0

Meet the Filmmaker: Rion Smith, “Haint County”

Q: Why did you become a filmmaker?
RS: To make movies! I’m a visual person and I love storytelling so film seemed like a natural medium for me.

Q: What are we going to see at the EFP? Has it screened elsewhere and what are your plans for it?
RS: It is currently running the festival circuit and on Oct 20 will be shown at the Dicken’s Theater in Longmont.

Q: What else are you working on?
RS: I am working on a Lovecraft inspired short right now, about to begin shooting in the next 10 days.

Q: Tell us one weird thing about you and/or your movies?
RS: My movies are often monster movies and I often build my own props. I rarely get rid of them which means at my house, I have a 6 ft tentacle, several articulated skeletons, 2 full sized aliens, a full sized out house, coffin, gas pump, more monster costumes and masks then I can count, several civil war uniforms and muskets, many skulls of different animals and monsters – the list goes on.

Q: Where can people go to find out more about you and your work?
RS: You tube search my name. I am the first and only (?) Rion Smith and all my work is linked under that profile.

Q: Is there anything you’d like to say about The Emerging Filmmakers Project?
RS: I love you guys and love submitting to you! I am excited to see my stuff on the big screen and excited to support such an awesome project. 🙂

Haint County will screen at The Emerging Filmmakers Project on Thursday, October 19th at The Bug Theatre.

0

Meet the Filmmaker: Jack Dorfman, “The Payout”

Q: Why did you become a filmmaker?
JD: Film is the language I’m most fluent in.

Q: What are we going to see at the EFP? Has it screened elsewhere and what are your plans for it?
JD: This is my application film for the BFA program at CU Boulder (which I have since been accepted into)

Q: What else are you working on?
JD: I’m finishing up post-production on a different short narrative film, while starting preproduction on another.

Q: Tell us one weird thing about you and/or your movies?
JD: I’m usually most inspired by films I don’t like.

Q: Where can people go to find out more about you and your work?
JD: These are my personal pages for more short films:
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC2wAw8JTqv6Sc9ou669_VGA
https://www.definitionindigoproductions.com/
To learn more about me and my team, here is our production company’s website:
https://vimeo.com/user59670252

Q: Is there anything you’d like to say about The Emerging Filmmakers Project?
JD: I’m looking forward to the screening in order to hopefully meet some more young passionate filmmakers like myself!

The Payout will screen at The Emerging Filmmakers Project on Thursday, October 19th at The Bug Theatre.

0

Meet the Filmmaker: Chris Freeman, “Mr. Fuffles”

Q: Why did you become a filmmaker?
CF: Since I was a little kid, I’ve always been obsessed with movies; often watching the entertaining ones over and over. I’ve also always been equally fascinated with the process of making movies; I was that kid who actually watched all the special features on a DVD/Blu Ray. I have always seen film as art, which is probably why I feel I get so much out of it as a viewer and creator. Film has always been my one passion, and I woke up one day a few years ago and said, now is the time. My wife, Rachel Freeman, also loves film and decided she was up for becoming a film editor on these movies we make together.
Q: What are we going to see at the EFP? Has it screened elsewhere and what are your plans for it?
CFMr. Fuffles is a comedy-horror set during Christmas. I’ve always loved horror movies set during Christmas; the neon lighting, the contrast of darkness with what’s supposed to be a peaceful holiday, and the dark humor. Mr. Fuffles has been selected into three film festivals, including the Dickens Horror Film Festival, the Big Terror Horror Short Film Festival, and the Frostbite International Film Festival. The screening at the Dickens Horror Film Festival is on Saturday, October 21st in Longmont, CO; it takes place in the haunted Dickens Opera House.
Q: What else are you working on?
CF: I previously mentioned our next film was a thriller called Speed Trap. However, this has been delayed to 2018. We have a couple horror films we are planning to shoot this fall and winter before tackling Speed Trap again next year.
Q: Tell us one weird thing about you and/or your movies?
CF: We have two chihuahuas: Lula Mae and Daisy Rey. Lula has made it into our first two short films, Girl Meets Germs and Mr. Fuffles. In Girl Meets Germs, she can be seen on the wall in an Andy Warhol-style print behind Mikaela as she wipes down the table. In Mr. Fuffles, she is again on the wall in the form of a Christmas card, wearing a Santa hat. It’s turned into a Where’s Waldo hunt for those paying attention. Poor Daisy has not been featured yet on screen, so maybe it’s her turn.
Q: Where can people go to find out more about you and your work?
Q: Is there anything you’d like to say about The Emerging Filmmakers Project?
CF: The EFP is a great resource for new and established filmmakers in Colorado. The EFP crowd and community are both fun and supportive. I am grateful for the opportunity, and thankful for the hard work the EFP crew puts into programming/screening the event each month.
Mr. Fuffles will screen at The Emerging Filmmakers Project on Thursday, October 19th at The Bug Theatre.
0

Meet the Filmmaker: Lance Armstrong, “The Dragon’s Quest”

Q: Why did you become a filmmaker?
LA: I’ve loved films since I was a kid. Sci-Fi and monster movies with guys in rubber suits, like Godzilla, where my favorite. When I was making digital special effects for Hollywood, I started thinking that I could make films myself. I made my first film, The Rudolf, based on an underground comix, Junkwaffel, that I’ve kept with me ever since the late 1960’s.

Q: What are we going to see at the EFP? Has it screened elsewhere and what are your plans for it?
LA: You’re going to see my film, The Dragon’s Quest, a film I finished in 2013. It was featured at the 2015 Fort Collins Choice City Filmfest. It’s a great little film about not assuming you know the reason something happens until you see the ending of the film. Never second guess a director.

Q: What else are you working on?
LA: Currently, I’m still looking for a good short story I can turn into my next movie.

Q: Tell us one weird thing about you and/or your movies?
LA: I’ve discovered that finding a good story for a film is a lot harder than it looks.

Q: Where can people go to find out more about you and your work?
LA: I will be posting the addresses of my films from Google Drive shortly.

Q: Is there anything you’d like to say about The Emerging Filmmakers Project?
LA: What a great way to get some exposure for your hand-crafted films. And, it’s been going on for twenty years. FANTASTIC.

The Dragon’s Quest will screen at The Emerging Filmmakers Project on Thursday, October 19th at The Bug Theatre.

0

Meet the Filmmaker: Greth Ligon, “I AM”

Q: Why did you become a filmmaker?
GL: The filmmaker can’t make it to the screening, so I’ll be representing the film as the composer. I’ve had a lifelong love of cinema and music, so it was natural for me to gravitate towards film as a musician.

Q: What are we going to see at the EFP? Has it screened elsewhere and what are your plans for it?
GL: I AM is a film that was made for the Weekend Warriors Film Festival, which is the Fort Collins version of the 48 Hour Film Project. Aside from that festival, the film was featured by Fun Size Horror, which is a Los Angeles based filmmaker collective. Not sure of future plans for the film, but hopefully it can find an audience.

Q: What else are you working on?
GL: I’m always working on music, and I’m currently waiting on a couple of upcoming films that I’ll be composing for.

Q: Tell us one weird thing about you and/or your movies?
GL: Hopefully the weird thing is the movie itself!

Q: Where can people go to find out more about you and your work?
GL: https://grethligon.bandcamp.com/

Q: Is there anything you’d like to say about The Emerging Filmmakers Project?
GL: I think the EFP is a great event and I alway love being there. Hope it’s around for many years to come!

I AM will screen at The Emerging Filmmakers Project on Thursday, October 19th at The Bug Theatre.

0

Meet the Filmmaker: Thomas Crandall, “A Moment.”

Q: Why did you become a filmmaker?
TC: I became a filmmaker because I really like how intimate and involved the process is. I could give the canned answer “I love telling stories”, but I don’t really know what that means for me. I like people, and I enjoy putting all of myself into sharing someone’s life perspective. Although it’s terrifying, I love having that final, tangible product at the end and sharing someone else’s story, and a part of myself, with others.

Q: What are we going to see at the Denver Animated Pixelshow? Has it screened elsewhere and what are your plans for it?
TC: I made A Moment. in about 48 hours for a New Year’s Vimeo Weekend Challenge. The theme was New Year’s Resolutions, and so I made this short film about a girl I really liked, and how I made a choice (or didn’t) which I regretted and wanted to re-explore. It screened online and to my surprise, ended up winning the challenge. I’m so glad people connected with the story. This will be its second screening, in addition to “Show Us Your Shorts”, an event through the Pikes Peak Art Council in Colorado Springs. I hope to continue sharing the film with audiences and may consider doing more, similarly personal stories like this as part of a future series.

Q: What else are you working on?
TC: I shot a friend’s feature over the summer, and right now I’m working on editing its proof of concept. The film is a coming of age story about a young girl on a farm in northern California. You can follow the film at https://www.facebook.com/julyrisingfilm/. I’m also developing an idea for a short documentary centering around the question, “Where do you want to be in 5 years?”, in which I plan on interviewing young children (elementary school age) and seniors to gain insight into how time and age might factor into this question.

Q: Tell us one weird thing about you and/or your movies?
TC: I am VERY self conscious and was especially self conscious about this story, but being alone in my house, only my Mom could help me. So, I asked her to help make sure my eyes were in focus, then leave me alone in my room to record the interview. It was strange.

Q: Where can people go to find out more about you and your work?
TC: I am in the process of building a website, so right now the best place to see my work is my vimeo page, vimeo.com/thomascrandall.

Q: Is there anything you’d like to say about Denver Animated Pixelshow and The Emerging Filmmakers Project?
TC: This will be my first Denver Animated Pixelshow and I can’t wait to screen with other amazing, local filmmakers. Thanks for all your work. I really enjoy EFP as a chance to show and support local work, and I can’t wait to share my film with the EFP audience.

A Moment. will screen during the 8:00pm block at the 2017 Denver Animated Pixelshow on Sunday, October 15th at The Bug Theatre.

0

Meet the Filmmaker: Nancy Fingerhood, “Dicks Anonymous”

Q: Why did you become a filmmaker?
NF: I have been creating stories since I was 7 years old and it’s exciting to see them come alive.

Q: What are we going to see at the Denver Animated Pixelshow? Has it screened elsewhere and what are your plans for it?
NF: We are going to see a short comedy called Dicks Anonymous about group therapy for damaged penises. It is up on YouTube and Vimeo.

Q: What else are you working on?
NF: I just put out episode 5 of Mile High Nancy and starting to write episode six.

Q: Tell us one weird thing about you and/or your movies?
NF: I think the idea of a group of dicks in therapy epitomizes the word weird.

Q: Where can people go to find out more about you and your work?
NF: They can go to my YouTube channel Mile High Nancy and my blog Confessions of A Middle Aged Woman Gone Wild.

Q: Is there anything you’d like to say about Denver Animated Pixelshow and The Emerging Filmmakers Project?
NF: This is my first time in the Animated Pixelshow and I’m so glad to be a part of it. I love seeing the creativity presented by all the filmmakers at the EFP.

Dicks Anonymous will screen during the 8:00pm block at the 2017 Denver Animated Pixelshow on Sunday, October 15th at The Bug Theatre.

0

Meet the Filmmaker: Michael Bliss, “The Rose”

Q: Why did you become a filmmaker?
MB: On my 16th birthday I wrote in my journal that I want to be a Filmmaker and Director. Through the years I have made that dream a reality by working for ABC, FOX, ESPN, and working on many Films and Documentaries. I have also worked for and with many great directors like Robert Rodriquez, Richard Linklater and Quentin Tarantino. Currently I am creating live television shows at Denver Open Media and creating programming for Historic Elitch Theatre and helping with phase 3 of restoring the theatre.

Q: What are we going to see at the Denver Animated Pixelshow? Has it screened elsewhere and what are your plans for it?
MB: The Rose is a story about a lonely rose who ends up in a dream inside of the black hole sun and goes on a journey to find out who the rose really is. A Rose.
Be Real. Be True. Be You!
The rose is dedicated to my wife Bonnie Bliss. She is a rose in my life.
The Rose has screened a few other Film Festivals and is currently airing on television.

Q: What else are you working on?
MB: Blissfest333
A multimedia, Cultural Arts, Film Festival
We are creating unity in our commUNITY, bringing love, peace, harmony and bliss to a festival about creativity and individuality.
I am currently working on many film projects. Here is a few of them.

The Troll This is a story about a troll that gets lost in the city.

ZombieFest II “Sloppy Seconds” The Dead are Alive

333 Degrees
3 stories, 3 minutes long tied all together with a bridge.

Q: Tell us one weird thing about you and/or your movies?
MB: The number 333 keeps coming up in my life. In one of my first films shot in the 80’s called The Asylum, 3:33pm pops up in the vide for one minute. It was an accident that we hit the button for the time to pop up on the video and now its time stamped on that film forever. 333 means that we are surrounded by Angels.

I love Clowns and one of my earlier films is about a Clown. I dressed up as a Clown last halloween but stayed indoors because I was scared I might get shot.

Q: Where can people go to find out more about you and your work?
MB: www.blissfest333.org
www.elitchtheatre.org
http://www.etfest.com/

Q: Is there anything you’d like to say about Denver Animated Pixelshow and The Emerging Filmmakers Project?
MB: Thank you, I am truly grateful for EFP and the numerous film festivals they put on every year. This is a great opportunity to get our films screened in a actual theatre and see them on the big screen. It is so great to be able to network with other filmmakers and get to know Denver’s finest talent . Thank you to the Bug theatre and the entire staff who puts on all these events. I am so honored to work with the founder Patrick Sheridan who has been a part of my family’s life and thank you Eileen Agosta the Director of Film Festivals – The Emerging Filmmakers Project. We love you all.

The Rose will screen during the 6:00pm block at the 2017 Denver Animated Pixelshow on Sunday, October 15th at The Bug Theatre.