Q&A: 3:30 - 4 PM
Peter Tieryas is the author of
the award-winning Mecha
Samurai Empire series
(Ace). His stories have been
published in places like IGN,
Verge, and Kotaku. He has
previously worked as an
animator for LucasArts and
Pixar, and is currently writing
an unannounced game for Nicalis.
Q&A: 4 - 4:30 PM
Taylor Morden is an unabashedly nostalgic, former third grade spelling bee champion turned independent filmmaker.
After spending many years “almost making it” as a professional musician he turned his attention to film making in 2010.
His projects include several award-winning short films and feature length Documentaries including; “Here’s To Life! The Story of the Refreshments,” “Pick It Up! Ska in the ‘90s,” and “The Last Blockbuster” (which was briefly the #1 documentary on Netflix in 2021).
During the early months of the Covid-19 pandemic he also orchestrated a worldwide quarantine-based fan remake of the classic movie “Back to the Future 2” called “Project 88” (bttftoo.com).
He is currently working on a documentary about the beloved toy company Build-A-Bear Workshop. He is probably the only person on the planet who has played trumpet with Reel Big Fish, Weezer, and the Backstreet Boys.
Q&A: 5 - 6 PM
Writer/director Jesse Blanchard from Portland, Ore., is best known for his innovative use of puppetry and practical effects to create richly detailed fantasy films.
Blanchard started making films in college. His work quickly earned the praise of filmmakers including Neil LaBute, Drew Barrymore, and horror master George Romero, who distributed Blanchard’s zombie short “Run for Your Life” along with his feature Diary of the Dead.
In 2010, Blanchard began experimenting with puppetry, developing a strict set of guidelines: the characters are treated as real; the puppeteering is hidden; and the special effects are practical whenever possible. His ‘Puppetcore’ shorts played film festivals from Los Angeles to Cannes.
Beginning in 2014, Blanchard and his team began creating the characters, props, and sets for the feature-length puppet film “Frank & Zed,” as well as developing new techniques to allow the puppets to perform the intricate effects the film required. Production was completed over the course of the following six years.
Frank & Zed has earned rave reviews from the Hollywood Reporter, RogerEbert.com, Nerdist, IndieWire and others. It is currently on the festival circuit with screenings in Mexico, Brazil, Korea, and Canada among others.
Q&A: 6 - 7 PM
Pat Casey and Josh Miller have been working together since meeting in detention in junior high.
They are the screenwriters behind SONIC THE HEDGEHOG and SONIC THE HEDGEHOG 2, and are already developing the recently announced SONIC 3.
In addition to Hedgehogs, Casey and Miller have the Christmas action comedy VIOLENT NIGHT hitting theaters in December 2022, with David Leitch producing. Previously, they created/Executive Produced the primetime horror-comedy animated series GOLAN THE INSATIABLE for FOX, and wrote and directed the cult-classic movie HEY, STOP STABBING ME!.
Miller also hosts the podcast BEST MOVIES NEVER MADE, on which Casey is a regular guest.