Broken Toe – There’s a story . . .
After a variety of careers, in film, theatre, corporate jobs, healthcare, entrepreneurial adventures, a restaurant and bar, and community volunteering in the arts, Doug and Dawn made the decision to follow a new path. Not ready to fully retire, they found something that could take their experience, add in some new skills, and forge a new direction. So they both began writing. With his extensive theatre experience, Doug was drawn to stage plays. Dawn always thought she would write a novel, and while that is still planned, she discovered screenwriting.
They both went all in. The worldwide pandemic and isolation that resulted, gave them time to take several road trips across the United States with their three Chihuahuas, where they visited national parks, met lots of interesting people and drove through every state. These experiences, the time to study the craft, and the time to write, resulted in several scripts. Confident in their abilities, they each began entering competitions where they both had success. Dawn wanted to attend the Austin Film Festival since she heard about it but because of the nationwide lockdowns, she was only able to attend virtually. Then in 2022, Doug and Dawn both submitted to the Austin Film Festival competitions. Doug placed in the second round and they bought their tickets to attend.
A few weeks before Austin, they invited some writer friends to join them at the Oregon Coast for a writing retreat. During that retreat, Dawn broke her toe when she slammed it into a piece of furniture. Still sore and bruised, she didn’t care. She wasn’t going to miss the festival.
During the first day, which was a life-changing experience for them both, Doug was hurrying to get to one of the speaker panels in an old stone church. He fell up the stairs and broke his toe. So there they were, both hobbling around downtown Austin, not missing a beat, but laughing about their pain. They attended speaker panels and met other writers, producers, and filmmakers. They joined up at The Driskill every evening to share what they’d learned that day, and to schmooze with the other festival attendees.
They returned home to Portland, Oregon, grateful for the new community they had found, and developed a plan. To start their own production company. When the time came to name the company, it was easy.
Doug
After more than thirty years working in local theaters, film, and television Doug has taken a new turn in his career as a writer. Compelled to create stories that entertain, educate, and hopefully enable provocative conversations. Doug has recently retired alongside his wife Dawn after owning and managing a restaurant in the Portland area. Doug loves to travel the world and has traveled to all fifty states several times. As a native Oregonian, he still finds Portland the place he wants to reside.
Dawn
Dawn Sellers is an award-winning writer of features and episodic screenplays. Also, a director and filmmaker, she has completed the comedy pilot Almost Boston. Dawn creates female-driven stories in diverse worlds and believes storytelling can influence connection and perception. Growing up in the Pacific Northwest, Dawn watched daytime soaps, spaghetti westerns, and sitcoms. She reads thrillers, horror, and true crime, and is always writing. After careers in healthcare, a retail and estate sale antique business, and owning a restaurant/bar, Dawn now writes full-time while living at the edge of the forest in Portland, Oregon with her writer, actor, and producer husband. Dawn is engaged with connecting filmmakers as a founder of the Portland area nonprofit, POV Filmmakers, and as a local coordinator for the International Screenwriters Association Portland Chapter, Third Thursdays. She has previously volunteered as chairperson of a city arts council and board secretary for the local Women in Film chapter. She enjoys experiencing life through travel, hiking, and yoga.