Life's Fast Productions

05/16/2017

I had a great time photographing Well-Strung for Arts Without Boundaries as they gave concerts at the local high schools, as well as a public concert at the Alberta Bair Theater.

It’s something special to see a program that really touches hundreds of kids the way Arts Without Boundaries concerts do. Here are a few photos of the charismatic musicians playing for the kids.

To see more photos from their show check out http://www.lifesfastfilms.com/photographing-well-strung-for-arts-without-boundaries/

04/11/2017

Can we sequester all of the excess carbon dioxide in the atmosphere with the biggest side-effect being healthier soil?

I'm really excited to announce I've begun working on a new feature-length documentary that hopes to explore that question: Farming Carbon.

I've been interested in soil health for a long time, and when local rancher Steve Charter introduced me to the concept of Carbon Farming, it blew my mind. Why didn't everyone use these agriculture practices that use soil's microbial biomass to make healthier, more drought / flood-resistant soil while also trapping atmospheric carbon? And why had I never even heard of it?

The answers to these questions surprised me (and continue to surprise me as I dig deeper [pun intended] into this new soil science).

I'm still in the early production phase of this film, so I have a lot more exploring to do. Please follow the journey here, or on the blog. http://bit.ly/2p25RJE Also, feel free to message me if you're interested in helping out!

02/20/2017

Montana’s Tongue River Valley has been one of the most productive ranch lands in the state, owing much of its production on the massive fresh water aquifers lying just below the swaying grasses. Unfortunately, the water that supports Tongue River agriculture lies within the coal seams.

Jeanie Alderson’s family has been ranching Montana’s Tongue River Valley since the 1880’s, weathering two world wars and the Great Depression. Jeanie’s water, as well as the water of many family farmers and ranchers of southeastern Montana is threatened by the possibility of coal extraction, draining those aquifers to get at the coal. In dry eastern Montana, water is life.

"Keeping a Ranch that can be Passed On" screens twice at the 2/19 at 2:30pm at Missoula Children's Theater and 2/24 at 3:15pm at the Elks.

02/19/2017

The Charter Ranch enjoys some of the best conditions of any ranch in eastern Montana. Their summer range north of Billings stays clear of snow most of the winter. Just a few miles up the slope of the Bull Mountains is a summer grassland with cooler weather and abundant water aquifers. The Bull Mountains also contain massive coal deposits, threatening the viability of the ranch.

Third-generation rancher Steve Charter has been fighting since the 1970’s to keep the coal operations from destroying his family ranch. Since those early days, he has watched the coal industry erode the safeguards he’s fought so hard to establish. Now, as the threat of a strip mine on his summer range looms, he is scrambling to keep the ranch alive.


"A Strip Mine is Forever" screens at the Wilma Theater this afternoon at 1pm.

02/17/2017

"Protecting the Homeland for Seven Generations" is screening at on 2/18 1pm at the Elks and 2/25 12pm at Public House

Alaina Buffalo Spirit tells the story of how she and the Northern Cheyenne Tribal Council stood up "as warriors" to stop the nearby Otter Creek Mine, the largest open-pit coal mine proposed in the lower forty-eight states, as well the railroad that would cut across their homeland for the sole purpose of hauling millions of tons of coal to mostly Asian markets.

02/16/2017

Getting ready to hit the road to for . I'm so excited to be part of this year's epic line-up! The films will mostly be playing on the weekends (so convenient to see!). I'll be at the fest all week, so if you see me there, say hello or message me and maybe we can grab a cup of coffee or a beer.

Here's the film schedule: http://www.bigskyfilmfest.org/schedule/2017-schedule/2017/02/18

01/17/2017

I’m really excited to announce that five of my In the Shadow of Coal series will be screened at the 2017 Big Sky Documentary Film Festival! The films will be screened throughout the week (2/18 - 2/25) so if you’re going to be in Missoula during check out the schedule. http://bit.ly/2jVKHqw

12/05/2016

For I bring you the story of a rancher Mark Fix struggling to keep salt from mining and from destroying his ranch. http://bit.ly/2h0xkrq

11/18/2016

"In the Shadow of Coal" series is being featured on The Montana Experience, a YouTube channel focusing on “the rich lives and amazing landscapes of America’s “last, best place”.

While you're checking out my series, make sure you watch some of the other films featured on the channel. It's one of the best location-focused channels on the internet. Rather than being a dumping ground for slick (or not-so-slick) tourism videos, The Montana Experience tells Montana’s real stories.

I’ve had several films featured by The Montana Experience. Each time it is an honor.

https://www.youtube.com/user/themontanaexperience/featured

Montana is not just a place on a map, it's a state of mind. The wide-open spaces of Montana remind us of the sheer possibilities of life. THE MONTANA EXPERIE...

10/05/2016

I had a great time talking to Traci Isaly in this quick interview. She was on her way to deliver donated items to the Standing Rock protestors in North Dakota. She talks about why she's participating in the movement, as well as why she thinks this massive gathering is a turning point for Native Americans.

http://www.lifesfastfilms.com/standing-rock-resupply/