Threading the Needle: Film, Ethics, and Impact at Sundance 2025

january 26, 2025

This year marked a milestone for Breaking Through The Lens: our very first time at the Sundance Film Festival. Partnering with Simbelle Productions, we hosted an intimate and thought-provoking panel exploring one of the most vital questions in filmmaking today: how to tell bold, sensitive stories with both artistic integrity and social impact.

Moderated by BTTL Board Member and 2022 Indie Spirit Award-winner Liz Cardenas, the conversation featured Lauren Melinda (founder of Simbelle Productions), Nadia Fall (director of BRIDES), Ebada Hassan (actress, BRIDES), and Jennifer Tiexiera (director of SPEAK and co-founder of Lady and Bird Films). Together, they shared hard-won insights on balancing creativity with responsibility — from script development and fundraising, to navigating on-set challenges and designing meaningful distribution strategies.

For BTTL, this event was especially poignant. Our inaugural Action Grant recipient, Nadia Fall, premiered her feature BRIDES in the World Cinema Dramatic Competition — a powerful validation of our mission to support underrepresented voices. In a true full-circle moment, BTTL Founder Daphne Schmon also announced the 2025 Action Grant winner live at Sundance, ensuring the cycle of support and opportunity continues.

The panel was further enriched by contributions from Helena Sardinha (Driven Equation, Simbelle Productions) and Caren Spruch (Planned Parenthood Federation of America), underscoring the collaborative spirit needed to create real change in the industry.

Watch the full panel on Youtube: Threading the Needle: Film, Ethics, and Impact – Sundance 2025