We’re proud to share that Xyla Foxlin and the Fight for Pilot Mental Health is an official winner at the Webby Awards in the Social Impact category.

At Long Haul Films, we’re drawn to stories that sit at the intersection of personal experience and systemic change, and this project was exactly that.

When creator and engineer Xyla Foxlin lost her medical certificate after speaking publicly about her experience with birth control, it revealed a much larger issue within the aviation industry. What followed was a fight not just to reclaim her own license, but to push for change in how mental health is evaluated and regulated for pilots.

We were brought on not just to document that story, but to help shape how it was told.

Working closely with Xyla and the team at Pilot Mental Health Campaign, our role was to bring the story to an emotionally resonant place while maintaining clarity around a complex and nuanced issue. That meant drawing out the human stakes behind the policy, and building a narrative that could both connect with a broad audience and support a very real, very active advocacy effort.

The film bridges two powerful forces: the reach and vulnerability of a creator sharing her personal story, and the mission-driven work of an organization actively pushing for legislative change. Bringing those together required a thoughtful approach, to honor Xyla’s voice while reinforcing the broader movement behind it.

A key focus was crafting a clear and compelling call to action. The goal wasn’t just awareness, but engagement and action. We encouraged viewers to reach out to their representatives and support ongoing grassroots efforts in Washington, DC. The result was a film that not only reached hundreds of thousands of viewers, but helped drive conversation and action around mental health in aviation.

For us, this is the work that matters most: stories that require trust, care, and a deep understanding of how to translate complex ideas into something people can feel, and take action on.

If you’re working on a story that sits at the intersection of lived experience, advocacy, and impact, we’d love to talk.