Crumbs Is Going to Red Cedar Film Festival - and What It Took to Get It Made

I recently received the news that my 16mm short film Crumbs, starring Grainger Hines (Lincoln, The Ballad of Buster Scruggs), was accepted into the Red Cedar Film Festival. It will premiere next month in Menomonie, Wisconsin.

Crumbs is about a man who receives difficult news about his health and must decide whether to call the brother he hasn’t spoken to in years. We filmed the entire story in one continuous take on 16mm.

This was a small film made with a great group of people. I’m grateful to Grainger, Paul Del Gesso—who has been there since day one—and our entire crew for helping bring it to life.

I’m sharing this not simply to announce the festival, but because I want to help other filmmakers move their own work forward.

Crumbs began as something I knew I could realistically make: one location, one on-screen actor, a contained story and a small crew. If you’re trying to make a film, write down the story in one sentence, what you already have, what you still need and a realistic date to shoot it. Then choose one thing you can do this week to remove the next obstacle.

I took the same approach with festivals. I chose only a handful that seemed right for the film and contacted them directly. Each one provided a waiver code, which removed some of the cost of submitting.

If you’re working on something, reply and tell me what it is and the next step you’re taking. I’d genuinely like to know.