Posts by pwsadmin

The 19th Annual St. Louis Filmmakers Showcase featured two of my short films, MEMORY BOX and SAFE & HAPPY Sunday, July 14, to strong and positive audiences.  It was the 27th festival selection for MEMORY BOX and the world premiere for SAFE & HAPPY.  (So far, three other festivals have selected SAFE & HAPPY; others…

My newly-released short film, SAFE & HAPPY, won two nominations from the Austin Revolution Film Festival, Sept. 3-8:  Best U.S. Short and Best Actor for Clayton Bury.  The No. 1 Filmmaker Rated Festival on Film Freeway, the Austin Revolution Film Festival, received over 3000 submissions before making its official selections.  So we’re especially proud of…

I’m writing/producing a feature film based on a fascinating true crime story about the Betsy Faria murder/Pam Hupp story–a bizarre tale full of sex, deceit, twists, and murders–based on life story rights of the two principals, Russ Faria, the wrongly accused/convicted husband, and Joel Schwartz, Russ’s defense atty and leading figure in uncovering the actual…

Had a lot of fun speaking with Toronto-based podcast Extra Features about my new short film , SAFE & HAPPY, short films vs. features, and the challenges and advantages of making movies in a place like St. Louis.  Check it out! Extra Features Interviews: Daniel Blake Smith about his film “Safe And Happy”.

Check out this wonderful BTS (behind the scenes) video on the making of my new short film, SAFE & HAPPY:  

My short film, SAFE & HAPPY, hits the festival circuit on July 14 as part of the 2019 St. Louis Filmmaker Showcase.  A drama about an ex-cop with an explosive secret, SAFE & HAPPY, is now out to festivals throughout the country.  More to come!

A superb cast and crew finished production on my new short film, SAFE AND HAPPY, after a two-day shoot on March 8-9, in St. Louis.  SAFE AND HAPPY tells the dramatic story of an ex-cop who for years has kept an explosive secret from his wife and the world but is suddenly exposed at a critical…

I am pleased to announce that in January I optioned the film rights to the fascinating true story memoir, BLINDSIDED BY THE TALIBAN:  A JOURNALIST’S STORY OF WAR, TRAUMA, LOVE, AND LOSS, by Carmen Gentile.  It’s a captivating and piercingly honest account of a war correspondent who, amazingly, survived a rocket-propelled-grenade attack, and went on…

I’ll be selling and signing books–my debut novel, MR. WONDERFUL, and my prize-winning history of the Trail of Tears, AN AMERICAN BETRAYAL:  CHEROKEE PATRIOTS AND THE TRAIL OF TEARS (Henry Holt)– on Saturday, Nov 17, 9am-4pm at the Kentucky Book Festival.  The event is held at the Kentucky Horse Park in the Alltech Arena.