American Addiction Centers and filmmaker Jeffrey D. Shulman are hosting a special screening of the upcoming documentary “What It Takes,” which challenges how people understand addiction, its impact, and the path to recovery. The film will be screened at The Frida Cinema in Santa Ana on Sunday, May 17, 2026, as part of a five-city film tour that kicked off in April during Alcohol Awareness Month.
The film tells two deeply personal narratives: a West Coast family navigating alcoholism and an innovative jail-based program in Chesterfield County, Virginia, which addresses trauma and substance use among incarcerated individuals. The two stories unexpectedly intersect through powerful concert moments, where each story is shaped by a prominent artist whose acts of kindness from the stage become a catalyst for believing that anything is possible. The shared arc of their lives reveals the devastation that substance use disorder leaves in its wake, the power of a little grace, and how love can light the path to redemption.
To RSVP, please contact Jenn Smulo at jsmulo@massmediacc.com.