As a filmmaker and professor living in a gang-filled neighborhood in Chicago, the fear of gun violence is part of my everyday life. School shootings seem countless, and our country's opposing political views hinder us from having actual conversation for change. I see a growing divide between urban and rural mentalities. This is where my unique perspective comes into play. I'm a pacifist, raised in a small Kansas town settled by Mennonites who had constantly been forced to flee their farms because they wouldn't bear arms—immigrants moving from country to country.
For the last year and a half I've been writing a feature-length script called "Fear Not" about a Mennonite teacher who is forced to carry a weapon after her husband helps pass a statewide law. Goldie experiences an awakening when a foreign pastor moves to town preaching radical non-violence in the face of fear.
Excited to return home to rural Kansas to shoot a narrative short proof of concept this summer with actress Kristen Bush and producers Lindsay Rathert and Laura Kirk. As our country is polarized over gun reform and how to combat mass shootings, we're aiming to tell the stories of strength and persistence among women in the midwest. "Fear Not" shows the complicated, funny, and tragic struggles women go through, divisions within families, and the dwindling economies that many small towns face across our country.
Behind-the-scenes
OUR BLOOD IS WINE
Director / Editor / Cinematographer: Documentary Feature Film
"...a thoroughly charming documentary
about winemaking in post-Soviet Georgia."
-Jeannette Catsoulis,
The New York Times
Stills from the republic of georgia
KOKOROMI GAKUEN
Stills from OUR BLOOD IS WINE
FEATURE DOCUMENTARY FILM
(2018 Music Box Films)
Filmmaker Emily Railsback and award-winning sommelier Jeremy Quinn provide intimate access to rural family life in the Republic of Georgia as they explore the rebirth of 8,000-year-old winemaking traditions almost lost during the period of Soviet rule. By using unobtrusive iPhone technology, Railsback brings the voices and ancestral legacies of modern Georgians directly to the viewer, revealing an intricate and resilient society that has survived regular foreign invasion and repeated attempts to erase Georgian culture. The revival of traditional winemaking is the central force driving this powerful, independent and autonomous nation to find its 21st century identity. Check out our film's website.
Director/Cinematographer: Documentary Short Film
While filming with my husband Jeremy Quinn on our second feature documentary "Made In Japan", we became fascinated with the story of one winery that was using winemaking for social change. While the story didn't totally fit in with the narrative arc of the feature film, we wanted to tell the story. We made this short film about the people with disabilities that work at Coco Farms and Winery in Japan.
THE RESENTFUL ANGEL
Co-Director: TV Pilot
