What began as a lighthearted feature-length documentary exploring Southwest Florida’s seashell culture took a dramatic turn when Hurricane Ian struck on September 28, 2022. Herbert James (Jamie) Winterstern, a graduate of University of Southern California’s film school and a recent resident of South Florida, was directing and producing a film about the seashell culture on Sanibel Island. He chose this topic to honor his late mother. “Shelling was something she loved to do and something we could do together,” he explains.
Six weeks into filming, Hurricane Ian hit. Winterstern had already archived footage of the island and the characters who would appear in his film. Rather than shelve the project, he felt a responsibility to go back to Sanibel and share the stories of those who called the island home. Because he had already established a rapport with residents, he was granted early access to film the destruction. The story of how the small community rebuilt and reclaimed its heritage after the category 5 storm became the mission of the movie.
Sanibel premiered at the 2024 Naples International Film Festival, winning the Best Florida Film Award. Since then, Winterstern has been spending time on the west coast of the state sharing the film and story behind it with as many people as possible. “What I accomplished in Florida, I want to share with Florida,” he explains. Eventually, Winterstern hopes to have the film distributed through as many avenues as possible, so it is available to all.
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