Los Angeles-based Wisconsin filmmaker Nathan Deming believes that there is an immense, untapped wealth of authentic storytelling in his Midwestern home state, and his goal is to continue highlighting regional characters and communities that audiences instantly recognize.
With his latest film, “Winter Hymns,” Deming also highlighted regional filmmaking talent. His professional crew worked alongside UW-Stout Polytechnic video production students and recent graduates: Doran Acero, Braden Borgerding, Parker Cmeyla, Bennett Johnson, Ethan Kulinski, Connor Nelson, Ryan Rumary and Caleb Sander.
“Making movies in the Midwest allows us to capture a genuine, grounded human element that also hasn’t been seen that many times authentically on film before,” said Deming, originally from Tomah.
“Having UW-Stout Polytechnic students work alongside a more experienced crew was an incredibly rewarding aspect of this production. The creative energy on set was fantastic because the students brought an immense eagerness to learn, and the professionals involved were incredibly generous with their mentorship,” he said.
“Winter Hymns” was featured at UW-Stout Polytechnic’s 4th annual Unspooled Film & Animation Festival, May 9-10. This year’s festival placed a strong spotlight on regional talent and locally produced cinema.
Bringing filmmaking to the Midwest
With his creative roots firmly planted in the Midwest, Deming was at the forefront of the movement for Wisconsin’s new film office, Film Wisconsin. Operated by the Department of Tourism, Film Wisconsin promotes and supports the film and television industry in the state.
The office’s film tax credit makes $5 million available annually to assist the production of feature and short films, scripted and unscripted television shows, documentaries, broadcast advertisements, and production infrastructure in Wisconsin. The tax credit helps drive economic development, builds long-term investment in Wisconsin’s creative community, boosts domestic and global reputation and inspires movie tourism in Wisconsin.
Video production Lecturer Co O’Neill believes filmmaking is on the rise in Wisconsin, as productions decentralize from the coasts. “The passing of the film tax credit was a big deal for Wisconsin. Minnesota, Illinois and Michigan already had state film offices. The opportunity upped the profile of people already making movies here. More people now have a platform and are building a state network of resources for local folks,” he said.
Gabe Roeske, a department assistant in the School of Art & Design and 2019 alum, thinks that with the new tax credit being passed, more potential crew coming out of the university’s video production program, and more independent productions, like “Winter Hymns,” coming to the area, things are starting to move in a positive direction.
“There are already a lot of very passionate and incredibly talented video production people living in Wisconsin,” Roeske said. “They’re people who want to make films just as much as anyone else in the country, and they have the skills to pull it off. Unfortunately, with previous tax laws, lack of film incentives, and just a general lack of productions going on, a lot of people end up moving away in search of video production work.
“Hopefully projects like these, and the work of the video production professors and students, keep the momentum rolling and we can see Wisconsin filmmaking really flourish for the first time,” he said.
Acero’s “You Must Destroy,” also featured at Unspooled, was filmed in his hometown of Grand Marais, Minnesota. Having graduated in May, he plans to remain in the region, knowing the rich storytelling culture and wanting to represent on film the places he feels most connected to.
“I am so happy to have been a part of the making of ‘Winter Hymns,’ and I want more films like it to be made here in the Midwest. I love the craft of filming and ideally, I can continue to pursue that here; in a place I love with people I love,” he said.
Bringing filmmaking to Wisconsin is something Johnson believes is “incredibly important, especially given the current state of the film industry. As independent filmmaking continues to grow and with the launch of the film tax credit, many young filmmakers in Wisconsin want our voices to be heard and our work to be seen around the world.
“Our goal is to help attract more film and television productions to Wisconsin and establish the state as a viable production hub,” he said. “Beyond the economic benefits, I think it’s an opportunity to showcase what Wisconsin truly has to offer. We are more than our accents or the Green Bay Packers – we’re a state with stunning landscapes, unique locations, and diverse, creative people whose stories deserve to be told.”
‘Winter Hymns’ – A golden opportunity
“Winter Hymns,” which was featured on Wisconsin Public Radio, was inspired by Deming’s father, a family physician who practiced palliative care late in his career. The unique drama, set over the course of a single day in a Midwest hospital, follows a dedicated palliative care doctor, played by Colleen Madden, who meets with a series of dying patients and their families.
Working on a small budget, Deming reached out to O’Neill to see if video production students were available to help. O’Neill’s small-town connections also served well in helping Deming secure the lease of an affordable office building near the hospital in Menomonie for filming.
“Nathan learned about Stout’s program and the quality of our students,” said O’Neill, who’s taught video production for more than 20 years. “They’re composed, professional and excited to be on set. Working on the production of ‘Winter Hymns’ helped the university’s and the program’s profile, while giving the students professional experience. It was a symbiotic experience.”
Acero and Johnson joined Deming’s production team to help with lighting the week before principal photography. As second assistant camera, Johnson was responsible for changing lenses, helping build and prep the camera each day alongside Cmeyla, first assistant camera, and assisting with the on-set camera workflow. Acero served as production assistant, assisted the gaffer, operated the c-camera and ran sound.
The students also worked with sound recordist Roeske, who handed the main audio dialogue to a professional post-production sound mixer at Warner Bros.
“As the whole film takes place in a single room, we had to figure out how to make the doctor’s office visually appealing and squeeze a lot of visual variety out of this one location,” Acero said. “This short stint on an independent production was golden. I picked up so much new terminology, got to use tools that were a step above what I previously had, and I made professional connections that have already benefited me greatly.”
O’Neill added that watching professionals work, like cameraman Leo Purman, was life-changing for the students. “Watching his methods was an immersive experience for them that they wouldn’t have had in the classroom. In these guided experiences, they build soft skills while gaining knowledge of equipment and processes. They understand more and come back to the classroom changed in ways of professionalism,” he said.
2026 Unspooled Film & Animation Festival
The Unspooled Festival recognized outstanding achievements across multiple categories:
- Best Documentary: “Making It” by Benjamin Mohr (M.F.A. design student).
- Best of the Midwest: “A Date with Your Family” by Joel Sacramento (Madison)
- Best Short Film: “Stay” by Aden Gonzalez (Racine)
- Best Student Animation: “Badge of the Dead” directed by Hannah Brown (B.F.A. animation student)
- Polytechnic Pioneers: “Delivery Life” directed by El Ovall (B.F.A. animation student)
- Best High School: “Everything I Am, Everything I’m Not” by 17-year-old Xavier Alexander (Texas)
- Best Student Short: “Seeing Diabetes” by Ryan Rumary (B.S. video production graduate)
The festival hosted animation premieres, including “Closet Combat 3” by alum Augustus Hinton, with support from a Minnesota Arts Grant; and “Glow” produced by Professor Jesse Woodward alongside several UW-Stout students.
Beyond screenings, the festival offered educational programming and workshops that provided hands-on industry experience to Wisconsin students, including UW-Stout Polytechnic students and secondary students from Eau Claire, Mauston and Milwaukee.
Guest speakers included Deming, who discussed the art of cinema and regional production, drawing on his decade-long “The Year Project” and his upcoming horror-comedy “Thinestra.” Jeff Kennel, an immersive documentary and editorial filmmaker who has documented conflict, post-disaster recovery, and poverty across 11 countries for NGOs like Americares, alongside commercial work for Trek Bikes and NMDP.
Eau Claire-based filmmaker Tim Schwagel joined the festival to share his invaluable expertise on the art of the short film. Guest speaker Hinton offered audiences an exclusive behind-the-scenes look at his creative process. Bowling Green State University animation instructor Rachel Immel, Sacramento, and alum Reed Theship-Rosales led hands-on mentorship sessions for students.
The 2026 Unspooled Film and Animation Festival was supported by a $10,000 grant from the Mellon Foundation and the Modern Language Association.
UW-Stout Polytechnic’s School of Art & Design offers bachelor’s degrees in animation and digital media; game design and development-art; graphic design and interactive media; illustration; industrial and product design; interior design; studio art; arts administration and entrepreneurship; fashion design and development; and video production, and an M.F.A. in design.
