Luther professor Thomas Johnson's documentary film "Ironhead" featuring local artist Kelly Ludeking premieres on IPTV

Luther College Assistant Professor of Communication Studies, Thomas Johnson's documentary, "Ironhead" premiers on IPTV February 19th at 10:00 p.m. on The Film Lounge: Episode 102.

The following link is the complete schedule for The Film Lounge premieres.
http://site.iptv.org/about/iptv-news/film-lounge-premieres-feb-12-iptv

Ironhead features a documentary film about Kelly Ludeking, a Northeast Iowa artist who pours molten iron to create original works of art.

After meeting Kelly Ludeking a few years ago, Thomas Johnson started thinking about Ludeking's work and his story and how it all might translate into a documentary film.

The process took about one year.  In March 2014, the Dean's Office at Luther College awarded Neal Abbott, a 2015 graduate of Luther College, and Johnson funding for a student/faculty summer research project.  Abbott and Johnson researched, scripted, shot and edited the film during the summer and fall of 2014.  Then Johnson handed it off to Associate Professor of Music and Composer-in-Residence Brooke Joyce, who did the music.  After that, Johnson handed it off to Visual Media Director Aaron Lurth, who did the color.  In February 2015, Johnson began submitting the film to festivals.

The film was an official selection of the Yellowknife International Film Festival, the Milwaukee Film Festival, the Fargo Fantastic Film Festival, the Liverpool Lift-Off Online Film Festival, the Frozen River Film Festival, the Speechless Film Festival, the Red Wasp Independent Film Festival, the Fargo Film Festival, the Wild Rose Independent Film Festival, the Let's All Be Free Film Festival, the Greenwich Village Film Festival, and the Kansas International Film Festival. The next screening is at the Beloit International Film Festival in March 2017.  

Johnson produced his first documentary film while studying as an undergraduate. He produced a documentary film about street performers in Fremantle, Western Australia.  This was his starting point with documentary film.  From there, Johnson became more involved in film work during his junior and senior years at Saint John's University in Collegeville, Minnesota.  From there, he did some work with various video production companies, as well as BBC-Wales and PBS.  

While he's been at Luther College, Johnson has produced a series of biographical films prior to "Ironhead."  Currently, their team (Luther student Jack Ross, along with Joyce and Lurth) is in the final stages of post-production on a film about Marieke Penterman, a champion gouda cheesemaker from Thorp, Wisconsin.  Their hope is to release this film in March 2017.

Johnson hopes after viewing any of his films, a person would walk away and further ponder how they might apply the energies they've witnessed to their own lives.
 

artist Kelly Ludeking

Luther professor Thomas Johnson being interviewed by PBS

iron pours