A year ago, we had no idea where this film would lead.

Been Here Stay Here began as a small observational documentary about Tangier Island, a tiny fishing community in Virginia's Chesapeake Bay. We hoped it would find an audience, but the response has exceeded anything we imagined.

Since premiering at IDFA in Amsterdam, the film has screened at festivals including Docaviv, Martha's Vineyard Film Festival, AFS Doc Days, the Environmental Film Festival at Yale, DC Environmental Film Festival, Annapolis, Princeton and many others. Along the way, The New York Times called it "a lyrical, empathetic, elegiac portrait of Tangier Island."

What has been most surprising, though, is what has happened outside the festival world.

Through a grassroots theatrical release, we've sold more than 7,500 tickets across the Chesapeake Bay region, New York and Los Angeles. We've packed theaters in small coastal towns and major cities alike. The conversations after these screenings have been thoughtful, emotional and often unexpected. Again and again, people have told us they see themselves in this story, even if they've never set foot on Tangier Island.

That's why we feel like we're just getting started.

We have an opportunity to bring the film to a much larger audience through community screenings, educational programs, faith-based partnerships, special online events and eventually a broader digital release. We're already building relationships with organizations, educators, community leaders and advocates who can help share the film with people across the country.

The reality is that independent distribution doesn't end when a film is finished. In many ways, that's when the real work begins.

Your support will help us:

- Launch a nationwide community screening campaign

- Create educational and discussion materials

- Expand partnerships with schools, universities, churches and nonprofits

- Support a limited online release event

- Bring the film to major digital platforms

- Continue outreach, marketing and audience engagement efforts

We've seen firsthand how this film sparks meaningful conversations across political, geographic and cultural divides. With your help, we can continue building on that momentum and bring the film to many more people.

If Been Here Stay Here has meant something to you, we'd be grateful for your support.

Thank you for helping us keep this story alive.

YOUR DONATIONS ARE TAX-DEDUCTIBLE

All donations will go through our fiscal sponsor, Maysles Documentary Center, a 501c3 non-profit (EIN 20-2545574). A tax deduction letter will be automatically mailed for any donations over $250. If you'd like to mail a check, please make it out to "Maysles Documentary Center", add "Been Here Stay Here" in the memo and send to 343 Lenox Ave, New York, NY 10027. And if you would like to make a donation directly from an IRA, please instruct your IRA Institution to include a memo: for  "Been Here, Stay Here".

They’re an incredible organization dedicated to fostering community and creativity through documentary film—something so beautifully aligned with the heart of this project. 5% of the proceeds will go toward supporting their work and covering the administrative costs of managing this process. The rest will go directly to supporting Been Here Stay Here—helping us bring the film to life and out into the world, where it can spark the conversations it’s meant to inspire. 

To learn more about the Maysles Documentary Center's mission, programs, and successes, visit maysles.org.