BisonBison
Film Festival
Ken Spurgeon, a 2026 Festival Juror, was born and raised in Wichita, KS. He earned a Bachelor’s and Master’s from Wichita State University in History while additionally compiling hours in Secondary Education: Social Studies. He is an Associate Professor of History at Friends University and a consultant at the Kansas Oil Museum in El Dorado, KS. He has spent over 20 years teaching at the High School and College level.
Mr. Spurgeon is the author of A Kansas Soldier at War: The Civil War Lives and Letters of Christian and Elise Dubach Isely, published by The History Press, Charleston, SC, 2013. From 2004 until 2018, he was the Executive Director of Lone Chimney Films, Inc., a not-for-profit documentary film company dedicated to films about the Midwest. He has written or co-written and directed four documentaries. The last two films (Home on the Range and The Road to Valhalla) have earned the Western Heritage Award (Wrangler) at the National Cowboy and Western Heritage Museum, 2018 and 2015. The previous three films have also aired on various PBS stations throughout the Midwest. He recently served as the writer and director for the film Sod and Stubble based on the classic tale by the same name written by John Ise with Von Rothenberger.
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Will Carter is a filmmaker, director, and founder of Hoot Owl Films, based in Kansas City. After beginning his career in television news—working as a photographer, producer, reporter, anchor, and even meteorologist—Will returned to his first love: filmmaking. His short films have earned recognition at festivals locally and internationally, including Cold Heart, which won Best Set Design at the 2024 SATO 48 Film Competition, Best Sci-Fi Film at the New York Tri-State International Film Festival, and screened at Kansas City FilmFest International, KC Fringe, the Bird Watching Film Festival, and abroad in Italy. Beyond competitions, Will has directed commercial work, short films, and is currently developing both a new short film and his first feature film for 2025.
In addition to leading Hoot Owl Films, Will is an active force in the Kansas City film community. He serves on the Board of Directors for the Independent Filmmakers Coalition of Kansas City (IFCKC) as Outreach Coordinator and created the One Minute Monthly Micro Film Challenge, which has already produced over 50 short films. Will also contributes behind the scenes, recently designing and constructing a set for a local feature film and serving as gaffer on a music video—showcasing his collaborative nature whether directing his own projects or supporting others in theirs. With a passion for storytelling that began in his grandfather’s workshop in Tennessee, Will continues to inspire and empower filmmakers to take risks, embrace creativity, and bring their stories to life.
Roy Nugen is an award-winning screenwriter, producer, property master plus actor. He has written 15 short films which have played across the country. His first feature film, Arrive Alive, debuted at the 22nd Annual Tallgrass Film Festival in 2024 and is currently in production for his second feature, Jenni Scum. Roy’s love of the written word led him to be a prolific reviewer of books. He is the official reviewer for the vintage horror fiction publisher, Fathom Press. Roy also has countless reviews on his own website Bloody, Spicy Books. He has had articles published in such magazines as Paperback Fanatic, Hot Lead and Sleazy Reader. This year he published his first novel, Gunpowder Breath under his pseudonym Kilroy. He comes from a family of musicians, wildcatters, carpet salesmen, cops, lion tamers and engineers.