What are your expectations for 2026?
I actually do not have any expectations for the new year. Being an independent artist with expectations is nothing more than a dream killer. It’s mostly a daily grind of disappointment, so I take each day as it comes and just hope for the best. The one thing I will continue to work on through next year is distribution for my most recent project Wacko. To have a little fun though, I would love it if I could film a short and secure funding for my next feature. That would be my dream for ’26.
What projects are you currently working on?
Sadly, I’m not working on anything right now. I do have a couple of projects in the queue. I have a short film called Where is Lady? I have submitted for a couple of grants to help fund this project and am currently waiting for the results. It is an action film, based around human trafficking. I also have a feature length film I will be pitching around to try and get funding for. It is called True Friend. I derived a short film from it that I tested through the festival circuit and it cleaned up well world wide. If I’m able to obtain distribution for my current film Wacko, then I will use whatever proceeds from there to help fund this project.
What would you ask event organizers in the film industry to do in order to support the creativity of highly talented independent artists like yourself?
That is a pretty open ended question but I’ll attack it from all angles. It really depends on what these organizers are capable of doing but for all intents and purposes let us say there are no boundaries. It really depends on what stage a filmmaker is at. If they are at the beginning stage with just a script or an idea, then they would need to be put into a mixer with investors who are looking for a project to fund. It would be something similar to Shark Tank, where investors are ready to put their money down, but in the setting of speed dating. The filmmaker or director/producer are able to mingle and get to know investors who might be right for their project and vice versa, the investor is able to find a project they are passionate about as well and are excited to get behind. Let’s say they already were able to get the project made, but now need to find an outlet for this project. They would need to be able to put these projects in front of the eyes of the right people who can distribute these films. Ultimately developing a market that ultra low budgets without star status can have an opportunity to succeed. The market that exists for “independent” filmmakers is saturated with celebrities and multi million dollar budgets. It’s more of a hybrid between studio and indie.
What vision or desire currently guides your artistic choices?
This will probably sound like a line out of a movie but it’s the truth. I’ve always followed my gut and my heart. Might need to use this line in one of my films. I’m not really sure where the story/idea or vision comes from but it usually has to do with something that I have come across that I found interesting and that I think others will find entertaining as well. From there, is where I let this idea stew in my brain for a while until I can find the right characters to use, that will help tell the story. To help explain, my most current film is called Wacko. I first got the idea for this film from a character I came across. I was intrigued by this person and thought others might find him interesting as well. From there I needed to find a way to put this person/character into a situation that others would find entertaining. I chose to use bullying because it is a current ongoing issue that our country (USA) has been dealing with. Once I have the basics put in place, BAM, my gut and heart take over and my imagination runs wild.
