Shuffle (2025)
- Fri, Mar 6
Director: Benjamin Flaherty Run Time: 82 min. Release Year: 2026
“It’s 81 damning minutes of tight filmmaking, great storytelling and riveting investigation.”
– Jacob Oller, AV Club
Country: United States
Language: English
About the film:
Winner – Grand Jury Award Documentary Feature – 2025 SXSW Film Festival
In the wake of the opioid epidemic, insurance companies are now required to cover addiction and mental health treatment at the same reimbursement rate as other medical conditions, but without any of the regulations.
Shot over the course of three years, Shuffle (2026) follows three individuals trapped by the insurance-fueled cycle of treatment fraud spreading across the country. Their future depend not on getting into treatment, but on getting out alive. A journey of discovery and transformation, these personal stories provide the framework for a more public investigation with the help of an FBI informant, an insurance analyst and the former Executive Director of a Philadelphia-based treatment facility shuttered for fraud.
Shuffle unravels a web of public policy and private interest preying on – and profiting from – more than 40 million Americans with addiction issues.
About the filmmaker:
Nastasya Popov is a Los Angeles–based writer, director, and producer known for her sharp blend of humor and character-driven storytelling. She holds a BA in Creative Nonfiction and Slavic Literature from Northwestern University and began her career making award-winning documentaries and short films that played at festivals like Palm Springs and the Hamptons International Film Festival.
Her feature directorial debut, Idiotka, premiered at South by Southwest in 2025 to acclaim for its witty, heartfelt comedy about family and ambition and was subsequently acquired for U.S. distribution with a 2026 theatrical rollout. Popov’s work is celebrated for its authentic voice, inventive humor, and grounded portrayals of everyday life.
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