Notes Behind The Notes
"A crazy tale..."
The Legend of MEXMAN screened last weekend at the Santa Barbara Film Festival. I was hoping to attend in person but my flight was canceled last minute (as in... 9PM the night before a 6AM flight). The window for the trip was so short I would have missed the first screening with no guarantee of making it to the second (or returning from California).
The Legend of MEXMAN
The Legend of MEXMAN is a madcap documentary about obsession, creativity and finding your voice. When director Josh Polon screened it for producer Steve Bannatyne, he told Steve he thought it was close to finished, but something was nagging at him. A sense that with some fresh eyes and one more pass on the edit, the film could reach new depths.
HI, I'M TRAVIS MILLS now streaming on Discover+ and HBO Max
Retired Staff Sgt. Travis Mills lives by one mantra: “Never Give Up. Never Quit.” It's the cornerstone of his motivational speeches and the philosophy he applies to every component of his life: family, work, health, philanthropy. Sounds straightforward, right?
How he came to this philosophy in the wake of unimaginable tragedy is the story we tell in Hi, I’m Travis Mills, the first episode of season 2 of Magnolia Network’s “Hi I’m…” series.
And the nominees are...
Thought I'd dust off the old blogger to share some good news: The nominees for the 2021 Daytime Emmy Awards were announced in June. Small Business Revolution was nominated for Outstanding Lifestyle Series.
This nomination is for season five of the show which had already been under way in the spring of 2020 just before the coronavirus spread across the U.S. and states instituted strict lockdowns and public health safety measures. Season five chronicled the impact covid had on the participating businesses.
THE RUSSIAN FIVE begins its theatrical rollout this weekend
The Russian Five begins a screening in theaters this weekend, including in Michigan and at AFS Cinema here in Austin. It will begin in 25 theaters and gradually expand from there. As word of mouth travels, hopefully we'll be able to add even more dates and locations throughout the spring, leading up to an eventual digital release.
See the trailer for The Russian Five
Part spy movie, part sports movie, all underdog story, The Russian Five is a fun, twisty and emotional ride featuring a wide range of never before seen archival footage and animated sequences created by Russian artists. It marks the directorial debut for Josh Riehl and I feel so fortunate to have been part of the team as the film's editor.
From Moscow to Detroit to... Alton, Illinois? End-of-Summer Updates
I worked with Flow last summer on a series of videos for the Minneapolis Museum of Art. That was my first time working with director Matt Naylor and it was a great experience, so I was excited for the opportunity to join the Flow team for the third season of SBR, working (for the first time) as a Story Producer.
Recent Screenings of ATLANTIC CITY and THE RUSSIAN FIVE
I'm very proud of our work on "Atlantic City." It's especially cool to see the grit and grain of 16mm film on the screen, big or small. Such an evocative look and texture to match the emotional tones of the narrative.