Emerging Filmmakers Project – The Emerging Filmmakers Project

Meet the Filmmaker: Eric Schlelein, “Tuesday, 1230pm”

Posted on March 15, 2023 by efpdenver

EFP: Why did you become a filmmaker?
ES: It’s something I’ve always had a very keen interest in. I love to create and tell stories, and film is such an interesting and creative medium for storytelling.

EFP: What are we going to see at the EFP? Has it screened elsewhere and what are your plans for it?
ES: This is a first time swing at the world of filmmaking. During this process I learned a ton about filmmaking and am anxious to put what I’ve learned to use on the next project. I’ve shown it to a couple of family and friends, but nothing on this scope. Right now, there are no plans for it, but to use it as a jumping-off point for the next… and the next… and the next…

EFP: What else are you working on?
ES: I’ve always got irons in the fire. I’ve got several screenplays and novels written (nothing published), and I would love to network and collaborate with other filmmakers to see these things come to life!

EFP: Tell us one weird thing about you and/or your movies?
ES: Weird? I don’t know. I think the whole process of pulling images out of your brain and connecting them into a story is a pretty weird thing. I think my eclectic taste in stories has greatly informed my (sometimes) unique approach to storytelling.

EFP: Where can people go to find out more about you and your work?
ES: Social Media is the worst thing to happen to humanity, full stop. I’m happy to talk to people, but I prefer email or face-to-face greetings.

EFP: Is there anything you’d like to say about The Emerging Filmmakers Project?

ES: I’ve been to a few events, and I think this kind of thing is nothing but good. Cheers to the organizers who keep this important work going!

Tuesday, 1230pm will screen during The Emerging Filmmakers Project on Thursday, March 16th, 2023 at The Bug Theatre.

Meet the Filmmaker: Rodney Wess, “Within A Blink of An Eye”

Posted on August 20, 2014 by efpdenver

As I was walking down 16th Street Mall eating my ice cream cone on a hot summer day in Denver… obviously… I couldn’t believe my eyes. I said “Is that you Rodney?” for which he replied “Do I owe you money?” “No.” “Then yes it is.” We both had ice cream… I made him buy his own… as we had us a little chat. Below are the results of that chat.

MM: Why did you become a filmmaker?

RW: I’ve been writing since I’ve been 10, and playing music since the age of 12. I composed an entire score for a film in my early twenties that was never released. When I couldn’t find any other productions to compose for I decide to take my love for story telling and my love for music and embarked on a journey into Filmmaking.

MM: What are we going to see at the EFP? Has it screened elsewhere and what are your plans for it?

RW: The film presented at this EFP will be ‘Within a Blink of an Eye”. It was screened at the Oriental Theater’s open screen night, and was acquired by the Shorts HD channel early this year and will be broadcast on DIRECTV & AT&T U Verse for the next three years starting sometime later this year.

MM: What else are you working on?

RW: I recently signed with a manager in LA, and they want me to focus on writing, so I’ve been working on feature length scripts.

MM: Tell us one weird thing about you and/or your movies?

RW: I was in a thrash/death metal band called Distant Haven for 6 years.

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

RW: They can go to www.rwfilmsllc.com facebook, twitter, IMDB.

MM: Is there anything you’d like to say about The Emerging Filmmakers Project?

RW: EFP is simply amazing. I’m so glad to have screened a few films at EFP. The Bug is awesome, and it’s a great place to network and get feedback on your work.

“Within A Blink of An Eye” will screen at August Emerging Filmmakers Project

Meet the Filmmaker: Karen Morris, “Sham Cooke”

Posted on July 16, 2014 by efpdenver

Sham Cooke – Karen Morris

EA: Why did you become a filmmaker?

KM: First, because I am a movie buff. Second, in order to make movies that I wanted to watch but weren’t being made. Motion Pictures could represent so many more experiences than we’ve been conditioned to expect of them.

EA: What are we going to see at the EFP? Has it screened elsewhere and what are your plans for it?

KM: “Sham Cooke” has not screened anywhere else. It is part of a larger project of four non-sequitur shorts that are all interviews, the first was a dinner date called “Dinner at Hate”, and “Sham Cooke” is the second piece, an interview between a barkeep and a customer. They are both heavily processed in their look.

EA: What else are you working on?

KM: I just finished a short story called “The Summer of Love”.

EA: Tell us one weird thing about you and/or your movies?

KM: Well, the movies themselves are a bit weird. I was going for a Glamor Shots Saloon from outer space sort of look with “Sham Cooke”. I felt “Sham Cooke” and “Dinner at Hate” should look like melted VHS postcards recovered from the trunk of someone’s brain.

EA: Where can people go to find out more about you and your work?

KM: Vimeo, Youtube, Facebook and Linked In.

EA: Is there anything you’d like to say about The Emerging Filmmakers Project?

KM: I’m very grateful that you’ve included me! I hope to see more people get involved with local film production and events like The Emerging Filmmakers Project are a big step forward in achieving that. I’d like to see local movies achieve parity with the local music scene in terms of levels of involvement and awareness.

Sham Cooke will be screening at the July Emerging Filmmakers Project!

Meet the Filmmaker: Tom Khazoyan, “The Enemy God” Trailer

Posted on July 16, 2014 by efpdenver

The Enemy God – www.10XProductions.org

EA: Why did you become a filmmaker?

TK: I was always interested in the arts in general and was a musician, training to be a recording engineer, when I started college. But I had also made a few Super8 movies with my dad when I was a kid. I decided I didn’t want to spend my life recording punk bands in a garage, so I stayed in school and got a degree in tv/film production. I love to be able to tell stories through multiple mediums and I liked the connection of art and technology that filmmaking offered. What gets me excited these days is working cross-culturally to create visual stories and mentoring young filmmakers in other cultures. Been doing it 30+ years now (“emerging”!)

EA: What are we going to see at the EFP? Has it screened elsewhere and what are your plans for it?

TK: My film is the trailer for a dramatic feature I produced a few years ago. It’s the true story of a Yanomamo shaman in the rainforest of Venezuela and the spiritual battle for the survival of his people. We did screen it in a number of festivals, the Denver Film Society gave it a weekend at the StarzFilmCenter, and it has had some kind of release in 12 foreign territories, but little in the US. Our distribution deal recently expired so we’ve decided to put some effort into a very soft re-launch on our own. Coming soon to VOD. Just sent deliverables to Spain for a broadcast release in Spanish. (AND, you can buy the DVD on our web site: www.TheEnemyGod.com)

EA: What else are you working on?

TK: I’m currently polishing two feature screenplays. My team is working on eight short films for internet release in other languages. And I teach filmmaking and screenwriting online to high school students.

EA: Tell us one weird thing about you and/or your movies?

TK: Most of the films I’ve made in the last 15 years have been in languages I don’t speak.

EA: Where can people go to find out more about you and your work?

TK: This film’s web site is www.TheEnemyGod.com and we have a Facebook page you can easily find. My team’s site is www.10XProductions.org. We’re a non-profit film production team.

EA: Is there anything you’d like to say about The Emerging Filmmakers Project?

TK: I love EFP because it is a time for people to show their work to the public that’s just about encouraging the work. It’s about the journey of filmmaking, not about the hype. I think that’s an incredibly valuable contribution to the filmmaking community here in Denver.

The Enemy God Trailer will be screening at the July Emerging Filmmakers Project!

Meet The Filmmaker, Mona Maser, “Rite of Spring”

Posted on May 15, 2014 by efpdenver

While passionately chasing my dreams I ran into Mona who was kind enough to leave the rope swing long enough to answer a few question for me… and if you were wondering I did catch the ice cream truck. Who says dreams don’t come true.

MM: Why did you become a filmmaker?

MM: I thought I was being brave and following my dream — now I’m wondering what I was thinking.

MM: What are we going to see at the EFP? Has it screened elsewhere and what are your plans for it?

MM: This is a short film I did for fun. Well, I really did it to submit to the traveling New Belgian Short Film Fest – but it didn’t get in.

MM: What else are you working on?

MM: I’ve been working on web videos for small businesses but am also working on a short documentary and educational short films for elementary age children on social issues.

MM: Tell us one weird thing about you and/or your movies?

MM:The weird thing is that I cannot come up with the weird thing unless you count that I seem to have a persistent desire to work on film projects.

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

MM: www.bereelparthena.com

MM: Is there anything you’d like to say about The Emerging Filmmakers Project?

MM: Nice to be here.

MM: Thank you Mona for chatting with me… and for making me look like I was talking to myself.

“Rite of Spring” will screen at the May 15th Emerging Filmmakers Project!

Meet The Filmmaker, John Hosack, “Cracks”

Posted on May 15, 2014 by efpdenver

While taking a break from arguing with the voices in my head… oddly enough they always seem to win… I skipped down to the Elizabeth Fire Station to meet up with John who was kind enough to take a break from his temporary job as a window repair man to answer a few questions for me.

MM: W cracks poster DRAFT3 hy did you become a filmmaker?

JH: I watched films instead of going to class when I was studying engineering.

MM: What are we going to see at the EFP? Has it screened elsewhere and what are your plans for it?

JH: It has only been screened once at the Cinema Grill for some CFS students. I have no further plans for the film.

MM: What else are you working on?

JH: Nothing at the moment. Still trying to figure out to do with some cool costumes and props from a film I was developing that never got made.

MM: Tell us one weird thing about you and/or your movies?

JH: Chantelle (Julia Raynor in the film) actually broke the window at the Elizabeth Fire Station while filming the scene where she is trying to escape- of course it was while we were filming the wideshot. You can see the cracks later in the close up.

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

JH: Facebook probably has the most information (https://www.facebook.com/john.hosack.39)

But I’m fairly off the grid at the moment.

MM: Is there anything you’d like to say about The Emerging Filmmakers Project?

JH: EFP is awesome and vital to the Denver film scene. I have attended several times and the community is overwhelmingly kind, quirky, supportive, and just plain cool.

MM: Thanks John for taking the time to chat with me… and for directing films and not designing buildings!

“Cracks” will screen at the May 15th Emerging Filmmakers Project!

Meet The Filmmaker, Hannah Waterbury, “Burst”

Posted on May 13, 2014 by efpdenver

Brr… while warming up after making insane snow angels out front of CFS… don’t ask me, it’s a thing I do… I broke down and wandered to the Library where I meet up with Hannah where she was “Burst”…ing with joy to answer a few questions for me. FYI- Answer is always C… you’re welcome.

MM: Why did you become a filmmaker?

HW: Because filmmaking is an industry that requires intensive work, yet manages to be insanely fun. We may bleed and cry over our films, but dammit we’re proud of the blood we shed! 🙂

MM: What are we going to see at the EFP? Has it screened elsewhere and what are your plans for it?

HW: BURST has screened at the Stanley Horror Festival in EstesPark, and it will hopefully see more festivals in the future. It is a short psychological thriller that focuses on the breakdown of a single scientist.

MM: What else are you working on?

HW: Graduating!

MM: Tell us one weird thing about you and/or your movies?

HW: I didn’t realize how dark of films I made until Burst happened.

MM: Is there anything you’d like to say about The Emerging Filmmakers Project?

HW: Thank you for being awesome!

MM: That was all me 😉 Thank you for taking the time to chat!

Come hangout with all the awesome people who help make The Emerging Filmmakers Project (Spoiler Alert: that is all of you) the premier Denver indy film screening event!

“Burst” will screen at the May 15th Emerging Filmmakers Project!