This past February the Door County Short Film Festival gave awards to Ryan Dugger for his short film "The 500 Project" and Andy Heck for his documentary "Junkin’." 

Heck shares that his documentary is personal to him and his family, but he is willing to share their story because he wanted to inspire others. "Junkin’" follows Heck’s father as he struggles with a hoarding disorder and mental health issues in his journey to heal. Heck explains that anyone who is passionate about creating can do it and that the only thing you can do is to keep trying.

Dugger shares that his short film was supposed to be a ten-minute promotional video for the Washington Island Ultra. When he and his friend ran into Hedi Videto, Dugger knew he had to share her story. "The 500 Project" focuses on the loss of Videto’s friend and how that pushed her to bike 500 miles in one stretch. Dugger is inspired to create by his ability to be a part of something bigger than just himself.

The Door County Short Film Festival hosted 30 films this past year, for information on future events go to their website at dcsff.eventive.org.