Meet Brian Hedden | Filmmaker

We had the good fortune of connecting with Brian Hedden and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Can you open up a bit about your work and career? We’re big fans and we’d love for our community to learn more about your work.

Filmmaking is an incredibly complex art form. There are literally millions of dynamics, from the visual, auditory, and dramatic, to the logistic, financial and commercial. I will always be a student of this art form. I am lucky to have gone to the renowned New York University film school, Tisch School of the Arts, but after graduating in 2008, the financial collapse combined with my independent spirit wouldn’t tolerate my climbing the industry’s ladder. So, I moved to San Diego and began my own videography business. Then, in 2011, at the age of 25, I had a life-changing experience as part of the Occupy protest, in response to the government bailout of the failed banking industry, and I began a journey of self discovery. This began a 6-year hiatus from filmmaking, during which I gained perspective and inspiration from traveling, farming, teaching, and repeatedly breaking and healing my heart.

This is what I have learned: Art demands authenticity; the Truth. Our society persists in deception (image over substance, personality over character), which propels self-deception, suffering, and creativity that has fallen to the level of mere “content”. In common English, the word “vulnerability” is synonymous with “weakness” when true vulnerability is actually the path to real power and the Truth. Vulnerability asks, “Do I dare to allow myself to truly know myself?” Art, then, asks that we encode this Truth into a form that can be absorbed by an audience. In reality, our separateness is an illusion, and our suffering is bound together, as is our liberation.

For the last 6 years, I have been working on a feature documentary, Fracking the System, an investigative exposé about the harms of fracking, the lengths to which the government is complacent with industrial pollution, and the nefarious tactics the oil and gas industry uses to undermine democratic elections. We are currently crowdfunding to finish the film and premiere it in Fall 2023. You can watch the trailer and learn more at http://FrackingTheSystem.com

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
My favorite thing about Colorado is the mountain wilderness so I would take my best friend on a backpacking trip. We would pack up trail mix, sardines, peanut butter, coffee, and guacamole, leave one car at Lake Granby, then drive back to Boulder County and begin our trek from Peaceful Valley, near the Beaver Reservoir. Our backpacking adventure would cross the continental divide via the Buchanan Pass Trail and explore the wrinkles of the Rocky Mountains. At the end, we would swim in Lake Granby and replenish ourselves with burgers and beer.

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
In childhood, I was first inspired to be an artist by Bob Ross, the painter and TV personality, who created breathtaking landscapes, as if by magic. At the age of 8, I was inspired to become a filmmaker while watching Steven Spielberg’s Jurassic Park, entranced by the film’s effects and drama. However, I am the most grateful for my parents who, despite significant financial struggles, recognized my passion and supported my potential; buying art supplies, sending me to art camps, and championing my education. They are fiercely hard-working, creative, intelligent and independent people, modeling for me a life of entrepreneurship and persistence that is still beyond my comprehension. I credit them with my belief that, despite our modest financial means, I can literally accomplish anything I set my mind to.

Website: www.earthdogfilms.com

Instagram: www.instagram.com/earthdogfilms

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCwHyNZjVkhWtX3hqDwcOOCQ

Image Credits
Ice swimming photos by Austin Abel, Kristine Urban