MUDPUPPY
Teaser
A poetic reflection on loss and nature’s quiet observance in a small nook of the Ozarks.
Director/Editor: Cole Borgstadt
Director of Photography: Jenna Huskisson
Colorist: Kaitlyn Battistelli @ Ethos Studio
Executive Producer: bigkid
Original Score: Isaac Friedenberg
Sound Designer: Bobb Barito
Producer:
Texas Smith Jenna Huskisson Cole Borgstadt
Starring: Leeroy Crossland Barry Clifton Elijah Crossland Range Center Cass Phillips
Releasing December 2024
“Set against the Ozark Mountains, Mudpuppy questions our relationship to time and the natural world around us. A collective voiceover threads a needle through memories, visions, and nature photography. We invite you to engage with the film as you would a poem.
The filmmaking process was my catharsis. The film works to reconcile my identity, past relationships, and the limitations of perception. Returning to my hometown for production only deepened this reflection and empowered our team to share in this interpretation of a beloved place. Everything seen here would not be possible without the immense generosity of the creative community in Northwest Arkansas.”
Director’s Statement:
This film is accompanied by a series of still photography by Henry O. Head expanding the world and relationship of Mudpuppy.
Creative Direction by Cole Borgstadt
“The past, in a way, seems to be more real than the present we live in. We assume the past much more enduring, much more persistent. The present flows and vanishes, slipping through our fingers like sand. Its material weight is only gained in memories.”
- Andrei Tarkovsky