Join us for the Miami theatrical premiere of Sanibel on the third anniversary of Hurricane Ian’s landfall. The screening will be followed by a Q&A with director Jamie Winterstern.
This award-winning documentary started as an exploration of the people and businesses central to seashell culture in Southwest Florida. Six weeks into production, Hurricane Ian, one of the largest hurricanes in US history, all but wiped Sanibel Island off the map.
As the waters receded, the crew returned to find a transformed landscape and a compelling narrative. What was once a lighthearted film now posed a deeper question: would the community's love for shells and the coastline endure the overwhelming burden of grief, or would it find a way to heal and rebuild?
Directed by Jamie Winterstern (Supercell), Sanibel premiered at the Naples International Film Festival in October 2024, where it won Best Florida Film.
About the director
Jamie Winterstern’s feature directorial debut, Supercell (2023), starring Alec Baldwin, Anne Heche, Daniel Diemer, and Skeet Ulrich, premiered at the 2022 Newport Beach Film Festival, where it earned the Grand Jury Prize for Cinematography. Following its theatrical run, the film debuted on Hulu in summer 2023, where it quickly became the platform’s #1 trending movie.
Winterstern’s latest project, the feature documentary Sanibel (2025), chronicles the vibrant seashell culture of Southwest Florida and the resilience of the island community in the wake of Hurricane Ian. Produced in collaboration with Oscar®-winning production company Dirty Robber, Sanibel premiered at the 2024 Naples International Film Festival, where it won the Best Florida Film Award.
A graduate of USC’s MFA program in film production, Winterstern made his television directing debut at just 28 with Siberia (2013), a primetime NBC drama series. He is also the co-owner of SwipeMarket, a Los Angeles–based boutique agency whose clients range from Fortune 500 companies to high-growth startups. Its high-impact campaigns have fueled major brand launches and acquisitions.