A Symphony of Tiny Lights
![](https://wp.blackstarfest.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/171753558769711a3cdcf0695166412b5-1-1145x644.jpg)
Screenings
After witnessing the 1971 oil spill in San Francisco Bay, John Francis is determined to travel across America on foot — and in silence.
Directors Spotlight
![A picture of a woman named Nadia Gill, standing outdoors in a desert landscape. She is centered in the frame, looking directly at the camera with a calm and neutral expression. Nadia has dark brown hair tied back in a simple ponytail. She is wearing a sleeveless, light pink knit top and a distinctive silver necklace composed of fan-like elements hanging in a semi-circle around her neck.](https://wp.blackstarfest.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/ShortDocumentary_ASymphonyofTinyLights__nadia_gill_headshot-278x278.jpg)
Nadia Gill
Director
Nadia Gill has been creating content in the outdoor space since 2011. Formerly an attorney, she decided to pursue a career in filmmaking after meeting her directing partner Dominic Gill. Together they formed Encompass Films and produced two seasons of a travel adventure series titled “Take A Seat: Sharing a Ride Across America” which was distributed by NBCUniversal. Dozens of short films she produced have played at festivals across the US including Austin Film Festival, New Orleans Film Festival, Miami Film Festival, Banff Mountain Film Festival, Hot Springs Documentary Festival, Big Sky Film Festival, Mountainfilm In Telluride, Wild & Scenic Film Festival and more. In 2017, she completed producing her first feature documentary titled “Coming to My Senses” which premiered at the Austin Film Festival winning the Hiscox Courage Audience Award. It was acquired by The Orchard and released on Netflix in 2018.
![A black-and-white picture of a man named Dominic Gill, smiling at the camera. He has a bushy beard and a slight mustache, and he wears protective ski goggles on his forehead which reflect a mountainous landscape. He is dressed in outdoor gear, including a high-collared jacket. Behind him, the background is slightly out of focus, depicting a dramatic mountain range covered in snow and rugged, jagged peaks.](https://wp.blackstarfest.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/ShortDocumentary_ASymphonyofTinyLights__dominic_gill_headshot-e1719977464428-278x278.jpeg)
Dominic Gill
Director
Dominic Gill is a former environmental consultant who launched his career in filmmaking by riding a tandem bicycle from Alaska to Argentina while picking up strangers on the back. In 2008 he debuted his film on the subject at Banff Film Festival taking home the Special Jury Prize with a distribution deal by the UK’s ITV4. While working on his own feature directorial debut “Coming to My Senses” he also DP’d the film “Riders of Destiny,” which premiered at Thessaloniki film festival in 2019. Dominic has won numerous awards for his publishing and film work, a select few include the National Outdoor Book Award, Hiscox Courage Award Austin Film Festival, & Best Feature Documentary Mammoth Film Festival.
- Runtime 31 minutes
- Country United States
- Language English
- Director Dominic Gill & Nadia Gill
- Cast Dexter Chan, Carolyn Finney, Dr. John Francis, Dwayne Francis, Martha Francis, John Francis Sr., La Java Francis, June Holte, Lawson Inada, Cherry Johnson, Shelton Johnson, Kristin Novotny, Cindy Ohama, Joan Peterson, Bernie Palmatier, Art Rogers
- Cinematographer Dominic Gill
- Editor Niq Lewis & Dominic Gill
- Executive Producer Douglas Blush, Dr. John Francis, Melissa Sun, Nell Newman, Ben Jealous
- Producer Nadia Gill
- Production Design G.C. Johnson
- Screenwriter Nadia Gill
- Animator Remy Ndow
- Co Producer Michael Fearon
- Composer G.C. Johnson
- Premiere Philadelphia