"WISCONSIN TOUR 2025"
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WINNER - BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR
(RICHIE GORDON)
"February" is a film written and directed by Nathan Deming as a part of the "Year Project"
Miguel (David Duran) is a recent immigrant to a small Wisconsin town and struggling to fit in. His sister (Nayeli Hernandez) is worried about him, her husband (Erick Inestroza) less so - until a strange man (Ritchie Gordon) offers to take Miguel ice fishing.
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Writer/Director Nathan Deming (Speaking in Tongues) continues his "Year Project" with DP Leo Purman (The Legend of the Vagabond Queen of Lagos) and producer Adam Stunkle (Purity Camp). Edited by Patricio de la Maza (Heat).​
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Winner of the 2024 GOLDEN BADGER AWARD and the AUDIENCE CHOICE AWARD at the Wisconsin Film Festival. Listen to our interview on Wisconsin Public Radio​​​​​​
"A strangely sweet tale... a quiet, heartfelt reminder that human connection can come from the most unexpected places"
"FEBRUARY feels like a soundless snowfall... Beneath simple rhythms lie vast emotional landscapes."
- Asbah Shah, Shepherd Express
"Practically flawless..."
"Great performances, stunning cinematography, and thoughtful storytelling, this is a film that will resonate... A reminder we can find friends in the most unexpected ways with the most unexpected people."
- Roberto Ortiz, Loud and Clear Reviews
FILM DETAILS
Runtime: 50 minutes
Languages: Spanish, English
Subtitles/CC Available: Yes
Aspect ratio: 16:9
Color: Color
Audio: 5.1, Stereo
Screening Format: DCP​​​​
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Director's Note
As I approach making a film for each month of the year, I am not just thinking about likely stories or Wisconsin culture that might have a place in that episode (it's going to be hard to avoid the topic of hunting come "November") but more how the month makes me feel. February to me is about the doldrums, the monotony of winter as the holidays are truly behind you and all you can really look forward to is the hope and possibility of spring.
I'm not sure where Miguel initially came from, or his story, but I knew I wanted to explore someone as different as possible from the protagonist of "January", a 75-year-old church volunteer and longtime Wisconsin resident. As soon as he arrived, it was like a welcome visitor I wanted to learn more about - diversity is sometimes hard to find in Wisconsin's small towns, but it is there all the same and there's many people living similar lives in the same place that get arbitrarily separated by race / culture / language. In "February" I sought to explore the things we have in common rather than the things that separate us.
- Nathan Deming | IMDb
The Cast
David Ezekial Duran is an actor from Los Angeles, CA. He studied acting at Riverside City College where he performed in both theatre and short films.
Nayeli Michelle Hernandez is a trained theatrical and film actress from Los Angeles, CA. She studied at the AMDA College and Conservatory of the Performing Arts in Hollywood, CA. FEBRUARY is her 2nd film credit.
Erick Inestroza is an actor based out of Los Angeles with a passion for storytelling on and off camera. After studying post production at CSUF Erick landed his first gig placing him in front of a camera which allowed him to discover his passion for acting. Since, Erick has appeared in multiple commercials and short films. When he isn’t busy acting Erick spends his time working as a freelance motion graphics / visual effects artist.
On his free time Erick enjoys boxing and practicing calisthenics which helps keep him grounded with his busy schedule.
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Insta: @erick_ai
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Ritchie Gordon is a jack of all trades from New Auburn, WI. Despite never having acted in a film before, Ritchie went all in on his first screen performance - teaching the cast and crew about ice fishing (one of his hobbies) as well as regularly pointing out the inaccuracies depicted in the filmmaking ("There's no fish in this lake!!"). He lives with his wife and two children and still loves ice fishing.
The Crew
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Nathan Deming is an award winning filmmaker from Wisconsin, based in Los Angeles, who studied at the London Film School. His 2020 microbudget feature Speaking in Tongues premiered at the Austin Film Festival and is available to watch on Amazon and Tubi, and the 2014 short film on which it is based played at the Edinburgh Film Festival, the London Short Film Festival, and British Shorts Berlin. Besides his feature work, he is also working on a multi-year film project called "The Year Project" about small town life in Wisconsin.
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Leo Purman (he/his) is from Milwaukee Wisconsin, and is a graduate of NYU’s photography & imaging program, and AFI’s cinematography program. Some notable projects include Nigerian feature The Legend of the Vagabond Queen of Lagos (dir. The Abajowo Collective, TIFF 2024) and Egyptian/Lebanese feature The Judgement (dir. Marwan Mokbel, Tallgrass 2023). Leo frequently collaborates with international directors and stories, shooting films in Asia, Africa, the Middle East, Mexico, and more.
Leo’s work has been featured at festivals such as TIFF, SXSW, Tribeca, Palm Springs, Tallgrass, Dublin, Reeling, HOF and has appeared on Amazon Prime, Apple TV, and in the Washington Post, and Rolling Stone magazine. Most recently, Leo photographed the upcoming feature Forge (dir. Jing Ai Ng) staring Kelly Marie Tran, premiering at SXSW 2025!
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Adam Stunkle is a producer and director from Nashville, TN. A graduate of the London Film School, Adam has worked as an editor (Severed Garden) and is currently developing his first feature (Purity Camp).
Mark Arditi is a graduate of the Chapman University Filmmaking program, originally from Istanbul. Mark has worked on a variety of large budget Turkish productions, including Kara, Turkish Ice Cream, and Muslum.
Maria Medrano-Miranda is a set decorator and Production Designer from Compton, California.
With over 15 years in the film and television industry, Joel Edsel Schaeffer is a dedicated Cinematographer with a passion for visual storytelling. He is experienced in various camera systems, including 16mm & 35mm film, and specializes in designing custom LUTs for digital workflows. His technical expertise, combined with a formal education at the American Film Institute (AFI), gives him a strong foundation in both visual language and storytelling. Joel has worked on numerous projects, from short films to feature-length productions, and is known for his attention to detail, problem-solving skills, and collaborative approach.
Full Credits
Cast (In order of Appearance)
Miguel
Louie
Rosa
Amelia
Anna
Marty
Tom
Co-worker
Co-worker
Co-worker
Abuelito
Dogs
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Pool mom
Pool teens
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Store Owner
Carl
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David Ezekial Duran
Erick Inestroza
Nayeli Hernandez​
Emma Peralta
Reya Lahn
Becky Brown
David Lowell
Glenn Lawrence
Arden Maden
Christopher Parker
"Rocky" Marciano Moreno
Sully
Clark
Amy Radloff
Addie Ross
Linnie Mae
R. Scott Purdy
Ritchie Gordon
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Crew
as Carl
Writer/Director
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Director of Photography
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Producer
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Production Designer
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Camera Operator
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1st Assistant Camera
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2nd Assistant Camera
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DIT
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Special Thanks
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Filmed in Wisconsin
Nathan Deming
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Leo Purman
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Adam Stunkle
Nathan Deming
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Maria Medrano
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Joel Schaeffer
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Jad Tannous
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Tristan Evans-Fargione
Armando Garcia
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Jad Tannous
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Marquette University
The Tomah Cash Store
Americ-inn Tomah
Raj Patel
John Rose
Jim H. Campos
Kate Schanhoffer
Robin Curry
Anna Gordon
1st Assistant Director​
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2nd Assistant Director
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Production Assistant
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Art Department
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Sound Recordist
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Mark Arditi
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Ben Dame
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Clayton Backes
Aaron Kuse
Ethan Best
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Ross Husch
Wyatt Whipple
David Bryan Herrera
Andrew Hoffman
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Emerson Cole
Jeremy Schmidt
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Old Fast Glass
North American Camera
Mark Khalife
Xia Magnus
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Gaffer​
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Key Grip​
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Electric​
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Color Gradist
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Kishan Patel
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Casear Flores
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Kyle Bower
Zach Richemer
Daniel Duran
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Belal Hibri
Lucid Post
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