Daruma is 100% FRESH on Rotten Tomatoes! 🍅🍅🍅
The critics agree!
“Daruma is the best movie of 2024!”
“Excellent performance by @tobiaseasyforrest !”
“If you aren’t welling up by the end, check your pulse!” @lizwhitmere@reelnewsdaily
If you haven’t seen the movie yet, rent it now on Amazon Prime, Apple TV plus and more!
IMAGE ID: a reel shows clips from Daruma movie and quotes from professional film critics who have seen the film. The graphics show a 100% Fresh on the Tomatometer.
@jwlawson57@dp_yellen@kellimcneilyellen@hawkabigail@snrfilms@freestyledigitalmedia
#independentfilm #artist #inclusion #filmmaking #filmmakerslife #filmmaker #represent #disability #disabilityawareness #disabilitysolidarity #film #camera #DOP #representation #authentic #authenticcasting #director #DP #cinematography #producer #amputeelife #disabilityvisibility
#losangeles #Berlin #EFM #berlinale
My journey to becoming a filmmaker began in #WashingtonDC, my hometown.
When I was in the 3rd grade my class went to the #WhiteHouse to see George Bush Sr. welcome the president of Yemen on a state visit.
When I was 18 I crashed a cocktail party at the Willard Hotel just down the street to meet two of my cinematic heroes, George Lucas and James Cameron, who were being honored by the #AcademyofAchievement.
Last night @kellimcneilyellen and I were privileged to attend the celebration of the recipients of the National Medals of Arts and Humanities. I had the opportunity to congratulate and chat with a third filmmaker who so influenced my formative years, Steven Spielberg; to reconnect and celebrate an actor who’d I’d been most fortunate to have worked with, Levar Burton; and to meet and share hopes for the future with a genuine humanitarian and culinary genius, José Andrés.
We were deeply moved by the words of Shelly Lowe and Maria Rosario Jackson, the chairs of the NEH and NEA respectively. President Biden brought the room close to tears when he choked up telling a story about a 10 year-old Martin Luther King Jr. hearing Marian Anderson sing ”My Country ‘Tis of Thee” on the radio and being so inspired that he insisted she sing at the March on Washington. We cheered for Queen Latifah, Ken Burns, Spike Lee, and Aaron Sorkin, whose aspirational vision for what politics can and should be remains among my favorite tv series of all time.
To think we were in the presence of such luminaries because of what our little film says about how the world could be better and how art can be a tool to help make it so, is it’s own reward and something that I’ll hold to dearly as I go forward. I apologize in advance if I retell these stories a dozen times too many.
Make art. Tell stories. Do good.
And thank you @annaperngpa for your belief in us and your work on behalf of the administration for all people with disabilities.
@darumamovie@nehgov@neaarts@joebiden@drbiden@worldbuilderent@danniefesta #film #filmmaker #indiefilm #indiefilmmaker #independentfilm #director #cinematographer #cinematography #makingmovies #disabilityrepresentation #representationmatters
My brilliant, insightful, and talented wife, @kellimcneilyellen , contributed to this @bloomberg piece about the state of Hollywood and the film industry more broadly, as well as its future. As a filmmaker, writing and producing independent films she’s become a subject expert and thought leader in the space. She writes about these and related topics weekly on her Substack as part of her indie film PR & marketing business, KLA Media Group.
International-level film production in Peru
From breathtaking landscapes to world-class logistics, Peru offers some of the best locations for amazing films.
A country where cinematic stories come alive through nature, culture, and authenticity.
Trusted by international productions, Peru is more than a destination —
it’s a powerful setting for global storytelling.
🎥 Ready to film your next project in South America?
#film #peru #filminperu
Such a great panel at the Director’s Guild at Slamdance 2026 with this incredible group of disabled directors and allies!
Directing Beyond Assumption was put together by our own John Lawson.
Photo ID from Left to Right: Deaf director Jevon Whetter, @Darumamovie director Alexander Yellen, director Sheridan O’donnell, director Ash Eakin, and DARUMA EP and Oscar-winning director Peter Farrelly.
#slamdance #disabilityinclusion #filmmaker #directorsofinstagram
Filmmakers lifting each other up! Part of the @darumamovie team was so honored to partake in the talented and gracious @polahaha ’s directorial debut, @mimicsfilm ! Kris and @dp_yellen collaborated together on this very unique horror/comedy film that pulled no punches! You may recognize our own @austinbasis in the cast and behind the scenes @aflowerbyanyothername !
Go watch this audacious debut from a truly talented gentlemen, Mr. Kris Polaha! You won’t believe how incredible some of his impressions are.
Mimics opens today in 400 cinemas across the US. Go see this great film and support indiefilmmakers!!!!
Congratulations to the entire cast and crew!
@adam.karm@benwagner341
VIDEO ID: at the worldwide premiere of the new film Mimics in Reno, Nevada the cast and crew who worked on the film, sit on a stage after the screening for a Q&A.
#mimicsmovie #kristofferpolaha #hallmarkmovies #reno #valentine
Congratulations to all of our Spokane-based DARUMA crew for their incredible work on Train Dreams! @traindreamsfilm We were so thrilled to have shot our beautiful road trip sequences for DARUMA in Eastern Washington and so many of our @znationcrew family who worked on Z Nation worked on @darumamovie and now Oscar-nominated film Train Dreams. Congratulations @marcdahlstrom@j.d.mckee@deputydewdrop Travis Berry Alex Terzieff @debdahlstrom@jennifergatts
#TrainDreams #spokanedoesntsuck #darumamovie #indiefilmmaking #oscars2026
Photo ID: an image for the poster of the Netflix movie Train Dreams is shown and lists the four Academy Awards the film is up for
Four years ago this month we embarked on an epic journey to make a movie called DARUMA. It was a scrappy, low-budget indie film that starred two leads with disabilities. It took 17 years to make from the time the first draft of the script was written to when it finally screened to a sold-out crowd at the Chinese Theater in Hollywood.
No studio knew what to do with it so we said screw it, we’ll do it ourselves!
So we did. That little film and leap of faith in ourselves took us to numerous film festivals including Slamdance and brought our executive producer, Oscar-winner Peter Farrelly on board. We got an incredible cast including Golden Globe winner Barry Bostwick and Abigail Hawk of CBS Bluebloods.
The film took us to The White House, New York, Park City, Minneapolis, Cincinnati, Atlanta, Boston and more. Our two leads both won Best Acting Awards, including John W. Lawson who won Best Actor at @slamdancegroup and Tobias Forrest who won the Christopher Reeve Acting Award at the Media Access Awards. @reevefoundation@mediaaccessawards
We’ve made fans and friends all over the world because we believed in ourselves and our uncompromising vision. We’ve been seen on CNN, Deadline, The Hollywood Reporter, Variety, NPR and more.
And all because we said “we believe in ourselves”, even when no one else did.
To all of you who have something to say and want to make a movie, go for it. You never know where it will lead you and your voices are needed now more than ever.
You can stream DARUMA free on Tubi here: /movies/100043415/daruma
PHOTO IDS: Several photos and videos in the carousel show behind the scenes images of the making of DARUMA with the cast and crew.
#indiefilmmaking #indiefilm #independentfilm #makingmovies #daruma
Everyone loves a little behind the scenes and now that Love on the Amazon has aired, I can share some. Making movies is tough. Sometimes you need creative solutions and a team that can make them happen. Your picture boat breaks down in the Amazon, call a tow truck… er… peke-peke… or four. 😂 #makingmovies #setlife #shittyrigs #loveontheamazon
