Oregon Indie Film

Featuring guests Katie Prentiss and Bonnie Root with Katie’s first feature film, Wake Up Maggie.

There was so much to talk about with these two talented and multi award winning women who have experience as writers, actors, directors, and producers in film. They not only create but they support and teach others to tell meaningful stories. We discuss the joys and challenges of making a feature film and preparing for a challenging role as an actor. Grab your favorite beverage and settle in, there is a plethora of great information, lots of laughs, and some new words were invented.

SHOW NOTES:

Katie Prentiss website

Wake up Maggie Movie

Wake up Maggie on Letterboxd

Sunshine Soul Podcast

Wake Up Maggie on Instagram

Katie Prentiss on:

Instagram

Facebook

Threads

TikTok

LinkedIn

YouTube

IMDb

Bonnie Root on:

Instagram

Facebook

IMDb

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit https://oregonindiefilm.substack.com

Filmmaker Sander GusinowThe writer, director, and co-producer of his first feature film, Cottontail. This female driven, complex thriller horror, stars Breeda Wool and Natasha Halevi. Sander joins producers - Mikyla Bornder, Morgan Raymond, and Jason Wilkinson for this made in Oregon film.We chat about Sander’s Oregon and New York background in political journalism and theater. How he was able to fund, cast, and film his first feature and what else he’s working on. Follow Cottontail FilmInstagramLetterboxd

Sander Gusinow on IMDb

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit https://oregonindiefilm.substack.com

On this episode I chat with a trio of guests. Robert Lester a professional adventure athlete, Braxton Mitchell, his cousin who had never been in a canoe and Neil Larson the Director and Cinematographer who captured the story of the Columbia River Canoe Project. You may have been lucky to catch this documentary at one of its sold-out screenings last year in Portland.

Robert and Braxton paddled their canoe from the Continental Divide to the Pacific Ocean on a journey that spanned 1300 miles over 52 days, braving rapids, weather and some unexpected challenges.

This documentary from Compassionate Disaster Films and Mountain King Industries is set to release later this summer to streaming on Apple TV and Amazon Prime.

The project follows their long and tough journey while focusing awareness and attention to the health of the river basin and how dramatically the use of the river has changed since the native peoples who lived with and on these waters.

Buckle in for an enjoyable conversation with these three adventurers.

LINKS:

Watch the trailer

Compassionate Disaster Films

Mountain King Industries

Instagram

Robert Lester on Instagram

Braxton Mitchell on Instagram

Neil Larson on Instagram

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit https://oregonindiefilm.substack.com

This episode features Jared Bumgarner, the Producer of AstroNot about an absurd day-in-the-life of a man trapped in his own delusions until he finds the power of collaboration. We chat about this short comedy that is a collaboration itself, with live action and animation and a collaboration between Jared and his friend Zach Sheehan who wrote and directed the film. AstroNot is a love letter to low budget physical effects, hand made animation, and very silly jokes. This film uses a comedic lens to explore the dysphoria in comparing one’s own life to another’s success and the growth that can come from friendship and creative collaboration. These have all been hard won lessons for me as an artist and human. My hope is that anyone watching this film gets to the credits and immediately wants to go make a film with their friends. Never give up on your goals.We also talk about Jared’s other work as a first assistant director and production scheduler with Shadow Machine on Guillermo del Toro’s Pinocchio which won the Oscar, Golden Globe and BAFTA awards among others for Best Animated Feature. This interview is the final one in a series of conversations this summer with filmmakers whose work will be screening at the Portland Festival of Cinema Animation & Technology.LINKS:Portland Festival of Cinema, Animation & Technology WebsitePFCAT TicketsTickets for the Comedy Shorts ShowcaseSunday, August 23, 2026 6:00 PM PDTPFCAT Creator ExpoSaturday, August 22 at OMSI11am-2pmFREE with registration hereZach Sheehan on InstagramShadow Machine WebsiteShadow Machine on Instagram

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit https://oregonindiefilm.substack.com

Dawn Jones Redstone is a self-taught Portland filmmaker who is best known for their film Mother of Color, streaming now on major platforms. But as you will hear, she writes and directs a wide range of both commercial and narrative films known for their emotional resonance, imaginative storytelling, and a commitment to centering women of color.

Dawn’s latest film Hostile Work Environment has been selected to screen at The Portland Festival of Cinema, Animation & Technology in the Comedy Shorts Showcase at OMSI on Sun, Aug 23rd, 6:00 PM

When fridge politics spiral out of control, Liza isn’t sure if her passive-aggressive co-worker is just a jerk or actually undead. With barricades, microaggressions, and donuts on the line, survival in this office comedy gets gross.

This interview is one in a series of conversations this summer with filmmakers whose work will be screening at the Portland Festival of Cinema Animation & Technology also known as PFCAT.

LINKS:

Portland Festival of Cinema, Animation & Technology Website

PFCAT Tickets

Be sure to get you tickets to the Comedy Shorts Showcase

PFCAT Creator ExpoSaturday, August 22 at OMSI11am-2pm

FREE with registration here

Dawn Jones Redstone Website

Dawn Jones Redstone on Instagram

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit https://oregonindiefilm.substack.com

As part of the work Shannon Breen and Justin Oliphant do with The Long Now Foundation, their documentary Elders of Time is a fascinating look at the philosophy of time. Specifically, Bristlecone Time a conceptual, climate-aware measure of time created by artist and philosopher Jonathon Keats in collaboration with The Long Now Foundation and the Nevada Museum of Art. It is calibrated to the slow and irregular annual growth of ancient Great Basin bristlecone pine trees on Mount Washington in Nevada.This interview is one in a series of conversations this summer with filmmakers whose work will be screening at the Portland Festival of Cinema Animation & Technology.Elders of Time will be Screening Friday, August 21st 6:00pm in the Portland Documentary Shorts block of PFCAT at OMSI.My apologies, I refer to this documentary as Elders in Time a couple of times during the interview - the correct title is Elders of Time.LINKS:Portland Festival of Cinema, Animation & Technology WebsitePFCAT TicketsBe sure to get you tickets to the Portland Documentary Shorts block on Friday, August 21, 2026 6:00 PMPFCAT Creator ExpoSaturday, August 22 at OMSI11am-2pmFREE with registration hereShannon Breen & Justin Oliphant and their work:Shannon Breen WebsiteJustin Oliphant and Explorer’s GuildExplorers Guild on InstagramThe Long Now Organization WebsiteThe Long Now Organization on YouTube Linked In

Shannon

Justin

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit https://oregonindiefilm.substack.com

This interview is one in a series of conversations this summer with filmmakers whose work will be screening at the Portland Festival of Cinema Animation & Technology.

I sat down with Winslow Crane-Murdoch the director and Kyle Von Hoetzendorff with Lucky Day Post production house to talk about Oh Whale.

When news anchor Paul Linnman arrived in Florence OR on November 12th, 1970, he had no idea that the story he was about to tell would forever define his career. Following a small Oregon town, an exploding whale, and the man who made the story famous, Oh Whale is about how we don’t get to choose our fate, only what we make of it.

Portland Festival of Cinema, Animation & Technology Website:

https://pdxfestofcinema.com/

PFCAT Tickets

Be sure to get you tickets to the Portland Documentary Shorts block on Friday, August 21, 2026 6:00 PM

PFCAT Creator Expo

Saturday, August 22 at OMSI

11am-2pm

FREE with registration here.

Winslow Crane-Murdoch and his work:

Website

Side Yard Studios

Oh Whale the movie

Instagram

Oh Whale Movie on Instagram

Linked In

Kyle Von Hoetzendorff - Lucky Day

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit https://oregonindiefilm.substack.com

At the age of 57, Rob Garrott quit his swanky job and enrolled in the character animation program at Animation Mentor to learn how to bring polygons to life. Now in his 60s, Rob is on a mission to learn, create and grow for as long as he can. His first animated film “Sweet Enough to Eat” has been selected to screen at the Portland Festival of Cinema, Animation & Technology.

Rob joined me from his home in Bend, Oregon to chat about his film, his animation career and how it feels to have his first film premiering at PFCAT.

SHOW NOTES:

LINKS:

Portland Festival of Cinema, Animation & Technology Website

PFCAT TicketsTickets for the Adventures in Becoming Block Sun, Aug 23rd, 2:00 PM @ The Empirical Theater

PFCAT Creator Expo

Saturday, August 22 at OMSI

11am-2pm

FREE with registration here

Rob Garrott and his work:

Bending Pixels

Instagram

Facebook

https://www.facebook.com/bendingpixelsLinked In

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit https://oregonindiefilm.substack.com

This summer I am doing a series of interviews with filmmakers whose work will be screened at the Portland Festival of Cinema, Animation and Technology – also known as PFCAT , happening August 18th through 23rd at OMSI in Portland. At PFCAT you’ll experience 170 indie films from 30 countries, filmmaker Q&As, educational panels and networking events. It’s 6 days of events that brings our local community together through visionary film and animation. Find the full schedule and tickets at pdxfestofcinema.com.

This episode features Therese Gietler (producer) and Andy Batt (Director). Their short documentary - My Burning Pianist – has been nominated for an award and will be screening on Friday, August 21st at 6:00pm

“When music meets flame, anything can happen. This blazing episode follows the creation of My Burning Pianist, a jaw-dropping performance piece where piano keys trigger 33-foot fire bursts and sound waves dance as flames—staged by clowns, artists, and chaos.”

SHOW NOTES:

Portland Festival of Cinema, Animation & Technology Website

PFCAT Tickets

Tickets for the Portland Documentary Shorts block

PFCAT Creator Expo

Saturday, August 22 at OMSI

11am-2pm

FREE with registration here: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/pfcat-creator-expo-tickets-1987246003291

Therese, Andy and their work:

Sparking Creativity

Therese Gietler

Andy Batt or Andy Batt art

My Burning Pianist website

Follow on Instagram:

https://www.instagram.com/sparkingcreativity.art/

https://www.instagram.com/twistymaurice/

https://www.instagram.com/andybattportfolio/

https://www.instagram.com/theaskaproducer/

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit https://oregonindiefilm.substack.com

This summer I am doing a series of interviews with filmmakers whose work will be screened at the Portland Festival of Cinema, Animation and Technology – also known as PFCAT, happening August 18th through 23rd at OMSI in Portland.

At PFCAT you’ll experience 170 indie films from 30 countries, filmmaker Q&As, educational panels and networking events. It’s 6 days of events that brings our local community together through visionary film and animation.

Find the full schedule and tickets at http://pdxfestofcinema.com

Today’s guest is the first in this series:

Erika Bolstad is a journalist, author, and documentarian. Her short documentary The Elk will be screening during the opening night at the Portland Festival of Cinema, Animation and Technology.

The subject of her 30 minute documentary is Portland’s Thompson Elk Statue and the unfolding fate of the elk and other monuments, telling the story of a nation divided over who and what belongs on a pedestal.

Erika shares how this project came to be and her other projects, as well as her experience in the recent Sundance Collab and traveling around the country researching monuments, their effect on communities, and the stories they tell.

If you are watching this interview you’ll notice the t-shirt Erika is wearing with artwork of The Elk – you can get your own t-shirt and support Erika’s film at MakingMonumental.com

SHOW NOTES:

Portland Festival of Cinema, Animation & Technology WebsitePFCAT TicketsTickets for the Portland Documentary Shorts block

Erika's WebsiteMaking MonumentalPurchase The Elk t-shirtErika Bolsted on InstagramErika Bolsted on FacebookErika Bolstad on Linkedin

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit https://oregonindiefilm.substack.com

Elena and Simon King, founders of the Lake Oswego Film Festival sit down for a conversation with Oregon Indie Film as they embark on their first year of the festival. We talk about how the idea developed and the plans they have not only for this first year but their hopes for the growth of the festival. We also chat about Simon’s career as a screenwriter and filmmaker, working in Oregon and their plans for filming in Europe.

SHOW NOTES:

Festival website

The Lake Oswego Film Festival on Facebook

The Lake Oswego Film Festival on Instagram

Film Freeway – to enter your short film https://filmfreeway.com/LakeOswegoFilmFestival

Clearstream Entertainment Website

Clearstream Entertainment on Facebook

Clearstream Entertainment on Instagram

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit https://oregonindiefilm.substack.com

Silver Falls Film Festival – Mike Turner

Michael Turner is an independent filmmaker and the creator of the award-winning autobiographical documentaries The Way We Talk (2016) and Monument (2023), which have screened around the world in many languages. He is a past Oregon Media Arts Fellow and has worked with The Immigrant Story, the Oregon Jewish Museum and Center for Holocaust Education, and many other impactful organizations. He is currently with Silverton Arts Association.

Mike is producing the 4th Annual Silver Falls Film Festival at the Palace Theater in Silverton, Oregon on August 20th, 2026

The festival is open now for submissions via Film Freeway Showcasing short films and providing opportunity to network and enjoy the small community of Silverton, Oregon.

We chat about how the festival began, the growth it has experienced over the last four years, and thoughts on the festival’s future.

I hope you enjoy my conversation with Mike Turner.

LINKS: Mike Turner Real Light Films

The Palace TheaterFilm Freeway – to enter Silver Falls Film FestivalSilverton Arts AssociationCollective Eye Films

Silverton Arts Associationhttps://www.silvertonarts.org/Collective Eye Filmshttps://www.collectiveeye.org/

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit https://oregonindiefilm.substack.com

On this episode I chat with Oregon Filmmaker Eric Delehoy, a writer, cultural organizer, and powerful advocate for LGBTQ+ representation—on the page, in politics, and beyond. He holds an MFA in Creative Writing, Fiction, from Antioch University Los Angeles.We chat about his latest project, the feature film Winters Nebraska. This film will be screening on June 24th at the Tomorrow Theater in Portland, Oregon.Find out what it was like to pack up Portland locals and film on location in Nebraska. We also talk about Eric's filmmaking journey, his previous award winning short films, the distribution plan for Winters Nebraska, and how Eric's work lies at the intersection of art and activism. I hope you enjoy this episode.SHOW NOTES:Tickets for the Portland screening of Winters Nebraska are available here.Connect with Eric Delehoy through his production company, Harriet ProductionsWhere you can learn more about Winters Nebraska and his other films.

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit https://oregonindiefilm.substack.com

David Poulshock is a Northwest filmmaker and musician whose projects have won over 90 awards, including 9 national Telly Awards. He is also an Oregon Music Hall of Fame Inductee.

David's film Space: A Meditation on the Meaning of Art is having it's Portland Premiere at the Tomorrow Theater on June 12th, 2026.

It was supposed to be a simple feature documentary about a local landlord’s quest to convert the run-down industrial complex NW Marine Iron Works into a thriving art scene. But the eccentric artist Tim Stapleton moved in to one of the new studios — on his own quest to paint until his dying breath as ALS took over his body — and everything changed.

As the buildings transform into over 100 artist studios called NW Marine Art Works, the film explores the existential question, "Why make art?"

SHOW NOTES:

The premiere is nearly sold out. David notes in the episode that there will be another upcoming screening. Follow David Poulshock or watch his website for updates.

Tickets to the Portland Premiere: https://tomorrowtheater.org/movies/space-a-meditation-on-the-meaning-of-art/Website: https://davidpoulshock.com/Substack: https://substack.com/@crazypoulshockInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/dpoulshock/Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/davidpoulshock/

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit https://oregonindiefilm.substack.com

My guest on this episode is Nisha Burton. A filmmaker, speaker, and creative director, Nisha has a skilled cinematic eye, blending animation, digital effects, emerging technology and cinematography. Nisha has made many films about Oregon history. Her documentaries are based on social and human issues. We’ll talk about her film – Over the Kitchen Table – A Short Film that is close to her heart as it shares the story of her mother Norma Burton, and her role as a founder of Tulsa, Oklahoma’s first women’s shelter in 1975.

SHOW NOTES:

Website

https://nishaburton.com/

https://www.instagram.com/nisha_creating/

https://shrine13.org/

https://www.instagram.com/shrine13/

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit https://oregonindiefilm.substack.com

Pour the Water as I Leave will screen on June 20th at the PAM Whitsell Auditorium in celebration of World Refugee Day. There is a full schedule of events in downtown Portland.

Daniela Repas has made several winning films that incorporate animation and live action and experiment with the confluence of narrative and non-fiction. This one is close to the heart as Daniela’s first feature film, it includes interviews with her mother, aunt and extended family and friends. All are Bosnians who survived the Bosnian War of the 1990’s and rebuilt beautiful lives here in the States.

Daniela Repas

Pour the Water as I Leave

IG: https://www.instagram.com/pour_thefilm/

https://www.instagram.com/repasdaniela/

Shrine13

https://www.instagram.com/shrine13/

Screening

Tickets

June 20th Schedule

* 10 a.m. World Refugee Day Walk starting at Salmon St. Springs

* 1:30 p.m. Masterclass Animation Workshop with Daniela Repas and Co: Lab at Finley Studio

* 3 p.m. Screening of Pour the Water as I Leave with Q&A Featuring PRSG in Whitsell Auditorium

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit https://oregonindiefilm.substack.com

This episode features Kaden Waldbauer and Elliot McClafferty, a young duo who have made several feature films since graduating from Vancouver School of Arts and Academics in 2022.

We talk about their latest film, My Friend Named Silence, their path to filmmaking, and their future filmmaking plans.

I hope you enjoy my conversation with Kaden and Elliot.

Links:

A.Meltingmind on Instagram https://www.instagram.com/a.meltingmind/

Kaden Waldbauer on Instagram https://www.instagram.com/kj_waldbauer/

Elliot McClafferty on Instagram https://www.instagram.com/elliotmcclafferty/

The Northwest Book Fair and Media Fest, June 27th at Clark College https://northwestbookfair.com/

This episode was filmed and recorded at The Sound Stage in downtown Vancouver, Washington https://www.thesoundstagenw.com/

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit https://oregonindiefilm.substack.com

This episode features Mark Hoffman, an award-winning filmmaker working across commercial directing, viral campaigns, and narrative cinema. Trained in biology, then film and design in Germany, He is the writer and director of the feature film A Simple Machine.

And Alyssa Roehrenbeck, Producer of A Simple Machine. Alyssa is just off a big win at South by Southwest where another film she produced and filmed in Oregon with writer director, Graham Parkes, titled Wishful Thinking, won Best Narrative Feature.

A simple machine screened to a sold out audience at Portland Panorama on April 16th. Mark shares his inspiration for A Simple Machine, the challenges of adapting a novel to a screenplay and then filming it. They also share ideas for filming on an indie film budget, finding cast and crew, and perfect locations.

We also talk about funding an indie film, the benefits of filming in Oregon, and film distribution.S

HOW NOTES:

Mark's Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/stuff4mark/

A Simple Machine website: https://www.asimplemachinethemovie.com/

A Simple Machine Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/asimplemachfilm/

Alyssa Roehrenbeck Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/pdxalyssa/

Leave a review for A Simple Machine on Letterboxd: https://letterboxd.com/film/a-simple-machine

Watch the interview on YouTube: https://youtu.be/kIHYZE8nK8U

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit https://oregonindiefilm.substack.com

This episode features Ime Etuk, writer, director, and producer of the feature film Outdoor School which has had multiple sold out screenings and awards on the US festival circuit. Ime is bringing the film home to Portland. As part of Portland Panorama, the screening on April 17th is sold out. But listen to this episode to find out about the encore Portland screening.

This film connects on many levels, but it especially touches the hearts of Portlanders who have themselves experienced how Outdoor School enriches lives. This is a film that Ime wants families to enjoy together and feels it resonates with audiences of all age groups and backgrounds.

We also talk about fundraising, his nonprofit Lion Speaks, mentoring filmmakers, and film distribution within the current challenges of the film industry.

I hope you enjoy this episode of Oregon Indie Film

Show Notes:

http://OutdoorSchoolTheMovie.com

https://www.instagram.com/outdoorschoolmovie/

https://www.facebook.com/outdoorschoolmovie

Hollywood Theater April 22nd Screening - Get Tickets

https://outdoorschool.eventive.org/schedule/69bd82957a0bc7037d27a404

Lion Speaks https://www.lionspeaks.org/

Ime Etuk

https://www.instagram.com/imeetuk/

https://www.facebook.com/ime.etuk

https://www.linkedin.com/in/imeetuk/

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit https://oregonindiefilm.substack.com

Featuring Kristen Elizabeth, the author of the memoir Shevolved - A True Hollywood Story of artistry, survival, and reinvention. A Film Intimacy Professional, acting coach, and dance instructor based in the Pacific Northwest, Kristen has spent over three decades working in the entertainment industry as an Actor, Acting coach, Intimacy Coordinator, Consultant, and Choreographer for film and television. Her students have gone on to book lead roles on Netflix, Hulu, Apple TV, major motion pictures, and Broadway.I hope you enjoy my conversation with Kristen ElizabethTW: This conversation does include discussion of sexual assault and rape.SHOW NOTES:The Book Launch Party and Reading will be on Saturday, March 28th at Rose City Book Pub Website: https://shevolved.com Social Media: IG, Threads, LinkedIn: @ShevolvedEmail: Kristen@Shevolved.com

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit https://oregonindiefilm.substack.com