America's Marine Aviators

This groundbreaking documentary film was distinguished by being selected as the first of 277 films to screen at the prestigious 2009 GI Film Festival at the National Archives Theatre in Washington D.C.  The stellar guest list for the world premiere included Assistant Commandant of the Marine Corps General Jim Amos, and newly appointed NASA Administrator Charles F. Bolden Jr., a highly decorated retired Marine aviator.

The film was also featured at the 97th Birthday Celebration of Marine Aviation at Marine Corps Air Station New River in Jacksonville, North Carolina.  Former Marine Aviator and automotive legend Bob Lutz headlined the celebration which included a ceremony honoring Marine aviators, aircrew, and Navy Corpsmen who have given their lives in Marine aviation while fighting the Global War on Terror.

The film’s next major milestone was its U.S. broadcast premiere on the Public Broadcasting System (PBS) in 2010. After its successful PBS broadcast run the film was optioned for distribution by the Armed Forces Network (AFN). AMA had its global streaming premiere in 2018 on PRIME Video where it continues to garner tremendous viewership. The film is lauded for its stark realism and in-depth interviews with both Marines and their families.

The film was produced by media personality Jeff Bolton and directed by award-winning independent filmmaker Dana Altman. Both are thrilled at the very positive critical reception of the film. “If there has ever been a group who required authenticity, accuracy, and attention to detail it was the thousands of Marine aviators we worked with around the world,” said Bolton, “to receive their overwhelming endorsement of the film is a very special accomplishment.” Altman echoes these comments: “From the beginning, we wanted to capture the incredible human story of these pilots and their families and not make a film about airplanes…the response of Marines to the film is incredible and we’re very grateful that we’ve gotten their story captured correctly in their eyes.”

America’s Marine Aviators speaks boldly and firmly to the American consciousness about honor, courage, and commitment in the modern world of the all-volunteer military. The highly detailed film intimately exposes the raw emotions, motivations, victories, sacrifices, and hopes of U.S. Marine pilots – and delves deeply into the traditionally closed world of military families, including stories of the long, painful, but required separations that enable Marine Aviators to pursue their mission: protecting American fighters on the ground. Additionally, America’s Marine Aviators addresses the extreme dangers of military aviation; the future of the U.S. Marine Corps, and the role of Marines in the world amid a dramatically changing geopolitical environment.