The original documentary, Travels with George: A Journey Through Depression, Connection, & Friendship, will premiere on Buffalo Toronto PBS this Sunday, February 15, 2026, at 5:30 p.m., and again on Friday, February 27, 2026, at 10:30 p.m.
The 18-minute film follows Dan Lukasik, a local attorney, and his mentee, George Tillmon, whose mentorship-based relationship grew into a lifelong friendship. Despite their differences in background, age, and life experience, Dan and George’s bond demonstrates the transformative power of connection, trust, and mutual support. Over a ten-year relationship with George, whom he met at St. Luke’s Mission of Mercy, Dan found unexpected healing from his own battle with depression. The documentary premiered at the University at Buffalo’s Center for the Arts last October, in recognition of National Depression Awareness Month in the U.S.
Travels With George was produced in collaboration with Compeer Buffalo, a nonprofit dedicated to reducing loneliness and improving mental wellness by connecting people to meaningful, supportive friendships. The documentary features Compeer founder Bunny Skirboll and CEO Cheri Alvarez, whose leadership reflects the organization’s longstanding belief that friendship itself can be a powerful tool for healing and mental wellness. The film also includes interviews with Georgette Hughes, George’s mother, and Jean Marinaro, a missionary at St. Luke’s Mission, which serves as the story’s backdrop.
Here more about the film, in this interview with Channel 7’s Eileen Buckley.
This is the second documentary by Lukasik and local independent filmmaker Mark Anthony Dellas. Dellas’s 2024 documentary, “My Brother Lost in Time: A Bipolar Life,” tells the story of Lukasik’s relationship with his younger brother Paul, who struggled with bipolar disorder and lost his battle with the disease three years ago. It also made its television debut on PBS, and the 15-minute film is available in full online.
To learn more about Travels with George and My Brother Lost in Time, visit the Buffalo Depression Project, a website recently launched by Lukasik to provide information, support, and resources, as well as blogs from experts and those with lived experience of mental illness.