Catching Fireflies Trailer from Shattered Image Films on Vimeo.

Lee Whittaker’s Catching Fireflies is a visually stunning film about a homeless girl living on Skid Row and his directorial debut. This award winning film has been catching international attention from Film Festivals around the world, including Los Angeles International Short Film Festival, Tokyo Short Shorts, ECU Paris France and Rome Independent.

Catching Fireflies shares the story of a 9 year-old Latina girl Isabella, who strives to survive Skid Row with her heroin addict mother Sofia in a cardboard house in downtown Los Angeles. Her whimsical imagination proves a solid companion while dealing with her mother’s addiction. Her mother asleep in a tent, she meets Aurora and realizes how lonely homeless people are. Hearing of Fireflies again she offers a hug. A local cook teaches her, “If you catch a firefly in the night sky, then your wishes come true.” Awakened, she stumbles into a gang argument. Her dancing companion provides his magnum opus as a gun battle ensues and Fireflies light up the night sky. Isabella runs through to catch her wish of hope and save her mother.

The film stars Gianna Gomez as Isabella, a young actress who has already appeared in Camp, Jack and Jill, and Good Luck Charlie.  Her outstanding work in Catching Fireflies has not gone unnoticed, with theInternational Filmmaker Festival in London honoring Gianna with the Best Leading Actress award.  Spanish born actress Carlotta Elektra Bosch stars as Sophia, Isabella’s mother.

Director Lee Whittaker wrote Catching Fireflies after being touched by seeing a homeless child in India and also Los Angeles, making him aware of this unmistakable Global conflict. This talented new director has over 20 years starting in action as a stunt man and a decade’s experience as a Second-Unit Director and a Stunt Coordinator.

Catching Fireflies has just been accepted into Carmel International Film Festival and Savannah Georgia Film Festival, enabling more audiences around the world to enjoy this special film.