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Film explores the questions surrounding the sudden death of a local youth

May 14, 2026   ·   0 Comments

By Brian Lockhart

He was just 17 years old and a well-known local hockey player with the Beeton Stingers.

Sean Hartman died suddenly in 2021, leaving his grieving family with many questions as to why a healthy young person would suddenly pass away.

The questions kept leading back to the same source.

Sean had received the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine just a couple of weeks earlier, and almost immediately, he started feeling ill. At the time, a COVID-19 vaccination was required for participation in minor hockey.

Although the resulting investigation could not determine the exact cause of death, Sean’s father Dan, kept looking for answers.

A 60-minute documentary film investigation titled The Shot: Sean Hartman’s Story follows Dan’s journey to find answers.

Through interviews, medical records, and firsthand accounts, the film explores themes of accountability, public health decision-making, and a father’s resolve to see justice.

Film director and producer Dean Rainey first became aware of possible vaccination side effects when one of his friends had a severe reaction to a vaccine and, as a result, became seriously ill and disabled. Several years later, his friend is still suffering the effects of the illness.

“One of my friends was having adverse effects, and he wasn’t speaking publicly about the vaccine, but from my research, it seemed like it was connected,” Rainey explained. “My friend is now paralysed and in long-term care. My interest in this is talking about it. Vaccine injuries aren’t anything new, they’ve been around as long as we’ve had vaccines. But we’re not even allowed to dialogue about it. People may think my films are anti-vax, but they’re not anti-vax, they’re just looking at what has happened to individuals. The government acknowledges that there are vaccine injuries, that’s why there is a vaccine injury support program.”

As a filmmaker, Rainy usually makes television commercials and related video productions. Through his friend, the idea of making a documentary on a possible connection between a vaccine and illness seemed to make sense.

He began working on a documentary about the subject, but he hit a wall of silence when he tried to interview medical professionals about the vaccine.

Several doctors, off the record, admitted they had seen adverse side effects from the vaccine.

Rainey managed to locate other people who suffered from post-vaccine trauma.

Several people at screenings of his film mentioned Sean. Through a series of events, he connected with Dan Hartman and decided to tell his story.

The Shot: Sean Harman’s Story is being shown in theatres across Canada and the US, creating both awareness and controversy.

The film will be shown locally in Alliston in Rotary Hall at the Gibson Cultural Centre on Sunday, May 24, with a 2 p.m. screening.

You can book tickets by visiting www.supportsean.ca, or by showing up on screening day; however, seating is limited, so book in advance to secure a seat.

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