A few years back, Argentine-born, Tampa-based filmmaker Tamara Nemirovsky wanted to create a documentary that made a positive impact on the community.
At the time, Nemirovsky’s husband was doing marketing for the Portico Café in Tampa. When he told her about the inspirational work that nonprofit does with people transitioning from homelessness, addiction, and incarceration, the idea was born for Nemirovsky’s multi-award-winning documentary “Second Chances.” In the documentary, Nemirovsky, an affiliate faculty member at the University of South Florida Judy Genshaft Honors College, follows four people recovering from addiction while struggling through the COVID-19 pandemic.
“Nobody wants to hire them when they go out looking for a job,” she says. “The nonprofit The Portico gives them a second chance. They hire them, teach them skills, and give them support so they can move on to another job. They help them become part of society again.”
Nemirovsky uses her art to tackle social justice. She challenges the status quo, encouraging viewers to think critically and reflect on their own perspectives. The stories in her work act as a mirror, showing the diversity of our shared experiences and emphasizing the need for empathy and understanding.
Making “Second Chances” was a massive challenge. Amid the pandemic, Nemirovsky balanced homeschooling her kids, teaching at USF, and working on a project she thought would take six months. The schedule was grueling, and there were times she wanted to quit. However, the participants' trust and her sense of responsibility to share their stories kept her moving forward.
"The people in the film want to give hope to people in the same situation that they were," she explains. "They wanted to be there because they felt the need to help others."
Since debuting at the 2023 Gasparilla International Film Festival, the documentary has been officially selected for numerous national and international film festivals.
- Award of Excellence, Documentary Feature, California Impact DOCS Awards 2024
- Best Health and COVID-19 Film, Berlin Indies Film Festival 2024
- Best Documentary Made During Quarantine, Best Feature Female Director, Nominee for Best Documentary Screenplay, South Film and Art Academy Festival 2024, Chile
- Best COVID-19 Film, Golden Lion International Film Festival, Kolkata, India
- Best North American Documentary, Alternative Film Festival, Toronto, Canada
- Nominee, Most Inspirational Documentary, International Christian Film & Music Festival, Orlando, USA
- Best Documentary, Tampa Bay Underground Film Festival 2023
- Semi-finalist at the Documentary Film sessions in the Blow-Up Art Film Festival Chicago 2023
There is a screening of “Second Chances”
and a conversation with Nemirovsky at 5 p.m. Thursday, January 30th at the Hillsborough Community College Dale Mabry campus Student Services building DSTU 108. The free event is organized by the Mid-Florida Chapter of the Fulbright Association and includes HCC graduate Mindi Vaughan as a special guest.
For more information, go to Second Chances screening.
For more information on the film, go to Second Chances.
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