Estlin Feigley, a renowned film director and screenwriter, has been actively involved in the industry since 1999. His professional journey began with the selection of his first feature film, "Toll Bridge to Iowa," at the IFP New York Film Festival. This marked the beginning of his extensive career, which has spanned over two decades.
In 2002, Estlin founded his production company, Fresh Films/Dreaming Tree Films, based in Chicago. This company has been instrumental in producing various commercial and short film productions for prominent clients such as the Art Institute of Chicago and the City of Chicago. Fresh Films has also been recognized for its exceptional work, winning awards at the Chicago International Film Festival.
Throughout his career, Estlin has directed over 200 films, TV episodes, commercials, and documentaries. His production company has been actively involved in training future filmmakers, providing them with valuable hands-on experience in the industry. Fresh Films has also partnered with Augustana College, where Estlin serves as a faculty member, teaching production and screenwriting.
Estlin's impressive portfolio includes directing credits for TV and feature films. One of his notable works is "The Stream," a family-friendly film starring Rainn Wilson, Mario Lopez, Christopher Gorham, and Kelly Rutherford. The film received positive reviews, with the Washington Post referring to it as "A Family Friendly Stand By Me." "The Stream" was released theatrically at Regal Cinemas and is currently available on various streaming platforms, including Roku, Amazon Prime, and iTunes.
Estlin has also co-written and directed "Alternate Universe: A Rescue Mission," a film starring Steve Guttenberg and Harry Lennix. The film premiered at the White House STEM Festival and is currently available on Paramount +, Redbox, and other platforms. Both "The Stream" and "Alternate Universe: A Rescue Mission" featured a significant number of youth working on-set, including students from Augustana College.
Estlin's TV credits include an Emmy-nominated children's TV series, "Moochie Kalala Detectives Club," which he created, wrote, and directed. The 6-episode series aired on PBS WTTW and received positive reviews from the Chicago Tribune, which described it as "Zany, Educational Fun." Additional TV shows, such as "Dearly Departed," created in 2019, are currently in series development with Imagine Entertainment.
Estlin has also directed several documentaries, including two seasons of the "Filmmaker Lab" with Reese Witherspoon, which trained 41 young women in documentary filmmaking. He has also directed two seasons of "behind the lens" at the Tribeca Film Festival, a TV documentary called "Believe Chicago," featuring nine difference makers and airing on the Audience Network, and a feature-length documentary called "I AM not disABLEd," following the journey of youth with disabilities. The latter will premiere in November 2022 in the Quad Cities and featured 14 Augustana students working on the project.
On the music side, Estlin has directed and produced two music videos for Grammy-winning artist Usher, as part of his "Got Noise" project. He has also directed two music documentaries, one featuring R&B superstar Monica, and the other, "All Access," featuring Weezer, Blink-182, Franz Ferdinand, and Public Enemy, which ran on IFC network.
Throughout his career, Estlin has been committed to mentoring young filmmakers and providing them with valuable training and experience in the industry. As a faculty member at Augustana College, he teaches production and screenwriting, and through Fresh Films, he has mentored hundreds of students, many of whom have gone on to have successful careers in the industry, including Golden Globe winner Ramy Youssef. Estlin considers his most important contribution to be the mentorship of young filmmakers, enabling them to become part of the industry.
