Filmmaker Statement

The Lion and the Firebird is an epic action adventure film set in 40,000 BC, during the final conflict between early humans and Neanderthals. It's a story about survival, trust, and overcoming the differences between people to find our shared humanity. Based on new and exciting archaeological evidence for language, adornment, and burial practice among our ancestors, the script was awarded a Sloan Science Grant in anthropology. To bring this ancient world to life, I worked with a talented team of artists and engineers on a real time Virtual Production stage, a first for low budget independent film. Our team also included a paleo-archaeologist, a linguist, a mask-maker, and a stone-age tool expert. Our 3D-environment artist, who formerly worked on Disney's 'The Mandalorian', built the 3D environments in the Unreal Engine, combined with production design and DMX lighting effects to bring it all to life for our actors and crew. The result is something unique, an immense labor of love by many multidisciplinary artists, and one that I hope you enjoy!