Nate Sheppard Media

09/27/2025

Last night, I had the privilege of running sound for the band Dig Deep at Nicolet College. It was a fantastic night enjoying excellent live music while watching the sun set over Lake Julia. Thanks for everyone who came out!

09/26/2025

This past July, my first feature film THE CITY OF GOD won 2nd place in its category at the MZIAIF International Christian Film Festival in Nigeria!

If you're curious to see the film for yourself, it's available to watch for free at haitidocumentary.com.

09/19/2025

What a treat to spend a few days on set for Nathan Deming's new feature project, Winter Hymns!

The entire film takes place in a single room following a day in the life of a palliative care physician who is helping guide families facing end-of-life decisions. A deeply human film with beautifully raw and meaningful conversations, it was surreal to be able to play a small part in making it happen.

I also got the chance to learn a ton about the filmmaking process from some incredible industry professionals (including my filmmaking friend NK Xiong!), all of whom were super down-to-earth and willing to teach.

(And shoutout to another film friend Winter Williams who was on set the day before me giving a wonderful performance based on what everyone was saying!)

I can't wait to see the final product and wish the film crew all the best in these last few days of production. Stay tuned!

09/17/2025

Day two on set for with Nathan Deming. Honored to be in the room with such talent and expertise!

09/16/2025

Professional development. On set for a feature this week with Nathan Deming!

09/14/2025

This weekend is the one time a year that the incredible Kelley Castle is open to visitors in Tomahawk! If you didn't get a chance to stop by in person or just want to learn more about the history of the castle and the man who is building it, I made a documentary last year about it that you can watch here: https://youtu.be/mjkVMwbD-G8

09/12/2025

I'm excited to announce that I've got a new short documentary called ENTREPRENEUR that I'll be premiering at some regional film festivals this fall!

Last year, my wife and I purchased a historic building in downtown Rhinelander and turned it into The Hilgermann Center, a multi-business and community space.

I was then commissioned to make a video about our story by Entrepreneur Fund (who helped us purchase the building) and I asked if I could repackage it into a short film. They said yes, so here we are!

Join me at CREATE Portage County’s Basin Film Festival on October 9-12 in Stevens Point and again in Marquette, Michigan for the Fresh Coast Film Festival on October 16-19.

See you soon!

09/10/2025

This Saturday, September 13 is a big art day in Rhinelander!

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SKATEPARK FUNDRAISER
First off is a fundraiser for to help build the Rhinelander Skatepark as a way of providing mental health support for young people in our community. The event goes from 11am-2pm at ArtStart and includes live music, food, raffles and a designer skateboard silent auction.

The skateboard auction features a bunch of one-of-a-kind skate decks designed by local artists, one of which is actually my own design with a fully functioning electric guitar pedal board (complete with a guitar, amp and accessories, a $500 value that is currently up for bid at only $100)! Link below for the online auction. All proceeds from the event will go toward building a permanent skate park in Rhinelander.

https://www.zeffy.com/en-US/ticketing/rhinelander-skatepark-projects-silent-auction

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CHALKFEST
The second event on Saturday is the Rhinelander Chalkfest with Downtown Rhinelander, Inc, which is an opportunity for chalk artists to showcase their work on the sidewalks of downtown Rhinelander. I have the privilege of being one of the judges for the contest, so sign up for your spot (using the link below) or just stop on down to check out all the great art and maybe I’ll see you there!

https://www.eventbrite.com/e/2025-rhinelander-chalkfest-tickets-1384116613049

09/10/2025

Some fun things happening this weekend!

09/08/2025

Anyone interested in being the next artist for Rhinelander’s newest gallery?

Ever since we opened, it's been a challenge to figure out how to brighten up the hallway leading to our community room, but we finally decided to turn it into a mini art gallery!

Currently, Hilgermann co-founder Nate Sheppard has some of his photography up just to get things started, but we'd love to see a rotation of local artists throughout the year. If you or someone you know is interested in having their artwork on display, let us know!

(Special thanks to Childs Frame Co for helping us mount these pieces properly.)

09/05/2025

Did you know that there's a growing indie film scene in the Northwoods of Wisconsin? Did you know that includes feature horror films like this one?

Join us for a special screening of SECRET OF BOG LAKE, an indie horror film that was shot and edited right here in Northern Wisconsin! There will be Q&A with film director Steve Gustafson immediately following.

Screening will be held at The Hilgermann Center in downtown Rhinelander on Saturday, September 20th. Doors open at 6:30 with show starting at 7pm. Seats are limited. Tickets are $10 and can be purchased at thehilgermann.com/boglake. See you there!

FILM SYNOPSIS

During a quiet get-a-way at a Northwoods lake house rental property, college friends (Claire & Zoe) and family come together for a vacation on the lake. Beautiful and comfortable, the surroundings quickly feel awkward as the visitors receive overt messages from the locals. Even the house rules contain information that was unexpected. Determined to have a good time, Stephen and Claire spend quality time with Stephen’s son, Kyle, while they expect their next child later that year. Jack, the infamous guys guy, refusing to grow up, just wants to drink, eat and swim. Girlfriend Zoe is the girl next door, spending time with Claire and attending to Jack’s demands. It doesn’t take long for mysterious events to start occurring to our cabin guests, all while they take in the fun activities available and push the rules.

Be prepared to laugh, cry, and yell at the screen, as our lake house guests navigate the confusing signals from the towns people and oddities happening at the lake.

Film Length: 1:25.37 | Rated “R”

08/26/2025

EDM Night at The Hilgermann! (SOUND ON)

Thanks to TJ and Sarah for helping put it all together and thanks to all the people who came out to dance. See you at the next one?

(Music by TJ.)