THIS YEAR’S FEATURE FILMMAKERS IN ATTENDANCE (ALPHABETICAL ORDER)
ALEX CHERNEY
Alex Cherney is an award winning filmmaker based in New York who crafts a distinctive cinematic style that often fuses genres and features non-actors to capture raw authenticity on screen. His inspirations range from the bold spirit of 1970s American Cinema to the imaginative worlds of Miyazaki.
In addition to filmmaking, Cherney produces & directs social ads for brands including General Mills, Meta, and Nike, including a Super Bowl spot for Totino's Pizza Rolls starring Pete Davidson.
Cherney resides in a self-built tiny house in upstate New York, and when not immersed in filmmaking you can find him writing & recording music, hiking with his goldendoodle, and pursuing new curiosities.
TIM CONNERY
im Connery is a Midwestern producer and director. He completed his undergraduate in directing at Columbia College Chicago in 2009 and moved to Iowa to produce his first feature film shortly afterward. With the help of a successful Kickstarter campaign, BLACK WEB (2012), would go on to have its world premiere at the prestigious Seattle International Film Festival and its international premiere at the leading horror/sci-fi festival, Fantasia, in Montreal.
Since finding his identity in Iowa, he’s continued to make a career out of commercial filmmaking and produced another feature film, DEATH TO METAL (2021), to much fanfare in the horror comedy sphere, including articles from the New York Times and Bloody-Disgusting. His third feature, THE DRIFTLESS (2025), is currently making rounds on the festival circuit,
MICHAEL CONROY
Mike Conroy is an independent film producer and the founder of Deliver Films - a company specializing in the packaging, delivery, and worldwide distribution of feature films. With thousands of films delivered - Deliver Films has positioned itself as an industry expert in bringing films to market.
In addition to running his business, Mike is also a very active producer with over 60 productions in worldwide distribution. Highlight productions include Ed Kemper, Sunset Strip Killers, Dorothea, Devil's Disciple: The Night Stalker. Mike is always looking for new projects and filmmakers to work with as well as finished projects to release out into the world.
THOMAS ELIOT
A horror movie enthusiast from a small town in Colorado, Thomas is also the host of Invasion of the Pod People, where he interviews independent horror filmmakers
JOSHUA LAND & VICTOR FINK
Joshua Land and Victor Fink are a directing team who met as undergraduates at Johns Hopkins University and have collaborated on five feature films. They run the production company MindInMotion, based in Baltimore MD, and specialize in grounded naturalistic storytelling, focusing on stories about individuals trying to find their place in societies filled with uncertainty.
Joshua and Victor are MidWest WeirdFest alum. Their feature film BAD WITCH won the festival’s “Best Horror Film” award in 2020.
JOSH MUNDS
Josh Munds' unique approach to his creative endeavors has contributed to a growing catalog of dark, twisted, yet somehow equally humorous works that leave audiences wanting more. An independent filmmaker with 10 years of experience in music and film, Josh has a way of flipping the traditional tropes on their head in comically unexpected ways, collecting a list of awards for his short film projects — from two Founder's Circle Awards in the Louisiana Film Prize, to earning a spot in the Oscar-qualifying Indy Shorts International Film Festival in 2023 with the Peeping Todd short film.
ZACHARY NICHOLS
Zachary Nichols is a sculptor and creative director who approaches filmmaking as an extension of his studio practice. He owns the design studio George & Elaine and works independently outside a traditional agency structure.
Nichols worked with David Lynch on his online television channel, live events, short films, and design. His own short films have screened across the United States and Canada.
ANDREW SALERNO
Filmmaker, art director, comic book illustrator, train conductor, Jedi Knight: these are all things I have aspired to be. Some I have achieved, others have been deemed unrealistic. I hail from Bristol, PA but also lived in Los Angeles. I currently teach film production at the University of North Georgia in Oakwood, GA while continuing to develop micro-budget features.
AURELIO VOLTAIRE
At the age of 10, Aurelio Voltaire bought a super 8 camera and taught himself the art of stop-motion animation. At 17, he ran away from home to New York City where by 18, he had become an award-winning animator and director working on station IDs for MTV and national spots for international brands.
Through his stop-motion short films, Aurelio Voltaire was able to explore his more fantastic, monster-filled visions, each narrated by a singer he admired including Danny Elfman, Gerard Way, Blondie front-woman Deborah Harry, Psychedelic Furs frontman, Richard Butler and new wave pioneer, Gary Numan. These five shorts earned Voltaire 35 film festival awards.
After achieving success as an internationally touring recording artist and author, Aurelio Voltaire has circled back around to his original passion to make his first feature length creature feature with co-director, Jeff Ferrell.
This YEAR’S SHORT FILMMAKERS / MUSIC VIDEO ARTISTS / TV & NEW MEDIA CREATORS IN ATTENDANCE (ALPHABETICAL ORDER)
ERIC ARSNOW
A huge champion of the Milwaukee film and music scene, Eric has passionately thrived in both camps over the past 15 years in his favorite city in the United States. Currently, Eric operates the post-production house, FunLand Studios, in the heart of Milwaukee. Heavily working with animation and video editing, Eric started to produce his own music videos with Ride of the Devils Teeth (2021) and Let Me Talk You Through This One (2023). The music video “Forgiveness” is from Eric’s debut solo album under the moniker Seances. The debut album, Power is a Phantom, was written, recorded and produced in the fall of 2024.
MILES AUGUST
Miles August is a Chicago-based filmmaker, visual artist, and composer with a background in music, design, and digital advertising. After studying Graphic Design at the Illinois Institute of Art, he developed a distinctive visual style rooted in photography and videography. He founded Notre Films in 2023, producing short documentaries and client-driven video content. As co-founder of Swym Good Films, Miles brings his holistic creative vision to narrative work, seamlessly blending image, sound, and story in films like SILK and The Girl in the Street.
JEFFREY MICHAEL BAYS
Jeffrey Michael Bays (aka Borgus) holds a Master of Arts in Cinema Studies from La Trobe University, Australia and was an adjunct instructor at Lights Film School. He is best known for writing and producing the award-winning radio satire "Not From Space" (2003) on SiriusXM (on which FAKE NEWS MOVIE is based.) This pioneering audio production was listed by Time Out magazine as among the top five essential radio plays of all time. Also known as the Hitchcock Whisperer, Jeffrey directed the Australian film "Offing David," wrote two popular filmmaking books: "Between the Scenes" and "Suspense With a Camera." He also wrote the new Routledge textbook "Creatives Working Together." Jeffrey is a contributor to MovieMaker Magazine, LA Screenwriter, and has taught master classes worldwide, including venues in Los Angeles, Atlanta, Toronto, St. Louis, Palm Springs, Boulder, Buffalo, Santa Cruz, and Bern.
STEVE CHAPPELL
STEVE CHAPPELL is an illustrator, musician, sculptor, and award-winning filmmaker. He has authored and drawn graphic novels, designed books, album covers, cds, and carved one sign for a coffee shop.
“Though I work in a vast array of mediums, I might like filmmaking most, because in filmmaking I can combine all of the other mediums.”
CARTER AMELIA DAVIS
Carter Amelia Davis is an independent filmmaker based in Minneapolis. She’s been making surreal, unnerving animations for eight years. Her visual style is self-taught and the result of many happy accidents. Her work should ideally make you laugh and feel like you need to take a shower or something.
CHRIS ALAN EVANS
HIVEMIND DELUXE (also writer and star of the feature PEEPING TODD)
Chris Alan Evans is an independent filmmaker and a graduate of Northwestern State University. After an award-winning career in radio broadcasting, he transitioned into independent film-making. His recent short films Caught on Tape and Toots. blend real-life stories with emotional drama and comedic heart. Based in Bossier Parish; Evans is an actor and writer/director creating films that entertain, while offering audiences something meaningful to reflect on.
BEN GOLDMAN & ANGELA WINGARD
Ben Goldman and Angela Wingard of Crossroads of Curiosities, LLC have been investigating and documenting the paranormal for 9 years alongside longtime collaborator and colleague Brienna Shear. Their latest film introduces a new character into the fold: the mysterious entity known as “Seven,” AKA Jacques. Leaning into occult frameworks to help explain the unexplainable, they learn more than anticipated as they unravel the mystery of Jacques. Ben and Angela are MidWest WeirdFest alum, their feature film DWELLER screened at the 2025 festival.
ETHAN KULISNKI
Ethan Kulinski is a recent graduate from UW-Stout's video production program. At 22 years old, Three Chicken Dinners marks his first directorial effort since 2023's Good Stuff, gathering an ensemble of acting talent from throughout Wisconsin and Minneapolis.
Ethan has interest in pursuing a variety of filmmaking roles, with hopes of continuing to build his body of work as a writer, director, and cinematographer moving forward.
GABRIELA LOPEZ
Gabriela Lopez is an award-winning filmmaker, actress, and writer known for her surrealist storytelling and bold cinematic vision.
Born and raised in Dothan, Alabama, Gabriela began her career in front of the camera, landing her first role as Carlita in Teen Spirit (Freeform). She later starred alongside Chloe Grace Moretz in The 5th Wave (Sony) and recurred in Emmy Award-winning series The Crossover (Disney+).
Her transition into filmmaking began with the award-winning short film Unrelated, which she wrote, produced, and starred in. In 2023, she made her directorial debut with Weather Girl, an official selection of Sidewalk Film Festival and Burbank International Film Festival where it competed for Best Short.
Gabriela’s latest film, Sovereign, is inspired by personal lived experience. A surreal horror short about a woman trapped in a game of hide-and-seek to find her missing arm, a dark fairytale about the relentless cycle of taking back your power. It premiered at Mórbido Film Fest 2025 and is currently doing festival run.
Gabriela is a member of SAG- AFTRA, Film Independent, WIF, and AWD.
CHRIS PAICELY
Chris Paicely is a lifelong storyteller whose path has taken him from journalism to filmmaking. After earning a Master’s degree from Northwestern University, he covered politics and education before leading marketing at the Surge Institute, where he produced campaigns and directed video content, including "Shades of Leadership," featuring Lin-Manuel Miranda. In 2020, he founded StoryPaced, a Black-owned video production company, and in 2022 co-founded Swym Good Films, producing the award-winning sci-fi short ALUS. Chris continues to explore powerful narratives through film, podcasting, and community work in Chicago’s South Suburbs—while balancing life as a proud husband and father of three.
MARY AND VERONICA POMILLA
Mary and Veronica Pomilla are sisters who grew up in Southern Maryland. The duo attended NYU Film School and both work in Television. Mary is a producer at Saturday Night Live and Veronica worked on the Production team for "How To With John Wilson." They continue to make their own art projects as well.
ANTHONY RUPTAK
Anthony Ruptak is a veteran of the Colorado music scene. A paramedic, songwriter and birdwatcher, Ruptak performs his original work with a focused mission: to interrogate the effects of the human condition and to soundtrack american suffering. Ruptak's sound ranges from vulnerable acoustic performances to powerful and maximalist multi-instrumental experiences likened to Conor Oberst and Death Cab for Cutie. Ruptak's new LP "Tourist" was released in late 2025.
Ruptak has been involved with community activism for many years, working closely with Denver's refugee, immigrant, and homeless communities. He frequently uses his platform to organize music-based fundraisers and raise awareness for humanitarian aid.
NICK ROHR
Nick Rohr is the creative director that runs Lemon Pulp Studios, both an independent comics and zines publishing label as well as an internationally awarded traditional animation studio. You can find the work on Instagram @lemonpulpstudios.
His animated music video G’ITIS BAGGS - COUNTRY FOLK screens as part of the BEST OF THE MIDWEST shorts block.
TIM SCHWAGEL
Tim Schwagel is a filmmaker from Eau Claire, WI who taught himself to make movies alongside some of his best friends whom he continues to work with to this very day. He fell in love with watching movies on the big screen surrounded by people, so he strives to inspire that feeling in others with every movie he makes.
AHMET TIGREL
Ahmet Tigrel is an award-winning filmmaker and co-founder of Rogue Cell Pictures, a studio pioneering new cinematic techniques fueled by emerging technologies. Since launching in 2024, his work has earned multiple international honors, including the Meta Morph Award 2025 for Best Music Video, positioning him as a distinctive new voice in visual storytelling.
Tigrel’s body of work spans feature film development, stylized music videos, and commercial content, with notable collaborations including projects produced for Reuters. He is represented by Great Guns, a globally recognized creative production agency. Known for blending traditional cinematic language with cutting-edge AI and digital pipelines, he creates immersive, photorealistic worlds and dynamic visual narratives.
Outside filmmaking, Tigrel brings entrepreneurial experience from founding Xplant, a biotechnology company, and Unchained Esports, a competitive gaming organization.
Based in Istanbul, he continues to explore innovative workflows that bridge human direction with new technological frontiers, expanding the creative possibilities of modern cinema.
DANIEL WHEELER
Daniel Wheeler is a Wisconsin-based filmmaker and multidisciplinary artist working under Art Department Films LLC. With a background in fine art and audio production, his work blends atmosphere, moral tension, and psychological unease.
His films often explore belief, doubt, and the unseen forces that shape human behavior. The Voice in the Vessel continues his interest in intimate, character-driven stories where the supernatural brushes against the deeply personal