Nerds That Geek Creator Spotlight: Colorado Filmmaker – Hank Braxtan

Written by Juanita ‘Obi-Juan’ Bonner

Director Hank Braxtan Offers Guidance to Actor James Remar in ‘Glowzies’. (Photo Courtesy of Hank Braxtan/Photonic Media.)

Now that we’ve survived the Holidays and firmly planted ourselves into 2024, I’d like to take a moment to reflect on one of my highlights for 2023. My first ever in person interview for Nerds That Geek (NTG). *YAY!!* Excited to say the least, I was lucky enough to meet with local Director, Producer, Writer, Filmmaker and creature feature creator extraordinaire, Hank Braxtan to discuss his latest project: Glowzies (2023). Braxtan, a military veteran, worked in Hollywood post honorable discharge for several years before returning to his Colorado roots. He now resides in Grand Junction with his wife and collaborator Arielle Brachfeld. Together, they operate Photonic Media – a professional filmmaking and photography company for film, television, and commercials all at the local level. *NICE!* Sitting at a hopping yet laid back downtown coffee shop in Grand Junction over Thanksgiving weekend, Hank and I bantered back and forth as we discussed not only Glowzies, but some of his other films, diversity in the industry, youth engagement in the arts, and more. Focusing on the film, let’s dive right in.  
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Shot in Grand Junction and the surrounding area, Glowzies is a campy zombie-esque horror comedy that brings together a group of unlikely heroes forced to fight an unknown, and glowy (*LOL!!*) evil. A fun mix of newcomers and veteran actors, it’s based on the comic book Farway Canyon created by Steve Hillard and Dennis Nowlan who took their inspiration from the Climax Uranium Mill near Grand Junction. A perfect backdrop for a spooky yet silly and slimy flick! Not to mention, as reported by local KKCO 11 News,  a large portion (70-75%) of the production and film crew were: “CMU and CMU Tech students and first time filmmakers.” *AWESOME!!* All of which fit nicely with Hank and Arielle’s vison of community and youth involvement in local filmmaking, and I LOVE IT!!

Noting this was Hank’s first comic adaptation, I asked him to tell me what drew him to this particular comic. Explaining it fell into his lap when the creators reached out to him, Braxtan also touched on the fact that he gets inquiries like this all the time. Some good… some not. Stating: “Having worked in this industry as long as I have, I would say it’s probably 99% culture.” With Glowzies, getting a: “good vibe,” from the start, Hank further explained that his choices come from style and concept by explaining that: “I have to be able to see myself being good at making [the film].” Honesty is also important as he continued with: “I’m all about making an honest film, which means you need to make something you want to make and that speaks to you.” And because no one can truly predict what will be a hit or not, Hank says: “Just make what you want to see and then the people that share your tastes will find the honesty in it.” *WELL SAID!* So… with established comradery and an interesting and new concept, Braxtan goes on to discuss that: “In the world of zombie movies, it would be cool to see something that’s a little bit different.” And different they are!! Awoken from deep within the mine, these creatures are a glowing radioactive mix of creepiness and comedy. “Quirky” is the word Hank used to describe said creatures and for him: “It made them feel like a Scooby-Doo monster.” Agreed Hank… AH-GREED!!

Not yet available to the general public, Glowzies was given two 2023 premieres right here in Grand Junction at our very own historic Avalon Theatre. The first one in August – under Farway Canyon – was the largest turn out of its kind in the theatre’s history (*NICE*) and I was lucky enough to be there! It’s also worth mentioning that the previous Avalon record in this realm was held by another one of Braxtan’s films – Dragon Soldiers (Lionsgate; 2020). *HECK YEAH* The packed theatre buzzed with excitement and campy giggles ensued throughout the film with a standing ovation and a huge round of applause at the end. The energy was palpable, and bubbly and I LOVED IT!! Before moving to the meet and greet on the roof, which was awesome by the way… as a bonus, we were given a small panel at the end of the film. It’s here where Braxtan emphasized that this project held a special place in his heart. Asking him to elaborate on this thought during our interview, he discussed several areas surrounding having much more creative freedom than with most of his other projects. He loved that Hillard and Nowlan were very receptive to his ideas and often followed his lead throughout the filmmaking process. In particular, he mentioned that studios often want to rush the final product to get it out there and make money. Of course, Braxtan respects this process because after all, at the end of the day, making movies is a business. However, art can often get lost in the shuffle. Especially when the creator(s) have little say in how the final product looks. With Glowzies, Hank notes: “They [Hillard and Nowlan] were all about it from the beginning,” by discussing film festivals, wanting to take their time, and building word of mouth before selling the final product. This marked a new and much welcomed avenue for Hank. Voicing that as he continues to put his final stamp on the film with edits, adding the score, and more, Hillard and Nowlan: “have been super patient,” prompting Hank to feel the collaboration: “Has led to the best movie we could make under the circumstances.” And by its reception of the rough cut, I wholeheartedly agree.

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A Few Glowzie Heads on Standby. (Photo Courtesy of Hank Braxtan/Photonic Media.)

Since its local debut in August and November, the film was also featured in 2023 at the Tampa Bay Underground Film Festival (Dec 2023) and all the way in Spain at the Sitges International Film Festival (Oct. 2023). A first for such an honor, Braxtan attended the event and discussed that it was his biggest film festival to date. When asked what it was like taking this film all the way to Spain, stating it was: “sprawling and massive,” Hank was positively blown away by the experience. We continued to discuss Sitges and the fact that they often choose movies that: “Are really off the wall and like gory and violent.” However, Glowzies fell in the family friendly teen category which seemed to please Hank as he explained: “I just felt like considering the content, it just didn’t need to be violent. It didn’t need the blood and it didn’t need the foul language.” In full agreement, I think the overall campy feel of the film makes it family friendly indeed! 

Considering the movie is still in post-production, I followed up by asking when we can expect to see Glowzies available to the masses. Braxtan touched on many aspects of selling a film to a distributor, contract negotiations, final product edits, and more. Knowing that his film falls in the low budget category, he doesn’t expect any massive promotion and hopes we’ll see the film by spring of 2025, likely under a streaming platform. Though, he did mention that if everything falls into place, it would be great to see it released for the 2024 Halloween season. *FINGERS CROSSED*

When looking at the filmmaking process overall, Hank articulated that: “Every movie is as good as it can be under the circumstances.” Though I’ve likely thought something similar in the past, it was refreshing to hear this from an actual filmmaker. Especially when we, as the consumer, spend SOOO MUCH time complaining about this or that when we truly have no idea what’s going on behind the scenes. Keeping with this same tone, a final thought from Braxtan: “Every artist… what we really want… and even if people don’t realize it, is that we’re always looking for validation. That you belong and that your art is real.” Again, something the audience should know but often forget in the midst of their own gripes and criticisms. We’d all do well to remember that those who truly love making movies often have constraints beyond their control and more often than not, their intended vision gets rather twisted by the time it hits theatres. It makes sense why Hank would express how special making Glowzies was. With less entanglements and more creative control, any artist would hold a project like that dear and it was a pleasure to see and hear this from the creator himself. In fact, as we parted, I pondered on these concepts for quite some time and may have even changed my critique style going forward. For low budget or blockbuster mania. All can suffer from the crippling weight of an industry more concerned with profit than art. On that note… I say… keep it up Hank!!

Until next time, please enjoy some of my other NTG reviewed Hank Braxtan films:
Dragon Soldiers (Lionsgate; 2020)​
Dead Zone (Tubi Originals; 2022)

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