WRITER/ DIRECTOR/ PRODUCER

Wes Hurley was born and grew up in the disintegrating USSR before coming over to the US in his teens - an adventurous experience he previously made into a short documentary Little Potato, winner of 27 awards from around the world, including the Oscar-qualifying Jury Prize at SXSW.  Prior to Potato Dreams America, Hurley has made two award-winning features, over a dozen shorts and several video installations for galleries and theater.  He has been named The Advocate magazine's Person to Watch and City Arts Magazine's Artist of the Year, has been interviewed by BBC and NPR and received awards from The Creative Capital, Seattle Mayor's Office of Arts and Culture and 4Culture.  His original series Capitol Hill premiered on Huffington Post and has since been picked up for television in Europe and Canada.  The two-season supernatural soap opera parody stars drag icons Jinkx Monsoon, BenDeLaCreme, Robbie Turner and Waxie Moon. 

PRODUCER

Mischa Jakupcak is an award-winning filmmaker from Missoula, Montana. She has a BA in creative writing from University of Arizona and a MA in Filmmaking from the London Film School. Having worked on over thirty features in the Northwest, ranging from indies to multimillion dollar features, Mischa has produced numerous films such as The Off Hours (Sundance '11), The Immortal Augustus Gladstone, East of the Mountains, Little Potato (Grand Jury winner SXSW '17) and VR pieces such as Potato Dreams (AFI '17), Chaak' Saagi (TIFF '16) and Mildred Bailey Sings (2019). Recently, she directedSkeleton Flower, a four piece VR music experience with Degenerate Art Ensemble.  Whether writing, directing or producing, Mischa seeks to create original stories with cutting edge technologies, aspiring to offer audiences extraordinary experiences.

Executive Producer

Along with Potato Dreams of America, Eliza Flug has produced some of the biggest features coming out of the Pacific Northwest including Sadie, East of the Mountains, Paper Tigers and Personhood.  She's also the screenwriter of Skater a coming of age feature to be directed by Megan Griffith and produced by Jennifer Roth in 2021

EXECUTIVE PRODUCER/ AD

Sarah Crowe is an award winning Producer, Director and sometimes Assistant Director. She has been producing documentaries, narratives, and commercials for nearly 15 years. Sarah spends her time creating documentaries and supporting independent film in Washington, such as Lane 1974 (directed by SJ Chiro) and Worst Laid Plans (directed by Mark Jones and Nesib Shamah). She produced Welcome To Doe Bay (directed by Nesib Shamah and Dan Thornton), an Emmy-nominated documentary that premiered at the Seattle International Film Festival in 2102. Sarah's directorial debut is an international award winning feature documentary Dyna Does Dressage. Sarah was a Producer and Assistant Director of the original series Capitol Hill and is the Executive Producer on Potato Dreams of America (both directed by Wes Hurley).

Executive Producer

Mel Eslyn is a film and television producer, writer and director, and President of Duplass Brothers Productions.  Winner of the 2016 Independent Spirit Producer's Award, she has produced such festival favorites as the 2014 Sundance hit “The One I Love,” (Radius/TWC), Clea DuVall's debut "The Intervention" (Paramount Pictures/Samuel Goldwyn Films), Lynn Shelton's "Outside In" (Netflix/The Orchard), Miguel Arteta's "Duck Butter" (Netflix/The Orchard), and Jeff Baena's "Horse Girl" (Netflix) starring Alison Brie. On the small screen, she produced HBO's doc-series "On Tour with Asperger's Are Us", and frequently writes and directs for HBO's "Room 104" on which she also serves as executive producer.  Some of her upcoming releases include HBO's doc-series "The Lady and the Dale", set for 2021 release, and the feature length documentary "Not Going Quietly" following the activist Ady Barkan. 

ASSOCIATE PRODUCER

Daryle Conners is an award-winning author, game designer, and filmmaker. Over the past 20 years she has worked between the USA and Europe as a screenwriter, director, and producer. She is a founding director of Episodic Entertainment, a TV production company, and Glow in the Dark Pictures, a feature film company. She is currently producing Cory McAbee's feature film, Deep Astronomy, which made its live debut at the Sundance Film Festival in 2018. Her book series for children, ‘Gabby Duran and the Unsittables’ is now a live-action series on the Disney Channel.

Cinematographer

Vincent Pierce is a three-time Emmy winning visual storyteller with over fifteen years of experience in directing, shooting, producing and editing television programs, stories, short films, web series, music videos, concert films and documentaries.  He previously collaborated with Wes Hurley on the award-winning Capitol Hill series and several shorts.

PRODUCTION DESIGNER

A Pacific Northwest native, Kristen Bonnalie has moved away from and back to the Seattle area throughout her life. Her roots in the arts go back to the early 90s when she began designing and constructing clothing for day and evening-wear. By 1994, she was creating costumes for theatre and continued on until 2006 when she moved back to Seattle. She transitioned into film during the summer of that year, working on various student and independent projects while attending the Art Institute of Seattle.

From 2008 to 2012, Kristen worked for a production company in Bellevue as their in-house producer, art director and stylist; working on commercial campaigns, short documentaries, fund-raising videos and corporate communications.

In the summer 2012, she began her freelance career as a Production Designer and Costume Designer on professional commercials, corporate videos, web content, independent feature films, shorts and music videos. Since then, she has had the opportunity to collaborate with filmmakers from across the globe, helping to tell compelling stories through design. Kristen is a visual mediator; specializing in the balance of helping directors bring their vision into reality while incorporating client and studio objectives.

Costume Designer

Harmony Arnold Stage is an Associate Professor at Seattle University and a member of the United Scenic Artists Local USA 829. Arnold previously collaborated Wes Hurley on the award-winning feature Fallen Jewel and Capitol Hill series (winner of  Best Costume Design, Indie Series Awards).  Stage credits include: 5th Avenue Theatre (Man of La Mancha, GREASE), 5th Ave/ACT co-production (Murder for Two, Jacques Brel is Alive and Well & Living in Paris), Intiman Theatre Festival (Lysistrata *Outstanding Costume Design Gregory Award Nomination), New Century Theatre Company (O’ Lovely Glowworm *Outstanding Costume Design Gregory Award Nomination), Seattle Repertory Theatre (Buyer & Cellar, Venus in Fur).  

Composer - USA

With a passion for music and collaboration, Catherine Joy is a composer for film, media and live performance. She won Best Documentary Score for the uplifting feature documentary Gold Balls. She recently scored the multi-award winning documentary The Augmentation of Douglas Engelbart (now streaming on Amazon Prime) the supernatural thriller The Parish and the documentary Naughty Books which features narration by Aisha Tyler, Allison Tolman and Aimee Garcia. Catherine has scored a number of series, starting with Capitol Hill which began on Huffington Post and was later picked up for television in Canada and Europe. More recently she scored the sci-fi dramedy Abby and Tabby, the multi-award winning documentary series Women Of The Island, and No Matter What. She also scored the pilot for the Documentary Series Who Is Your Teacher, currently on the festival circuit. Most recently Catherine worked on the History channel three night miniseries WASHINGTON. Catherine also music edited the Mad About You revival, the HBO series We're Here and led the Joy Music House team in score producing Homecoming Season 2 for Amazon Studios. Catherine is the founder and CEO of Joy Music House, a full service score production company. She is also the Vice President for the Alliance for Women Film Composers.

Composer - USSR

Joshua Kohl is a composer and conductor and is the creative producer and co-founder along with choreographer Haruko Crow Nishimura of the Seattle based multi-art group Degenerate Art Ensemble (DAE) which is his primary creative outlet.  He has performed with the group throughout the United States, and ten countries of Western and Eastern Europe.  Recent project highlights include a major museum exhibition at the Frye Art Museum in 2011, a 2012 commission by theater Director Robert Wilson to create an interpretation of his and Phillip Glass' epic work Einstein On The Beach at the Baryshnikov Center in New York, collaborations with Kronos Quartet in 2012 and 2015, a large scale site specific work commissioned by the Seattle Center Foundation to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the Seattle Worlds Fair and the group’s 2015 work Predator Songstress premiered at the Yerba Buena Center for the Arts in San Francisco.  Joshua is also an avid orchestral conductor of the music of his peers.  In February of 2012 he conducted the music of fellow DAE composer Jherek Bischoff with the Wordless Music Orchestra in New York at Lincoln Center with vocalists David Byrne.  He also conducts composer Samantha Boshnack’s big band orchestra B’shnorkestra and co-produced their debut record which made the top ten jazz albums in 2015. His and DAE’s work Red Shoes was awarded a Music Theatre Now award from the International Theatre Institute in and was part of a presentation at the Swedish Bienalen of Performing Arts in 2013.  He was commissioned by the legendary Czech band Uz Jsme Doma to create an evening length suite of orchestral music inspired by the group’s music which he conducted in Prague in December of 2016 with the Southern Czech Philharmonic Orchestra. Skeleton Flower, his newest work with DAE was presented as a work in progress at the Spotlight USA Festival in Plovdiv, Bulgaria and will be featured at the International Festival of Contemporary Dance in Mexico City in 2021.

LIGHTING DESIGNer

Robert Aguilar is a Lighting Designer for stage and film. His work for the stage has been produced regionally in Seattle, LA, NYC, PDX and other venues around the country.  Potato Dreams of America is his first feature film and he is so delighted to have been a part of such a wonderful project. Huge thanks to his team of Lily, Kyle and Erik for the hours, dedication and creativity. www.robertjaguilar.com | IG: @fakerobert

ASSISTANt CAMERA

Vladimir Kremenović is a media coordinator, performer and filmmaker currently based in Seattle, WA. Originally from Banja Luka, Bosnia and Herzegovina, he graduated from Middlebury College in 2017 with a joint degree in dance and film. He studied under Christal Brown, Trebien Pollard, Tzveta Kassabova, Scotty Hardwig, Gabriel Forestieri, Katie Martin, Andrea Olsen, and he performed and toured with Dance Company of Middlebury for two seasons. Since moving to Seattle, he danced with Heather Kravas, Melissa Riker, Petra Zanki, Jordan Macintosh-Hougham and Noelle Price, as well as worked on several film projects. 

CO-PRODUCER

Vicky Berglund-Davenport is an artist and a filmmaker and has been for over 25 years. She holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Visual Communications from Western Washington University.  Vicky’s screen credits include Feature Films, TV series and Commercials; Feature Film Locations Manager My Own Private Idaho, War of the Roses, Say Anything, Past Midnight, Singles, and The Vanishing.  Vicky was Supervising Location Manager for the Emmy award winning TV Series – Northern Exposure and Location Manager for TV series, A Year in the Life.  Vicky loves her work and considers it a great privilege to collaborate with fellow filmmakers on projects like Outside in, East of the Mountains, Language Arts, Three Busy Debras and honored to Co-Produce Potato Dreams of America.  In addition, Vicky served for over 5 years at Seattle Center Productions as an Art’s Program Manager and now teaches at Seattle Film Institute. 

CO-PRODUCER

Sue Corcoran has produced, written and directed award-winning features, commercials, and music videos and is the owner of Von Piglet Productions. Her feature Switchmas  starring David DeLuise and Elliott Gould sold to 20th Century Fox and Netflix .  Sue’s first feature Gory Gory Hallelujah  enjoyed worldwide distribution and  won Best Feature  at Shockerfest, was awarded the Bravest Feature at The Bend Film Festival  by juror Gus Van Sant.  She sold the film to Netflix and Tower Records where it sold 57,000 copies.  Not bad for an 80K first feature.   Sue’s directorial style has been described as “Felliniesque” by visual effects pioneer Douglas Trumbull (2001: A Space Odyssey, Star Trek, Blade Runner). Sue’s short film Circus of Infinity won Best in Show at the Accolade Awards, Best Short at the Seattle Science Fiction Film Festival and won the Nell Shipman award for Best Short.  Sue was named One to Watch by the Seattle Stranger Genius Awards in Film . Sue is also the winner of a National Addy Award  for her 88 spots web series for the Visa.  For the past 15 years Sue has written and directed Microsoft’s flagship award-winning episodic series The Standards of Business Conduct and Insights to Outcomes.  She is also the proud writer and director for an international justice training course for Amal Clooney and The Clooney Foundation for Justice.  Sue’s other credits include Associate Producer on Lynn Shelton’s Humpday (Sundance)  starring Mark DuPlass (Room 104) and Megan Griffith’s SADIE (SXSW) starring Melanie Lynsky (Togetherness), Tony Hale (VEEP), John Gallagher Jr (The Network) and Danielle Brooks (Orange is the New Black). Sue is the proud mother of two young girls and wants to create stories that empower them to become first class humans and leaders.  

CONSULTING PRODUCER

Jonathan Duffy Jonathan Duffy is an award winning creative producer, Independent Spirit Award winner and co-founder of Ten Acre Films. Jonathan's latest projects include three feature films: the recently released I USED TO GO HERE, (SXSW 2020 Official Selection) starring Gillian Jacobs and Jemaine Clement; NO FUTURE (Tribeca 2021 Official Selection) staring Catherine Keener, Charlie Heaton, Rosa Salazar, Jackie Earle Haley and MARK, MARY & SOME OTHER PEOPLE staring Ben Rosenfield, Haley Law, Sofia Bryant, Odessa A'zion, featuring Gillian Jacobs and Joe Lo Truglio (2021 festival premiere announcement coming soon). Additionally, Jonathan is an Executive Producer on STRANGER WITH A CAMERA starring Ellie Bamber (presently in post production). Jonathan has produced numerous films which have premiered at the Sundance Film Festival including the critically lauded LIGHT FROM LIGHT, starring Jim Gaffigan, SORRY TO BOTHER YOU (2019 Independent Spirit Award winner for Best First Feature), starring LaKeith Stanfield, Tessa Thompson, Armie Hammer and Danny Glover, THE LONG DUMB ROAD starring Jason Mantzoukas and Toni Revoloril, HELLION, starring Aaron Paul and Juliette Lewis, BEAVER TRILOGY PART IV narrated by Bill Hader as well as their first feature together titled PIT STOP, which was nominated for the 2014 Independent Spirit Awards’ John Cassavetes Award. Sundance short film premieres include THE SEND-OFF and DON’T BE A HERO.

In addition to recent work, Jonathan produced multiple other films that have premiered at SXSW including 6 YEARS, 1985 and the jury award winning films THE SUPLEX DUPLEX COMPLEX (created for Adult Swim) and A BAD IDEA GONE WRONG. Based in Oakland, Jonathan is a producing mentor for the 2019 Stowe Story Lab and has participated as a fellow in the following programs: 2018 Rotterdam Producing Lab, 2016 Cannes Producers Network, The 2015 Sundance Producing Summit, 2015 Catalyst Program, SFFILM's inaugural Producers Fellowship. Jonathan Executive Produced THE SOUND OF SILENCE and Co-Executive Produced BEFORE YOU KNOW IT, both of which premiered Sundance 2019. He also Executive Produced the award winning film BUOYANCY which premiered at Berlin in 2019. Jonathan is in the packaging and development phase of numerous narrative features including RULES FOR WEREWOLVES starring Finn Wolfhard.

LEAD MAKEUP ARTIST

Lorena Soto is a proud mom, Peruvian-American and makeup artist located in the beautiful PNW. She came on this project as lead of the makeup department, excited to work with everyone and create looks that fit for various decades. Lorena loved the story of Potato and was so happy to work on this film with such an incredible team. Her work and services can be found on her website at www.lorenasotomakeup.com and is also found on social media. 

LEAD HAIR ARTIST

Charlie Perritt has had the pleasure of working with Etta James, Jennifer Coolidge, Laura Stone and Gwen Stefanie along with his long running loyal clients. He has styled hair alongside many great minds and through his craft, he has traveled the world and styled in Paris, London, Amsterdam, New York, Japan and Rio to mention a few. Charlie’s on going drive for the pursuit of perfection has put him at the fore front of creating some of today’s new and hottest looks through the innovation of the street and leading style houses. Along with his many accomplishes, charlie still finds the time to help mentor new emerging artists with the support of Gene Juarez salons in Seattle, WA. Instagram: csp3 

PRODUCER SOUND MIXER/ BOOM Operator

Born and raised in Tampa, Florida, Philip Ryan moved to Seattle in the Summer of 2014 to pursue a career in sound for video.  Philip met a group of filmmakers with whom he participated in several 48 Hour Film Festivals.  In 2016, Philip received the award for Best Sound Design in the 48 Hour Horror Festival with the film Allocation, which also won Best Film of the festival.  Philip has since gone on to work as a location sound and/or post production sound engineer for many other great films, including, of course, our totally unbiased favorite film ever: Potato Dreams of America!  Philip also works as a freelance audio engineer in corporate video production.  He has provided audio services on live shows, videos, and radio spots for companies like Boeing, Microsoft, and Amazon. 

Consulting Editor

Annette Davey is an editor originally from Australia now based in LA & NY, she has worked in both TV & film.  She is currently in post production on several features including Togetherish starring Ed Helms & Patti Harrison along with Lady of the Manor directed by and starring Justin Long, with Melanie Lynskey, Judy Greer, Ryan Philippe and Luiz Guzman.  She has worked on a wide selection of TV, including Battlestar Galactica,Transparent, Better Things, Glow, Hung and recently was a consulting editor for the UK/Australian co production, The End a 10-part limited series screening in the UK, Australia & the US (Showtime originals) with Frances O'Connor & Harriet Walter produced by SeeSaw films, Foxtel & Sky Atlantic.

original wigs by

Dennis Milam Bensie created many original wigs for Potato Dreams of America, transforming Lea DeLaria into a conservative Russian grandma, Rizo into Virgin Mary and Jonathan Bennett into Jesus Christ.  Dennis has been a theatrical wig master since completing an internship at Los Angeles Opera in 1995. His wig work has been seen at Oregon Shakespeare Festival, The Old Globe in San Diego, Berkeley Repertory Theatre,  Actor’s Theatre of Louisville, the Alliance Theatre in Atlanta, Studio Arena Theatre in Buffalo, Arizona Theatre Company and almost every theatre in Seattle. If you spot Jinkx Monsoon (RuPaul’s Drag Race winner Season 5) and she has orange hair, it might have been created in Dennis’ kitchen a few years back. Mr. Bensie is also a dog lover, a teacher, and the author of four books including Thirty Years a Dresser, a memoir about his experience working backstage. 

SUPERVISING ART DIRECTOR

Montana Tippett is a production designer for film, residing and working in Seattle. After earning her BFA at Cornish College of the Arts in Performance Production, she started her career as a scenic and costume designer in theatre. During her time working in theatre, Montana received a Seattle Times Footlight Award for her scenic design on Strawberry Theatre Workshop’s The Bells in 2012, and another Footlight Award in 2015 for her costume design on Opal Peachey’s and Mark Siano’s Bohemia. She won first place at the Kennedy Center for Scenic design in 2011, and also won a meritorious award for costume design the same year. She was twice nominated for a Gypsy Rose Lee award for her scenic designs, and had the opportunity to work at nearly every theatre in the Seattle area.

More recently, Montana has redirected herself entirely into film, and splits her time between commercial and narrative work. Notable recent projects include work on Adult Swim’s Hunky Boys Go Ding Dong directed by Todd Rohal, work on the feature, Know Your Place, yet to be released by director Zia Mohajerjasbi, and work on Zombie Orpheus's JourneyQuest series. Other than to bring joy and thoughts to audiences, Montana has found a mission in her work to support historically under-represented voices whenever the opportunity presents, a mission inspired by her many years of work at Intiman Theatre. 

ART DIRECTOR

Oscar Lofgren has been a journeyman member in the Art Department of Seattle Film and Television productions since 1993. As a part of both Feature and Industrial  Film Productions during that time, he has worked with and irritated many the most talented people in the industry for going on 2 decades, on the way gleaning much skill, in many roles within the Art Department. As an Art Director, he brings a bit of the "Art Brut" along for the ride, and is a self described "good man to have in a pinch".