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Meet the Filmmaker: Chanin Russo, “Drown With Me”

Q: Why did you become a filmmaker?
CR: I always loved movies and wanted to be a part of the magical world of cinema.

Q: What are we going to see at EFPalooza? Has it screened elsewhere and what are your plans for it?
CR: This was one of the first short films I made at Colorado Film School. This is the second showing that we have had and I am happy to be able to show off my lead actors!

Q: What else are you working on?
CR: I am currently working on my next short film that starts production in a couple of weeks.

Q: Tell us one weird thing about you and/or your movies?
CR: I edit and score my own movies. I would love to branch out and contribute to other people’s films.

Q: Where can people go to find out more about you and your work?
CR: https://soundcloud.com/chaninofficial – For Music or Contact
https://twitter.com/chaninofficial – For Updates on Projects or Contact
https://www.facebook.com/chaninofficial – For Updates on Projects or Contact

Q: Is there anything you’d like to say about EFPalooza or The Emerging Filmmakers Project?
CR: I am very fortunate to have the opportunity to show my film at the EFPalooza! I am looking forward to meeting everyone there and networking with some talented people.

Drown With Me will screen Saturday, February 23rd at 3:00 p.m. at The Bug Theatre as part of the Dramatic Shorts block during the 2019 EFPalooza Film Festival.

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Meet the Filmmaker: William Briggs, “Silk” (teaser)

Q: Why did you become a filmmaker?
WB: We would visit my creative older cousins in the summers and we would make crazy kiddish films on super-8. We did super hero films, and Dungeons & Dragons, mad scientists. And then when VHS came out I wrote and directed our first talkie Dracula’s Daughter, as well as two 20 minute episodes of Doctor Who.

Q: What are we going to see at the EFP? Has it screened elsewhere and what are your plans for it?
WB: This is a 3-minute “teaser” for Silk a 30-minute short film noir in pre-production. It’s the debut and we’re going to post it to raise some funding for a real location shoot, etc.

Q: What else are you working on?
WB: Other than full steam ahead on Silk, I am writing a magic-fu action film next, hoping to do a little green-screen and wire-work, with other seed ideas already in the pipeline. I also just finished co-writing an episode for the upcoming Replicant Terminus: Revelations TV series.

Q: Tell us one weird thing about you and/or your movies?
WB: Well, if I ever get a studio started I’ll probably call it “Silent Sickies” because that’s what we called the old Super-8 films. Also, that Dr. Who film? Yeah, I sent it to Tom Baker who was gracious enough to actually write me a post card which I’ve kept ever since.

Q: Where can people go to find out more about you and your work?
WB: Well I am in IMDB and have a YouTube channel I am starting where I will start uploading those films over time for my cousins & family to see.

Q: Is there anything you’d like to say about EFPalooza or The Emerging Filmmakers Project?
WB: It’s an awesome forum for everyone to get their visions seen by all — I’ve been coming for teo years and its always so friendly and collaborative — it’s just a great experience to be up close and personal with local film makers! I am so honored to be included in the year-end Palooza!

Silk (teaser) will screen Saturday, February 23rd at 3:00 p.m. at The Bug Theatre as part of the Colorado Sneak Peek block during the 2019 EFPalooza Film Festival.

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Meet the Filmmakers: John Aden and Ellen K. Graham, “Minerva Black and the Killer Robot Army” (preview)

Q: Why did you become a filmmaker?
J&E: We started Shocking Beyond Belief Films to comment on the current political climate through sensational genre films.

Q: What are we going to see at EFPalooza? Has it screened elsewhere and what are your plans for it?
J&E: This is the trailer for our upcoming web series Minerva Black and the Killer Robot Army. In the vein of the old Saturday matinee cliffhangers (i.e., Flash Gordon), the six-part serial tells the story of a small-town newspaper reporter who takes on a greedy corporation and its army of killer robots in a comically fierce takedown of government’s love of corporate money. We had the world premiere of all six episodes at the Bug in November. We are currently submitting the series to film festivals.

Q: What else are you working on?
J&E: Our next project will be Anomaly, a TV series. Think steampunk plus Star Trek divided by Love Boat.

Q: Tell us one weird thing about you and/or your movies?
J&E: Interestingly, we were a filmmaker (John) and a playwright (Ellen) long before we met, but it wasn’t until after we were married that we decided to try to collaborate.

Q: Where can people go to find out more about you and your work?
J&E: ShockingBeyondBelief.com.

Q: Is there anything you’d like to say about EFPalooza or The Emerging Filmmakers Project?
J&E: We are always honored to show our films at EFP and the Bug. Here Come the Brides!, The Gulon, and Tearfully So (other SBB projects) all got their premieres at EFP and the Bug.

Minerva Black and the Killer Robot Army (preview) will screen Saturday, February 23rd at 3:00 p.m. at The Bug Theatre as part of the Colorado Sneak Peek block during the 2019 EFPalooza Film Festival.

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Meet the Filmmaker: Becca Pearce, “Bump In The Road”

Q: What are we going to see at EFPalooza? Has it screened elsewhere and what are your plans for it?
BP: Bump In The Road is a dialogue-free, movement driven story about a clowning duo, heavily inspired by Buster Keaton.
(and because everyone always asks, I promise the clowns are not scary!)

Q: Where can people go to find out more about you and your work?
BP: Not to sound like a stereotypical millennial…@no_credentials on Twitter/Instagram

Bump In The Road will screen Saturday, February 23rd at 8:00 p.m. at The Bug Theatre as part of the Narrative & Documentary Shorts block during the 2019 EFPalooza Film Festival.

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Meet the Filmmaker: Jenny Shen, “Bunny Man”

Q: Why did you become a filmmaker?
JS: I wouldn’t call myself a filmmaker because I’ve only spent a few weeks of the summer making films. But I certainly enjoy the process of screen writing, filming and editing and understand how much dedication you must have as a filmmaker to develop a film from it’s concept to the stage at which it can be screened. It’s a long and tiring process, but you have to remember to enjoy it as well.

Q: What are we going to see at EFPalooza? Has it screened elsewhere and what are your plans for it?
JS: Bunny Man and other short films were screened at NYU Tisch last summer.

Q: What else are you working on?
JS: I recently scored a short film and have been working on a classical EP which will be available on SoundCloud very soon. I am also writing Japanese inspired music for a game.

Q: Tell us one weird thing about you and/or your movies?
JS: Most of my movies have a somewhat disturbing concept, are abtract and use puppets or masks.

Q: Where can people go to find out more about you and your work?
JS: You can find my other films on my YouTube channel and music on Soundcloud. I will upload everything on my Facebook page soon as well.

Q: Is there anything you’d like to say about EFPalooza or The Emerging Filmmakers Project?
JS: It’s an honour to have my film screened and I am really greatful to the talented cast and crew for their hard work throughout the filming process. Thank you!

Bunny Man will screen Thursday, February 21st at 8:00 p.m. at The Bug Theatre as part of the Emerging Filmmakers Project block during the 2019 EFPalooza Film Festival.

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Meet the Filmmaker: Scott Homan, “XJW | Coming Out of the Jehovah’s Witness Religion (pitch video)”

Q: Why did you become a filmmaker?
SH: I was given Kodak 110 as a pre-teen. It’s been an ongoing passion to work with cameras ever since. Our high-school had an incredible broadcast TV and documentary course. We tried everything from live news and weather, experimental dream shorts, skateboard videos to a short Y2K doc and a even feature travel documentary in Europe. There was a lot of creativity there and I eventually went to photography school after running cameras and sound at a TV station. Film became for me the place where I could obsess about storytelling in a way that still photography used to grip me. I feel like I’m still becoming a filmmaker and I kind of never want that growth and drive to stop.

Q: What are we going to see at EFPalooza? Has it screened elsewhere and what are your plans for it?
SH: Last year an old friend and I decided to put out an idea for crowdfunding using this pitch video. I believe you’ll see our 4 min teaser for the same project, “XJW | Coming Out of the Jehovah’s Witness Religion (pitch video)”

Around 100,000 people leave the religion every year from countless countries. The teaser and pitch videos highlight three people from Portland, OR, Munich, Germany and Hanoi, Vietnam. We give a bit of insight into their personalities, cultures and reasons they left everything they believed behind, as well as family, for freedom.

We were successful in raising funds to shoot this XJW doc series from Seed and Spark https://www.seedandspark.com/fund/xjwdoc#updates/16538. You can follow the project there. I’ve self funded the editing so far. The A-Roll rough cut just came back last month! We are really excited to piece the stories together!

Q: What else are you working on?
SH: I’ve just put the final touches on a feature documentary called, Nhạc Underground – REC Room Anthology. Nhạc means music in Vietnamese so Music Underground. From the perspective of the musician owners and the community in their orbit we follow a DIY style music venue called, REC Room, that opened on the 20th story rooftop of a tower in the capital city of Vietnam. They break ground and create space for a lot of new original musicians and tours. The feature includes six full length music videos most of which I directed and shot with a small team. There are a number of other glimpses into this unique and multi-cultural music scene. Trailer: https://youtu.be/6hZLCDDJMvs

Q: Tell us one weird thing about you and/or your movies?
SH: Well I spend a lot of time thinking and planning what I will create. Although I watch lots of docs and tv series I barely study or pay attention to what some particular director is doing. I couldn’t name drop if I wanted to. People keep asking me if I even watch movies. The answer is that I definitely binge a lot of streamed series. My projects are absolutely informed by thousands of other films and series but more in an intuitive way. I also like to use seemingly unrelated B-Roll shots with interview voice over.

Q: Where can people go to find out more about you and your work?
SH: For February this link works Biscottifilms.strikingly.com. (Most likely we will land at biscottifilms.com) We are presently rebranding. XJWdoc.com is a great place to sign up and follow the XJW project. Music videos are on Vimeo here: https://vimeo.com/bananaislandtv and there are even more videos on youtube here: http://bit.ly/2TGuI20 We plan to submit a number of small projects to EFP this year. Stay tuned

Q: Is there anything you’d like to say about EFPalooza or The Emerging Filmmakers Project?
SH: EFP is an incredible resource here in Denver! It’s a great place to screen in terms of sound and screen quality. There’s a great history at the Bug Theater and a supportive community. I look forward to submitting again this year. Keep on bring filmmakers and the community together!

XJW | Coming Out of the Jehovah’s Witness Religion (pitch video) will screen Saturday, February 23rd at 3:00 p.m. at The Bug Theatre as part of the Colorado Sneak Peek block during the 2019 EFPalooza Film Festival.

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Meet the Filmmaker: Daniel Crosier, “Camp Crash Episode 1”

Q: Why did you become a filmmaker?
DC: Art is naturally a storytelling instrument. I wanted to be a comic book artist. I became a performance group director with OFM: OdAm fEI mUd, a fight choreographed play about tyranny, with samurai demons, blood canons, aerialists, and live band. I started dabbling in film at this time, and as OFM ended, film was where I wanted to put my efforts. The stage performance occurred over 8 years week in and out, with a giant rotating cast. I wore too many hats. It was delightful. With film, I can get my friends together for a shorter time and have this record of the fun we had on set, telling a story. I love my friends. I love working with them and creating new things.

Q: What are we going to see at EFPalooza? Has it screened elsewhere and what are your plans for it?
DC: You will see a small chapter introducing the world of Camp Crash. The Kids being sent to summer camp after an economic down turn, only to be hijacked by Hagar T Mangtooth (Allan Elijah Cutler), warrior of the wasteland, and camp counselor. It is a crazy weird romp – with a musical number!

I have done some private and public screenings. It has not screened for a film festival. Every thing I have ever submitted to a film fest has never been accepted. Ha! I find that endearing.

EFP is the exception. They have always welcomed me with open arms. For that I am grateful. I think EFP is a fantastic platform. It has helped give voice to local filmmakers, and even launched a few careers.

Q: What else are you working on?
DC: We’re continuing to film Camp Crash. We just shot the second episode. We’ll start planning the third. Finished a script for a horror film featuring The Enigma (X-Files). Working on a couple comic book projects including Stanley Kaiju with writer Elisa Sargent. Even working on a short film with her. We’ve been shooting episodes of Lucha Libre and Laughs through our Cafe Crash collective. I am also helping put together COFOH Colorado Festival of Horror and developing content for that.

Q: Tell us one weird thing about you and/or your movies?
DC: I am weird, therefore they are weird. Making films are weird in general. I once shot a series called the Hole Minute. We did VO of footage of displayed anal beads, nasty socks and moldy fruit. Ryan, my friend and DP nearly hurled from the odor of the makeshift set. It was gross. Never occurred to me to make anything fake on that set.

Q: Where can people go to find out more about you and your work?
DC: Right now you can watch my first feature mickumentary, Isolation Man, on Amazon Prime, https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07NF87L8Y/ref=cm_sw_r_fa_dp_c_7k4wCbWPMNZ8R?fbclid=IwAR2gI92-X6Y278zdHuerGs0FZfmk4SPBYZWrrMKETfbEANWZe6wWkEtlqho

You can follow us on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/cafecrashdenver/

Q: Is there anything you’d like to say about EFPalooza or The Emerging Filmmakers Project?
DC: We love you guys. Let’s do more cool shit together! You have always been generous towards my endeavors and my friends. We thank you!

Camp Crash Episode 1 will screen Saturday, February 23rd at 3:00 p.m. at The Bug Theatre as part of the Colorado Sneak Peek block during the 2019 EFPalooza Film Festival.

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Meet the Filmmaker: Catherine Sullivan, “Half Lost”

Q: Why did you become a filmmaker?
CS: Since I was quite young I’ve always had a fascination with movies, however it wasn’t until college did I realize becoming a filmmaker was a possible career choice. I love film’s power to transport you to a specific place and time and to portray so many different voices and perspectives. I more specifically became fascinated with the camera because of its ability to show you rather than tell. The lighting and framing choices can infer just as much as a line of dialogue.

Q: What else are you working on?
CS: Currently I’m working on building my reel and expanding my film network. I’ve been working on commercials to get a taste of bigger productions, starting a documentary podcast with a friend and fellow documentary appreciator, and shooting a lot of outdoor film photography.

Q: Tell us one weird thing about you and/or your movies?
CS: By studying foreign film, more specifically Danish and Japanese, in university and spending as much of my free time outdoors I’ve developed a love for highlighting the location in my filming style; making the place a subtle character through wider, longer, and if possible naturally lit shots.

Q: Where can people go to find out more about you and your work?
CS: People can discover more about my work through my instagram @catherinemarie_sullivan and www.vimeo.com/catherinesullivan, as well as listen to my documentary podcast @adocumentarypodcast.

Q: Is there anything you’d like to say about EFPalooza or The Emerging Filmmakers Project?
CS: This is my first time at EFPalooza and I really appreciate the space to recognize local filmmaking!

Half Lost will screen Saturday, February 23rd at 1:00 p.m. at The Bug Theatre as part of the Dramatic Shorts block during the 2019 EFPalooza Film Festival.

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Meet the Filmmaker: Mike Dunn, “Abductee”

Q: Why did you become a filmmaker?
MD: When I was about 6 years old, my dad rented Sam Raimi’s Army of Darkness. I ended up grabbing it one afternoon and watching it with a friend. Outside of finding the film hysterical, something clicked in my soul. The camera movement was so fluid and unique to me, that it was the first time I really grasped what a filmmaker actually was. Soon after I started making my own films in the backyard and finding out that it’s probably the most fun thing to do. And, it just kept going from there.

Q: What are we going to see at EFPalooza? Has it screened elsewhere and what are your plans for it?
MD: A film I made called Abductee, an alien abduction film horror film. It has only been screened at EMF. My plans with it are just to put it on YouTube to share with the world, currently.

Q: What else are you working on?
MD: I’m finishing up another horror short right now, about found footage, and YouTube fame. After that, I’m working on a bigger project that lies somewhere between Invader Zim and Stranger Things. So we’ll see how that goes!

Q: Tell us one weird thing about you and/or your movies?
MD: Basically in every thing I do I steal from Sam Raimi one way or another. Sort of my way of paying homage to the guy who sparked my imagination.

Q: Where can people go to find out more about you and your work?
MD: Currently, just my YouTube channel, which should get more love, but that’s where all my work ends up.
Mike Dunn

Q: Is there anything you’d like to say about EFPalooza or The Emerging Filmmakers Project?
MD: I think it’s an amazing way for up and coming filmmakers to share their work and meet new people in the community! Plus, the Q&A’s are pretty fun!

Abductee will screen Friday, February 22nd at 9:00 p.m. at The Bug Theatre as part of the Dark, SciFi & Horror Shorts block during the 2019 EFPalooza Film Festival.

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Meet the Filmmaker: Maureen Lee Maloney, “Girl Aspiring”

Q: Why did you become a filmmaker?
MM: I was finishing a graduate degree in biology, and my mentors were really pushing the need for more science communicators, when I met a young woman who was making a documentary. I had been interested in photography for a long time, and the idea of making documentaries really appealed to me. Soon after I took a filmmaking bootcamp class and totally fell in love with it, bought a camera, and started traveling the world making short films.

Q: What are we going to see at EFPalooza? Has it screened elsewhere and what are your plans for it?
MM: Girl Aspiring is a web series featuring women in a variety of careers. Episode 1 will be shown at EFPalooza, and it is about a local cider maker. Girl Aspiring can be viewed on Youtube, and I plan to feature lots of cool women all around the world.

Q: What else are you working on?
MM: I am currently finishing a pilot I produced and directed for an unscripted show titled Hidden Tigers, as well as developing a feature-length documentary.

Q: Tell us one weird thing about you and/or your movies?
MM: I’ve had over 20 different kinds of jobs in my life.

Q: Where can people go to find out more about you and your work?
MM: MaureenLeeMaloney.com

Q: Is there anything you’d like to say about EFPalooza or The Emerging Filmmakers Project?
MM: It’s so great having a place to show my work, and see other local artists.

Girl Aspiring will screen Thursday, February 21st at 8:00 p.m. at The Bug Theatre as part of the Emerging Filmmakers Project block during the 2019 EFPalooza Film Festival.