When the Storm Hits

2025 | Coast Film & Music Festival

Duration: 10 min

Synopisis

When the Storms Hit follows Kevin Painchaud, the sole photojournalist at Lookout Santa Cruz, as he documents the relentless atmospheric rivers that devastated California’s Central Coast. The title speaks to more than weather; it reflects the growing crisis in local journalism. With shrinking newsrooms and vanishing budgets, Kevin and his small team step into the void, bearing witness when few others can. What begins as urgent storm coverage becomes a Pulitzer Prize–winning act of community service and a powerful reminder of what is lost when local news disappears.

Featured at Coast Film & Music Festival 2025

Production Team

Sean Peoples is a documentary filmmaker focused on telling emotionally resonant, impact-driven stories. With more than 15 years of experience producing content featured by outlets such as National Geographic, The New York Times, and The Atlantic, he brings a strong journalistic instinct to visual storytelling. His award-winning documentary Broken Landscape premiered at the Big Sky Film Festival and aired internationally on CNN. As creative director of Think Out Loud, a studio working with nonprofits and mission-driven organizations, Sean creates films that bridge urgent storytelling with social change. When the Storms Hit is his latest exploration of the power of local journalism to serve and transform a community.