Emilio Miguel Torres is a filmmaker who was raised in Ketchikan, Alaska. As a kid, Torres got involved with the local community theater, First City Players, where he was exposed to directing and storytelling. He spent high school in Seattle before attending NYU film school.  Since graduating college in 2021, he has made a handful […]

[From left: ATMI producer Jordan Kehl, Steven Cornfield, and Ashleigh Snead]

The Alaska Filming Initiative is a group of local filmmakers dedicated to reigniting the success of our state’s film industry. They hope to not just create movie making opportunities, but to foster a thriving, diverse, and sustainable economic environment across the state.

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In this episode we’re talking about the new movie Wonka, based on the beloved Roald Dahl character Willy Wonka. The movie turns the clock back to when Wonka was a young man, before he had his famed chocolate factory and stars Timothee Chalamet as the chocolatier to be.  A group of our ATMI producers sat down […]

Rosie Rush is a singer/songwriter from Anchorage, Alaska. If you’ve been listening to our other recent episodes with local musicians, you may have already heard of her. She sings back-up vocals on a song from Zane Penny’s debut album. And Ashley Young mentioned putting together some tour dates with her this spring. Starting this May, […]

In recent years there have been a handful of new Godzilla movies produced in America. But Godzilla Minus One was made in Japan, where the franchise started, and its story brings audiences back to the genesis of the monster: the aftermath of World War II. Godzilla Minus One focuses on Koichi Shikishima, a kamikaze pilot […]

Hosts: Jordan Kehl and Logan Ehrhart Full Show Freelance Filmmaker Ryan Tester ATMI producer Maria Koop speaks with freelance filmmaker Ryan Tester about making movies, the King Tech high audio and video production course, and an upcoming feature film that he is one of the cinematographers for. “Lemons” by Bethlehem Shalom Local musician Bethlehem Shalom […]

[Ryan Tester (left) and Maria Koop]

Ryan Tester is a freelance filmmaker based in Anchorage, Alaska. After taking the Video and Audio Production course at King Tech high school, he went on to produce his original movies with friends, work on commercial shoots, and start his own production company: Confine Light Films.

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National News Literacy Week is an annual initiative that underscores the vital role of news literacy in a democracy and provides people of all ages with the knowledge and tools to become better informed and more civically engaged. Alaska Teen Media Institute has partnered with NewsLit.org, one of #NewsLiteracyWeek’s hosts to promote news literacy in Alaska.

Bethlehem Shalom is an artist of many talents: music, fashion, drawing, photography. In 2022 she was an artist-in-residence at the Anchorage Museum, showcasing her eclectic clothing design.

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[From left, David Arquette, Geoff Marslett, and Lily Gladstone of “Quantum Cowboys”]

Quantum Cowboys tells the story of two hapless drifters in search of an elusive musician. The film utilizes a mix of live action and multiple styles of animation as the characters traverse the American west, as well as space and time. 

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