Q: Why did you become a filmmaker?
A: Growing up, I was always a huge fan of movies and was amazed of the impact they could have. The medium can be very powerful and change lives. From my first experience making a film to now, I have been propelled by this desire to make stories that can entertain but also reach people emotionally.
Q: What are we going to see at the EFP? Has it screened elsewhere and what are your plans for it?
A: It’s a short film called Lights Over Chautauqua that was shot here in Boulder. It’s a blend of science fiction and drama as a young man tries to understand what happened to him during a traumatic abduction experience. The journey to discovering the truth also leads him on a the path to repairing a broken relationship with the love of his life. It’s screened at a couple festivals to start off with and is now available on Amazon Prime. But our ultimate goal is to launch a series from it.
Q: What else are you working on?
A: I have a few features in development. Jasmine is an inspirational true life story about Native American Hoop Dancer Jasmine Pickner Bell. Also, The Depositionist, a thriller about a disbarred lawyer turned video-deposition cameraman who crosses the line and gets involved with a client who claims her ex-husband is planning to kill her.
Q: Tell us one weird thing about you and/or your movies?
A: I’ve ever done the same genre twice. Technically, a few have been classified as dramas but they are always hyphened something else. Comedy, medical drama thriller, fight film, urban rapper film…but never the same genre twice. Not sure why it’s worked out that way.
Q: Where can people go to find out more about you and your work?
A: https://www.crystalrockentertainment.com/
Q: Is there anything you’d like to say about The Emerging Filmmakers Project?
A: This will be my first time attending so I am excited for what’s in store. I am very grateful for those folks who put in the effort to create this experience for filmmakers to showcase their work. They are unsung heroes. So, truthfully, thank you.
Lights Over Chautauqua will screen during The Emerging Filmmakers Project on Thursday, January 16th at The Bug Theatre.