ and “A City That Cares’’ are two short films that document the immigrant experience as viewed by federal agents, activists and migrants themselves. ‘Sky’ premiered in November 2024 at the DOC NYC Film Festival in New York, and ‘City’ at the 2025 Arizona International Film Festival in Tucson, Arizona. Last December, both films won five Suncoast Regional Emmy Awards.
Since then, the films have been official selections at over 50 international film festivals across the U.S., Canada, Europe, Central and South America, Asia, and the Caribbean.
Five of those events were Oscar-qualifying festivals, including a world premiere at DOC NYC, the largest documentary forum in the U.S. The films have won five awards and received eight additional nominations.
They have also resulted in educational partnerships with select festivals to stream the films for thousands of middle and high schoolers in northeast Ohio and Central Florida.
Rick Brunson, senior instructor in Nicholson’s Film & Mass Media program and field producer on both films, recently represented the production team at the Cordillera International Film Festival in Reno, Nevada, in September, and the Oklahoma City Latin American Film Festival in November.
“Our team, Aaron Hosé, Christine Kane, Tim Reid and Dr. Irene Pons, has been busily coursing the country, from Fort Myers here in Florida, to St. Louis, Missouri, showcasing these films,’’ Brunson says. “It’s a testimony to how these documentaries resonate with audiences and filmmakers.’’
Brunson says during Q&A sessions with audiences at festivals, viewers often remark how the films spotlight and explore the dignity, humanity and experiences of all the people involved in such an ancient yet timely issue of migration.
“It’s like the old Bob Dylan song, ‘Dignity,’ which reflects on contrasting experiences in border towns,” he says. “In producing the films, we wanted to make sure we presented the perspectives of all people involved in these situations.’’
Besides reporting, he says being a field producer is his favorite role in journalism and film because it puts you in the center of the action and human drama as it unfolds.
“A field producer locates and lines up scenes and sources, conducts interviews and coordinates the story with the director, cinematographer and other producers,’’ Brunson says. “It’s the most exhilarating role in the production process, in my view. You have to show up. And showing up is how you get and tell a powerful story – not sitting in your office or at a coffee shop.’’
Hosé, who is media production manager and lead producer at the UCF’s Center for Distributed Learning and producer and editor of both films, says their success has been exciting and humbling.
“It aligns perfectly with UCF’s mission of community engagement, research dissemination, and creative excellence through the arts,’’ says Hosé, also a Nicholson School Film MFA graduate. “Winning the Emmys was an incredible achievement but having repeated opportunities to represent the university at high-profile events, where we and our peers are vying for Academy Award eligibility, that’s a whole different ballgame!’’
However, it’s not just awards or high-profile film festivals that inspire Hosé.
“I’m also very proud of the time we spent sharing the films with Hispanic student groups and engaging in meaningful reflection and conversation. Experiences like these are what inspire my team and me to keep producing our best work,” Hosé says, adding that new festival and community screenings are already planned for spring 2026.