Panel discussion with documentary filmmaker and producer Chris Hegedus, Lyme Disease expert Dr. Richard Horowitz, and film subjects Enrico & Julia Bruzzese, moderated by JBFC Curator-in-Chief Ryan Harrington

Monday, Jan. 23 2023, 7:00

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• Chris Hegedus has been directing, shooting, and editing documentaries for over forty years.  She received the prestigious Directors Guild Award for Startup.com, chronicling the first Internet boom and bust. Along with D.A. Pennebaker, she directed the 1992 Clinton campaign film, The War Room, nominated for an Academy Award®.  Other films include Elaine Stritch at Liberty (Emmy Awards), The Energy Warseries, Town Bloody Hall, Delorean, Moon Over Broadway, Depeche Mode 101, Down From the Mountain, Only the Strong Survive, Al Franken: God Spoke, Kings of Pastry and recently HBO’s Unlocking the Cage (Emmy nomination). Hegedus’ career awards include, the International Documentary Association, Doc NYC, Critics Choice, Yale University, and the Golden Eagle CINE. Chris is a member of the Executive Committee of the Academy of Motion Pictures and co-chair of the Academy Museum board.
• Dr. Richard Horowitz is a board-certified internist and the medical director of the Hudson Valley Healing Arts Center, an integrative medical center which combines both classical and complementary approaches in the treatment of Lyme disease and other tick-borne disorders. He has treated over 13,000 Lyme and tick-borne disease patients in the last 30 years, with patients coming from all over the US, Canada, and Europe to his clinic. He is one of the founding members and past president elect of ILADS, the International Lyme and Associated Diseases Society, and Dr Horowitz was previously awarded the Humanitarian of the Year award by the Turn the Corner Foundation as well as awards from Project Lyme for his treatment of Lyme Disease. He has dedicated his life to helping those stricken with this devastating illness. He is also the author of two best-selling books on Lyme disease, Why Can’t I Get Better? Solving the Mystery of Lyme and Chronic Disease (2013, St Martin’s Press, NY Times Best Seller), and How Can I Get Better? An Action Plan for Treating Resistant Lyme and Chronic Disease (2017, St Martin’s Press, National bestseller).
• Enrico Bruzzese is a father, husband, Respiratory Therapist, and a Cardiac Diagnostic Specialist from Brooklyn, NY. He is currently a caregiver for his daughter Julia, as well as a Lyme disease patient advocate. He is featured alongside his daughter and family in a feature-length documentary about Lyme disease, The Quiet Epidemic.
• Julia Bruzzese is a 19-year-old freshman college student in Brooklyn, New York. Ever since becoming severely ill with Lyme disease in 2015, Julia has been advocating for patient rights. Julia’s primary focus is helping other patients and families find the right resources on their journey to wellness. Julia is also the main subject in a feature-length documentary about Lyme Disease, The Quiet Epidemic. Julia plans to pursue studies in biology on a pre-med track.