When Nate (Noam Ash) is forced to leave his fabulous city life behind and move in with his grandparents after a bad breakup with his boyfriend, he is determined to escape the confines of retirement community life and his meddlesome grandparents’ relentless attempts to ‘improve’ him. But when his Holocaust-surviving grandfather, Saul (F. Murray Abraham), shows signs of cognitive decline and his grandmother, Miriam (Caroline Aaron), refuses to acknowledge her husband’s early dementia, Nate finds himself torn between his desire to flee, family responsibilities, and an unexpected romance with his grandparents’ handsome doctor (Charlie Barnett).
DIRECTOR MIKE DOYLE
WRITER NOAM ASH
PRODUCERS ALON SHTRUZMAN, SCOTT EINBINDER, NOAM ASH, HENRY RUSSELL BERGSTEIN, WARREN OSTERGARD
EXECUTIVE PRODUCERS SCOTT KRIEGER, CHAD E. BROWN, GIL GOLDSCHEIN, NOAH EISENBERG, NICOLE EISENBERG, STANFORD BROWN, NICK FRANCESCON, DEBORAH SHMUELI, ODED SHMUELI, C. GRAHAM BERWIND III, ELENI GIANULIS-VERMEER, REBECCA GOLD, SHIRA MILIKOWSKY, S. ASHER GELMAN, STEFANO MILICI, F. MURRAY ABRAHAM, CAROLINE AARON, MIKE DOYLE, CHARLIE BARNETT
ORIGINAL MUSIC BY DABNEY MORRIS
CAST F. MURRAY ABRAHAM, CAROLINE AARON, NOAM ASH, CHARLIE BARNETT
W/ short film
OUR FOUND FAMILY
2025 | USA | 7 MIN
rchive of Our Own (AO3) is a fan-created, fan-run digital archive that holds millions of transformative works, ranging from epic fanfiction to original fan art. But what does it truly mean to read fanfiction? What does it mean to be a fan? And who the heck is Ebony Darkness Dementia Raven Way?!
Our Found Family dives into the heart of fan culture to explore the vital role transformative art plays in building identity, connection, and digital sanctuaries. More than just a hobby, fanfiction provides a thriving space for queer creators and fans to express themselves freely. This short documentary celebrates the passion, creativity, and deep sense of community that turns an online archive into a true found family.
Director Biography
Stephanie Benson is a filmmaker currently pursuing a BFA in Documentary Filmmaking at the University of Central Florida. She strives to create films that spark creativity, inspire others, and foster a strong sense of community.
Stephanie has worked on a diverse range of narrative and documentary projects, including the Coca-Cola Screening Lovecommercial, the Denial is a River dance cover music video, and the short film Misfortune (2025). She brings deep empathy and creativity to every project, whether editing B-roll or crafting motion graphics. When not on set, Stephanie can usually be found curled up with a comically large book or exploring the wild Florida ecosystem.
Director Statement
"From the moment I started planning Our Found Family, my main goal was to create a safe space for fanfiction fans while sharing the joy of this medium with those who have never encountered it.
Our Found Family shines a light on a community that flourishes in passion, expression, and radical creativity. Fanfiction is so much more than a hobby—it validates, empowers, and connects queer creators and marginalized voices every day. As my directorial debut, navigating the worlds of graphics and documentary editing proved to me that there is nothing I’d rather do than bring meaningful human stories to light."