Our Films
Tree Stump Films (TSF) is a documentary production company operating out of Fort Collins, CO. TSF is managed entirely by students attending Colorado State University, and is a department within the Rocky Mountain Student Media Corporation. TSF was founded in 2020, with the goal to help educate students in high-end documentary production and to produce excellent short documentary content.
Our Films
2021
Complexity of Life
Created By
Max Struab
2021
Becoming Kaz Smith
Created By
Owen Johnson
2021
Reclamation
Created By
Anna von Pechmann
2021
DIY Fort Collins
Created By
Mary Grace Sheetz
Current Films in Progress
Train Documentary: (Director: Jay Hixson)
Fort Collins, CO is a classically American town that is widely beloved by its long-time residents and the thousands of college students who join the community each year. Like many towns in the West, Fort Collins was largely shaped by the introduction of the railroad, but, when most residents hear the train coming through town, their first instinct is likely not to think about how the railroad made this town what it is. The railroad came to Fort Collins at a low price of one hundred dollars and allowed for the growth of the town and the university we know today. This film will look at how the railroad was introduced in Fort Collins and the unique effect it had in creating this community, as well as the negative effects it had on the ones that were here before.
Bert Christman Documentary: (Director: Rusty Drake)
Bert Christman was a pilot, a member of the infamous Flying Tigers and the American Volunteer Group (AVG) prior to America’s involvement in World War Two. Christman was killed in action in early 1942, just after the events of Pearl Harbor pulled the United States officially into the conflict. Christman’s life was more than just a footnote or a statistic from the bloody conflict where hundreds of thousands of American gave their lives. He epitomized the grit and determination that defined America’s Greatest Generation. As a young man growing up in the midst of the Great Depression in Fort Collins, Colorado. He was a talented artist, enthralled with the cartoon strips found in the newspapers of his time. This documentary will explore his life, art, and story.
Mason Hall Documentary: (Director: Dallen Simske)
In this documentary the history of the Mason Hall in Fort Collins is examined to better illustrate its foundational importance to the city and CSU. The Masonic orders presence in the early stages of the town and university will be examined as well as just the building. Through this we can better see how Fort Collins came to its situation of prevalence in Colorado. This documentary informs the viewer of an active and influential cultural and historical significance that is often overlooked in the modern day.
Earthquake Documentary: (Director: Ryan M. Connor)
This documentary explored Colorado’s little known earthquake history where a renowned geologist at Colorado State University, Dr. Jerry Magloughlin, shows how dangerous earthquakes in Colorado have been in the past, and why they are a threat today. Together we show what has made Colorado the state it is today, and why so few people know Colorado’s impressive geologic history.
Wildlife Documentary: (Director: Ryan M. Connor)
This documentary covered a wildlife story that is following the evolutionary journeys that have led the Bighorn sheep to become one of the best climbing mammals in the world, and what led the Pronghorn to become the fastest land mammal in the USA, and second fastest mammal in the world. We will explore their evolutionary pasts, their present, and their future, and look at why these animals must change faster than ever before in an ever-changing world.
Our Awards
Advocacy Award from 2021 Front Range Film Festival
Becoming Kaz Smith
Best Short Award from 2021 Front Range Film Festival
Reclamation
Official Selection from South Dakota Film Festival
Complexity of Life
Official Selection from Colorado Short Circuit Film Festival
Becoming Kaz Smith
Official Selection from South Dakota Film Festival
Becoming Kaz Smith
Screening at National Art Materials Convention in 2022
Reclamation
Official Selection from My Hero International Film Festival
DIY: Fort Collins
First Place Best non-Advertisement Multimedia Project from College Media Business and Advertising Managers
Becoming Kaz Smith
Official Showing at 2022 TEDxCSU
Reclamation
Official Selection First Place - Short Documentary from College Media Association
Becoming Kaz Smith
Finalist in My Hero International Film Festival 2022
Becoming Kaz Smith
Official Selection from Colorado Short Circuit Film Festival
Reclamation
Official Selection of Through Student Lens ACT Film Festival
Becoming Kaz Smith
Official Selection from 2021 Front Range Film Festival
DIY: Fort Collins
2022 Awards of Excellence from Colorado Broadcast Associations
DIY: Fort Collins
Official Selection from Chicago Southland Film Festival
Reclamation
Finalist College Documentary My Hero International Film Festival
Reclamation
Official Selection from South Dakota Film Festival
DIY: Fort Collins
Team Highlights: 2021 Lyric Showcase
