Welcome to A Break For Impact, a transformative initiative launched in 2020 by Dr. Irene Pons of the University of Central Florida’s Legal Studies Department in partnership with the UCF Center for Distributed Learning. Originating as an “alternative spring break” for students, it evolved into a powerful movement after the inaugural journey to the Texas-Mexico border exposed the harsh reality faced by Central American asylum seekers. The resulting award-winning documentary series, “A Break for Impact,” was born from this experience.
In 2022, “A Break for Impact” was transformed into a 501(c)3 non-profit and expanded beyond a spring break alternative. Dr. Pons and the ABFI team remain focused on connecting students with NGOs, advocating for policy changes, and spotlighting critical issues through documentary cinema. The organization emphasizes the urgent need for change and aims to be a self-sustaining platform empowering individuals and organizations to influence pro-immigrant policy changes.
Nestled in the dense suburbs of Tijuana, Mexico, lies a shelter where guests live in a state of fear and uncertainty. Aided by the generosity of their caretaker and a team of counselors, these families prepare for one of the most important days of their lives. This is a story about courage, hope, faith, and the importance of having compassion for those in need.
UPCOMING SCREENINGS
Winner – 2023 Suncoast Regional Emmy Award – Public Affairs Program (Single Program)
Nominee – 2023 Suncoast Regional Emmy Award – Director (Long Form Content)
In the Spring of 2020, a legal studies professor and a group of students from Florida journey to the US-Mexico border during an “alternative spring break” experience and embed themselves within organizations fighting the growing humanitarian crisis. They discover a series of harrowing facts about the treatment and fate of Central American asylum seekers.
PREVIOUS SCREENINGS
Austin Revolution Film Festival (Texas, USA – Feb. 2023)
San Angelo Revolution Film Festival (Texas, USA – Oct. 2022)
Festival de Cine Latino Americano Norte (Texas, USA – Sep. 2022)
Changing Landscapes of Immigration Detention (A Coruña, Spain – Sep. 2022)
CineFestival San Antonio (Texas, USA – Jul. 2022)
Alexandria Film Festival (Virginia, USA – Nov. 2021)
Fort Lauderdale International Film Festival (Florida, USA – Nov. 2021)
North Dakota Human Rights Film Festival (North Dakota, USA – Nov. 2021)
Nova Southeastern University College of Law (Florida, USA – Sep. 2021)
Global Peace Film Festival (Florida, USA – Sep. 2021)
Phoenix Film Festival (Arizona, USA – Aug. 2021)
Gasparilla International Film Festival (Florida, USA – Jun. 2021)
Orlando International Film Festival (Florida, USA – May. 2021)
South Texas Underground Film Festival (Texas, USA – Feb. 2021)
Love Your Shorts Film Festival (Florida, USA – Feb. 2021)
Witness at the Border + Angry Tías + Team Brownsville (TX/FL – Jan. 2021)
Charlotte County Democratic Hispanic Caucus (Florida, USA – Jan. 2021)
Central Florida Film Festival (Florida, USA – Jan. 2021)
Orlando Urban Film Festival (Florida, USA – Nov. 2020)
Orlando Film Festival (Florida, USA – Oct. 2020)
AWARDS & HONORS
Winner – Best Documentary Editing – 2023 Austin Revolution Film Festival
Nominee – Best Documentary Director – 2023 Austin Revolution Film Festival
Nominee – Best Documentary Feature – 2023 Austin Revolution Film Festival
Nominee – Best Feature Film – 2022 San Angelo Revolution Film Festival
Winner – Grand Jury Award for Best Florida Short – 2021 Orlando International Film Festival
Winner – Audience Award for Best Florida Flavor Film – 2021 Love Your Shorts Film Festival
Nominee – 2021 Suncoast Regional Emmy Award for Public Affairs Program – Episode: The Long Wait
Nominee – 2021 Suncoast Regional Emmy Award – Director (Long Form Content) – Episode: The Long Wait
Finalist – Best Documentary Feature – 2021 Central Florida Film Festival
Honorable Mention for Best Documentary – 2021 Orlando Urban Film Festival
Winner – Social Awareness Award – 2020 Orlando Film Festival
Winner – 2020 Suncoast Regional Emmy Award for Public Affairs Program – Episode: Eyes of the Night
Nominee – 2020 Suncoast Regional Emmy Award – Director (Non-Live/Post-Produced) – Episode: Cameras Not Allowed
Nominee – 2020 Suncoast Regional Emmy Award – Director (Non-Live/Post-Produced) – Episode: The Bridge of Hope
Project Lead & Series Producer
Dr. Irene Pons is a legal studies faculty member and Luminary Award winner at the University of Central Florida. She is an American Bar Foundation Fellow and has been practicing immigration law for nearly two decades. In 2020, she partnered with the production team at the UCF Center for Distributed Learning to create A Break for Impact, an EMMY®-winning docuseries chronicling student volunteers providing crucial humanitarian and legal aid to migrants at the Texas-Mexico border. Irene’s follow-up documentary series, Crosses in the Dust, shot along the Arizona-Mexico border, and short film What We Came From, produced in Tijuana, Mexico, earned her two regional EMMY® Awards in 2023.
Series Lead Producer & Editor
Born in the United States and raised on the Caribbean island of Aruba, Aaron Hosé is a producer-director-editor with over 25 years in the film, television and video industry. He earned his Bachelor of Arts in Liberal Studies and Master of Fine Arts in Film from the University of Central Florida. His films have been featured at hundreds of festivals worldwide, including Academy Award- and BAFTA-qualifying events, and have been distributed on platforms such as Netflix, Hulu, Amazon, Vudu and Tubi. Aaron has been recognized extensively for his work. To date, he has earned nineteen regional EMMY® nominations resulting in nine EMMY® Awards, including wins for producing, directing, and editing.
Series Producer & Director
Award-winning producer/director Christine Kane has spent the last decade working in the professional film and video industry with a focus on immigration-themed projects. Her debut docuseries A Break for Impact, which follows the humanitarian crisis along the Texas-Mexico border, won her a 2020 regional EMMY® Award. Since then she has earned three more EMMY® Awards; including for her follow-up series, Crosses in the Dust, which was filmed in the Sonoran Desert along the Arizona-Mexico border, and for the documentary short What We Came From, produced in Tijuana, Mexico.
Series Producer & Director of Photography
Tim Reid is an award-winning video producer with 20 years of industry experience as a director, cinematographer, editor, and digital animator. He brings these technical and aesthetic abilities into his work as a mixed-media artist. Tim earned his Studio Art & Design MFA in 2021 from the University of Central Florida, where he had previously earned a Film BFA in 2012. During his time in the MFA program, Tim expanded his practice beyond experimental digital filmmaking to include installations, objects, and recorded performances. His work has been featured in art galleries and film festivals across the United States and France, and has been recognized with three regional EMMY® Awards.
We’d love to hear from you! If you’re interested in scheduling a screening or learning more about volunteering with A Break For Impact, please don’t hesitate to contact us.
Email: [email protected]
© 2023-2024 A Break For Impact. All rights reserved.