We Reached Our First Milestone — And We’re On Our Way to the Next 

We reached our first milestone, and we’re on our way to the next one. If any of you know me well, you know that one of my mantras is persistence + persistence = persistence. Thank you, Dr. Mike Colson…

And persistence in getting this made has paid off. I feel so grateful. In reflecting on the 2-year journey thus far, there are moments in making an independent documentary that feel a little like faith and a little like stubbornness. You keep going because you believe the story matters, even when the road ahead is far from clear. Reaching our first major milestone on Beyond the Salish Sea feels like one of those moments worth pausing for. 

We’ve crossed an important threshold. That does not mean the film is done, or that the hard work is behind us. Not even close. But it does mean this project is no longer just an idea I’ve been carrying around on my back. It’s moving. It has traction. It has momentum. And most importantly, it has people behind it who believe this story needs to be told. 

For a long time

For a long time, this film lived in that uncertain territory familiar to many independent projects: a mix of conviction, research, early shooting, planning, and trying to will the thing into being while also figuring out whether the resources would come together. That stage is necessary, but it can feel lonely. You’re asking others to see what you see before there’s enough on the screen to fully prove it. 

Now we’re past that first hurdle. 

That matters because documentaries like this do not happen by accident. They happen because enough people decide a story is worth backing. They happen because people care about place, about truth, about what gets protected and what gets sacrificed. They happen because someone says, ” Yes, keep going.”

That is where we are now. 

This first milestone gives us something tangible to build on. It tells me we’re not shouting into the wind. It tells me the concerns at the heart of this film resonate with others too: the health of the Salish Sea, the costs of extraction, the pressure industrial systems put on fragile ecosystems, and the question of what kind of stewardship we want to practice for the generations that come after us. 

the next milestone

The next milestone is already in front of us. That’s the nature of filmmaking. You reach one ridge and see the next one waiting. There is still a lot to do: production, interviews, logistics, crew, story development, post-production, and all the thousands of decisions that shape a film from a strong idea into something emotionally powerful and clear. 

But this moment feels different from where I started. After premiering and securing distribution for “Hopped Up”, my first feature documentary, I knew I wanted to start another right away. I have a personal mandate to make 5 films in 10 years. The first one took 5 years to make, and this one is going on 3 years and counting.

There is more confidence now. More structure. More forward motion. I’m deeply grateful for that. I’m grateful to the people who have offered support, encouragement, time, and belief. Independent filmmaking is never a solo act, even when there are long stretches of working alone. Every bit of support helps push the film farther down the road. 

So yes, we made our first milestone. That’s worth celebrating. 

And then, because this is filmmaking, we lace up our boots and keep walking. 

We are well on our way to the next milestone.

That’s where the energy is now. Not in taking a victory lap, but in using this momentum to build something worthy of the place this film is about. A place as beautiful, complicated, and vulnerable as the Salish Sea deserves nothing less. 

Thank you for being part of the journey.