On December 18, 2024, Danny and I received an email from Amy Fortunato, a writer at Klick Health. The subject line read: “Animating Your Beautiful Story.”
Amy explained that Klick was working on a project about adoption that would reinforce the message that every family is valid and worthy. They hoped to use our family story as the basis for their next animated short film which would also benefit a nonprofit organization in the foster care and adoption space. She included links to some of Klick’s previous animated projects.
Over the years, Danny and I have received many inquiries about adapting our family’s story into a film, television series, sitcom, and even a musical—but never an animated short. After watching Klick’s previous work, we replied immediately. The next day, we were on a Zoom call with the creative team.
It didn’t take long for us to trust them with our story. In fact, I think we may have said, “Let’s do it,” during that very first meeting.
The only thing left was choosing a nonprofit partner. My suggestion was immediate: Second Nurture, where Danny serves as Board President. Founded by Rabbi Susan Silverman, Second Nurture supports foster, foster-adopt, kinship, and guardianship families by creating caring communities and providing practical support. It was an easy choice. I knew the organization could benefit from the visibility—and hopefully the donations—the film might generate.
Klick reached out to Susan and, as they say, the rest is history.
The creators moved incredibly fast. About once a month, we met to see their progress, and every meeting filled us with wonder. Amy’s script was deeply moving. Tears. The artists’ sketches were beautiful. More tears. Then came the finished film, which was beyond anything we could have imagined. Happy tears. Lots of them.
In just five months—from a single email to a completed film—the team created a work of art that is both moving and meaningful. So it comes as no surprise that the film and its creators are now being recognized with accolades and awards.
Before sharing some of those honors below, I’d like to acknowledge and thank the extraordinary people who brought this project to life (and I hope I haven’t missed anyone).
Everyone at:
Jamute
Picma
PSYCHO N’ LOOK
And these folks made it all possible:
Rich Levy
Bernardo Romero
Amy Fortunato
Andrea Lillis
Anna Lopez
Sheryl Steinberg
Marisa McWilliams
Erin O’Sullivan
Laura Denham
Jen Martin
Tamika Knight
Samantha Lyver-Phillips
Serena Stanley
Kristen Dill
Carl Turner
Jamie Lutzky
Brian Umali
Dan Van Brunt
Camilo Bravo
Paulo Garcia
Stephanie Wang
Dante
Cat Rao
James Feeler
Glenn Zujew
Susan Silverman
Here’s a sample of accolades 18 MONTHS has received (with more to come):
Watch the enitire film here:
18monthsfilm.com
Support the cause:
2nurture.org
