Short Films

George Floyd – St. Paul Riots – The Aftermath

On Memorial Day, May 25th, 2020, the Minneapolis Police murdered an unarmed black man in broad daylight. His name was George Floyd. They handcuffed him, laid him down on his stomach, and then held him down with their full body weight. One officer put his knee on his neck, which restricted his air pathway. George repeatedly told the officer, “I can’t breathe,” and witnesses begged the officer to release his chokehold. But, the officer did not listen. Suffocated by the police, George died in the middle of the street with dozens of witnesses. Since that day, thousands of people have come together in the form of demonstrations to demand justice. They wanted the police officers arrested for their crimes. They wanted political leaders to de-militarize and initiative police reform. Many want to abolish the police as a whole. When nothing was done, riots broke out, looting commenced, and buildings burned. These riots were on the world stage and have inspired demonstrations all over the world. Let’s hope this noise creates change. And if it doesn’t, we have to keep it going. We have to keep this conversation on the political stage. As a white ally, don’t forget to listen. Before making assumptions, listen to what our black communities are going through (and what they have been going through for generations). These riots are not just the result of another black man being killed. They are a result of a societal system that works against them. Systematic racism is real. If this is a new concept, please read up on it. Becoming aware is one of the first steps to becoming an ally. Please consider donating to help with this cause. Visit the Youtube link to learn about the organizations that are trying to make the world a more equitable place. They use their collective knowledge to promote equitable policy-change and give voice to the marginalized communities that need it most right now.

Spain 2019 – Barcelona, Begur, & Girona

A video montage of my partner and I’s trip to Spain June 2019.

Wood Lake Nature Center – Short video montage

I made this demo for when I worked at RootsRated. In the end, they didn’t use it, but I still find the video fun and a great summary of one of my favorite parks in the Twin Cities.

Great River Bluffs Camping Trip
A group of friends and I spent two days at Great River Bluffs State Park in Southern Minnesota. Here’s a fun video summarizing the trip.

Road Trip 2015: National Parks, Hiking Trails, and Sista-Bro Bonding 
This is a fun video, summarizing my 2.5 week road trip with my brother across the southwestern states.
We visited Yellowstone National Park (WY), Jackson (WY), Salt Lake City (UT), Arches National Park (UT), Canyonlands National Park (UT), Newspaper Rock (UT), Zion National Park (UT), Sedona (AZ), Grand Canyon National Park (AZ), Sequoia National Forest (CA), and Monterey (CA).

Tokurin-ji: My Experiences Living in a Japanese Zen Temple
I made this short film for a presentation I gave at Midwest Mountaineering’s 2015 Spring Outdoor Expo. After presenting about my experiences in the zen temple, I showed this film to give the audience members a better idea of the temple and the people who reside there.

The Apostle Island Sea Caves – Winter of 2014 – a short film
My brother and two friends visited Bayfield, WI’s famous Apostle Island Sea Caves. During the winter, the sea caves freeze over, resulting in magical ice covered caves to crawl through and explore

Mongolia: A Journey to the West
I made this short film for a presentation I gave at Midwest Mountaineering’s 2014 Winter Outdoor Expo. After presenting about my time in Mongolia, I showed the audience members this film to give them a better idea of where I went and what I saw.

How To Make Cinnamon Rolls While Camping
I made a step-by-step guide on how my friend and I made cinnamon rolls while backcountry backpacking in the Boundary Waters Canoe Area (BWCA) in Northern Minnesota.

An Elephant Never Forgets (2012)
This is a documentary that I co-produced and directed with three other talented filmmakers. It is about Packy the Pachyderm, the nation’s oldest elephant in captivity. He turned 40 years old in 2012, so this film documents his history and his current importance in the Portland community. This film was also a finalist in the OpenLens Film Festival and has aired and continues to air on Oregon Public Broadcasting (OPB) as a bumper.

For more videos, you can visit my Youtube Channel.