Y Crazy Mind

In this world of social media and manufactured moments, anyone who has experienced the truly spontaneous events which can occur has an appreciation for taking life as it happens. Reality television is a deceptive moniker for stories which are maneuvered into drama but Justin Kelly has made a lifelong career of actual reality productions. Though he has worn various hats in the industry, he’s been Executive Producer for a number of years now on some of the most popular shows which explore man’s relationship with nature and the planet. While many of his peers are walking the red carpet and eating at chic restaurants, Kelly and his crew are sleeping in subzero temperatures mere feet away from the most dangerous and graceful animals on Earth. His work is far from unrecognized. His credits are populated with productions such as Discovery Channel’s number one flagship show Gold Rush: Alaska, National Geographic WILD’s Alaska’s Grizzly Gauntlet, and the Great Bear Stakeout (BBC/Discovery), as...

When it comes to producing a film or television show, Esther Dere is responsible for anything and everything. As a celebrated executive producer, Dere oversees the work of producers and assistant producers to ensure a project is completed on time, within budget and maintains an artistic vision. Her day to day involves developing a simple idea to the point where it becomes the thing one sees on the big or small screen. That could involve figuring out what they are going to shoot, where they are going to shoot and how they are going to shoot it, as well as finding talent, booking talent, shaping the story, putting out fires, and dealing with logistics. Producing is a job that involves wearing many different hats, and that is just why Dere enjoys what she does so much. “I love that no two days are the same, with all the different people I get to meet and the places I get to go. I feel so lucky to be able to do this every day,” she said. It wasn’t as much luck as it was Dere’s...

Sara Maamouri is a documentary filmmaker and editor who has explored a diverse range of topics for over 15 years. Her work has touched on social, educational and political issues, from former enemies bound together through loss and discovery (In This Waiting, 2011) to rebuilding a life in a former war zone (Amal's Garden, 2012) and reinventing a country as the world watches (A Revolution in Four Seasons, Hot Docs 2016).  Bridgette Auger is an artist and filmmaker strongly committed to using art for social change who has lived and worked in the Middle East for over 12 years. We have conducted an interview with them about their latest project " We Are Not Princesses ". How do you portray "incredible strength and spirit" in filming? We Are Not Princesses is a documentary about the strength and spirit of four Syrian women living as refugees in Beirut. Our film uses intimate footage and animation to follow how this group of women find laughter and p...

A great film requires great characters. A moving documentary is markedly different in that it requires a real person of exceptional character. In the documentary Some Nerve , that individual is twenty-one -year-old Heather Craig who has spent her life battling multiple sclerosis. The bravery required simply by allowing a film team into her life so that others may become educated and moved towards helping those stricken with MS…it overshadows that of any great actor portraying such a scenario. The element which scripted and unscripted film share is a talented and skilled production team to communicate the story in a way that allows the emotions rather than solely the events to be received by an audience. Director Siyi “Dora” Wu and her team delivered Heather’s story in a manner which deeply affected many, as evidenced by Some Nerve’s many nominations at the 22nd SCAD Savannah Film Festival, 9th DOCUTAH International Documentary Film Festival, the Jerome Indie Film & Music Festival,...

Roberta Cantow is a longtime filmmaker with a body of work that includes: Accordions Rising (2015) ; Not a Still Life (2013) ; Bloodtime Moontime Dreamtime: Women Bringing Forth Change (a Trilogy) and Clotheslines , 1982, Emmy Award winning 30-minute documentary. We have conducted an interview with her. How did you develop this style of filmmaking? How did you make your films personal and also poetic? What do you incorporate into your films/scripts? The first film that I "fell in love with" was Fellini's La Strada, different in so many ways than any film I had seen before. Even though it is considered to be in the category of 'neo-realist,' it is intensely poetic visually, even in terms of the characters who take on mythic proportions. I found that I was drawn to European cinema in general, the anti-thesis of Hollywood at the time. So the development of my "poetic" style was the product of all that interested me at the time including travel, ...

While we Americans are consumed with the news of the US President and his relationship with different news organizations, UK TV producer Beth Butler possess an inside look at the topic from an outside perspective. As producer of Good Morning Britain’s segment back in 2016 in which Piers Morgan interviewed then presidential candidate Trump, Butler pieced together a series interview segment so popular that it prompted a documentary (also produced by her). GMB’s placement of Butler at the helm of these two productions set a precedent for Britain’s view of the man who would become the most discussed American President in modern times on the world stage. The interview with candidate Trump was recorded in New York at Trump Towers on Friday the 13th May 2016. Butler was placed in charge of the interview due to her track record of success under pressure and this particular interview would make good use of the fact. Tapes of the interview were sent overnight from New York to London for...

We have conducted an interview with Lisa Loucks Christenson the author of the 10th year anniversary edition of Winter Bugs . The book is a documentary inside a larger documentary (Walk the Burn), and is a study of insect life during a Minnesota winter. What makes you happiest? Knowing God has my back, and the support of my family, friends, pets. Why do you write? I write because I want to share my experiences when I’m writing non-fiction, my other worlds when I’m writing fiction—I love adventures. Have you always enjoyed writing? Yes, since I was a child. What motivates you to write? Anything, really. My husband jokes he could stick me in a cornfield and I’d find someone to talk to. Talking and sharing lives motivates me to write. What writing are you most proud of? I have many pieces I’m proud of. If I had to pick, I’d say my inspirational works that give glory to God are my best works. One documentary in particular is my, Struggling for Exi...