We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Alicia & John Farmer a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.
Alicia & John, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. Let’s talk legacy – what sort of legacy do you hope to build?
We are independent filmmakers in Utah who are always looking to inspire future generations. We want to change the climate for independent filmmakers around the world and give them a platform for their art to be seen.
The first aspect of this legacy is the films that we create. Our grass roots/home grown production company Zepstone Entertainment is somewhat of a success story in the local film community. Our sophomore feature-length movie “Rite of the Shaman” was an underdog film in the sense that we created it as a tribute to my son who beat a very rare bone cancer while he was a teenager. We didn’t expect it to win Best Picture at Utah Film Festival in January of 2022, where it was scouted by Purdie Distribution and released in Utah and Arizona theaters last spring. After its positive reception, we also did not expect to secure international streaming and DVD/BluRay distribution through Gravitas Ventures. It was released October 11th. We have been told that Zepstone is an example of what local filmmakers can accomplish since we “checked all the boxes” of what the journey of filmmaking can mean. We owe this success to our teams and supporters. Additionally, we love to mentor youth and newcomers in the industry – something that really resonates with us since I have a PhD in Innovative Education.
The second aspect of this legacy is that we started a seasonal online film festival called Zepstone Film Awards, which was launched in September of 2022. Because of the press and hype surrounding the festival, we are now IMDb qualified and will have a live annual screening in the spring. Our goal around creating this festival was to serve underrepresented award categories and crew positions that don’t normally get the recognition they deserve. For example, Best Lighting and Best Grip are available categories.
As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your back background and context?
Zepstone Entertainment (www.zepstonemedia.com) began in 2016 as a photography company called Zepstone Media. When John and I met in 2017, we realized that with his expertise in the music industry, and with my expertise in the filmmaking and modeling community, we could join forces and use our network to create unique art. Zepstone Entertainment, LLC was born. Together, we have directed and produced 16 films together and have earned over 40 international awards.
Between the films that we create, as well as our film festival Zepstone Film Awards, we aim to serve underrepresented crew positions in the industry and provide a platform for filmmakers all over the world, regardless of budget. We hope to be a beacon for filmmakers, musicians, screenwriters, and artists.
What do you find most rewarding about being a creative?
The most rewarding aspect about being a filmmaker and artist is to watch a multitude of people working together to bring something beautiful to life. When done with passion and from the heart, art has the ability to evoke emotion and take the viewer on a journey.
How do you keep your team’s morale high?
Filmmaking in general can be a grueling process with long hours and many moving parts. John and I always aim to provide a positive culture within our teams. Even saying thank you and telling people that they are doing a good job every day can go a long way. Taking it a step even further, we love to play games on set, reward MVP crew members, and provide a safe environment where people know that they can come to us with concerns and suggestions for improvement.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.zesptonemedia.com
- Instagram: @aliciaoberlefarmer
- Facebook: www.Facebook.com/zepstonemedia
- Twitter: @zepstonemedia
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC4TTWUqIIezZtJQh9OCI-BA
- Other: https://filmfreeway.com/ZepstoneFilmAwards
Image Credits
Image credit of John and Alicia by camera: Craig Pickup