A Documentary a Decade in the Making: ‘Looking Forward’ Brings Owen Cravens’ Remarkable Journey to a Global Audience
A short documentary more than a decade in the making is bringing the story of a determined endurance athlete to a global audience. Looking Forward is a film by Chicago/LA filmmaker Devon Gulati that captures paratriathlete Owen Cravens’ unbelievable story. The documentary is out as of today worldwide on Short Frame’s YouTube channel and you can watch it in its entirety below.
What began as a class project for Devon at Columbia College Chicago has grown into a decade-long portrait of Cravens’ steadfast drive. After being diagnosed at 10 years old with Stargardt’s disease, a degenerative eye condition that leads to progressive vision loss, Cravens embraced the path ahead of him.
“I was okay with it because I am just going to keep doing what I’m doing,” Cravens said at age 11. As his vision declined, Cravens’ choice to adapt not only led to competing in triathlons but also ultimately took him to the highest level: the Paralympics.
On his path to the Paris 2024 Olympic and Paralympic Games, Cravens focused on one specific goal. “In order to qualify for Paris, I have to be in the top nine in the world, and number one in the country,” Cravens said.
And now, let’s watch the inspirational short film directed by Devon Gulati, Looking Forward…
“Owen set his own limitations, and that alone was inspiring,” said Gulati. “He showed what it means to keep competing when so much is pushing back on you. Being close to his journey changed the way I see resilience, and he remains one of the most genuine people I’ve ever met. I have near-perfect vision and can barely swim a mile without feeling burnt out. To see this young athlete take on a disease, blindness, and an insane training regimen is remarkable to anyone. That’s why I pursued this story, and I’m proud to see it come out.”
The journey, Cravens said, “taught me I have a lot of room to grow and a lot of movement to make in order to be the best in the U.S. and eventually one of the best in the world.”
The worldwide YouTube release follows the latest festival premiere at Charlotte Film Festival, and a multi-festival run across the U.S., including Key West Film Festival, Sunscreen Film Festival, Lake County Film Festival, and Golden State Film Festival. The film is produced by Mike McNamara, Justin Gulati, and Sean Raju. “Looking Forward” is supported in part by a grant from the Arts Alliance State of Illinois and completed with post-production by Secret Twins Post.
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