A DOCUMENTARY FILM
THE STORY
Doug Burris had dreams of rock n roll stardom. At the age of 23 years old his world was turned upside down when he was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis. Through the turbulent years of coming to terms with the debilitating effects of the disease he found purpose in his life through music education. He founded the first ever high school rock band and the second oldest high school sound engineering program in the country. Even though MS ravaged his body, leaving him a quadriplegic for most of his career, Mr. Burris lived life on HIS terms, realizing his dreams through the accomplishments of his students, whose lives he changed through music, and with guidance, friendship and an occasional swift kick in the ass. This film is about Doug Burris, a man who defied a debilitating, often fatal, disease and, in the process, changed the lives of thousands of high school students. From filming to music composition to monetary support, this is truly a Miami Beach community film!
FESTIVALS
In 2016 we started the journey to tell Doug's story. We created a short film that has been accepted into multiple film festivals in the United States and aired as a part of South Florida’s PBS series film-maker.
We are honored to have won the Zeno Mountain Award at the 2018 Miami Film Festival. The award celebrates the diversity of abilities and disabilities and helps to break down barriers to our understanding of people living with disabilities.
SUNDANCE INSTITUTE & KNIGHT FOUNDATION
In December 2016, Carry that Weight was selected as one of ten films to participate in the Sundance Institute Documentary Film Program Story Development Workshop. This was a two-day workshop in conjunction with the Knight Foundation and the Miami Filmmakers Collective.
THE TEAM
BRIAN J. LEITTEN - DIRECTOR
Brian J. Leitten is an Emmy award-winning television and film producer/director who has worked with MTV, Fox Sports Network, Outside Television, FUSE and Spotify. In 2010 he formed his own production company, Hyperion XIII and served as executive producer and director for the multi-award winning film The Last Wild Race, a documentary about the Patagonian Expedition Race in Chile. He spent 5 years as the Director of Production at Vevo, interviewing and filming with everyone from Daddy Yankee to Katy Perry. In 2012, Brian co-founded the Production Master Class at the University of Cincinnati and has been the director for its five documentary projects. In 2014 the University of Cincinnati honored him with the Outstanding Young Alumni Award for his work with the university.
RODOLFO TRONCOSO - PRODUCER/SOUND ENGINEER
Rodolfo is schooled in classical guitar, rumba flamenco, bossa nova and pop music. He was the lead guitar for the Miami Beach Senior High Rock Ensemble for four years. He is an accomplished guitarist, singer and composer and has over 15 years of experience performing. He is the founder and owner of Satori Sounds, an audio visual production company in Miami. Rodolfo has a BS in Audio Production from AI Miami International University.
JUDE LEITTEN-TRONCOSO - PRODUCER
Jude has worked at numerous institutions programming events and developing projects, including The White House Executive Office of the President, The Brookings Institution and the U.S. Agency for International Development. She has a B.A from the University of Virginia in French and Foreign Affairs and a Master’s of Public Administration in International Management from the Monterey Institute of International Studies.
EDUARDO BELAVAL - CINEMATOGRAPHER
Eduardo is an accomplished DP who grew up in Miami and for two years was a part of the Rock Ensemble as an Audio Technician and then the drummer. He's been a cinematographer on a variety of shows for MTV as well as being a camera operator on Fox's "Gotham".
MACKENZIE HOUSTON - ASSOCIATE PRODUCER
Mackenzie earned her degree in Communications and Electronic Media at the University of Cincinnati. Today, she fuses those two areas of expertise to craft compelling content that communicates to diverse, strategically targeted audiences. Mackenzie dove into the world of filmmaking when she was asked to lead production on the documentary Expedition Alaska, executive producing the film's creative content and overseeing the post-production staff. She strives to uncover important human stories, highlighting them by utilizing the latest digital tools and techniques as a conduit for change.