The Truth About Reading
Documentary Timeline
SXSW EDU Film Festival
Austin, TX
March 2024
The Truth About Reading was shown to a packed house at the prestigious SXSW Film Festival.
The Documentary Team with the Executive Producers who attended
Panelists: John Corcoran, Carlo Orecchia, Nick Nanton, and Nora Chahbazi
The audience was riveted and asked many questions after the screening.
Show-Me Science of Reading Conference Screening
Columbia, MO
June 2023
A dynamic team from the Special Education department at the University of Missouri included the Truth About Reading in their first annual conference.
Conference hosts Dr. Matt Burns, Dr. Jill Brown, and Dr. Erica Lembke addressed the crowd before the screening.
Emily Hanford provided a riveting keynote speech at the conference.
Documentary director Nick Nanton and EBLI founder Nora Chahbazi answer questions from the audience after the screening.
The Reading League Screening at New Buffalo High School in New Buffalo, MI
April 2023
Rebecca Miles, president of The Reading League Michigan, organized a documentary screening in southwest Michigan.
Berrien RESA Superintendent Eric Hoppstock address the audience before the film.
EBLI founder Nora Chahbazi was invited to speak and answer questions after the documentary viewing.
Hailey Drost and her mom Wendy Crick were both featured in the film. They and their family were a hit at the screening with their documentary shirts!
The Reading League Massachusetts hosted a screening at
Boston University, Boston, MA
March 2023
Emily Hanford (Sold a Story, APM) hosted a panel discussion that included questions from the audience at the well attended screening in Boston.
Emily Hanford introduces the distinguished panel of experts who shared their insights and answered questions.
The documentary screening was held at the beautiful, iconic Boston University College of Arts and Sciences building.
Literacy Champions Screening at IMAX Theater
Des Moines, IA
March 2023
A grassroots movement of dynamic, motivated literacy champion moms and teachers raised funds independently to put on this well-organized, well-attended screening in Des Moines, Iowa.
The large theater was filled with a crowd enthusiastic about literacy and bringing about change.
David Chalk, who starred in the film and spoke at the event, talks with lead organizer Nicki Prati.
The entire team who coordinated the screening with Nora Chahbazi on the red carpet.
Genesee County Sheriff, Chris Swanson and
University of Michigan Football Coach, Jim Harbaugh
spearhead the Documentary Screening in Flint, MI
March 2023
The Truth About Reading Documentary director Nick Nanton joined the highly-energized screening at the University of Michigan – Flint. A large contingent of community members, educators, administrators, parents, and press attended (Mlive coverage).
Genesee County Sheriff Chris Swanson enthusiastically and passionately addresses the crowd before the film.
Sheriff Swanson leads a panel after the film with Nick Nanton, Nora Chahbazi, Johnell Allen-Bey, and Jim Harbaugh answering questions.
University of Michigan coach, Jim Harbaugh and Documentary Director, Nick Nanton connect at the screening.
Nick Nanton joins the EBLI team on the red carpet during the reception before the film.
Documentary Screening Kent ISD & Celebration Cinemas
Grand Rapids, MI
March 2023
Kirsten Rice, the MTSS Coordinator for Kent ISD and Treasurer of The Reading League Michigan, spearheaded the planning for the screening in Grand Rapids.
Kent ISD MTSS coordinator Kirsten Rice, Superintendent Ron Koehler, and Assistant Superintendent of Instructional Services Dr. Ron Gorman chat before the film begins.
David Chalk and John Corcoran, both of whom are featured in the film, joined the large gathering after the screening to answer questions.
Documentary Screening Plain Talk, New Orleans
March 2023
The prestigious Plan Talk About Literacy and Learning hosted a showing during their conference. At the conference last year, the committee generously offered a room for the documentary team to interview several literacy experts who are in the film.
Over 2500 attendees were at the Plain Talk conference in New Orleans where the film was shown.
The documentary title was on the screen as the crowd filed into the ballroom, buzzing with anticipation.
Denise Dandrea and Beth Novak from Propel Schools in Pittsburgh joined Nora to watch the film.
Documentary Screening Denver
February 2023
Colorado Kids Identified with Dyslexia and the Metropolitan State University of Denver hosted the screening on the campus of the MSU Denver.
This co-sponsored event brought together policy makers, educators, parents, and literacy experts.
The panel answered questions from the moderator and from the audience after the viewing of the documentary.
Nora Chahbazi (L) and Marnie Ginsberg (r join co-organizer of the event Erin Sain (center) and her daughters.
Documentary Screening Milwaukee & New Berlin, Wisconsin
January 2023
WI Reads and New Berlin Schools hosted 2 screenings for hundreds of school board members, administrators, educators, and other stakeholders…in the same day! In the morning the screening took place in Milwaukee at the Wisconsin State Education Conference and in the evening at a high school in New Berlin.
The well attended documentary screening events provided QR and Barcodes so attendees could easily sign in, ask questions, provide feedback, and access literacy resources.
The panel at both screenings:
EBLI’s Nora Chahbazi, SoR FB page founder Donna Hejtmanek, and New Berlin’s Directors of Teaching and Learning Brady Reinke, and Kelli Kwiatkowski
Documentary Screening Detroit
November 2022
This screening – sponsored by Beyond Basics – was held at the gorgeous Charles Wright Museum in Detroit. In attendance were over 20 people featured in the documentary, as well as an abundance of literacy stakeholders.
“What this (learning to read) gave to me was my self worth.”
– David Chalk
“This is just the beginning of the story.”
– Nick Nanton, Director
Donna Hejtmanek, founder of the Science of Reading: What I Should Have Learned in College Facebook Group, at the screening with EBLI founder Nora Chahbazi
First Screening of The Truth About Reading Documentary
September 2022
The film was seen by an audience for the first time at a private screening at the Beverly Hills Hilton, home of the Golden Globes. Before this screening, the only people who had seen the full film were the director, the editor, and the story producer!
Last Minute Filming
Late Summer 2022
We’re grateful to the staff and students at New Lothrop schools for accommodating the documentary team on short notice!
Small Group - New Lothrop
Working on Whiteboards
New Lothrop Classroom
Thanking the 2nd Grade Class
EBLI's Reading Center
Proudly Displaying Vocabulary Work
Get EBLI for your school
Wrapping Up Filming
Fall 2021 - Summer 2022
After the trailer was released, the documentary team continued to conduct interviews and collect footage. John Corcoran and others were filmed in San Diego, many literacy experts were interviewed at the Plain Talk conference in New Orleans, and interviews were conducted at other locations around the country.
Dr. Mustapha, a gifted Interventional Cardiologist who struggled with reading, was interviewed in Orlando.
Executive producers listened as John Corcoran was interviewed at the San Diego Library.
Dr. Tracy Weeden’s interview was filmed at the New Orleans Plain Talk conference.
Documentary Teaser Video Premiered in Hollywood
September 2021
After several months of filming, the initial interviews
and information were compiled into a 4-minute teaser.
Nick Nanton interviewed John Corcoran in Hollywood
David Learned to Read in a Week with EBLI - May 2021
He Described His Transformation in These Interviews
Curious about EBLI?
The Documentary Team was Interviewed on the
"Melissa and Lori Love Literacy" Podcast
Filming in NYC
Blog Series About the Making of the Documentary
PhonicBooks asked EBLI Founder Nora Chahbazi to write a blog series chronicling the story of the creation of the documentary. Learn more about the inside scoop in the four installments below.
Part 5:
The Making and Success of the Truth About Reading Documentary
After Initial Fundraising Efforts,
the Documentary Team Began Filming
Spring 2021
Almost a hundred literacy experts, educators, parents, learners, and an adult whose instruction was recorded for the documentary were filmed over several weeks.
Nadine Gaab's Interview at Harvard
Sheriff Swanson's Interview at the
Genesee County Jail
Emily Hanford with Director Nick Nanton in Washington, DC
The Documentary Project
Was Launched
November 2020
Nick shows off his jacket lined with images of his documentary posters.
Meet The Truth About Reading Documentary Director Nick Nanton
Nick Nanton, The Truth About Reading director, producer, and storyteller, is passionate about making a difference in the world with his work. He has directed and produced 46 documentaries and won 22 Emmy awards.
A Jack Canfield Summit Led John and Nora to Documentary Director Nick Nanton
September 2020
John Corcoran and Nora Chahbazi attended a virtual Jack Canfield summit. During the summit, Jack and his team suggested they contact Nick Nanton about creating a literacy documentary.
Thanks to The Reading Gap, KLIP was born
July 2018
Mike Robinson, a businessman and county school board member in King’s County, California, created the KLIP foundation to train educators in the county’s schools in EBLI. This mini-documentary was produced about the project.
John’s Book, The Reading Gap: Journey to Answers was Released
November 2017
John wrote The Reading Gap, which shares some of the journey of EBLI and the John Corcoran Foundation.
How John and Nora Met 2008
Donna, a teacher who taught EBLI, was stranded in a mechanic shop, with a copy of the Rotarian magazine as the only reading material. There was an article about John Corcoran, a book he’d written, and his literacy advocacy. Donna called Nora, EBLI’s founder, and told her about it. Nora found John’s foundation online and called him. They spoke for 3 hours. That was the beginning of a long relationship between these 2 literacy missionaries.
Cover of the Magazine Issue that featured John Corcoran