Hailey, Idaho, United States
An amateur photographer, who makes his living as a skycap at Salt Lake City Airport, documents the disappearing way of life of Cuba's Campesino farmers, forging friendships and capturing dignity and sacrifice through his surprisingly intimate pictures. Two hours west of Havana in the rust colored fields of Vinales, famous for growing the best tobacco in the world, Carl Oelerich, introduces us to the Campesino life. For 15 years, sneaking into Cuba and photographing this culture has been his passion, returning to the same people year after year. It is through his relationships and his striking B&W images that we embark on this journey with a cast of characters whose candid conversations overflow with insight, hardship, humor and gratitude. Through the unexpected personal journey of Carl, Campesino, introduces us to a world preserved by time on the brink of opening up into the world in a way few people will ever see again. Directed by first time director Mia Tate, Produced by Emmy nominated filmmaker, Tchavdar Georgiev, Edited by Oscar nominated editor, Michael Chandler and shot by famed Cuban filmmaker, Roberto Chile. www.bighatproductions.com
Pre-production work on GOOD GRIEF. One woman's struggle through the ravages of grief after finding her mother dead. Charlie, a married mother of two in the throes of suburban responsibility, finds solace in a grief support group. However, it is this very solace that could lead to her ultimate undoing and shatter her family. GOOD GRIEF is a journey into the psyche of sorrow and how far we will go to escape our own lives. Filled with a colorful cast of characters whose worlds you get to peek into as they deal with the inevitable, the death of a loved one. And how often one has to learn to live with the part of them that also dies when the people who help define them are gone. It is through grief, humor, darkness and love that Charlie and the others will have to learn to pick up the pieces and decide which road to take.
I have been a professional actress for over 15 years and studied with some of the greats at Larry Moss’s studio, Beverly Hills Playhouse and Uta Hagen in New York. Some film credits include, O Brother, Where art Thou?, Crazy in Alabama, Friend Request and Kessler's Lab, as well as guest star appearances on ER and West Wing. As a filmmaker, I produced my first feature, staring the amazing Bo Hopkins, have a screenplay in pre-production that I am looking to direct in Summer 2015 and am currently working on producing and directing two documentaries.