Films that explore the ordinary stuff
that shapes the world around us.
Recent work
Native Seeds: Supplying Restoration
Holden Films partnered with the Society for Ecological Restoration (SER) and Bureau of Land Management to produce a nine-episode series and feature-length documentary about the native seed supply chain. Filmed over four seasons, this series explores the people working to scale up the supply of native seeds to meet the growing restoration demand, weaving together footage with seed collectors, farmers, researchers and land managers across the western United States. We see the staggering scale of damage to vast landscapes, and we meet tenacious people who are finding creative, scrappy solutions to restore ecosystems one seed at a time. Watch episodes on SER’s website.
Natural Infrastructure:
Quillayute River
Client: Wild Salmon Center
Holden Films helped capture the in-river construction work led by the Quileute Tribe and Wild Salmon Center to bring back the river’s natural sinuosity, restore fish habitat and protect the Tribal village of La Push from catastrophic flooding. This video is the first in a two-part series highlighting sound natural infrastructure planning and execution along the Pacific Coast.
Hope for the Salish Sea
Client: RE Sources
Holden Films partnered with RE Sources, a nonprofit in Bellingham, Washington, to create an ode to the Salish Sea through the eyes of Caitlyn Blair, a Pacific Northwest transplant and kayak guide. Caitlyn reflects on her relationship with the Salish Sea and considers how she can transform her love of the place into action that helps protect it and all who call it home.
Meet the Port team
Client: Port of Longview
Holden Films partnered with the Port of Longview to create a short, playful video to help the community get to know the Port’s Environmental and Planning team.
Through the Fire
Client: The Nature Conservancy
In summer of 2021, the Bootleg Fire burned across more than 413,000 acres of southern Oregon, making it the third largest wildfire in Oregon history. Nearly 15,000 of those acres were on The Nature Conservancy's Sycan Marsh Preserve.
Over the course of four years, Holden Films captured the story over of how prescribed fire helped protect Sycan Marsh during Bootleg Fire. In this short documentary, we visit Sycan Marsh before, during, and after the Bootleg Fire and meet fire professionals, The Nature Conservancy, the Klamath Tribes and the U.S. Forest Service, who collectively work to restore this important preserve.
On the Move
Client: HDR / Oregon DOT
Holden Films partnered with HDR and the Oregon Department of Transportation to create a short film that explores how transportation shapes our lives and touches on the deeper, personal meaning behind movement. The film captures an array of Oregon voices to show diverse transportation experiences and needs, sparking conversation about how we can create a system that connects and moves all of us for generations to come.
Pho the People
Independent documentary
Winner of “Best of the NW” at the Bend Film Festival, 2021
This film follows Maryam Tu as she operates a social justice food project, Pho the People, out of her home in Portland, Oregon. Brady Holden created this film as a response to the COVID-19 pandemic and the Black Lives Matter uprising around the United States. The story captures Tu, a first-generation Vietnamese American, navigating her identity, race, and devotion to her community during a time of isolation and racial unrest. “Pho the People” explores cultural reclamation, resilience, and activism through food.
When the Hard Work Begins
Client: Friends of the Columbia Gorge
Co-produced by Holden Films and Friends of the Columbia Gorge, this short film explores five years of efforts by community activists and Friends of the Columbia Gorge's legal team to stop an illegal gravel mining operation in the Columbia River Gorge National Scenic Area.
Rainforest Reserve
Client: North Coast Land Conservancy
Holden Films created a campaign video to inspire prospective donors to support the North Coast Land Conservancy’s work to establish Oregon’s own rainforest reserve. In fall 2021, that vision became a reality. North Coast Land Conservancy successfully rallied the community to raise the funds to ensure that this 32-square-mile conservation corridor is forever held in trust for public benefit.
River Gold
Independent documentary
Official selection at the Portland Film Festival, 2018
River Gold follows angler Olivier Gandzadi, who is obsessed with catching what most Americans label as a trash fish: the common carp. Raised in Paris, Olivier has brought his passion to the Pacific Northwest, where he's found a deep connection with the Columbia River.
Queen of Pisgah
In her first pro bike race in Pisgah National Forest, Kaysee Armstrong is humbled by the terrain. Four years later and fierce with determination, Kaysee returns for redemption.
Brady helped friend and Academy Award-nominated filmmaker Curren Sheldon as a cinematographer and editor for this short film, created for Visit North Carolina.
College Possible:
Olivia’s Story
Client: College Possible Oregon
Holden Films partnered with College Possible Oregon to highlight student Olivia Ye's path to higher education. We follow Olivia in the days before and after high school graduation as she reflects on the planning and persistence it took to bring her college dreams to life, and the people who helped her along the way.
