George Dyson: The Floating World
Best-selling author and science historian George Dyson spent his youth living in a treehouse on the water’s edge outside of Vancouver, British Columbia, building aluminum-frame kayaks based on the traditional Aleut design known by the Russian term baidarka. In this short documentary, Dyson discusses his years living in B.C. and traveling by sea kayak along the Inside Passage. We follow him as he gives a presentation on traditional kayaks at the Alaska Native Day celebration at Fort Ross, California, an historic early 19th century Russian settlement.
Dyson is the author of Baidarka: the Kayak (1986), Darwin Among the Machines (1997), Project Orion: The Atomic Spaceship 1957–1965 (2002), Turing’s Cathedral (2012), and Analogia: The Entangled Destinies of Nature, Human Beings and Machines (2020).
Patrinell: The Total Experience
Patrinell: The Total Experience is a feature documentary about Rev. Patrinell Staten Wright, director of Seattle’s famous “Total Experience Gospel Choir”, a community choir which she founded in 1973. Fiercely independent, tenacious, and outspoken, Patrinell faced up to bigotry, patriarchy, and social injustice while on a journey to share faith and build community through music.
World Premiere: May 26th, 2019 at the Seattle International Film Festival.
Website: patrinell.com
Dancing with Hope
Ten years after Hurricane Katrina swept through the Gulf Coast, many victims of the storm still suffer from inadequate housing. Shirts Across America is a nonprofit organization that brings high school students to New Orleans to help build and repair homes. For many volunteers, this experience raises awareness of the issues surrounding racism and white privilege.
A Hospital In the Pines
Canadian and American doctors and nurses struggle with cultural differences and equipment failures in an effort to provide medical care to indigent patients at an aging hospital in the mountains of the Philippines.
Fake It Till You Make It
An aspiring rap artist hires two photographers to be his paparazzi and follow him to convince people that he’s a famous celebrity. Featuring $tack Money, with appearances by hip hop artists D. Valley, Skrilla Milla, and Ace Gamble.
Give a Child the World: The Story of Arbor Schools
After moving to the United States in 2001, director Katya Palladina enrolled her daughter at Arbor Montessori, which became a home away from home. While volunteering as a parent, she witnessed first hand the success of the Montessori method and became an enthusiastic supporter. This short film was made to illustrate Montessori principles and celebrate Arbor’s inspiring personalities and rich history.
The Last Baidarka of Prince William Sound
Using the remaining specimen of a traditional seal-skin covered kayak (known by the Russian term baidarka) Mitch Poling was able to revive the practice of traditional skin-on-frame kayak construction in Prince William Sound.
Speed of Life
Official Selection of Portland Art Museum Northwest Film Center’s “Make it Short” 40 Second film festival 2011.
Baby Seal Films 