Media Kit | Massive Tiny Media

Asylum: Not Abandoned
Media Kit

PRESS RELEASE

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contact:
Kate Arpke Houle & Rob Houle
Massive Tiny Media, LLC
Kate(at)massivetiny.com | Rob(at)massivetiny.com
https://www.massivetiny.com/asylum

Asylum: Not Abandoned — A Wisconsin Family History Inside a Mental Institution

Sheboygan Falls, WI -

A new independent documentary in production, Asylum: Not Abandoned, explores one of Wisconsin’s lesser-known histories: the lives of families who lived inside the state’s county mental institutions.

Filmmaker Kate Arpke Houle grew up hearing stories about her father’s unusual childhood in the Sheboygan County Hospital, where his parents served as superintendents from 1939 to 1969. Alongside his siblings, he spent the 1950s and 60s growing up in a mental health facility that blurred the lines between family and patients, loving home and county institution.

The film follows Kate’s personal journey to understand how that upbringing shaped not only her father and his siblings, but also her own life. It revisits the hospital grounds—now known to many as one of Wisconsin’s most infamous haunted attractions—while unpacking a more complicated reality of community, stigma, trauma, and resilience. It further touches on the concept and evolution of mental health-care facilities of the era from counties in Wisconsin to locations around the world.

“This isn’t a ghost story,” says Kate. “It’s about family, memory, and the legacy of mental health care in Wisconsin.” The team plans to complete principal photography by late 2025, an have a finished film ready for screenings and festivals in late 2026.

About the Filmmakers / Production Team

Kate and Rob Houle are award winning documentary film makers and founders of the Wisconsin-based production company - Massive Tiny Media. Their short documentary, A Cut Above, was featured in twelve different regional and national film festivals and won the People’s Choice award at the 2019 Fresh Coast Film Festival in Marquette Michigan as well as the Producer’s Choice award at the 2020 Wildwood Film Festival in Appleton, WI.

The filmmakers are currently seeking media coverage, community engagement, and historical input from those with ties to Wisconsin’s mental health institutions. Interviews are available upon request.

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Fact Sheet (Quick Reference)

Film Title: Asylum: Not Abandoned
Directors/Producers: Kate Arpke Houle & Rob Houle
Production Company: Massive Tiny Media (Appleton, WI)
Genre: Documentary Feature
Status: In Production (2025), expected release in 2026
Logline (1–2 sentences):
A daughter uncovers her father’s childhood inside a Wisconsin mental institution, revealing hidden histories of family, community, and the evolution of mental health care.
Run Time: TBD
Filming Locations: Sheboygan County, WI + archival sources
Website: https://www.massivetiny.com/asylum