'Third Degree Burnout – A Survivor’s Guide' to make NYC Premiere at Greenpoint Film Festival on August 9

This provocative new film challenges how we think about burnout, climate crisis, and the systems fueling both

BROOKLYN, NY, UNITED STATES, July 29, 2025 /EINPresswire.com/ -- What if your exhaustion isn’t just about work, stress, or the news cycle—but a warning signal from a world in collapse? "Third Degree Burnout – A Survivor’s Guide" is a bold, emotionally-charged new documentary that reveals how our personal burnout mirrors a deeper ecological crisis—and why understanding that connection may be the key to survival.

Premiering at the Greenpoint Film Festival on Saturday, August 9, 2025 at 1:00 PM EDT, the film will screen as part of Program 19 – Time’s Running Out, on GFF Screen 1. Get tickets here.

A Voice from the Eye of the Storm

The film is narrated by Emmy Award-winning meteorologist John Morales, one of the nation’s top hurricane experts, who gained worldwide attention for his emotional on-air breakdown during Hurricane Milton in 2024—a moment that sparked global conversations about climate grief.

“This film isn’t just a wake-up call—it’s a survival guide,” says Morales. “It shows how our physical and mental exhaustion is deeply entangled with the collapsing systems around us.”

This hybrid documentary blends emotional skits with real expert insights to trace how modern life is exhausting not only individuals, but the planet itself. It’s a film for anyone who's ever felt burned out, overwhelmed, or helpless in the face of climate chaos.

The festival describes the Film as:

"Third Degree Burnout – A Survivor’s Guide" is the first documentary to connect burnout with food systems, emotional exhaustion, and planetary collapse — all through real stories, science, skits, and solutions.

From Plantations to Planetary Collapse: How Burnout Reflects Climate Injustice

Third Degree Burnout weaves together 26 expert interviews with 15 dramatized skits, following two fictional characters across time and culture. From colonial plantations to corporate boardrooms, their stories reflect a universal struggle to stay human in systems designed for extraction—not healing.

The Actors Featured in the Film

Anna Jobarteh, a London-based actress known for her compelling screen presence, has appeared in "Remember Me" (Universal Studios Hollywood) and Netflix’s international thriller "In From the Cold". Her nuanced portrayal across the film’s dramatized skits adds emotional depth and continuity, anchoring the viewer in the human experience of burnout.

Richard Lund, an award-winning Australian actor, has worked on productions with major global studios including Prime Video, Amazon MGM Studios, and Netflix. Also a passionate advocate for climate and sustainability, Lund draws from his early years as an education officer for Sea Shepherd Global, bringing authenticity and urgency to his fictional role in the film’s time-traveling narrative.

A Study That’s Sparked a Movement

At the heart of the film is The GAIA Study, the largest U.S.-based nonprofit research project linking burnout, nutrition, and pandemic recovery. Produced by The Virsa Foundation’s JIVINITI Program, in partnership with Ipsos Global Affairs, the study found compelling links between whole-food, plant-based diets and reduced levels of psychological distress. The full report and infographic are available at: https://thegaiastudy.org.

“The film lays bare how our food systems are designed to extract—from the earth, from workers, and from consumers—rather than nourish,” says Rob Guillemin, Professor at Tufts University’s Friedman School of Nutrition Science and Policy.

“The climate crisis isn’t just environmental - it’s structural. Third Degree Burnout reveals how communities already burdened by inequality are now bearing the brunt of a collapsing planet. It connects burnout to a broader story of extraction and injustice, calling for equity-centered solutions - not just awareness.” — Solaire Denaud, Black Studies and Environmental Humanities Scholar, University of California, Santa Barbara

Why This Film Matters Now

Across the globe, burnout is rising—especially among frontline workers, climate activists, and caregivers. Meanwhile, the planet grows hotter, storms grow fiercer, and solutions feel out of reach.

About the Filmmaker

Nivi Jaswal-Wirtjes is the Founder and President of The Virsa Foundation Inc., a Boston-based 501(c)(3) nonprofit working at the intersection of personal, public, and planetary health. She leads the foundation’s flagship JIVINITI Research and Advocacy Program. A former global brand strategist with deep expertise in consumer behavior marketing, she is a Mayo Clinic–trained National Board Certified Health and Wellness Coach, an ACLM Certified Lifestyle Medicine Coach, and an IACTM Certified Jungian Wellness Coach.

“This film invites us to stop seeing burnout as a personal flaw—and instead as feedback from a broken system,” says filmmaker Nivi Jaswal-Wirtjes, founder of The Virsa Foundation. “We can’t heal the planet without healing ourselves—and we can’t do either until we understand we’re part of the same system.”

Watch the Dramatic Trailer Below.

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Screening Details
· Event: Greenpoint Film Festival – NYC Premiere
· Program: 19 – Time’s Running Out
· Film: Third Degree Burnout – A Survivor’s Guide
· Date: Saturday, August 9, 2025
· Time: 1:00 PM EDT
· Location: GFF Screen 1, 259 Green St, Brooklyn, NY 11222
· 🎟 Tickets: greenpointfilmfestival.org – Program 19
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Key Links
Film Website & Press Kit: thirddegreeburnout.com
GAIA Study: thegaiastudy.org
The Virsa Foundation and The JIVINITI Research Program: jiviniti.org
Festival Info: greenpointfilmfestival.org
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About the Greenpoint Film Festival
Held annually in Brooklyn, the Greenpoint Film Festival showcases films that challenge the status quo and champion environmental and social transformation. Through curated programs, the festival fosters meaningful dialogue between storytellers, activists, and audiences who believe in art as a catalyst for change.

Monica Matulich
PRHollywood
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"Third Degree Burnout – A Survivor’s Guide" Trailer