Run Away Amy is a feature-length documentary directed by Erika Navarro that follows an extraordinary woman named Amy Bright and her family over the course of two decades as she takes her sexual assault case through the justice system and years later, finds healing when she becomes a marathon runner.
This powerful story of courage and resilience is told from the unique vantage point of Amy and her family as they document their own journey of grieving and rebuilding. Through candid footage, video diaries, and deeply personal interviews, the Bright family paints a profound and compelling portrait of the human impact that true crime is rarely able to capture.
Why Support
When we set out to tell this story in 2009, part of the impact we hoped to make was to show audiences that 1 in 6 women in America is the victim of an attempted or completed rape in her lifetime.
Part of what is extraordinary about Amy’s story is that not only did she survive, but she lived to fight for justice in court at great personal cost. Even in a case as seemingly clear-cut as Amy’s, with DNA evidence and her painstaking testimony, she struggled to be believed. We initially intended to focus on this angle: the flawed justice system, the traumatic nature of a trial, the prevalence of rape culture. This is not the story that emerged.
Instead, we discovered that the narrative that needed to be told was the incredible journey that Amy has undergone as she went from being a victim, to being a survivor, to thriving as her true self: Amy. Not a statistic, not a sob story, but a daughter, a sister, a partner, a person. Amy’s story of finding healing, even when it once seemed so far out of reach, tells us, “You may not be okay right now, but you will be one day.”
Now more than ever, we are called upon to give voice to those who don’t have one – whether they are still finding their voices, are hoarse from a lifetime of falling upon deaf ears, or have been actively silenced by systemic injustice and unchecked political power. Please join us as we seek to tell Amy’s journey in her own words and on her own terms, and in doing so, bring peace to Amy, her family, and all those with whom her story resonates.
Director’s Statement
When I met Amy Bright in 2009, I was a recent film school graduate who had suffered a sexual assault that torpedoed the last few months of my MFA program. Like Amy, I was a survivor who was determined not to let this event take anything more from me. Even as I write this, I think, “But this is not my story.…” And yet at the same time, it is the story of far too many women like us. At that time, our story was about convincing the world what was happening to us. After the #metoo movement, it seemed like the world believed us that it was happening… but refused to do much about it. Which in a way, was even worse.
As the years have gone by, this story has become about so much more than what happens to us… but how we refuse to let it bury us. Our story is about the extraordinary feats of endurance that Amy accomplishes – from taking on the justice system to running marathons to healing mentally and emotionally from an unimaginable violent assault. Amy survived, and so did I… and we’re here to tell the tale so that others like us may see that they’re not alone, that they will be okay, and that the world has no idea what’s coming next.
Other Ways You Can Help:
If you’re not able to contribute monetarily but still want to support the film, we’d love to have your help!
Here are some ways you can get involved:
- Share the link to this campaign directly with your friends, colleagues, or organizations that you think would resonate with and be able to support our project.
- Boost our videos, posts, and campaign link on social media with your reactions, comments, and shares.
- Are you connected to a corporation or nonprofit organization who would love to sponsor the film? Reach out to us!
- Do you know of a grant that we should apply for? Tell us about it!
- Would you like to host a screening of Run Away Amy with your community once it’s complete? Whether you’re a part of a college or university, an arts center, or any other organization, we’d be happy to help make it happen.
- Are you or do you know a Festival Programmer who should see this film once it’s done? Definitely reach out to us!
- If you can think of any other support you can offer, we’d love to hear about it!
And thank you in advance for helping us tell our story.
Team
ERIKA NAVARRO - DIRECTOR
Erika Navarro is a writer, director, and producer with a passion for heartfelt storytelling that tackles challenging topics with humor and hope.
Erika is currently in pre-production on her first scripted feature MY SUNDOWN and in the finishing stages of her first documentary feature, RUN AWAY AMY. Her award-winning work has played at 60+ film festivals worldwide, with her latest short DIVINE MOTHER winning “Best Screenplay” and “Best Editing” awards.
As a WGA screenwriter, Erika has sold a children’s comedy pilot to Amazon Studios, written a feature adaptation for A&E Networks, and developed long-form projects with Universal Content Productions and Team Todd, among others.
From 2010-2015, Erika was the founder of femme-driven digital studio Comediva, where she built an audience to 3M+ monthly views and produced 300+ comedy videos featured in outlets like Good Morning America, The New York Times, The Today Show, CNN, and countless more, as well as original series for Univision and Nickelodeon.
Erika holds an MFA in Screenwriting from the USC School of Cinematic Arts and joined the Writer’s Guild of America in 2016.
KATEY BRIGHT - EXECUTIVE PRODUCER
Katey is an award-winning documentary editor and visual artist who has worked in long-form and short-form nonfiction storytelling for over two decades.
Katey edited several feature documentaries for director Alexis Krasilovsky, including PASTRIOLOGY, WOMEN BEHIND THE CAMERA and its 54-minute version entitled SHOOTING WOMEN, which won Best International Documentary at the Female Eye Film Festival and India's Chennai International Film Festival and received distribution through Women Make Movies. Katey garnered two awards for her work, the NAFDMA Insight Award, and the Accolade Award, as well as mention in DV Magazine and American Cinematographer.
Katey holds a Masters from Art Center College of Design. While at Art Center, Katey produced and edited several PSAs for the United Nations and a short documentary for female-run nonprofit MOSTe.
Today, Katey continues to serve as a speaker and passionate advocate for women, immigration rights, the LGBTQ community, and more.
MIA LIANG - PRODUCER
Mia is a writer, director and producer. Her previous experience includes working in both the writers’ room and on the set of S.W.A.T. (CBS) under Aaron Rahsaan Thomas, development with Little Monster Films, writing and directing six short films, and working on numerous independent film projects in varying roles. She has additionally worked in Italy with CamFilm and its sister company Taodue on Il Patriarca (Canale 5) and more.
As a survivor, she is immensely proud to be a part of this project, and is beyond grateful for your support.
FLORRIE SHATTOCK - CO-PRODUCER
Florrie is a writer & filmmaker specialized in queer & speculative fiction. They have worked in marketing & sales at Visit Films, digital & social media marketing at WITHIN, directed two short films, and worked on many more at Wesleyan and beyond.
MICHAEL COX - EDITOR
Michael Cox is a film and video editor who has worked on several award-winning feature and short films, as well as trailers and social content for companies such as Mattel and Ziggurat Interactive. In everything he does, Michael believes in connecting audiences through the power of images and visual storytelling.
