Sanibel Hurricane Ian Documentary 

On Sanibel: The Hurricane Diaries, a new documentary that captures the resilience of Sanibel Island in the aftermath of Hurricane Ian, will premiere on Thursday, May 15th at 3PM at the Sidney & Berne Davis Art Center (2301 First St in Fort Myers) as part of the Fort Myers Film Festival.

Watch the trailer HERE.

Directed and produced by longtime Sanibel resident Laura DeBruce, the film features dramatic, first-hand footage from islanders who stayed during the storm, which severed the Sanibel Causeway and left the island devastated.

“This film is not only about Hurricane Ian,” said DeBruce. “It’s about the strength, ingenuity, and love that emerged after the storm. Sanibel’s people rebuilt more than just buildings—they rebuilt hope.”

Through interviews and never-before-seen footage, On Sanibel: The Hurricane Diaries tells the stories of Sanibel residents, small business owners and community leaders who rose to the challenge:

Holly Smith, Sanibel’s mayor during Hurricane Ian, played a critical role in guiding the island through the aftermath of the storm. “There was a sense of awe that the unimaginable had happened to us, but my immediate focus shifted to: how can we best respond?”

DeBruce began documenting recovery efforts just days after the storm, arriving by boat and bicycle with her husband Jeff Blackman. Despite breaking her wrist on the first day back in an incident involving an alligator sighting, she began filming what she witnessed. She recruited her friend Diana Taylor to help her film and later teamed up with Chad Hatcher, an award-winning videographer and Sanibel native, to bring the footage to life.

During the editing process, DeBruce spent months reviewing footage of the storm. “It was hard seeing this beautiful island destroyed again and again,” she said. “But in almost every shot there was someone who had lost everything who was still so compassionate and strong that I knew that was the heart of this story.”

The original score was composed by Kat Epple, an Emmy and Peabody Award-winning composer and flutist known for her evocative and emotional compositions.

“My goal was to craft music that connects not only to the visuals but to the heart and soul of the story,” Epple said. “The score mirrors the film’s themes of paradise, peril, courage, loss, and unity.”