Filmmakers

Curtis Craven

 Atotonilco el Alto, Jalisco

Curtis Craven's Bio:

Mr. Craven over twenty-five years of experience as producer/director/shooter/editor with an emphasis on documentary. Born in Chattanooga Tennessee, Mr. Craven arrived in Gainesville Florida sometime in 1953 at the tender age of a few months. He remained there until 1979 when he moved to Austin, Texas to attend graduate school in film. Since the early 70's, he has lived, worked and traveled extensively in Mexico. From 1990-96 he was Senior Producer with the Texas Parks & Wildlife Television Series, which airs on PBS. He left to form Hecho a Mano Productions and now works as an independent producer/director, with projects in Texas, Mexico and Florida. As a freelancer, he has shot scores of "reality television" shows and "behind the scenes" for FOX, Miramax, Disney, the History Channel, TLC, MTV, Austin City Limits and Yahoo Music. Recently, he has begun documenting his hometown region of central Florida. A number of these short documentaries on Florida culture and people have screened nationally and internationally. Presently, he is completing the half-hour documentary "Vanilla: the Sacred Orchid". Shot in Veracruz, Mexico, it will be distributed to PBS via KLRN in San Antonio.

Curtis Craven

PO Box 1701

Austin TX 78767

512-462-4927

Mark Roeder

Mark Roeder writes, directs, and edits unique, short films. The Meatman, An Axe To Grind, and Hit Or Miss you will see at the Blissfest. He has gone to Colorado Film School for the last two years, doing the writing, directing immersion program and the Acting For the Screen Certificate. He plays a deranged professor in Clouds Of Phobia.

Its not just the fun of entertaining, telling stories, and learning to craft better movies that he loves. Beyond the enjoyment of collaborating with others, film making is a way to get his voice heard and say what he believes, not necessarily with words but within the action.

Mark won the Best editing award at Blissfest 3 for Profanity Report, a film he produced with Waking Dream Entertainment.

Mark is thrilled to be featured at the Blissfest!

 Russ Sylvain

Russ was born on an air force brat, In Florida and went to nine schools in twelve years. After getting a two year degree in broadcasting from a community college, he proceeded to spend six years in radio as a top forty disc jockey. He then started work as a cameraman for KRDO-TV and ended up doing just about everything in production over the years. The oddest job was becoming the host of Shock Theater which ran intermittently during the late 70's and early 80's.

Over the years Russ has directed literally over thousands of newscasts, a task he continues to do.

The films and videos he has done was out of love of putting images to music and enjoying the act of editing and chronicling his friends and family over the years.

Matt Nagode

Matt Has been in the television business since Jan. 1982 and went to college for film and television production. Matt has made over 15 short films.

Michael Howard 

Michael Howard is an award-winning actor and filmmaker who has made feature, short, and documentary films.  He's also a writer, still photographer, and cinematographer and enjoys any aspect of the filmmaking process.  For the past three years, he's also been the official photographer and documentarian for the Vail Film Festival.  He's happy to be a part of the Blissfest again, his first time was in 2004 and his short film "Nemesis Rising: The Airband" won the "Best Comedy" award.  Michael currently lives in North Carolina and is writing his next feature film.  His website is www.invisibleproductions.biz .

Michael Bliss

Michael Bliss is an artist, musician, poet and filmmaker.

Michael started making films at the age of 15 with his first film called "To Live Is To Die". Since then he has made numerous short films and has been in Festivals all over the U.S. Michael has met and worked with some of the top directors in the business. Quentin Tarantino, Robert Rodriquez, Mike Judge, and Richard Linklater. Michael Also had three small parts in the film " The Faculity" directed by Robert Rodriquez.

At Blissfest 5, Michael  premiered  three short films, two  documentaries, a silent film where he played the sountrack live and a music video.

The next Blissfest he will be premiering his firt feature film Zombie Fest.

Michael Bliss writes, directs, edits, and composes his own music for his films and is currently working on a two feature films, many short films, another silent film where he will play the sountrack live at Blissfest333.

Currently Michael reads his poetry at Campbell James Kerseys Incredible Poetry Night every last monday of the month at Venue 515. Which he started.

515 Manitou Ave, Manitou Springs Co.

Ben Willis

At a very young age, Ben discovered he had a talent for writing and storytelling.  From a creative writer, he blossomed into an amateur author who aspired to be a screenplay writer.  Knowing it would take a miracle to see his screenplays developed for video, he decided to do it himself.  From writing, directing, producing, acting, editing, and soundtrack, he has slowly learned and developed into an experienced filmmaker. 

 Todd Bradley

Todd Bradley is an amateur screenwriter and director who has completed eight short films.  He's been a film buff ever since seeing the original "Star Wars" in a drive-in theater in Casper, Wyoming.  Twenty five years later, Todd's interest in sound design and film score composition evolved into a desire to start making his own movies.  He's currently working on a martial arts comedy scheduled to hit the festival circuit in 2010.  Todd lives with his wife Beth Partin in Broomfield, Colorado.

Lauren Goulding

Lauren Goulding graduated from Hampshire College in 2009. A scavenger of footage and erstwhile animator, she deals in found images and the possibilities of history conveyed through film. Lauren’s past works include AgriCULTURE, a documentary about traditional irrigation systems in Morocco, and Welcome to America, a satirical video guidebook. She is interested in both the real and imagined Middle East, themes which feature heavily in The Great American Wild East Show, her senior thesis documentary.

Ashley Kalfas

Ashley Kalfas is a 16 year old actress and filmmaker who enjoys all aspects of stage and film. She created her first film "Our Wars" in 2007 during a class and is currently independently working on a second. She is a dedicated Star Wars fan and is saving up to buy her own costume to join the 501st  legion of stormtroopers someday. Please keep an eye out for this talented individuals work. On stage, on screen, and behind the scenes as well.

Artists and Musicians

Kelly G. Jeppesen

Ted Shinn has been performing in Colorado for over 30 years.  He has been seen playing classical and steel-string guitar in coffee shops and entertaining in lounges for many these long years.  Ted also has been in rock bands and dance bands both as front man and side man.
     Ted is best known for playing an engaging piano and pioneered one of the first Musical Instrument Digital Interface (MIDI) keyboard acts in Colorado since the early 80's.  Audiences did not know how to respond to electronically based music at the time, and many dismissed it as a non-legitimate art form, but Ted has persevered and has found acceptance and even demand for his electronic and virtual orchestra music performances.    
Additionally Ted Shinn and has had quite a prolific recording career and has produced, written or arranged eighteen albums, twelve of which can be located at http://www.cdbaby.com/all/tedshinn

Ted brings passion and years of performing live to his performances.  Combined with all the dazzling array of styles, songs and technology, Ted's keyboard wizardy is a one-of-a-kind experience! 

Laurel Swab

Born in Louisville, KY in 1969, painter and sculptor Laurel Swab now resides in Colorado where she has exhibited in a number of galleries and institutions. Swab graduated with honors and received a B.F.A. in 1991 from the Kansas City Art Institute where she studied sculpture and fiber arts. She was exposed to a variety of media and continues to explore new processes and materials to further expand her visual vocabulary.

Although a third generation sculptor, Swab was inspired to teach herself to paint after a trip to Italy in 1998. The passion, atmosphere and execution of the figurative work of Renaissance painters like Michaelangelo, Carravagio, and DaVinci left a lasting impression with her. Swab reignites the realism and mood of the "old masters" with her rich and subdued palette. Her dramatic lighting creates a striking contrast between her subjects and their dark, atmospheric backgrounds.

In 2002 Swab was awarded "Best Visual Artist" by the Pikes Peak Arts Council. She has received recognition for her painting and sculpture in the form of various awards and purchases by private collectors throughout the United States. Swab has also earned the respect of regional critics as well as gallery and museum curators and directors.

http://laurelswab.com/

 Animus Invidious

 Bio:
"Animus Invidious is a multi-genre musician / producer of the Colorado
/ Manitou Springs area. With a split performance personality, he plays
on-the-fly electronic dj sets, mashing up familiar songs in
entertaining, unique ways, layered with organically created beats,
synth lines, sound effects, live instrumentation (and inevitably guest
musicians), and also writes and plays delicately eloquent
neo-classical acoustic guitar pieces as well as everything from metal
to folk to experimental jazz. In the process of recording no less than
seven cds worth of material with various collaborators (including
local luminaries Xanthe Alexis, Benjamin Pratt, DversusJ, Denver Ryan
Hager, and many others) and assisting various musicians with recording
and production assistance and cameos with various artists onstage, he
has certainly 'been around the block' as far as the local underground
music scene goes. Noted for his one-of-a-kind, transcendent
performance style, Animus has been known to rock any sort of venue,
whether it be via fat and juicy beats that you can't resist waggling
your booty to, or via heart-wrenching melodic beauty that sinuously
entwines one's emotional frame of reference (or all three)."

 Nessa

Nessa is a versatile guitarist, composer and performing artist who merges elements of the past and present from classical, flamenco, jazz and funk to create new age acoustical guitar music for the future and for new generations. She has produced three CDs showcasing her high energy and electrifying performance ability. In addition to the traditional pieces, Nessa is on the leading edge of the neo-classical and flamenco movement.

          Ready When You Are features beautiful acoustic guitar music. She is a magnificently smooth strummer, this CD is perfect for relaxing summer nights or any other environment where ‘chilling’ is to be accomplished; highly enjoyable!

Andy Goldenberg - The Westfield Leader Times, NY- April 2004

Adding to her extraordinary musical ability, Nessa is a professional actress whose credits include ER, Diagnosis Murder, the Laramie Project for HBO, Animal Planet for the Discovery Channel, the award winning feature movie Straight Jacket and numerous independent films. Nessa is also an educator, lecturing at colleges and high schools on the entertainment field and historical research and teaching music to private students.

 In her free time, Nessa jogs, runs, goes on long-distance bike rides, studies European and ancient history and longs to collect classic Corvettes.

KE Peace

KE Peace

(Karen E. Peace)

http://www.soundclick.com/kepeaceusa

 

Karen Peace holds an MS in Computer Information Systems, but music was her first love. She began composing around 2006. Since that time, she has composed numerous works for orchestra, chorus, and small ensemble, which can be heard on her website at www.soundclick.com/kepeaceusa

these activities have garnered the attention of composers, conductors, filmmakers and educators both locally and abroad.  She is also active in the Springs poetry and arts community, reading occasionally at open mic nights, and has displayed her digital photography and paintings at the Business of Art Center in Manitou.  She has a fondness for collaborations between the arts, and this past year, taught composition at the Colorado Springs Conservatory as part of their partner program with Harrison High School . She studies composition with Ofer Ben-Amots, and voice with Judeth Shay-Burns. 

 Kenny Giordano

and Borrowed Time

Kenny Giordano and Borrowed Time are a no nonsense audience participation full contact music group who between all the band members have over 200 years experience in the professional music business.  In their performances, Kenny highlights many tunes from his CD "Future Full & Free" available on Itunes and CDBaby (cdbaby.com/giordano) as well as the favorites of many lifetimes including everything you've ever wanted to hear in the southern rock/classic rock and country genres from the 50's to the 90's.  

Although based in Colorado Springs, Kenny Giordano and Borrowed Time are a national touring act and have joined up with Blissfest 5 in a benefit capacity to further the cause and dreams of Blissfest 5's chief organizer, Michael Bliss.  Please check back on this website as well as www.kennygiordano.com for further information and where to check out other performances locally and nationally on Kenny and his band.  Kenny Giordano is exclusively booked by USATalentAgency.com.  For booking information for your seasonal functions, please email info@kennygiordano.com or call locally at 719 266 9040.

Jason Bennett

Jason Bennett is a singer-songwriter best known for his own brand of independent, earthy, acoustic folk music. He has written, produced and released five cd's of original music which have sold in over 30 countries.
His warm vocals, prolific lyrics and traditional instrumentation has won him fans all over the world. If you look hard enough you will find Jasonplaying in some obscure coffeehouse or bookstore in the Western UnitedStates.

"Jason Bennett's new album, "Slow It Down, Take a Step Back" quickly becomes a welcome friend. An aura of wisdom and lessons learned permeates the set."

 - SING OUT MAGAZINE

"Jason Bennett's honest vocals are the centerpiece of his songs."

- THECOLORADO SPRINGS GAZETTE

"Bennett comes across as both world-weary and hopeful, naive and cynical.
It's sweetly melancholic, acoustic folk that effortlessly mixes with country, not unlike early Bob Dylan."

 -THE COLORADO SPRINGS

   INDEPENDENT

 

 Julianza Shavin

I was raised by a house of music and books, aided by two dedicated parents:  a flutist/journalist father, and a visual artist/interior-designer mother. At an early age, I was thus scandalously and irrevocably seduced by the world of art. Rocking my crib rhythmically at age 2, and nearly down a staircase in an absurd mode of transport (cribs had wheels then and parents were missing a few gears), I was tagged as musical, and by age 6, having started piano, was heard correcting my mother's plunked piano notes from another room, evincing perfect pitch, a rather useless gift. I have performed compositions in concert in Georgia, Virginia, North Carolina, Florida, and Colorado, and also perform all other genres. I'm hoping to resume studies with Ofer Ben-Amots soon. One of my favorite venues is the Classically Alive Music Salon Series, run by Dr. Abe Minzer.

A member of Poetry West, I am a relentless reviser when it comes to writing. I perform poetry at every open mic I can find, including slam poetry, and was semi-finalist for the Pikes Peak Performance Poet 2006. I am working on my first poetry manuscript, to be published fall of 2009 and am currently on chapter ten of a (hopefully) humorous memoir called The Plums of Childhood. My favorite outlet at this time is jamming keys and doing poetry to the background of acid-rock jazz at the Mariner in Manitou.

I paint mainly in acrylics, but have come to love digital art. Most recently, I was juried in to the Art Aloud project during National Poetry Month, involving four gallery spaces. I've also shown at Smokebrush and had a few one-woman shows. I was honored to receive the Pikes Peak Art Council's first micro-grant, and am planning an art show, in collaboration with PPAC, dedicated to the artwork of disabled artists. The real world is my inspiration and nemesis. I worship art. Now, if only it were mutual!

Most of my writing is on Authorsden. Website: Julianza, Inkling or www.droppinglikerubies.com.

 

Aliya Mehdi

 

Is a 21 year old poet, filmmaker, and fiction writer who lives in Colorado Springs. She is the author of the novel "Cigarette Burns on the Moon" as well as a few less finished novels. Her work has been published in The Bitter Oleander, the Teen Ink Poetry Journal, Potluck, and the Scholastic Writing Awards, anthology the best teen writing of 2003. she was 2008 finalist for performance Poet of the year award as judged by Pikes Peak Arts Council. She Aso enjoys visual art ( 2d and video) and music. Aliys is currently working on a feature film with Michael Bliss called "Hospital Webs"Aliya believes that a work of literature is best when it is both beautiful in literality  honest and meaningful in its implications. In her poetic work she strives to create a subsurface resonance in the readers self and a transcendence of common place what is equally real and vital in the human conscionsness

 

Tim Yunker

Bio

Reigning from his stomping grounds of Green Mountain Falls, Colorado, and presently residing in Denver, Tim Yunker blends his obsession with various harmonies and a capella pieces in creating his signature, R&B/Soul sound. As a singer/songwriter, the Hip-Hop layer of his secular sound becomes evident in the beatboxing, rhythms and synths that are juxtaposed throughout his songs. Growing up in a musical household where he was saturated in the listening pleasures of Old School, Jubilee Gospel and Folk music, Tim Yunker never received formal, instrumental or vocal training. Influenced by such industry artists who include, The Golden Gate Quartet, Mitchell's Christian Singers and Blind Willie Johnson, Tim has recently released his full-fledged, debut album. Travelin' Shoes was written, produced, engineered and performed by Tim in his personally owned and operated studio. The success of the compilation also spawned the success of songs like, Locked Out Of Your Heart, Love Left Me Behind, Give Up On Me, and A Little Space. Each song pays homage to Tim's journey towards the unknown. Tim uses his lyrics to evoke a strong sense of emotion in his growing fan-base.

Fighting for the Universe - Denver, CO - Denver's hottest new offering to the Colorado Music scene.  Comprised of 3rd generation singer/songwriter David Howell and supported by Darius Pope and Kevin Jochem.  This soulful traveler has finally planted his roots on the front range and his stories are ready to be told.   Great melodic, original music that is soon to catch on and you can call very own.

 

Improv Colorado is an award-winning improv team in Colorado Springs, Colorado.  We specialize in short-form improvisational comedy, much like you’d see on Who’s Line is it Anyway?

For those of you who are unfamiliar with improv comedy, it’s a beautiful thing. It relies on audience participation, and the improvisers will make up the entire show on the spot. Literally, anything can happen. We keep the humor clean, not just because it’s Colorado Springs, but because it keeps us creative.

Improv Colorado members come from a diverse background–everything from airline pilots, to home security specialists, to Medieval Warriors Knights, to office workers. But, the one thing they all have in common (besides being on the same team) is theater exerience, and an ability to make people laugh.

Everything you see will be based on audience suggestions, so the show is different every time you see it. Most of us could memorize scripts, but this is more fun for us. Half of the fun of improv comedy is the expectation that you never know what to expect.  Paradoxical and intriguing…

Bottom line: We provide high-quality entertainment that you wont forget.  We strive to create an atmosphere so that you feel like you’re hanging out in your living room with your “bestest” and “funniestest” friends.  Only instead of a living room there’s a stage, and instead of your friends there’s us.

 

Cindy Weller and Weller Craft

Weller Craft and Fine Pottery makes a broad range of uniquely designed and stylish wear that emphasizes floral and natural designs that are as elegant as they are intricate.

Cindy Weller developed her passion for pottery at a young age watching here mother create china dolls. In College she studied different forms of sculpture from wood to ceramic to painting and photography, taking from each medium a desire to push the limits of the craft. She has continued her studies both in a professional setting and individual throughout the years. Her desire for her pottery is for people to have her artwork and display it in their homes, she would be happy if all her homeless pieces could find good homes. 

Her background has given her a unique style of sculpture fused with skills she learned from working with film and the television industry. While working in these diverse fields she has mastered other mediums that she has in turn brought to her pottery.

When not in the studio, she enjoys the mountains and outdoor actives so abundant in Colorado and spending time with her loving husband and two dogs.

 

 

 Mary Pacheco

 

 

Mary Pacheco, the daughter of two talented artists, has always had a passion for art and photography.  In school she painted many sets for plays and won numerous accolades for her artwork, including "Best of Show".  It wasn't until the birth of her children that she realized how much she loved Portraiture.  After having attended college for Art and Photography, she became a Portrait Photographer at a Studio. Her success in the Portrait Studio came quickly, and was promoted from Portrait Photographer, to Market Trainer, and finally Market Manager in the matter of only 6 months.  Although she loved the business side of Photography, she missed being the Photographer, which is what compelled her to start her own business. "I love what I do, and I try my best to make sure that you love it too!"

 

Neil Coleman

 

    In 1987 Neil Coleman opened Pro-Jex Gallery in Austin, Texas.  His gallery was the first to exclusively feature photography and is still in operation today.  His mission is to promote, preserve and protect fine art photography.  For the past 20 years Neil has produced over 150 photography exhibits and has been involved in numerous photographic projects outside his gallery.  His own photography has been published, written about and presented in various exhibits throughout the years.  His work has been collected by The University of Texas Humanities Research Center as well as private collectors.   He has been a member of Texas Photographic Society and Austin Film Society and continues to promote his work as well as others.

 

     To contact Neil you may e-mail him at neilcoleman.13@gmail.com or call him at Pro-Jex Gallery (512) 472-7707.

 

 

Multi-faceted or ADD driven… you decide which!  Janet Burgar was raised during the times when a military family never stayed in one place for more than 2 years.  Hence, she has had the good fortune to have traveled extensively and experienced many cultures.  This rich background (along with discovering how to make tiny food from Play Doh when she was 7) spurred a lifelong love of anything and everything creative.  Her imagination is constantly on the move with new ideas and she doesn’t limit herself to any one field of art.  This seems to be appropriate since it compliments her staunch resistance to narrow-mindedness.  She never let go of the whimsy of wearing a red petticoat and her mother’s ankle strap shoes while trying to master the cha-cha and dreaming of the legend of the thunderbird in southern California. 

 

Her current fascination is creating brightly colored fashion and accessories from ecofelt, which is made from 100% post-consumer recycled plastic bottles.  These fashions are distinctly bohemian in nature and compliment her hand-crocheted skirts.  Her dream is to dress the world in uninhibited color to release the inner child in all of us while helping the planet.  She believes we need to remember that it’s okay to laugh…  and it’s okay to make lamps out of interesting branches and found objects… and it’s absolutely necessary to dream as big as we can!

 

Dreaming big, turning your face to the sun and not believing that you are relegated to the shadows are the fundamentals of her self-made website www.flamingdaisies.com which focuses on education and enlightenment about domestic violence, a subject Janet is very passionate about.  She firmly believes that the more light shined into those dark and taboo corners, the more we will be able to help those victims who feel so isolated and alone.

 

Multi-faceted like a diamond, with ideas glimmering like a prism in the sunshine, Janet’s creations are the open sum total of who she is. “I am old(ish) and I do wear purple!”

 

 

 

Valentino

Valentina is a professional body artist and face painter, with three and a half years experience. Please contact her to schedule for events, or to get more info about the Pikes Peak Body Art Convention: (719) 685-9224