Call to Serve
2025 | Coast Film & Music Festival
Duration: 12 min
Synopisis
Haunted by years of war and two tours in Iraq, a former Army combat engineer finds himself unraveling—lost in survivor’s guilt, emotionally shut down, and unsure who he is without the uniform. But when Hurricane Helene devastates the Southeast, he volunteers with Team Rubicon, a veteran-led disaster response team. In the wreckage, alongside his wife and a healing community of fellow veterans, he begins to rebuild what war nearly erased: his sense of purpose, his voice, and his way home.
Featured at Coast Film & Music Festival 2025
Production Team
Cole Sax: Helping others find their voice is where Cole discovered his own.
As a director and creative partner, Cole is drawn to character-driven stories that carry purpose—not just to entertain, but to move people toward empathy, action, and understanding. His work spans continents and communities, from the Himalayan foothills to Olympic stadiums, always returning to one belief: story is a tool for connection. Cole’s films have sparked global movements, earned Emmy recognition, and partnered with leading platforms like YouTube Originals, Google, Nike, and the Olympics. But what drives him isn't the accolades—it’s creating space for people to be seen, and stories to mean something. He believes the best stories don’t just reach people—they stay with them. And that’s what he’s here to do. One frame at a time.
Phil Hessler: Phil was exposed to filmmaking early on in his teenage years through his love for skateboarding and snowboarding. When he was 19 he began producing his first feature length documentary, Far From Home, the story of Uganda’s first Olympic hopeful in snowboarding which sold to Red Bull. Phil has since gone on to produce and direct content for REI, Red Bull, Bridgestone, VICE, and Ford. He has done extensive work for the Olympics – having produced and directed a series that followed six athletes from countries without snow to the 2018 Winter Olympics commissioned by The Olympic Channel, Snapchat, and Bridgestone Tires. His most recent series premiered at Sundance’s Brandstorytelling in 2024.