During a 10-year career as a TV news journalist, Drew Petrimoulx told stories about many different aspects of American society, from high-profile criminal trials to natural disasters to congressional politics.
Seeking to focus on long-form storytelling, Drew left the business in 2019 to start a career as a documentary filmmaker.
His first documentary short was Crocodile vs Surfer: A Story of Survival, which follows a surfer’s quest to return to the water after losing his leg when a crocodile attacked him at a beach in Costa Rica.
Drew was a producer and editor on the 2020 documentary short Uncommon Ground, a film by People’s TV, that examines the friendship of two American military veterans with opposing views of Donald Trump.
In early 2020, Drew was part of a team that was filming a docuseries about natural resource conservation around the world. Unfortunately, the project was tabled indefinitely due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
After returning to his hometown of Tampa, Florida, Drew started filming with a former high school classmate who was now creating classic chairs. The process and their conversations formed the basis for Carving a New Life.
Director Statement
“We are so honored that Dan and his family trusted us with telling their story. Addiction is a vicious disease that claims far too many lives. Dan’s story shows that recovery is possible with inner strength and outside support. Once the grip of addiction is broken, the mind and body are capable of incredible things.”
Documentary Film Festival. Los Angeles & Toronto 