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Meet the Filmmaker: Tyler Holme, “Stockholm Sweet Home”

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EFP: Why did you become a filmmaker?

TH: After I saw all 3 original live-action Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles movies at a young age, I knew what I had to become.

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

TH: Stockholm Sweet Home is a dark comedy about a young woman who gets kidnapped and locked away in a nondescript warehouse with a bickering couple. She then quickly realizes her captor may be the least of her worries. The actors and I wrote, produced, and shot the whole thing in a week as part of a week-long film camp at MbM studios in Chicago a few years back. The film had a nice little festival run. It screened at film festivals in Chicago, Portland, Nashville, Milwaukee, and elsewhere. We even got nominated for a few awards along the way, which was really nice.

EFP: What else are you working on?

TH: I recently wrote a humorous satire book lampooning health & lifestyle culture and social media influencers called, Beet Life. You can check it out, and buy a copy for your friends, family, and mortal enemies here: https://booksbybeetsbybeth.com/

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

TH: A fun fact about this movie is that we shot the whole thing in one day for the price of an extra-large pizza from the pizza place down the street. It was probably the most expensive film I ever worked on up to that point.

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

TH: You can check out more of my work on my website: https://www.tylerholme.com/

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

TH:I would just like to thank EFP for screening our weird little movie, and I can’t wait to check out all the other great films from local Colorado talent!

Stockholm Sweet Home will screen during The Emerging Filmmakers Project on Thursday, February 17th, 2021 at The Bug Theatre.

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Meet the Filmmaker: Bill Johnson, “Kate”

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EFP: Why did you become a filmmaker?

BJ: I was a large format landscape photographer for a long time and when it became difficulty to fly with film, I switched to digital cameras.  The new cameras had a feature to record sound, and take video.  I became intrigued with the possibilities presented by combining two mediums: visual and sound.  I have become increasingly interested in recording the stories of likable people who strive for some compelling goal against seemingly impossible odds.

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

BJ: Kate is the story of a woman who was in a tragic accident at age two and strives with the aid of her mother to live the best life she can.  She has become an advocate for people with disabilities and a model for all of us.  The film has been used as a training tool by the State of Colorado and Kate has been asked to share her stories with school children to help change perceptions about disability.

EFP: What else are you working on?

BJ: I am working on another story about a man who is an autistic savant.

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

BJ: I love editing.  I try as much as I can to see through the other person’s eyes.

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

BJ: More of my work is at billjohnsonstories.com

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

BJ: Thank you for being here.  Having a community of filmmakers, actors, writers and all those related to the industry is important to the well being of Denver and Colorado.

Kate will screen during The Emerging Filmmakers Project on Thursday, December 16th, 2021 at The Bug Theatre.

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Meet the Filmmaker: Jared Vigil, “The Rejects: A Christmas Story”

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EFP: Why did you become a filmmaker?

JV: I became a filmmaker to tell interesting and compelling stories using audio and video as the medium.

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

JV: We are going to see “The Rejects” A Christmas Story. This is the first time the animated short has screened. I plan to turn it into a series with multiple episodes.

EFP: What else are you working on?

JV: I’m currently working on an action/sci-fi short called “Time Jump” which I plan to release late summer of 2022.

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

JV: One weird thing about this animated short is that it’s done in a South Park style look but the characters feet actually move.

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

JV: People can find more of my work at JaredVigilProductions.MyPortfolio.com

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

JV: I just want to say thank you to the Emerging Filmmakers Project this will be my 4th film they have showcased and I really appreciate the support and everything they do for the local filmmaking community.

The Rejects: A Christmas Story will screen during The Emerging Filmmakers Project on Thursday, December 16th, 2021 at The Bug Theatre.

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Meet the Filmmakers: AmyLee Solomon and Andrew Brier, “Calm Before… The Rising Storm”

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EFP: Why did you become a filmmaker?

A & A: AmyLee Solomon and Andrew Brier are husband and wife. We met and dated 50 years ago, went our separate ways, and reunited on FaceBook 40 years later. AmyLee is a longtime Denver Artist in residence, (see amyleesolomon.com) She has a studio right down the street from the BUG on Navajo Street and an upcoming showing of her figurative paintings at the PIRATE Gallery in February. Andrew’s background is in television and film. Our greatest joy is making art together.

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

A & A: calm before… the rising storm. In June of 1967, a group of six high school seniors at Phillips Academy Andover, ( an all-boys Prep School ), went into a tiny recording studio in FraminghamMassachusetts and recorded an album called ‘ calm before… ‘ that was to become a Vinyl collector’s classic in the decades to follow. The Rising Storm has survived to become one of the ‘ Unknown Legends of Rock n Roll ‘ and five decades later, they are still making music. The boys graduated, and went on with their lives and successful professional careers that had nothing to do with music. The 500 copies of the album, never meant for distribution, fell into obscurity, until 1982, when a German collector paid $2,000 for a rare copy. Music reviewers and rock historians re-discovered calm before… calling the album an ‘icon of the 60’s garage band sound with surprising original material’ . The album was ‘bootlegged’ in Europe and suddenly the band was unwittingly thrust back into the spotlight. In this 30 minute documentary, filled with animations, re-creations, and interviews with experts, fans, and band members we piece together the story of the Rising Storm’s unlikely rise to fame. We explain what caused the craze among Vinyl collectors and hear what the band has to say about the music they created fifty years ago, the times they lived in, their subsequent “fame” and their real lives.Return to 1967, with the Stormers, to recapture the magic in the music of calm before…

The movie has been screened at a number of international festivals including RiverRun, San Diego International, Sayulita International Festival in Mexico, London Doc n Roll, and won several “bests”.

November 18th, at the BUG, is a Denver Premiere. Calm Before can also be seen on YouTube.

EFP: What else are you working on?

A & A: AmyLee and Andrew have produced several other music documentaries including “Outside the Golden Cage”, (the story of the legendary San Francisco ‘summer of love’ band “It’s a Beautiful Day”) and “One Hit Wonderful”, (the story of Doctor Elmo and ‘Grandma Got Run Over By a Reindeer’).

During the Covid Quarantine we assembled a coalition of and produced and filmed 15 short plays – the Shelter Plays, (under extreme safety conditions), which appear online at ‘theshelterplays.com

We are currently working on a short film, here in Denver, “Changing at Union Station”, which is a choreographed piece about a man’s awakening to the issue of homelessness in our world.

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

A & A: Andrew produced the original MTV video of Grandma Got Run Over by a Reindeer, which has received over 25 million views online and still counting.

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

A & A: A great idea to give the local filmmaking community an opportunity to get together. Now…where’s that free Beer.

Calm Before… The Rising Storm will screen during The Emerging Filmmakers Project on Thursday, November 18th, 2021 at The Bug Theatre.

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Meet the Filmmaker: William Briggs, “Darling Nikki”

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EFP: Why did you become a filmmaker?

WB: I have always been a story-teller and can spin a yarn about the most innocuous of events of my life. I love engaging with people at a “human experience” level, and laughing at myself is a virtue. Despite that, it took me until just a few years ago to find my voice and actually write-write. Since then I cannot seem to stop the flood of stories and have recently been composing 3 scripts at once.

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

WB: This was a fun little effort for the annual “24-hour film race” where we had from 8PM Friday through 8PM Saturday to create a film from nothing more than a theme, a prop, and an action. Christian Chacon got a bunch of friends together to throw our proverbial hat in the ring. He, Marla Kalin, and I wrote for a few hours, then Stephen Steinbacher directed and he and Milad Sami filmed. Bruce Miles produced. And a whole cast of crazies stayed up all night to act!  Stephen edited and although it didn’t win anything in the challenge, the “director’s cut” actually showed at the CO Film Incubator afterwards.

EFP: What else are you working on?

WB: After Herculean effort, a feature length romantic comedy mockumentary I co-wrote “ColoradoLand” is available on Amazon Video. I am now editing and color-grading three 20-minute parts of Episode 1 for the Replicant Terminus: Revelation series based on the BladeRunner universe. We are actively in production on Episode 3 (two 20 minute parts) which I wrote over a Covid furlough which I am producing and directing. I was lucky enough to lead a dream-team for this year’s 48-hour film race and we created a mystery “Moving Flowers” which has subsequently been accepted to a few mystery/crime festivals.  I am also involved with “The 999th” anime style short film nearing completion.  And I have many other ideas at various treatment stages including a western and a wuxia.

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

WB: In my solo work I am a word-smith and very particular about names and vocabulary for characters. I also try to sprinkle-in literary or film allusions into all I do — we stand on the shoulders of giants, after all, and emulation is the sincerest form of flattery!

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

WB: Bio: http://www.imdb.me/WilliamBriggs

CoLand: https://www.amazon.com/COLORADOLAND-Pam-Renall/dp/B08XW53WFS

MovingFlowers: https://vimeo.com/598712362

The999th:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AstivFm8t-I

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

WB: I love EFP and the Bug and its board. They are keeping indie film alive: from cell-phone movies to Red camera films, silents, experimental, regional. They give us all a moment to shine, to have our voices heard, to connect with others and support each other. Vive Le Bogue!

Darling Nikki will screen during The Emerging Filmmakers Project on Thursday, November 18th, 2021 at The Bug Theatre.

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Meet the Filmmaker: Steven Fox, “Out Spot!”

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EFP: Why did you become a filmmaker?

SF: I became a filmmaker because at the time I was doing a lot of theatre and wanted to branch out and tell a different kind of story that could be more visceral, and I ended up falling in love with the musicality of the camera in concert with the performers. 

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

SF: You are going to see Out Spot! which is a short adaptation of William Shakespeare’s “Macbeth” told from the point of view of Lady Macbeth as she slips deeper and deeper into the nightmare state of her “out, damned spot” sequence. It has screen at the Horsetooth International Film Festival in the fall of 2020 as well as the Shakespeare Shorts Film Festival in 2019 where it won its category of best short film inspired by a Shakespeare play and was review by Sir Kenneth Branagh “This is a really confident, kinetic pocket-epic. The images are bold, the colour palette is striking. The relish for a gothic psychology underlying this murderous nightmare is wonderfully explored. It’s another visually striking, beautifully integrated account in miniature, of the play’s ferocious energy. Performances of urgent intensity light up the film like the garish grab of the spectacular exteriors. A Shakespeare short that catches you by the throat and does not let go.”

EFP: What else are you working on?

SF: On October 22nd, 2021 a film I have produced, another “Macbeth” inspired film, calle Peter Anthony’s: Sleep No More will have its world premiere at the Lyric Cinema Cafe in Fort Collins, CO at 7pm. The film began as a Front Range Community College stageplay production of “Macbeth” that was shutdown by COVID-19 just two weeks from opening. We then transformed the production into a feature film that summer. I have also completed a short film entitled Hecate that is a graphic-novel-like examination of the story of “Macbeth” told through the perspective of the witch goddess Hecate.

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

SF: I am clearly fascinated by the works of William Shakespeare, and though I make films and content around other subjects, I am great influenced by those masterpieces.

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

SF: stevenfox.net and factorfivefilms.com

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

SF: I am very grateful this organization exists and gives an avenue for new and unknown voices to be heard and their films to be seen.

Out Spot! will screen during The Emerging Filmmakers Project on Thursday, October 21st, 2021 at The Bug Theatre.

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Meet the Filmmaker: Michael Bliss, “2020 Double Feature V and Lazarus”

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EFP: Why did you become a filmmaker?

MB: I started making films at the age of 15 and on my 16th birthday I wrote in my journal that I want to be a director/filmmaker and to always be doing video productions. Through the years I have made that dream a reality by directing many of my own films and working at ABC, FOX, and ESPN, A couple of highlights of my life was working with Robert Rodriquez on the film “The Faculty” and working at an art gallery helping frame artwork for Richard Linklater, and Quentin Tarantino. These three filmmakers have been an inspiration and a big influence in my independent filmmaking career.

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

MB: I will be screening a couple short films that I created during the pandemic. This is a premiere screening.

V 2020 I used some footage from the 2019 Zombie Crawl I run in Colorado Springs and footage from the Denver Pavilions on the 16th Street Mall which was all boarded up with no human activity during this crazy time.

Lazarus 2020 uses some Denver footage I shot during the pandemic when everything was shut down. On Easter 2020, I was watching Martin Scorsese’s “The Last temptation of Christ” and saw Jesus raise Lazarus from the dead and that is when the Lazarus character was born for this film. This video was very strange to shoot because it was the first time I left my house in quite a while. We had the stay at home order going on and I was dealing with a lot of fear and anxiety. Making Lazarus 2020 helped me calm down and be creative. Art is very healing. I reached out to Swara Nanda to help me with the soundtrack and I was inspired by Nine Inch Nails (Trent Reznor) 2020 Pandemic Album Ghosts V-VI
so she helped and composed the soundtrack for this film.

EFP: What else are you working on?

MB: Old School Musical “The Worst Musical Ever” I am having so much fun going back to the beginning of making films. Bringing back the passion of filmmaking. Not worrying about what others think because it is the worst musical ever. LOL!!! No expectations just having a blast!!!

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

MB: I have dressed up as a clown since I was a little kid. Clown will make an appearance in Old School Musical.

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

MB: Blissfest333.com, Michael Bliss on Facebook

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

MB: I love and miss Patrick Sheridan. I am so grateful for everybody involved with EFP. Thank you for The Bug Theatre and all the wonderful people that help run EFP. Thank you so much for supporting our film and art commUNITY.

“2020 Double Feature V and Lazarus“ will screen during The Emerging Filmmakers Project on Thursday, October 21st, 2021 at The Bug Theatre.

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Meet the Filmmaker: Andrew Pichot, “Horsing Around”

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EFP: Why did you become a filmmaker?

AP: I’ve always had a general interest in movies. Growing up I loved watching them but we almost never went to the theater so I was limited to what we owned, or what my friends had. It wasn’t until I moved to Colorado in 2009 and started working at AMC that my movie-watching experience widened dramatically. I watch so many movies now that I’m basically “the movie guy” to a lot of my friends and family. Really getting into indie and foreign films got me to appreciate the actual filmmaking side and gave me a strong desire to get into the industry someday. The movie I would cite as the clicking point was David Lowery’s ‘A Ghost Story.’ I was blown away by how much he was able to do with so little. I’ve done PA work and camerawork on other people’s projects but now that I’ve written and directed my own short I think I know where my goals lie.

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

AP: EFP is going to experience a buddy film like no other. The film has screened twice at The Bug as part of the Denver 48 Hour Film Project. We’ve had great reception at both screenings and were nominated for best film and won an award for best song. This film, ‘Horsing Around,’ is also available on Youtube on the Mooger Entertainment page.

EFP: What else are you working on?

AP: I have small bits of ideas floating around but nothing tangible at the moment. I’m currently just enjoying the positive reception this film has received so far but now that I’ve experienced the filmmaking process I’m eager to get back to work.

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

AP: One weird thing about me in regards to movies; I don’t want to go into specifics but if I told you the long list of “classics” and “must-sees” that I haven’t watched yet (despite owning a lot of them) you would be flabbergasted!

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

AP: You can find Mooger Entertainment on Facebook. I don’t post very often but might change that if there’s traction. I also stream games sometimes on Twitch so there’s updates on that there too. If you want to see what I’m up to in general you can follow me on Twitter @bogardeth

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

AP: This will be my first time attending EFP but it won’t be my last. I appreciate them showing my film but I’ve been wanting to attend anyway, especially after going to the awesome Bug for the first time through the 48. I’m really glad there’s a resource for local filmmakers to get their films seen on a big screen with a crowd. What a thrill!

Horsing Around will screen during The Emerging Filmmakers Project on Thursday, October 21st, 2021 at The Bug Theatre.

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Meet the Filmmaker: Susan Lyles, “The Son of Spies and Whispers”

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EFP: Why did you become a filmmaker? 

SL: I work mostly in the medium of live theatre and wanted to expand my story telling skills and audience reach.

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

SL: Son of Spies and Whispers by Rebecca Gorman O’Neill. We originally created this film for the London 48 hour film project and it screened online and in London( this was our second and we just completed our third this past September) because doing a 48 in the same city wasn’t enough of a challenge 😉 There are some thoughts to expand this into a feature script and really getting to know these people.

EFP: What else are you working on?

SL: Currently waiting to see where our new London 48 hour piece –B.O.B lands, we may tweak it and send it out on the festival circuit.  Then getting ready for the Four Points Film Challenge in November.

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

SL: One weird thing…I keep the ashes of my dogs on a shelf in the bathroom, because when they were alive they would always follow me there, maybe more sentimental than weird.

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

SL: We should probably get a website, but for now https://www.facebook.com/Ruff-Ruff-Dog-Films-321158691987930

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

SL: I think it’s wonderful that this platform is here to share Colorado filmmakers work with audiences.

The Son of Spies and Whispers! will screen during The Emerging Filmmakers Project on Thursday, October 21st, 2021 at The Bug Theatre.

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Meet the Filmmakers: Tyler Holme & Ben Fout, “Spike”

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Q: Why did you become a filmmaker?
Ben: To make short films. I idolized the filmmakers of my early days in screening committees, youth juries, and filmmaker showcases at Aspen Shorts Fest. Being so involved with shorts at an early age still gives me my drive today.

Tyler: My dad bought me my first video camera for Christmas when I was just ten years old, and I’ve felt obligated ever since.

Q: What are we going to see at the EFP? Has it screened elsewhere, and what are your plans for it?
Tyler: Our short film, Spike, is a Terrance Malick film for dogs about a pup, his human, and that jerk next door.

The film has surprisingly screened in festivals both nationally and abroad. It even won a couple of awards along the way, including the Audience Choice Award at the excellent Colorado Short Circuit Film Festival in Colorado Springs.

This is one of the last live screenings we have scheduled for the film. So we shall see where it ends up next.

Q: What else are you working on?
Ben: I am co-owner of a member-owned production studio called Truce.Media where our goal is to create a member-owned movie studio in Denver Colorado where we can all make content we own to create infrastructure to bring movies and TV back to Denver. So, I’m making content every day, most of it short!

Tyler: I just wrote and published a satire book called Beet Life: A Health & Lifestyle Guide To Show Your Life Who’s Boss By: Your Girl @Beets_By_Beth: Beth Gethard, which is currently available for purchase at booksbybeetsbybeth.com.

Q: Tell us one weird thing about you and/or your movies?
Ben: I always say I went to film-making school, not just film school. I love to make things and my films always have things I’ve made in them.

Tyler: One weird thing about me and my movies? I actually still like some of them.

Q: Where can people go to find out more about you and your work?
B&T: You can check out our work at: https://www.thebande.co
You can check out some of Tyler’s other work here: https://www.tylerholme.com/
You can check out Ben’s other production company here: https://truce.media/
You can buy Tyler’s new (first) book here: https://booksbybeetsbybeth.com/

Q: Is there anything you’d like to say about The Emerging Filmmakers Project?
B&T: We are just extremely grateful to get the chance to screen our film along with all of these other excellent Colorado filmmakers. Thank you!

Spike will screen during The Emerging Filmmakers Project on Thursday, September 16th, 2021 at The Bug Theatre.