Private Project

A Southern Fix

The facts are startling -- approximately 3 to 4 million companion animals are killed each year throughout the United States. That boils down to over 9,000 animals every day, 399 every hour and over six animals per minute. That’s too many.

But how do we fix it?

The filmmakers interviewed advocates like Pam Grier, Prince Lorenzo Borghese and Karen Talbot of Animal Aid USA, Scotlund Haisley of Animal Rescue Corps, leaders from Young Williams Animal Center, The Humane Society of the United States, the ASPCA, the University of Tennessee College of Veterinary Medicine and many others to hear from the frontline of this battle.

Do mandatory sterilization laws work? Can education be the key? Is it a matter of cultural mindlessness? Why does one state differ in euthanasia numbers so drastically from another?

A Southern Fix is a 5,000 mile journey to find the solution.

  • Michael Samstag
    Director
    War & Truth, Tales in Flight, We Have Not Forgotten
  • Josh Gildrie
    Writer
    Tales in Flight, Lucifer's Fall
  • Elizabeth McGovern
    Producer
  • Karen Talbot
    Producer
  • Project Type:
    Documentary
  • Runtime:
    40 minutes 7 seconds
  • Completion Date:
    February 12, 2016
  • Production Budget:
    35,000 USD
  • Country of Origin:
    United States
  • Country of Filming:
    United States
  • Language:
    English
  • Shooting Format:
    HD
  • Aspect Ratio:
    16:9
  • Film Color:
    Color
  • First-time Filmmaker:
    No
  • Student Project:
    No
Director Biography - Michael Samstag

Best known for his work directing and producing special features for the first three Harry Potter DVDs and the Van Helsing DVD, Samstags' work on Van Helsing was featured in an article by American Cinematographer Magazine and his documentary WAR & TRUTH was featured in The American Prospect.

His documentary feature film, WAR & TRUTH, won Best Documentary at the Annapolis Film Festival in November 2005 and the Director's Choice Award at the Secret City Film Festival in 2007. In 2014, Samstag teamed with fellow filmmaker Josh Gildrie to form Rescue Docs Media which then created the documentary, TALES IN FLIGHT now available on DVD and On Demand. Their latest documentary, A Southern Fix, will be available at select film festivals in 2016.

A 1989 graduate of Hampshire College, Samstag is also the founder of FILM SCORE and the Scruffy City Film and Music Festival.

Add Director Biography
Director Statement

We are so pleased to finally be sharing this film with the world! We have a large network of animal advocates, dog rescuers, and dog and cat lovers that are anxious to see the film in their city on the big screen. As a festival director myself, we are so pleased to have budgeted funds so that we can travel with the film and support all of it’s festival screenings.

Thank you so much for your consideration and best of luck with your 2016 Festival!

Michael Samstag and Josh Gildrie
Rescue Docs Media