BEACON FILM SOCIETY: WE CAN BE HEROES

Sometimes, finding your tribe requires a bit of magic. Deep in the forest, where fur-lined armor is handmde and lightsaber combat is a daily ritual, a group of teens embark on a quest of legendary proportions. For attendees of a live action role-playing (LARP) camp in upstate New York, the accepting environment gives neurodivergent, queer, and self-proclaimed “nerdy” teens the space for true self-discovery. As the campers immerse themselves in an imaginative world, they discover inner strength and emerge as heroes.
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We Can Be Heroes is a critically acclaimed 2024 documentary from Tribeca Films directed by Carina Mia Wong and Alex Simmons. The film premiered at SXSW in 2024, where it won a Special Jury Award for Bravery and Empathy.

​“We Can Be Heroes is a documentary that makes your heart swell”
D. Feinberg (Hollywood Reporter)

“In a time where we are constantly overwhelmed by news of turbulence and uncertainty, we hope the film will inspire you to look around with fresh eyes and find all that we can still be - and need to be - hopeful for.”
Carina Mia Wong (We Can Be Heroes Co-Director)

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Q&A with film cast member Judson Packard, the executive director & owner of THE WAYFINDER EXPERIENCE in Kingston NY, will follow the screening.
Judson Easton Packard graduated from Kansas State with a Bachelor’s degree in English and from Rutgers with an MFA in Creative Writing. They have been involved with the Wayfinder Experience since 2003 when they first came as a camper. They were on the Rules and Regulations board from 2013-2018. Before that they served the community by serving on the Hiring Board, and working every event they were given the opportunity to. They believe in hill trolls and LARP because the costumes bring out their eyes. In 2023 Judson became an owner as well.