The Starfish Throwers
Quote: "The most heartwarming film of 2014." -The Huffington Post
Katie Stagliano with her 40lb cabbage crop
Quote: "You never know what can grow from just one thing. You could be inspire hundreds with just one small action." - Katie Stagliano
Quote: "The joy of giving and the joy of sharing is a universal thing you can practice with anybody." - Narayanan Krishnan
Quote: "The most important thing in my life has always been to bring happiness to others." - Allan Law
Quote: “...an inspiring, reaffirming, and uplifting film that reminds us that we can all do great things and can have a positive impact on this world.” - The Roaming Life
Narayanan Krishnan, five star chef who quit to serve food to the poor.
Allan Law in Minneapolis, handing out sandwiches to the hungry.

The Starfish Throwers

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  • Directed by: Jesse Roesler
  • Produced by: Jesse Roesler & Melody Gilbert

Released: 2015
Running Time: 83 min and 53 min version included
Language:  English,

Worlds apart, a five-star chef, a twelve year-old girl, and a retired schoolteacher discover how their individual efforts to feed the poor ignite a movement in the fight against hunger.  This documentary tells tale of these remarkable individuals and the unexpected challenges they face. Despite being constantly reminded that hunger is far too big for one person to solve, they persevere and see their impact ripple further than their individual actions.

Award-winning chef Narayanan Krishnan, fighting against the caste system in India, quits his job to begin a life of cooking and hand-delivering fresh meals to hundreds of people in his hometown. Katie Stagliano’s planting of a single cabbage seedling when she was nine years old blossoms into Katie’s Krops, a nonprofit with 73 gardens dedicated to ending hunger. Retired middle school teacher Mr. Law battles personal health issues as he hand delivers more than a thousand sandwiches nightly to the hungry in Minneapolis. This documentary tells the tale of these remarkable individuals and the challenges they face when upholding their values and forging their own path of service to others.

    The Starfish Throwers (Trailer) from Collective Eye Films on Vimeo.

    Awards:

    • Global Health Audience Award, Cleveland Int'l Film Festival (2014)
    • Human Spirit Award, Nashville Film Festival (2014)
    • Best Feature Documentary - Minn. St. Paul Int’l Film Festival (2014)
    • Best Feature Documentary - Minn. St. Paul Int’l Film Festival (2014)
    • Best Documentary, Myrtle Beach Film Festival (2014)
    • Best Overall Film, Myrtle Beach Film Festival (2014)
    • Big Cheese Award, Port Townsend Film Festival (2014)
    • Best Feature, Awareness Festival - Santa Monica, CA (2014)
    • Most Uplifting Feature, Awareness Festival - CA (2014)
    • Best Feature Documentary, Washington West Film Festival (2014)
    • Best Documentary, Big Water Film Festival (2014)
    • Spirit of Activism Award, Wild & Scenic Film Festival (2015)
    • Special Mention Feature Documentary, SIMA (2015)

    THE STARFISH THROWERS has also screening in an additional 40+ film festivals in 2014 & 2015! 

    Reviews / Quotes:

    “The most heartwarming film of 2014.” -The Huffington Post “ The Starfish Throwers shows the power of one on a global scale…an important documentary….” -Examiner.com 

    "Local filmmaker Jesse Roesler raised funds...to make this uplifting documentary about three disparate optimists, and he skillfully weaves their tales together for a powerful impact greater than the sum of its parts.” -The Star Tribune 3.5/4✭

    “The imagery in this film is so heartwarmingly authentic, I was on the verge of happy tears the entire time. The amount of genuine!non-judgment, gratitude!and compassion is enough to make an entire yoga class cry simultaneously.” - Shedoesthecity.com

    “A luminous window into the lives of true local heroes, this documentary is sure to leave the spectator with the feeling that they too can make a change in the lives of those around them.” - The Arts Guild: 4/5✭

    “Jesse Roesler’s awe-inspiring, beautifully shot documentary…is humble in its own right, letting the compassion on screen speak for itself.” - Joyless Creatures: 4.5/5✭

    “The Starfish Throwers will likely do two things to you: 1) inspire you to do more to make a difference in the world, and 2) make you reevaluate your priorities in life.” - Documentary Talk: 4/5✭ 

    “...an inspiring, reaffirming, and uplifting film that reminds us that we can all do great things and can have a positive impact on this world.” - The Roaming Life


    "“Pay it forward” is the underlying theme of this documentary profile of three remarkable individuals who each took it upon themselves to make a difference in human suffering in their own communities. Katie Stagliano, a young girl in South Carolina, Narayanan Krishnan, a chef in India, and Allan Law, a retired schoolteacher in Minnesota, are to all appearances “ordinary” people with an extraordinary zeal for ending hunger. Katie’s efforts are channeled through gardening and her “Katie’s Krops” nonprofit. Krishnan gave up his career as a chef to make and serve meals – sometimes feeding by hand – to the many homeless residents of his city. Allen goes without sleep, ignoring his own health issues, to provide food and bus tokens throughout the nights in Minneapolis. The film provides an extensive view of their experiences working with homeless people on a daily (or nightly) basis, with repeated references to the “ripple effect” their examples provide in inspiring others who may be initially dismayed by the scope of the problems. There is an overreliance on personal accolades in this film, however, which merited though they are become somewhat tedious to the viewer after a time. Perhaps some judicious paring down of the film’s length might have avoided that issue. Still the documentary should serve a useful role among community and faith-based audiences looking for inspiration." - Educational Media Review Online