WE STILL MAKE THINGS

Producer / Director : Ian Cook

Executive Producers: Julia Reichert | Steven Bognar

Cinematographers: Ian Cook | Olga Wagner

When COVID-19 hit the U.S., the nation’s personal protective equipment (PPE) supply chain fell apart. Determined to protect their frontline medical staff, a Dayton, Ohio hospital took matters into their own hands. Drawing on the city’s innovation and manufacturing roots, an unlikely team came together to make sure medical workers had the protection they needed to face the uncertainty ahead.

World Premiere: Cleveland International Film Festival

WE STILL MAKE THINGS - FILM DISCUSSION

Discussion about the film with director Ian Cook, executive producer Steven Bognar, and UDRI / Fastlane MEP’s Mark McCormick. Moderated by Wright State University Alumni Association’s Jason Lansdale.

THE BASIN

Director / DP : Ian Spencer Cook

Editor: Tim Watson | Ian Spencer Cook

Decades of oil and gas infrastructure projects in Louisiana’s Atchafalaya Basin have recklessly altered the flow of water across the wetland, forcing those who make their living crawfishing in the Basin to ask hard questions of their government’s lack of permit enforcement. Development of the Bayou Bridge pipeline brings the fishermen’s concerns into sharp focus in an effort to save the Atchafalaya and their way of life.

Watch the complete film on PBS.org: https://www.pbs.org/video/the-basin-zojpsp/

Winner: PBS / REEL SOUTH Short Award - NOFF

Walking in Forgiveness

Client: TakePart.com

Director / DP: Ian Spencer Cook | Editor: Juliane Piecha | Producer: Connor Ficcadenti

 Misty Wallace, who was shot in the face by Keith Blackburn when she was 18, finds forgiveness after sending him a Facebook message. Now they volunteer for Bridges to Life, a restorative justice program that guides inmates and their victims through the forgiving and reconciliation process.

91%: A Film About Guns in America

Director: John Richie  /  DP: Ian Spencer Cook

In the documentary 91%, gun violence victims tell their heartbreaking stories of loss, pain, and a heroic search for hope in a nation stalled in a senseless gun control debate. Throughout these otherwise unrelated shootings, we find a common thread – the gunmen had all-too-easy access to the virtually untraceable, high-powered weaponry used in their attacks. By highlighting the impact of unregulated gun sales on schools, families, and communities across the country, 91% addresses the real problems and possible solutions to gun violence in America.

CORNER PLOT

Directors: Ian Spencer Cook & Andre Dahlman

Amid the tangle of commuter traffic, shopping malls and office buildings that define life inside the beltway rests a one-acre piece of farmland under the care of 89-year-old Charlie Koiner.  With the help of his only daughter, Charlie continues to work his land, share his produce, and enjoy the farm life he’s always known. Corner Plot explores one man’s steadfast authenticity in a changing world.

AFI Silverdocs: Official Selection

DC Shorts: Best Local Film

American Documentary Film Showcase Selection

INVISIBLE CURRICULUM

Documentary Feature (In-Production) 

Directors: Juliane Piecha / Ian Spencer Cook

In the aftermath of the global economic crisis, many young people found themselves faced with grim prospects for starting their professional lives. Today, the International Labour Organization calls for action to tackle "a global employment crisis" and experts warn that youth unemployment is creating a lost generation. Invisible Curriculum has interviewed and followed the lives of young people in different countries over the past three years and shares the story of a generation caught in the middle of a crisis they didn’t create but will shape the trajectory of their lives to come.