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An Era of Removal
No American Indian family remains untouched by government policies of forced family separation. Prior to the Adoption Era (1940-1978) the progressive approach to America’s “Indian problem” was to “Kill the Indian and save the man” by shipping Native youth and toddlers to an estimated 500 federally-funded conversion schools and religious institutions (Boarding School Era: 1879-1978). This collective era of removal effectively displaced 25-35% of Native American youth from tribal communities nationwide by the late 1960s.
Crew Bios
Drew Nicholas | Director, Producer, Shooter
Drew co-founded the film collective In Medias Res, for which he performed many tasks from concept to completion, including co-producing the micro-budget feature I'm A Stranger Here Myself and shooting video content that helped raise over $420,000 to preserve the Pittsburgh community landmark Kraynick’s Bike Shop. Drew's work has been recognized by The Pittsburgh Foundation/Heinz Endowments, Big Sky Documentary Film Fest, Minneapolis St. Paul International Film Fest, and Santa Fe Independent Film Fest, among others. In addition to independent filmmaking Drew also works as a Location Scout/Manager on industry productions such as the Netflix Original Series Mindhunter. He earned a B.A. in Cinema and Digital Arts from Point Park University and studied creative writing/poetry at Naropa University. Blood Memory is his feature film debut.
Megan Whitmer | Producer
Megan specializes in strategic writing, media, and events management for community enterprises. She is currently producing the 2019 documentary feature “Blood Memory.” Megan’s work in non-profit development has included donor/member relations and outreach for four museums, national conference management, a fundraising gala, and a short promotional film. Megan recently served as an on-site coordinator for Just Harvest and has worked in the Pittsburgh farmers market community since 2015. She holds an M.A. in Rhetoric & Philosophy from Duquesne University and a B.A. in Communication from Lock Haven University of Pennsylvania.
Elizabeth Day (Ojibwe) | Producer
Elizabeth was born on the Leech Lake Reservation and raised in the Twin Cities. Elizabeth blends her Native American heritage with her urban upbringing to create films that employ traditional Ojibwe-style storytelling while using contemporary filmmaking techniques. Her work often explores the tension between traditional teachings and the life of a modern, urban Indian. Elizabeth was an Associate Producer on the PBS Documentary Black Gold Boom, and her short directorial work has been recognized by the Tribeca All Access Connects program, Minnesota State Artist Board, the National Museum of the American Indian, and the Bush Artist Fellowship. Elizabeth currently works as a Community Organizer for the Native American Community Development Institute, as well as a Project Manager and Video Director for Wiigwaas Press in Minneapolis, MN.
Olivia Vaughn | Co-Producer
Olivia is a staff producer for the Sundance award-winning production company, Animal Inc., where she helps to cultivate award-winning commercial and documentary projects. In 2016 she produced the documentary feature Fursonas, which won the Spirit of Slamdance award, and was distributed to notable streaming channels worldwide. Olivia also produced four Vimeo Staff Picks - The John Show, Voices, Echo Torch, and Alone. Most recently, Olivia produced the feature documentary Barefoot: The Mark Baumer Story, which took home notable awards at the 2019 Heartland International Film Festival and 2020 Omaha Film Festival.
Jason Elrod | Editor
Jason was nominated for an Emmy for his editing on Ocean Mysteries with Jeff Corwin (ABC), for which his editing received three Telly Awards (2015, 2016, 2017). Jason has edited for the Emmy Winning Series Henry Ford's Innovation Nation (CBS), Game Changers (CBS), and Sea Rescue (ABC), as well as Wilderness Vet (NBC), Rescue Me with Dr. Lisa (The CW), and Vacation Creation (The CW), for which he also received a Telly Award (2017). Jason also produced the television essay, “What is Noir?” (2015), which received a Telly Award and a W3 Award.
William Stankay | Composer
Bill specializes in atmospheric sound design and music production. He is the creator of "Earthtones," an innovative music experience featuring environmentally-inspired sound seamlessly blended with his original music. His film work includes original scores for A Fancy Piece of Homicide and Samantha Moonley's Greatest Feeling, trailer score for Peter Berg's Deepwater Horizon and sonic design for Steven Caple Jr.'s The Land. Bill’s work is currently featured in a national Powerade campaign starring NBA player Damian Lillard.
Bryan Heller | Cinematographer
Bryan is a co-founder of In Medias Res and served as Director of Photography on "I’m A Stranger Here Myself." He recently shot the Pittsburgh segment of the HBO Documentary, "Brillo Box (3¢ Off)," while his cinematography has been featured in several highly celebrated shorts, including, NationSwell’s “Jim Withers: Making House Calls to People Without Homes” which went viral on Upworthy and boasts over 1 million views; Time Magazine’s “Comic Books and Hip Hop History: Ed Piskor.” Additionally, Bryan camera operated for the short documentary, "The John Show," a Vimeo Staff Pick which premiered at Cinequest Film Festival in 2017.
Benedict Baldauff (Osage) | Camera Op.
Benedict is a citizen of the Osage Nation and member of the International Cinematographers Guild. Benedict has worked as a Camera Assistant on numerous Hollywood and independent productions, such as Blackkklansman, Fences, Last Flag Flying, The Killing of a Sacred Deer, American Pastoral, and Southpaw.
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