Documentary feature Life According to Sam (2013 Heartland Film Festival Award Winner) has been awarded a Creative Arts Emmy for exceptional achievement in documentary filmmaking!
Credited for the award:
- Sheila Nevins, Executive Producer
- Nancy Abraham, Senior Producer
- Sean Fine, Produced by
- Andrea Nix Fine, Produced by
About Life According to Sam: At the age of two, Sam Berns was diagnosed with progeria, a fatal progressive aging disease so rare that fewer than 250 children in the world have it. His parents, Drs. Leslie Gordon and Scott Berns, were told that there was no treatment or cure, and they should simply enjoy what limited time they had with their son. The average life expectancy for a child with progeria was 13. However, Leslie and Scott were not willing to give up so easily and set out on a journey to save Sam and all the other children with the disease. This film reveals the remarkable world of Sam Berns set against the backdrop of his parents’ relentless pursuit of a treatment and cure for progeria, including launching the first-ever clinical drug trial, while also making the most of their time together as a family.Sam is an irresistibly normal, bright and funny 13-year-old who is well-aware of his disease but has big plans for the future. His mother is dogged in her pursuit of a cure not just for her son but for other children in the world. This is the story of an incredible family who, when faced with an extraordinary challenge, respond so remarkably that their own son and all children with progeria now stand a better chance of longer lives.
