about

(photo by danicadonnelly.com)

I never went to film school. After being disillusioned by the educational system I dropped out of the University of Minnesota in 2005 to pursue filmmaking independently. This is an industry that has no regard for degrees and diplomas so there didn’t seem to be a point to spending thousands of dollars to attain one.

Currently I’m fundraising for the film Prescription Happiness, producing the Minneapolis 48 Hour Film Project (with Towle Neu), and developing The Directors’ Workshop. Since becoming a college dropout I’ve directed seven short films, was the founder and executive director of the local non-profit Minnewood, and produced the Minneapolis Film Race from 2007-10. I’ve also helped with the Minneapolis/St. Paul International Film Festival, organized the Minnewood Film Festival in 2010,  performed hosting duties at several local film events, and taught an acting workshop at Patrick’s Cabaret.

My latest project, Prescription Happiness, is a science fiction thriller about a young pregnant woman who struggles to hold onto free emotion while living in a society controlled through prescription drugs. Work on the script began six years ago and so far it has been a finalist for the WILDSound Screenplay Contest, a semi-finalist at the Vail Film Festival and the BlueCat Screenwriting Competition, a quarter-finalist at Slamdance and also finished third in a sci-fi story contest through MISFITS. A few months ago we created a teaser scene from the script to help raise
money to shoot the full short film.

In addition to filmmaking I enjoys teaching, riding his bike, photography, working with children,
playing soccer, exploring Minneapolis parks, camping, attending local festivals, watching foreign flicks,
and making people smile.