GRAMMY-Nominated Nina Storey & MaskTogetherAmerica Debut the Dark Comedy "Strangely Optimistic": A Bold New Film for the Long COVID Global Crisis

An urgent entry for the 2026 Easterseals Disability Film Challenge, turning a devastating, invisible health crisis into a powerful call for equity, using hope and humor

MaskTogetherAmerica is proud to support the Long COVID disability film “Strangely Optimistic,” making its digital debut for the 2026 Easterseals Disability Film Challenge on YouTube and Facebook. Written, directed by and starring two-time GRAMMY and EMMY-nominated singer-songwriter Nina Storey and co-produced by MaskTogetherAmerica Founder Julie Lam, this dark comedy is a rare, unfiltered look into the isolation of living with the life-altering long-term effects of COVID-19.

Synopsis:

"Strangely Optimistic" follows aspiring singer-songwriter, "Nina Storey", who is blindsided by debilitating mystery symptoms following a Covid infection early in the Pandemic. Although perpetually gaslit by everyone around her, armed with dark humor, music, her loyal pup, and an alarming amount of pickle juice, she finds a way to keep getting back up.

After years of forced social withdrawal and a hiatus from the stage, Storey is using this platform to redefine Long COVID not just as a medical condition, but as a critical health equity and disability rights emergency.

“Long COVID has been an invisible battle for millions, often leaving us feeling like ghosts in our own lives," says Nina Storey. "Through this film, we want to shine a light on that darkness with humor and hope, showing that even in our most dire struggles, there is a path toward visibility, change, and healing.”

A Set Built on Radical Empathy
Built on a foundation of radical empathy and inclusion, the dedicated crew featured collaborators living with various disabilities. In an era of diminishing precautions, our set served as a model for the future of filmmaking—where masking is a fundamental act of care and disability is celebrated as a source of creative power.

The "Push-Crash" Reality
The Easterseals Disability Film Challenge requires a grueling 5-day sprint. For most, this means extra caffeine; for Nina and Julie, it meant navigating the perilous "push-crash" cycle. The physical and neurological demands of production triggered severe symptom flare-ups for both—a sobering, firsthand demonstration of the "invisible" price paid by the 400 million people worldwide struggling to survive Long COVID.

A Demand to Be Seen
Julie Lam, a Long Hauler, editor, and NIH RECOVER representative, co-produced the project to amplify MaskTogetherAmerica’s mission. "Patients are being devastated by a lack of access to diagnosis and treatment," says Lam, who worked through three sleepless nights to edit the film. "By submitting to this challenge, we are demanding that the world finally see us."

"Emerging in 2020, COVID-19 remains a relentless global crisis that has left millions with Long COVID," Lam added. "This multisystemic assault targets vital organs—from the brain to the heart to the gut—disrupting every system in the human body. Long COVID is a disability that demands immediate attention, accelerated research, and total equity."

Join the Movement: Long COVID Awareness Campaign 

From April 4 to April 13, we are competing for the Best Awareness Campaign award. This isn’t just about a film; it’s about a global community demanding its right to exist and be heard.

WATCH THE FILM HERE   Press Release