Producer/Director – Joanna Weaver
I’ve always loved stories. As a kid I eagerly looked forward to my parents reading me bedtime stories, and spent countless hours acting out epic dramas with my eclectic assortment of stuffed animals. As I got older, I became fascinated with films and with journalism, which eventually led me to pursue a career in documentary film.
As a producer and editor of both feature-length and short-format documentaries, I strive to use film to remind us of our connection and responsibility to each other and the Earth. Whether the story is about people, the environment, history, or an inspiring project— I use film to share unique aspects of our fascinating world, amplify passionate voices, and to motivate people to learn and to connect with each other.
Since 2015, I’ve worked as an editor and producer on independent productions, and as a member of Sunlight Media Collective, an Indigenous-led group focused on intersecting issues of Wabanaki sovereignty and environmental justice. I was a Producer and Assistant Editor for We Are the Warriors, an award-winning 2023 feature documentary about a small town high school’s decision to change its Native American mascot. I was Co-Director/Editor/Co-Writer for This River is Our Relative, a 2023 feature documentary about the Penobscot Nation’s intrinsic kinship connection to and tireless environmental advocacy for their River. I also served as Associate Producer on Native Horse (2024), a feature film available on PBS which shares Lakota perspectives on the evolution of horses in North America. My other work includes numerous shorts, including Kihtahkomikumon (Our Land) (2021) about land return in Passamaquoddy territory, and The Maker (2017), about a man driven to turn his passion for traditional crafts into an everyday reality and legacy.
When not working, I can usually be found buried in a book, slowly knitting yet another octopus, or happily wandering around outside.
Animator – Alice O’Brien
With a twinkle in my eye, I’m a determined soul who moves through life looking for my next big project. Whether it be from walking through the woods, daydreaming in my apartment, or people watching in the city. These eyes are always on the hunt for creative inspiration.
I started with colored pencils and pens, usually hiding the paper underneath my schoolwork, I’ll be honest. A friend let me use her Wacom tablet, which got me into drawing digitally. From there I discovered brush pens, which is probably what got me into watercolor painting. When deciding what I wanted to go to college for, I thought “I want to learn how to make my art move,” and that’s when I found my passion for 2D animation. I’ve also been fascinated by stop motion animation since I was a kid, and I think the fact that they didn’t teach it at my college only made me want it more! So, when it was finally time for my senior capstone project, I went all out on A World Contaminated. Mashing all of my favorite mediums together; freehanded 2D animation, rotoscoped 2D, stop motion, constructing physical models that interact with 2d characters in the scenes, dripping paint into water for the background, creating my own sound effects out of whatever I had laying around. In I Want You to Want Me, I animated trees moving with acrylic paint for the background, which was exciting for me since I’ve always wanted to try my hand at that!
I graduated in the summer of 2022 from UW Stout, with a Bachelor’s Degree in Entertainment Design Animation. After graduating, I found myself mostly working on smaller personal projects, pet portraits, and digital commissions of characters. Nothing too big was happening yet… But then I moved back to the Twin cities! I got some temporary gigs to pay the bills, started working on The Power of Storytelling, got into painting murals, then got engaged! I also sell art from my MurkyMermaid.art booth. Things seem to be falling into place! And The Power of Storytelling is an amazing opportunity for me to use all the skills I’ve learned thus far! And I’m so excited to see where it all takes us both in each of our creative careers.