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Movies That Matter™
mudroom is A Scrappy, Southern Based Independent Film Company
raising awareness of tough Societal Issues through relatable characters and their stories, mudroom focuses on films that are rooted in significant historical and cultural context or issue based projects whether narrative or documentary films or series. mudroom is a collective of filmmakers who have worked on Emmy and Academy Award nominated projects with films screenings at festivals including Tribeca Film Festival, Austin Film Festival and Sundance. mudroom specializes in film/SERIES production and focuses on inventive and distinctive stories with a purpose and creatively produces and markets these films for both wide release and niche commercial success.
Jack Lofton - Founder
producer, director
Born in Memphis and raised on a farm near Hughes, Arkansas, Jack is a film producer and director with Mudroom Films. For his first film project, he embedded himself with the Westboro Baptist Church for the short documentary “God Hates Gaga” about a family’s picketing of a Lady Gaga concert in Kansas’ worst blizzard in history. He then went on to produce the HBO Documentary All About Ann: Governor Richards that featured Willie Nelson, Dolly Parton, Bill Clinton, and Tom Brokaw and premiered at the Tribeca Film Festival and won him an Epic Award from The White House Project, a non-profit devoted to putting the first woman in the White House. Jack also worked for five years to transition the Little Rock Film Festival from a start-up to one of the premiere Southern Film Festivals and a “Top 25 Film Festival Worth the Entry Fee” by MovieMaker Magazine and he is now active in building the Arkansas film community while serving on the Board of the Arkansas Cinema Society. Named one of Arkansas Business’ “40 Under 40”, Jack was also credited as a “stuntman” as Joaquin Phoenix’s stand-in for Walk the Line (his sister Katie was Reese's) and has a law degree and masters from the Clinton School of Public Service where he studied the power of film to affect our culture and bring about social change. Jack has a HSDFF fellowship, has recently been invited to DOC NYC and is currently producing and directing the documentaries: The ‘Vous about the history and culture of Memphis’ World Famous BBQ restaurant, The Rendezvous and its legendary waiters, Kings of Tort about major league trial lawyers who fight global corporations that put profits before people and Modesto Dreams about a teenage deaf-blind bowler phenom from Modesto, California who will attend the Helen Keller National Center as he prepares to become a pro bowler.
#trueindiefilms
Ruth Whitney - Founder
executive producer
Ruth H. Whitney is a lawyer, entrepreneur and CEO of parent company inVeritas and its subsidiary Select Litigation LLC in addition to being an Executive Producer and Founder of Mudroom Films. She has been privileged to work with Fortune 500 corporations, leading statesman and other industry leaders including BHP Billiton, the Bill and Hillary Clinton National Airport, Chesapeake Energy, Baxter Healthcare, HMS, Kinder Morgan, Northrop Grumman, Vertex and Wal-Mart. Before founding InVeritas and Select Litigation, Ruth served as Counsel and Chief of Staff to Attorney General Mike Beebe and developed professional relationships with Attorneys General across the country. Ruth currently serves on a number of Boards of Directors including the Arkansas Cinema Society; Fifty for the Future; the New Design School; and the Arkansas Hunger Relief Alliance. Ruth is a guest writer to Talk Business and Politics and also serves her state and community as a member of Leadership Arkansas, Accelerate Arkansas, and the Arkansas State Chamber of Commerce.
Jeff Dailey
co-director, editor
Jeff Dailey has been working for over a decade as a cinematographer and director – capturing visuals, interviewing subjects, shooting documentary films, and helping clients connect with their audiences through video and film. Born in Little Rock, Jeff spent the majority of his early career working as a writer and public relations professional. A love of cinematography and conversational storytelling opened the door to launching a video and documentary film business in 2007. Since that time, Jeff has worked with Fortune 500 companies, national nonprofits and film directors across the country to help them connect with viewers on the Internet, through social media and documentary films. In recent years, Jeff has filmed in more than 35 states. A few of Jeff’s documentary clients include Virgin Galactic, Disarming Films and Penny Lane. Jeff served as 2nd Unit, director of photography, on West of Memphis, a film by Amy Berg, Peter Jackson and Fran Walsh.
Gabe Mayhan
producer, director of photography
Whether behind the lens or in the director’s chair, his work on documentaries is gaining national attention. In 2012, he was the director of photography for All About Ann, an HBO documentary chronicling the life and legacy of Texas Governor Ann Richards produced by Jack Lofton; and Champion Trees, a documentary for PBS that explores the relationship between art and nature. Champion Trees captured two Emmy’s for Cultural Documentary and Cinematography in 2014. Gabe directed and wrote the recent documentary Dream Land that told the history of an African American neighborhood during segregation and the lasting impact of Urban Renewal. In both Champion Trees and Dream Land, Gabe held double duties as the films’ director and cinematographer. Gabe will bring many talents to the project but will specifically serve as a writer and story consultant for the film due to the many similarities between his Emmy nominated documentary Dream Land and The ‘Vous. Gabe’s unique vision and strong understanding of story have quickly gained the interest of filmmakers and audiences around the country and is an asset to the team.
Bryan Stafford
director of photography, editor
A native of Memphis, Bryan’s interest in film and the visual arts emerged early in life. From a young age, his family fostered his artistic interests. His aunt taught him how to splice 8mm film. His dad took him to the movies almost every weekend, and his mother showed him the importance of paying attention to the details. They all fueled his passion for film and visual art. He earned his graphic design degree from the Art Institute of Dallas and began his career in advertising and broadcast design – working for several notable ad agencies and film/video production companies in Dallas and Little Rock. Since 2004, Bryan has worked a freelance director of photography, editor, and colorist on countless projects in both the advertising and entertainment industries. His love for making a story come to life through the lens of a camera eventually brought him to New Orleans in 2013, where he joined The International Cinematographers Guild (Local 600). There, he had the opportunity to work on several TV series, such as American Horror Story, Scream Queens, and Salem. He has also worked on documentary films West of Memphis and ‘The Vous – Memphis and the men who fed it, and the critically acclaimed film Battlecreek, directed by Alison Eastwood. He has worked with film personalities such as Bill Skarsgard, Emma Roberts, Jamie Lee Curtis, Delroy Lindo, and many more. He is always trying to further his craft and to push a story into the light through a flickering shutter.
JT Tarpley
story, editor
John Thomas Tarpley is a documentary filmmaker and editor based out of Fayetteville, Arkansas. He is currently a postgraduate student and teaching graduate assistant at the University of Arkansas School of Journalism and Strategic Media. He studies documentary and advertising. In his past lives, he worked in music journalism, non-profit communications, and legal research. His first feature documentary, 88.3 FM & The Voice of The People, is set for release in late 2019.
Patrick Rodgers
co-producer, story, camera
Patrick is an Arkansas-based film and television professional whose background is in docu-series television, working for some of the most popular shows to date. Patrick takes pride in being a team player whose interest centers around telling the most compelling stories of our time. For Patrick being at the forefront of suggestion, through storytelling, can help to create new narratives and enrich the imaginations of all those in participation.
Hannah Whitney
Co-Producer, Assistant Director
Assisting in many roles from scheduling productions to arranging interviews, Hannah has worked on both Kings of Tort and The 'Vous for Mudroom films. Hannah has previous experience with various roles working on the HBO series True Detective, independent feature films and short films.