"On Sanibel: The Hurricane Diaries" to Premiere at Fort Myers Film Festival

Documentary "On Sanibel: The Hurricane Diaries" to Premiere at Fort Myers Film Festival

Film Showcases the Unbreakable Spirit of Sanibel’s Residents, Small Business Owners and Community Leaders After Hurricane Ian

Fort Myers, FL – On Sanibel: The Hurricane Diaries, a powerful new documentary that captures the resilience of Sanibel Island in the aftermath of Hurricane Ian, will premiere on Thursday, May 15, 2025, at 3:00 PM at the Sidney & Berne Davis Art Center as part of the Fort Myers Film Festival.

Directed and produced by longtime Sanibel resident Laura DeBruce, the film features dramatic, first-hand footage from islanders who stayed during the storm, which severed the Sanibel Causeway and left the island devastated.

“This film is not only about Hurricane Ian,” said DeBruce. “It’s about the strength, ingenuity, and love that emerged after the storm. Sanibel’s people rebuilt more than just buildings—they rebuilt hope.”

Through intimate interviews and never-before-seen footage, On Sanibel: The Hurricane Diaries tells the stories of Sanibel residents, small business owners and community leaders who rose to the challenge:

Holly Smith, Sanibel’s mayor during Hurricane Ian, played a critical role in guiding the island through the aftermath of the storm. “There was a sense of awe that the unimaginable had happened to us, but my immediate focus shifted to: how can we best respond?”

DeBruce began documenting recovery efforts just days after the storm, arriving by boat and bicycle alongside her husband Jeff Blackman. Despite breaking her wrist on the first day back in an incident involving an alligator sighting, she began filming what she witnessed. She recruited her friend Diana Taylor to help her film and later teamed up with Chad Hatcher, an award-winning videographer and Sanibel native, to bring the footage to life.

During the editing process, DeBruce spent months reviewing footage of the storm. “It was hard seeing this beautiful island destroyed again and again,” she said. “But in almost every shot there was someone who had lost everything who was still so compassionate and strong that I knew that was the heart of this story.”

The original score was composed by Kat Epple, an Emmy and Peabody Award-winning composer and flutist known for her evocative and emotional compositions.

“My goal was to craft music that connects not only to the visuals but to the heart and soul of the story,” Epple said. “The score mirrors the film’s themes of paradise, peril, courage, loss, and unity.”

On Sanibel: The Hurricane Diaries is a deeply moving tribute to a community that refused to be defeated—told by those who lived it.

About the Filmmaker

Laura DeBruce is an attorney, entrepreneur, and independent documentary filmmaker. She is the founder of Starfish Lane Productions, a Sanibel-based company focused on stories of community resilience and environmental change. A Sanibel resident since 2015, DeBruce serves on the Sanibel City Council and the board of Island Water Association. She has previously served on the boards of Community Housing and Resources. Zonta, and the Sanibel-Captiva Conservation Foundation, as well as the Sanibel Planning Commission.

In 2018, she and her husband co-founded Sanibel Carts, a street-legal golf cart rental business. She also practices law through DeBruce Blackman, PLLC.

Laura’s previous documentary work includes Speed Skate, Pink State Politics: A New Virginia, and The Pantheon de la Guerre. She earned a B.S. in Communications from the University of Florida and a J.D. from Boston University School of Law. She lived in Europe for several years, where she taught university courses, worked for Baker & McKenzie, and later served as Director of Legal Affairs for CME Media Enterprises, launching TV networks across post-Communist Europe. She also co-founded GrandView Castle Entertainment, which distributes films throughout Eastern Europe and Russia.