Skin Swimmer

Short Documentary Director, Cinematographer, Producer & Editor Skin Swimmer follows Roberta Cenedese, who is anything but your average swimmer. While most people reserve their swims for warm summer days, Roberta plunges into the frigid waters of British Columbia's Salish Sea, training to accomplish one of the most extreme feats in open-water swimming: an ice mile in water just three degrees Celsius. With no wetsuit and little protection from the elements, Roberta pushes the limits of both her physical and mental endurance in pursuit of an extraordinary goal. Skin Swimmer marked my first independently produced documentary and an important milestone in my filmmaking career. I directed, shot, produced, and edited the film, taking it from the initial concept through production, post-production, and festival distribution. My wife, Emma, joined the project as co-producer, helping bring this independent story to life. What began as a passion project grew into a film that connected with audiences across North America and beyond. Skin Swimmer enjoyed a successful festival run, earning official selections at numerous film festivals, including Mountainfilm, Maui Film Festival, Boulder International Film Festival, Whistler Film Festival, Kendal Mountain Festival, Maine Outdoor Film Festival, Short Circuit Film Festival, and Imagine This Women's Film Festival. The film was also selected for the Gutsy Girls Adventure Film Tour and Women's Adventure Film Tour, bringing Roberta's story to audiences through touring screenings. Beyond the challenge of swimming in near-freezing water, Skin Swimmer explores the determination, courage, and mental resilience required to pursue something that many would consider impossible. The film celebrates the strength of women in adventure sports and the extraordinary things that can happen when we push beyond our perceived limits. As my first self-produced film, Skin Swimmer laid the foundation for my approach to documentary filmmaking: finding compelling human stories, building meaningful relationships with subjects, and combining cinematic visuals with authentic, character-driven storytelling.