FORGETTING DAD, a feature documentary written, directed and edited by American filmmakers Rick Minnich and Matt Sweetwood, tells the bizarre story of Rick’s father’s sudden and incomprehensible amnesia, which began one week after a seemingly harmless car accident in Sacramento, California, in 1990. After the onset of his amnesia, Rick’s father re-christened himself “New Richard” and began a completely new life, leaving his family feeling abandoned and baffled at where “Old Richard” went.

A psychological detective story in the best sense, this award-winning film searches for Richard's lost memory through interviews with family members and co-workers, eventually uncovering startling facts about the amnesia itself. Viewers are left with a penetrating view of a disturbing mental illness, and a strong understanding of its effect on families, rarely captured on film.

“Forgetting Dad” won the “Special Jury Award” at its world premiere in the Joris Ivens Competition at the International Documentary Film Festival Amsterdam (IDFA) in November 2008 and has gone on to win numerous other prizes including the audience award at the 1st International Health Film Festival in Kos (Greece), an honorable mention at Achtung Berlin – New Berlin Film Award, the William Dieterle Film Prize (Special Prize) in Germany and the Grand Jury Prize at GZDOC in Guangzhou, China.

FORGETTING DAD is in English and is available in 84-minute and 59-minute versions. It is unrated. The film is a co-production of German television ZDF and the German production company Hoferichter & Jacobs GmbH in association with rickfilms.