Tough Love began as an assignment in NYU's Sight & Sound: Filmmaking class. The footage that became Tough Love was originally intended to be B-Roll, shot as the sun was dipping too low for them to capture real coverage for the original narrative piece. The intimacy between actors and director bred improvisational moments of laughter and tears, of dancing and fighting. It became apparent that night, and in the proceeding weeks of editing, that the real story lived in this secondary footage. Professor David Irving nominated Tough Love to showcase at NYU's WinterFest Screening (2022).