“Midnight Family” Documentary Screening Scheduled

(Courtesy LIFF)
(Courtesy LIFF)

SURF CITY – The documentary “Midnight Family” will play 8:30 p.m. Aug. 6 at the Surf City firehouse and EMS station, 713 Long Beach Blvd.

The documentary is presented by The Lighthouse International Film Festival and the Surf City Volunteer Fire Company.

Admission is free for all first responders and LIFF members. General admission is $5 per person.

The documentary may not be suitable for young children. The film is in Spanish with subtitles.

This special screening includes a gourmet hot dog bar and beer and wine for purchase, from 6:30-8L30 p.m.

All proceeds will benefit the Surf City Volunteer Fire Company and the Lighthouse International Film Festival.

“Midnight Family,” directed by Luke Lorentzen and co-produced with Kellen Quinn, won Special Jury Documentary Awards for Cinematography at 2019 Sundance Film Festival.

The documentary tells the story of the frenetic life of emergency service workers in Mexico City.

“In the midst of high-speed ambulance rides, we meet the Ochoas, a family of private paramedics, who try desperately every day to be the first responders to critically injured patients,” Jill Voshell, Lighthouse International Film Festival Marketing Director, said. “In a city where there are less than 50 licensed municipal ambulances for a population of more than nine million, the family acts as a crucial, but unregistered, underground lifeline in an occupation riddled with police bribes and cutthroat competition. The family has a reputation for being dependable and trustworthy but becomes faced with a sudden escalation in the demanded bribes. This could force them into ethically questionable practices to keep their dire financial situation from compromising the patients in their care.”

For more information, visit lighthousefilmfestival.org.