Franklin Square attorney John Ardito spent more than 35 years practicing law, but he never expected his career would lead him to write and produce a short film.
Ardito recently completed the film “A Mother’s Voice,” which explores medical malpractice, wrongful death and the emotional impact families experience after losing a loved one.
The project was inspired by his work as a plaintiff’s attorney at Ardito & Ardito, the law firm he shares with his brother, Joseph, and by the ongoing debate over New York’s Grieving Families Act, legislation that would allow families to seek damages for emotional suffering after a wrongful death.
The idea of producing a film began when Ardito enrolled in a creative writing class at Nassau Community College. Although he had always enjoyed writing, filmmaking was never something he considered.
“Film wasn’t in my repertoire background, but I did a lot of community theater growing up, and I kind of put that aside when I went to law school,” Ardito said.
As a young attorney, Ardito participated in the production of “A Few Good Men,” but his focus remained on his legal career. Two years ago, he decided to take a creative writing course taught by Gregory Cioffi, a professor at Nassau Community College.
Ardito initially planned to write a short story centered around a legal drama. However, after Cioffi discussed different sources of inspiration, including social commentary, Ardito decided to combine his legal background with an issue he had followed throughout his career.
The 20-minute screenplay focused on the impact of wrongful death on families, specifically a case involving a child who dies following a case of malpractice.
“I think it was a collection of cases throughout the years,” Ardito said.
Ardito said the film also was influenced by the lack of recognition for emotional grief under New York law.
Ardito said current law recognizes economic losses and the pain and suffering experienced by the person who died but does not account for the emotional suffering of surviving family members who lose a parent, child or loved one.
After developing the screenplay in Cioffi’s advanced writing class, Ardito decided to transform the project from a classroom assignment into a film. Cioffi, who has experience as a filmmaker, offered to help produce the project.
Cioffi said he was drawn to the screenplay because Ardito’s legal background gave the story authenticity.
“I thought it was intriguing that ... this person, you know, was really a lawyer in real life, and so like all of his stories had this feel of authenticity to them,” Cioffi said.
Cioffi helped Ardito refine the screenplay before the project moved into production.
“He pounced on it immediately,” Cioffi said. “He was like, ‘Right now, let’s go.’”
The film was produced entirely on Long Island, with locations that were used throughout Nassau County. Courtroom scenes were filmed at Valley Stream Village Hall, while additional scenes were filmed at Ardito’s Franklin Square law office, Long Island University’s nursing simulation center and Serata, a restaurant in Elmont.
His wife, Robin, a pre-K teacher in New York City, took on the role of wardrobe coordinator, while his daughter, Hannah, a nurse, helped during production and appeared as a featured extra in the film. His son, Jonathan, who works in business consulting, traveled from Miami to assist during the days of filming and helped the lighting crew.
Ardito’s brother and law partner, Joseph Ardito, also became part of the production, making a cameo appearance alongside John in a restaurant scene. The production was completed after three days of filming with a cast that included professional actors such as Tara Westwood and Todd Susman.
The first private screening took place in June at the Adelphi Performing Arts Center for family, friends and members of the production team. The film is currently being submitted to film festivals and cannot be publicly released until the festival process is complete.
Through the film, Ardito hopes to raise awareness about the emotional impact of wrongful death and encourage conversations about how families are affected by these losses.
Cioffi said the project demonstrates how individuals can use their own experiences to tell meaningful stories.
“My advice would simply be, go for it,” Cioffi said. “You have something unique, a unique experience, a unique life, and you have a story that no one else can really tell in the same way.”
For Ardito, the film became an unexpected extension of his work as an attorney — allowing him to advocate for families through storytelling.
“The class actually forced me to sit down for that hour and a half, two hours, and to devote the time to writing,” Ardito said.
After decades spent in the courtroom, Ardito is now using film to continue exploring issues of justice, loss and the experiences of families navigating tragedy.
