NASHVILLE – The film The Addict’s Wake just launched its national debut, airing nationwide on nearly 200 public-broadcasting stations, with WFYI in Central Indiana airing the film on Aug. 31 at 9 p.m. The documentary is slated to appear in markets across the country, from New York to Los Angeles throughout August and September 2023 to date.
The film will also air on PBS World Channel, which will reach more than 120 public-broadcasting stations across the country. The nation’s top 50 public broadcasting stations represent 68% of the 120 million households from coast to coast. The film’s nationwide debut will coincide with National Overdose Awareness Month in August and National Recovery Month in September.
“The public television stations are picking up the film because of the pervasiveness of the issue, particularly in California with all the homeless,” said Lisa Hall, film producer and president of Glory Girl Productions of Nashville, Ind. “And, in a time where stigma is still a battle, the film’s theme of hope and forgiveness is resonating with audiences.”
Hall points out that with meth, heroin, opioid addiction, and now with deadly fentanyl flooding in the United States, fatal overdoses of these drugs are up 30 percent across the nation today.
Addicts Wake Trailer 2023 from Michael Husain on Vimeo.
The documentary focuses on the people of one small town who, like those in so many communities across the nation, have felt the ripple effect of the addiction crisis in every corner of their county. It takes viewers alongside a community searching for hope and solutions on the long journey from addiction to recovery. The abridged version of the feature-length film, edited specifically for a national public television audience seeks to encourage communities to act and find a pathway to hope and recovery.
“While this film is set in the small community of Brown County, Indiana, it’s the story of almost every county – small, rural, large, urban and inner city – in the United States,” said Hall. “And this crisis hits every aspect of our society.”
The documentary shares interviews and perspectives not only from individuals and families impacted, but teachers, law enforcement, courts, neuroscience professionals, and faith-based programs.
The Addicts Wake has earned acclaim with the Audience Choice Award at the Heartland International Film Festival, in addition to winning the Sedona International Film Festival’s Independent Spirit Award. The film also has spurred grant investment to create a shorter film that can be used in classrooms to help educate students and teachers about the impact of Substance Abuse Disorder, or SUD.
