‘Go On, Be Brave’ Documentary Profiling Andrea Lytle Peet To Premiere At Santa Barbara International Film Festival

January 27, 2023

Film focused on Peet’s record-breaking finish of 50 marathons in 50 states to debut, compete at SBIFF

SANTA BARBARA /ENDURANCE SPORTSWIRE/ – The Santa Barbara International Film Festival (SBIFF) has announced its 2023 program, which will feature the world premiere of ‘Go On, Be Brave’, which tells the story of Andrea Lytle Peet’s journey to becoming the first person with ALS to finish 50 marathons in 50 states. The documentary is filmmakers Miriam McSpadden and Brian Beckman’s first festival selection. The film will debut at 2:40 p.m. on Feb. 15 at the Metro 4 Theater. An additional showing has been scheduled at the same location at 11:40 a.m. on Friday, Feb. 17. Tickets are now available for both screenings.

“When we started this project, we had no idea where it would take us. Andrea approached us and asked, ‘Do you think if I tried to become the first person with ALS to do a marathon in all 50 states it would be an interesting documentary?’ The answer was a resounding ‘yes,’ but we had no budget and were first-time filmmakers,” said McSpadden. “And so we did what any good filmmaker would do and grabbed the gear that we had and started filming.”

“We followed her across the country – at times driving and sleeping in the back of our small SUV,” said Beckman. “Because of her, we were welcomed into the community and given access to see the pain and hurt caused by the disease, but also the joy of a community united by tragedy. We saw firsthand that ALS can steal everything from your physical body, but it cannot steal your spirit.”

Peet completed her final state at the ​​Prince of Wales Island Marathon in Alaska on May 28, 2022. Peet’s journey began in 2015 at the City of Oaks Marathon in Raleigh, N.C., though most of her races were completed between 2019 and 2022. Along the way, Peet raised over $1 million for the Team Drea Foundation, an organization she co-founded that supports ALS research efforts. Due to her diagnosis and its impact on her mobility, Peet completed her marathons utilizing a recumbent trike. She rode and finished alongside other runners in all of the events, holding pace with middle-of-the-pack marathoners.

McSpadden and Beckman collected footage of Peet for nearly all of her events both in person and via GoPro cameras onboard Andrea’s person and trike. They were able to chronicle not only her races but also the deep connections and conversations she created along the way. Most funding for the film was collected following its completion and provided by supporters of Peet and the ALS cause.

The festival runs from February 8 to 18, 2023. It will showcase 52 world premieres and 78 U.S. premieres from 43 countries. SBIFF is a 501(c)(3) non-profit arts and educational organization dedicated to discovering and showcasing the best in independent and international cinema. Over the past 38 years, SBIFF has become one of the leading film festivals in the United States – attracting 100,000 attendees and offering 11 days of 200+ films, tributes, and symposiums, fulfilling their mission to engage, enrich, and inspire the Santa Barbara community through film.

To learn more about the film, sign up for screening updates and learn more about hosting one in your community, visit www.goonbebravefilm.com. Interact with and discover more about the film on Facebook and Instagram.

To learn more about the Team Drea Foundation, visit their website. Follow Peet’s journey on Instagram, Facebook and Twitter.

About The Team Drea Foundation

The Team Drea Foundation is a 501(c)(3) that supports bold, innovative research to find a cure or effective treatment for ALS. We see raising awareness about this devastating disease as an opportunity to inspire people to live bravely, love joyfully, and appreciate the gift of life. Founded in October 2016 by Andrea Lytle Peet and her husband David Peet, the foundation primarily supports two organizations that are passionately dedicated to research: ALS Therapy Development Institute and Duke University. For more information or to donate, visit www.teamdrea.org.

About Fly Squirrel Films

Fly Squirrel Films, LLC is an award-winning production company founded by married couple Miriam McSpadden and Brian Beckman. As filmmakers, they strive to envision what is possible, to be daring enough to soar into the unknown, and above all to remain grounded in finding the heart of a story. Fly Squirrel Films creates authentic storytelling through intimate, yet accessible, moments. Go On, Be Brave is their first feature-length documentary, and epitomizes who McSpadden and Beckman are as filmmakers. They seek to tell underrepresented stories in a way that is empowering to the community throughout all phases of production. To learn more about Fly Squirrel Films, LLC, visit www.flysquirrelfilms.com.