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A BREAK FOR IMPACT

PRESENTS

CROSSES IN THE DUST

One group's journey to honor the courage of thousands

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About A Break For Impact

Advocating for Immigrants' Rights and Policy Change

Welcome to A Break For Impact, a transformative initiative launched in 2020 by Dr. Irene Pons of the University of Central Florida’s Legal Studies Department in partnership with the UCF Center for Distributed Learning. Originating as an “alternative spring break” for students, it evolved into a powerful movement after the inaugural journey to the Texas-Mexico border exposed the harsh reality faced by Central American asylum seekers. The resulting award-winning documentary series, “A Break for Impact,” was born from this experience.

In 2022, “A Break for Impact” was transformed into a 501(c)3 non-profit and expanded beyond a spring break alternative. Dr. Pons and the ABFI team remain focused on connecting students with NGOs, advocating for policy changes, and spotlighting critical issues through documentary cinema. The organization emphasizes the urgent need for change and aims to be a self-sustaining platform empowering individuals and organizations to influence pro-immigrant policy changes.
 
To date, the initial impact has prompted three more trips to the border, uncovering injustices and dire circumstances. A Break for Impact actively partners with NGOs such as Witness at the Border, Tucson Samaritans, and the Office of New Americans, embodying more than a movement—it’s a force for change, sharing stories that demand attention and action. Join us in this journey of compassion, advocacy, and transformation, aiming to make a lasting impact on affected lives and contribute to a brighter, more just future.
ABFI Student at the US Mexican border carrying signs pro immigrants

FILMS & screenings

The team behind "a break for impact"

Dr. Irene Pons - Project Lead

Irene Pons, ESQ.

Project Lead & Series Producer

Dr. Irene Pons is a legal studies faculty member and Luminary Award winner at the University of Central Florida. She is an American Bar Foundation Fellow and has been practicing immigration law for nearly two decades. In 2020, she partnered with the production team at the UCF Center for Distributed Learning to create A Break for Impact, an EMMY®-winning docuseries chronicling student volunteers providing crucial humanitarian and legal aid to migrants at the Texas-Mexico border. Irene’s follow-up documentary series, Crosses in the Dust, shot along the Arizona-Mexico border, and short film What We Came From, produced in Tijuana, Mexico, earned her two regional EMMY® Awards in 2023.

Aaron Hose - Documentary Lead Producer_Co-Director

Aaron Hosé

Series Lead Producer & Editor

Born in the United States and raised on the Caribbean island of Aruba, Aaron Hosé is a producer-director-editor with over 25 years in the film, television and video industry. He earned his Bachelor of Arts in Liberal Studies and Master of Fine Arts in Film from the University of Central Florida. His films have been featured at hundreds of festivals worldwide, including Academy Award- and BAFTA-qualifying events, and have been distributed on platforms such as Netflix, Hulu, Amazon, Vudu and Tubi. Aaron has been recognized extensively for his work. To date, he has earned nineteen regional EMMY® nominations resulting in nine EMMY® Awards, including wins for producing, directing, and editing.

Christine Kane - Documentary Director_Producer

Cristine Kane

Series Producer & Director

Award-winning producer/director Christine Kane has spent the last decade working in the professional film and video industry with a focus on immigration-themed projects. Her debut docuseries A Break for Impact, which follows the humanitarian crisis along the Texas-Mexico border, won her a 2020 regional EMMY® Award. Since then she has earned three more EMMY® Awards; including for her follow-up series, Crosses in the Dust, which was filmed in the Sonoran Desert along the Arizona-Mexico border, and for the documentary short What We Came From, produced in Tijuana, Mexico.

Tim Reid

Series Producer & Director of Photography

Tim Reid is an award-winning video producer with 20 years of industry experience as a director, cinematographer, editor, and digital animator. He brings these technical and aesthetic abilities into his work as a mixed-media artist. Tim earned his Studio Art & Design MFA in 2021 from the University of Central Florida, where he had previously earned a Film BFA in 2012. During his time in the MFA program, Tim expanded his practice beyond experimental digital filmmaking to include installations, objects, and recorded performances. His work has been featured in art galleries and film festivals across the United States and France, and has been recognized with three regional EMMY® Awards.

Partner Organizations

Visit these Incredible Organizations and Make a Difference Today

Angry Tias and Abuelas
Office of New Americans, El Paso County, Texas
Human Borders - Fronteras Compasivas
Battalion Search and Rescue
Los Samaritanos

Connect with us

We’d love to hear from you! If you’re interested in scheduling a screening or learning more about volunteering with A Break For Impact, please don’t hesitate to contact us. 

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Email: abreakforimpact@gmail.com

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