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Meet the Filmmaker: Michael Bliss, “Clown”

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 with ABC, FOX, ESPN, and working on many films and Documentaries. I have also worked for and with great directors like Robert Rodriquez, Richard Linklater and Quentin Tarantino. Currently I am creating live television shows at DOM and working for imADgine Studios.

Q: What are we going to see at the EFP? Has it screened elsewhere and what are your plans for it?
MB: Clown is a film I shot in Austin on Super 8 Film. It was for a film festival similar to the 48 Hour Film Project. They gave us a soundtrack and you had to shoot on Super 8 Film with that soundtrack. It was one of the best in fest films.

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 also have many films I am currently working on. Here is a couple 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

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 The Asylum 3:33pm pops up for one minute. It was an accident that we hit the button for the time to pop up on the screen and now its time stamped on that film forever.

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

Q: Is there anything you’d like to say about The Emerging Filmmakers Project?
MB: We love Patrick Sheridan and everybody involved with EFP. So grateful to have a venue like The Bug and all the wonderful people that help run EFP and all the Film Festivals held there. Thank you so much for supporting our film and art commUNITY.

Clown will screen at The Emerging Filmmakers Project on Thursday, March 16th at The Bug Theatre.

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Meet the Filmmaker: Carlos Daniel Flores, “I Stand Still: a love poem”

Q: Why did you become a filmmaker?
CF: Filmmaking is one of those things I somewhat inadvertently stumbled upon when I was younger. I already had a passion for music, writing, art and photography, and film just beautifully puts all of those together. I love the technical challenge, the endless possibilities for telling the human story, and just about everything about the process.

Q: What are we going to see at the EFP? Has it screened elsewhere and what are your plans for it?
CF: I Stand Still is a freeform exploration of the love between two women and the challenges arising from the protagonist’s fears. It premiered at the Southern Colorado Film Festival in Alamosa. This is the second in a series of short cinematic poems, conceived mostly to hone our skills, open up our creative process with a more improvisational flow, and meeting new talented people in the Denver area. The production process for this one was unique in that, while most of the shots were planned in detail, the argument between the lovers that becomes the focus of the story was entirely improvised on the spot.

Q: What else are you working on?
CF: I am currently entering production for an exciting short poem, Con tus manos, which will feature a dance between two men, and refining a feature length screenplay to be produced here in Denver!

Q: Tell us one weird thing about you and/or your movies?
CF: I’ll watch almost anything with the subtitles on… I hate missing things!

Q: Where can people go to find out more about you and your work?
CF: For general updates, www.facebook.com/watcheyestudios
For new movies, www.vimeo.com/watcheyestudios
And for artwork, www.1-carlos-flores.pixels.com

Q: Is there anything you’d like to say about The Emerging Filmmakers Project?
CF: This is my second time at the EFP. Last time was a lot of fun, can’t wait to see the other projects and meet some more cool peoplez!

I Stand Still: a love poem will screen at The Emerging Filmmakers Project on Thursday, March 16th at The Bug Theatre.

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Meet the Filmmaker: Bradley Haag, “365 Day Video Project – 2016”

Q: Why did you become a filmmaker?
BH: It seemed like a good idea at the time.

Q: What are we going to see at the EFP? Has it screened elsewhere and what are your plans for it?
BH: You’re going to see 365 2-second video clips from each day of my year in 2016. So far, it can only be seen online and I plan to continue this project through 2017.

Q: What else are you working on?
BH: How much time do you have? While I’m trying to get all my films turned into blu-rays with cool special features, I’m also producing my weekly podcast (Reel Nerds Podcast) and writing the second season of the companion web-series and hoping to lens it over the summer,

Q: Tell us one weird thing about you and/or your movies?
BH: One weird thing is that we have to perform a human sacrifice before and after each production.

Q: Where can people go to find out more about you and your work?
BH: Nebulusvisions.com mostly has everything I do on it, but if you wanna follow me like a friggin’ stalker, you can keep up via my instagram @nebulusvisions.

Q: Is there anything you’d like to say about The Emerging Filmmakers Project?
BH: Thank you for accepting experimental video and giving it a platform among traditional films. I hope EFP can help encourage filmmakers to branch out and play with the unconventional.

365 Day Video Project – 2016 will screen at The Emerging Filmmakers Project on Thursday, March 16th at The Bug Theatre.

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Meet the Filmmaker: D.K. Johnston, “Father of Lies”

Q: Why did you become a filmmaker?
DK: I got into filmmaking when I was young, but really took it on full time in high school. I enjoyed taking short stores and turning them into film-ready scripts. I produced my first short with a buddy of mine Mike Collier, who is actually the DP for Father of Lies, and we just took off from there. I’ve always enjoyed the process of telling a god story whether it was on paper or on the screen. Developing new characters, and in some cases, new worlds to explore. I have become more of a project manager and facilitator for various projects ranging from comedies and dramas to commercials and documentaries. As long as I’m on set I’m a happy guy.

Q: What are we going to see at the EFP? Has it screened elsewhere and what are your plans for it?
DK: We are screening a film I produced in 2015 called Father of Lies, which is one in a 5 part series of shorts directed by Levi A. Taylor. Through this short we learn about a young boy named Jack Ryder and his family. In this story we find Jack on a camping trip with this father Billy Ray, and learn a little of about a very memorable experience Billy Ray had when he was a Preacher. All of the tales in these short films are slightly fictionalize stories from the director’s childhood. While sometimes disturbing, these stories helped shape the man he is today.

Q: What else are you working on?
DK: Currently I’m producing a Colorado-based feature comedy shot in the Denver/Boulder area. We have an Indiegogo campaign running right now raising funds to put the finishing touches on post-production, and an eventual release to either film festival or distribution. Maybe a combination of both. You can find out more at https://www.indiegogo.com/projects/army-coop-feature-comedy-post-production/x/5485433#/

I’m also collaborating with a new production service company called Ironsmith Films based at The Lot. Currently directing commercial and corporate productions.

Q: Tell us one weird thing about you and/or your movies?
DK: When ever I am producing a film or commercial I typically become the set’s First Assistant Director at the same time. As a fun tradition I carry a lightsaber hilt on my belt. Makes it easy to find me in the crowd.

Q: Where can people go to find out more about you and your work?
DK: You can visit the following websites to see work I’m currently working on.
www.trisevenpictures.com
www.crookedpictures.com
www.goironsmith.com

Q: Is there anything you’d like to say about The Emerging Filmmakers Project?
DK: I’m very excited to be included in the EFPlooza this year, and look forward to seeing all the great films that were programmed this year. EFP has been a great way to network with like minded individual who share my passion for storytelling. I’m sure it will continue to be so for many years.

Father of Lies will screen at The Emerging Filmmakers Project on Thursday, March 16th at The Bug Theatre.

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Meet the Filmmaker: JoseLuis Rodriguez, “Endless Taiga”

EndlessTaiga_JoseLuisFernandoRodriguezEndless Taiga | https://www.youtube.com/user/CinemaReserved

Q: Why did you become a filmmaker?
JR: In short, I would say that the art of film-making drew me in because it is one of the major mediums necessary for the realization of stories, and as a story teller myself it is my task to be able to use or locate someone who can use whatever medium will best serve the story I wish to tell.

Q: What are we going to see at the EFP? Has it screened elsewhere and what are your plans for it?
JR: The film being shown at the EFP is Endless Taiga which I would describe as a surreal narrative that details the possible lives of a young boy. That’s all I am willing to say as the giving too much of my own interpretation will undoubtedly bias the audience when they experience it.

Q: What else are you working on?
JR: Currently, my attention is being spent on assisting my fellow producers create their own films, but two potential screen plays are in the works and once a slot opens I will surely begin production.

Q: Tell us one weird thing about you and/or your movies?
JR: I would say that the initial inception of the film was quite strange given the fact that the original screen play was written as a spiteful joke playing on all the stereotypes of artistic films due to my previous screen play being rejected.

Q: Where can people go to find out more about you and your work?
JR: I would say that if you are interested in the film you saw, please feel free to pay a visit to our YouTube page “Reserved Pictures” which contains all of the films my fellow producers and I have made in the past three years.

Q: Is there anything you’d like to say about The Emerging Filmmakers Project?
JR: I would just like to thank you for the opportunity to show my film at this event.

Endless Taiga will screen January 17th at 3:00 p.m. during EFPalooza 2015 at The Bug Theatre.

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Meet the Filmmaker: Cook St. Productions, “Pitch Perfect 237”

Pitch Perfect 237cookstproductions.com

478796_450639528317489_476067622_oQ: Why did you become a filmmaker?
CS: This may sound too simple, but the four of us have been friends for over a decade, and have always bonded over a love for comedy. We would always talk about writing a movie, but our 20s got in the way. So when we started Cook St. in 2011, it meant that we would never have to wonder ‘what could have been.’

Q: What are we going to see at the EFP? Has it screened elsewhere and what are your plans for it?
CS: We are watching Pitch Perfect 237, which we showed at OSN’s December screening. It’s loaded with copyrighted material so there are no plans to submit it anywhere fancy. But we did put it on YouTube and were lucky to have some viral traction; it currently has over 550,000 views, and not all of those can be our parents, right? Right?

Q: What else are you working on?
CS: We spent the last year doing sketches, but are happy to return to longer narratives in 2015. We have a web series premiering by the end of the month, and are currently developing a short film to shoot this spring, barring any major arguments that cause Cook St. to split up and friendships to perish.

Q: Tell us one weird thing about you and/or your movies?
CS: Everyone always assumes we’re a group of black actors wearing whiteface, but it’s not true — we’re very much white in real life.

Q: Where can people go to find out more about you and your work?
CS: Everything we’ve ever done is at our website, cookstproductions.com, and you can also check out our channel(s) on YouTube and FunnyOrDie, which have over 40 of our videos from the past 3 years.

Q: Is there anything you’d like to say about The Emerging Filmmakers Project?
CS: We’re honored to be screened and just excited to check out the glut of local films at this festival. It’s great to get out of our own bubble and just see all the talent and hard work happening everywhere you look in Denver.

Pitch Perfect 237 will screen January 16th at 9:00 p.m. during EFPalooza 2015 at The Bug Theatre.

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Meet the Filmmaker: Leon Welling, “Man Gurgles Mouthwash (and Then Dies)”

Man Gurgles Mouthwash (and Then Dies)Droodfilms.com

flea guyQ: Why did you become a filmmaker?
LW: To have a talking point at a super loud bar.

Q: What are we going to see at the EFP? Has it screened elsewhere and what are your plans for it?
LW: Man Gurgles Mouthwash and then Dies ( has screened once before) No plans.

Q: What else are you working on?
LW: Animated Series called “Bad Pink”, “Hatebot”, and full feature film “Costigan Bloch”

Q: Tell us one weird thing about you and/or your movies?
LW: There are jars of Nutella everywhere.

Q: Where can people go to find out more about you and your work?
LW: They can visit my website Droodfilms.com along with my youtube channel appropriately called “LeonWelling”

Q: Is there anything you’d like to say about The Emerging Filmmakers Project?
LW: Cool place to meet people and there’s beer. There is always beer.

Man Gurgles Mouthwash (and Then Dies) will screen January 16th at 7:00 p.m. during EFPalooza 2015 at The Bug Theatre.

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Meet the Filmmaker: Mark Roeder, “The Low Road, Baby”

1394991_10202580667628093_1966709595_nThe Low Road, Baby | https://www.facebook.com/TheLowRoadBaby

Q: Why did you become a filmmaker?
MR: I took a screenwriting class in college, and decided that’s what I wanted to do, because I love writing and movies. I like coming up with ideas and constructing stories. I love acting and filmmaking, so I thought I’d like to direct my own scripts. I dreamed about it and did it on the side, then went to Colorado Film School and have been making short films, writing features, and acting to hone my craft.

Q: What are we going to see at the EFP? Has it screened elsewhere and what are your plans for it?
MR: THE LOW ROAD, BABY shows a custody battle that gets out of hand on a highway overpass in roaring traffic. Its 4 minutes of fun, light hearted, fast paced action. The Low Road, Baby screens at film festivals around the world, like Bare Bones, Action On Film, Hoboken, Denver Comic Con, Fester, Blissfest, Galaxy Fest, World Arts, Lemington Spa Underground Cinema, Columbia Gorge, and more. It has surpassed my expectations and actually won 5 awards. I’ll take the Low Road, Baby as far as the road goes.

Q: What else are you working on?
MR: I am rewriting a trippy time travel feature I’ve been getting feedback on and developing to make next. I have recently finished a new short called Fire Ripples, about an escaped mental patient who is chased into a raging forest fire and drags a female fire fire into the fire. He may be insane, but he seems to think he can tame wildfire. Fire Ripples involves pyrotechnics, body burns, and my role as a mental patient. Fire Ripples screens at Galaxy Fest in February in Colorado Springs. .

Q: Tell us one weird thing about you and/or your movies?
MR: My films are unique, ambitious, and twisted. I’m a “delightfully demented” “mad genius” according to Fester Film Festival in L.A. I have a short film called The Crippler, about a girl who falls out of love with her boyfriend when he throws her out a window and cripples her, so she hires The Crippler to cripple her boyfriend. Or The Meatman, which is about a butcher turned scientist who feeds diseased meat to his assistant. The meat eats into his brain and he turns the tables on the evil meatman. Some of my films are comedic but not everyone finds them funny. Some mothers may not find a baby dangling over a bridge above highway traffic funny, yet The Low Road, Baby and The Crippler can get huge laughs.

Q: Where can people go to find out more about you and your work?
MR: https://www.facebook.com/TheLowRoadBaby, https://www.facebook.com/FireRipples, https://www.facebook.com/MarkRoederACTS, http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0736299/, https://twitter.com/MarkRoederActs

Q: Is there anything you’d like to say about The Emerging Filmmakers Project?
MR: The Emerging Filmmakers project is awesome. The quality of films and turnout is high and they have a free keg of beer to loosen people up. They’ve built up a dedicated fan base that comes out month after month. Its a great place to screen films and hosts, like Patrick Sheridan, are fun and require a creative “arbitrary rating” from the audience when they ask questions.

The Low Road, Baby will screen January 17th at 5:00 p.m. during EFPalooza 2015 at The Bug Theatre.

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Meet the Filmmaker: Wendy Duncan, “Clark’s Edible Cupcake Liners”

Wendy Head shotClark’s Edible Cupcake Liners

Q: Why did you become a filmmaker?
WD: I became a filmmaker because I love telling stories, and telling stories through video and film allows me to create intimate moments between the story, the characters and the audience.

Q: What are we going to see at the EFP? Has it screened elsewhere and what are your plans for it?
WD: This weekend everyone will get to see a funny informational spot for Clark’s Edibles Cupcake Liners.

Clark’s Edibles screened at EFP last year and once the product is ready for distribution the piece will air on TV and the internet.

Q: What else are you working on?
WD: Right now I am working on a few different projects. 1 full feature, 1 made for TV movie and a couple of commercials. The most important job I have right now is raising my two kids. 🙂

Q: Tell us one weird thing about you and/or your movies?
WD: This may seem weird to some people but for me it is a blessing. My best friend, Jane Mora, is one of the most creative and imaginative people I know, and she is always used either in front or behind the camera on all my projects.

Q: Where can people go to find out more about you and your work?
WD: My website is a work in progress right now. The best way to keep in touch with me is through FB.

Q: Is there anything you’d like to say about The Emerging Filmmakers Project?
WD: I greatly appreciate what EFP does for the film community. It is a wonderful avenue for filmmakers and aspiring filmmakers to get their pieces seen without a fee, receive valuable feed back form professionals in the industry, and meet new talented and creative people that live in our state and want to work.

Clark’s Edibles Cupcake Liners will screen January 17th at 5:00 p.m. during EFPalooza 2015 at The Bug Theatre.

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Meet the Filmmaker: Bradley Haag, “Jean Claude Van Damme’s Damn Van”

1929203_97002858123_1011065_nJean Claude Van Damme’s Damn Van | nebulusvisions.com

Q: Why did you become a filmmaker?
BH: For the opportunity to work with Jean Claude Van Damme! I followed my dream and it actually came true! Couldn’t be happier.

Q: What are we going to see at the EFP? Has it screened elsewhere and what are your plans for it?
BH: The much-anticipated action comedy Jean Claude Van Damme’s Damn Van! It premiered at the Bug Theater last November to rave laughter and will screen again very soon. Watch our facebook page and/or go to JCVDDV.com to stay up to date on screening info. My plan is to tour it at elementary schools and give children something to aspire to… like teaming up with Dennis Rodman or exacting vengeance for the death of your wife.

Q: What else are you working on?
BH: I’m putting together bonus features for the blu-ray release of JCVDDV, producing Eileen Agosta’s feature-film Trauma, editing Risa Scott’s short film, planning Season 2 of the Reel Nerds Podshow, publishing a book of photos I took from 2014, printing a JCVDDV-themed Cards Against Humanity deck, planning 3 music videos, and cutting a long-overdue sizzle reel for Nebulus Visions’ 15th anniversary.

I’m also learning how to fight with ninja stars.

Q: Tell us one weird thing about you and/or your movies?
BH: I’ve been told I’m good at taking a stupid idea and making it into something awesome. I don’t think I have any great stories in me, but if you hand me a pile of random junk, I’ll turn it into something cool.

Did I mention Jean Claude Van Damme is “in” this movie?

Q: Where can people go to find out more about you and your work?
BH: Go to nebulusvisions.com. Or track me down on the street by yelling “SAVE ME, BATMAN!”

Q: Is there anything you’d like to say about The Emerging Filmmakers Project?
BH: You made an excellent choice to screen JCVDDV. “If your enemy refuses to be humbled… destroy him.”

Jean Claude Van Damme’s Damn Van will screen January 17th at 9:00 p.m. during EFPalooza 2015 at The Bug Theatre.