A local documentary filmmaker often tells others he has the best job in the world.
Rocky Walls, co-founder of 12 Stars Media in Noblesville, enjoys meeting interesting people, hearing their stories and working with other creative types to share those stories.
“To top it off, we tell stories that inspire positive change, so there’s inherently a lot of fulfillment that comes from our work,” Walls said.
Two of Walls’ stories, “Gun Control” and “Fleeing Silesia,” will be told during the Indiana Spotlight 2 program, part of the Indy Shorts International Film Festival. Walls’ documentary shorts will be shown July 18 at Living Room Theaters, 745 E. Ninth St., Indianapolis, and July 22 at The Toby at Newfields, 4000 N. Michigan Rd., Indianapolis. They also will be available online from July 18 through 23 at watch.eventive.org/indyshorts.
In “Gun Control” (11 minutes), Indianapolis artist, designer and furniture maker Brian Presnell addresses gun-related childhood trauma through art therapy. The short is a follow-up to a feature-length documentary, “IMBPREZ,” released by 12 Stars Media in 2021. During the filming of that documentary, Presnell mentioned his trauma stemming from gun violence but didn’t feel right about including it in the film, Walls said.
“Six months later, Brian reached a more peaceful acceptance of these experiences through a form of art therapy, and we produced ‘Gun Control’ to tell that story,” Walls said.
“Fleeing Silesia” (28 minutes) tells the story of one family’s escape from Silesia, a state in Eastern Germany, after World War II. The Lachmann family of central Indiana and a family friend, Joel Wittman, had previously filmed footage hoping to preserve the family’s story but hadn’t been able to piece it together. Peter Max Wendrich Lachmann, son of Peter Franz Joseph Lachmann, whose story is told in the short, approached 12 Stars Media after seeing one of its films.
“The first time we heard the story, directly from Peter over a cup of coffee, we were hooked and ready to help them get it across the finish line,” Walls said.
Walls is also co-founder of Hoodox, a streaming service exclusively for Indiana-focused films and shows. Hoodox is partnering with Indy Shorts to offer PitchDox, a festival contest in which Hoosier filmmakers can submit their unfinished documentaries to a panel of filmmakers in the hopes of winning $10,000 to complete their project.
For more, visit heartlandfilm.org/indyshorts.
