Filmmakers
Producer and Executive Producer
Ellen Temple
Ellen Temple lives in Lufkin and has an abiding love for the people of East Texas, the Neches River and its bottomlands and the plants and wildlife that it nurtures. With filmmaker Nancy Schiesari, Ellen has produced a feature PBS history documentary Citizens at Last and 6 short films. Producing this Neches River film is a dream for her; she is grateful to our film team, advisors and participants.
Director and Cinematographer
Curtis Craven
Hecho a Mano Productions owner/operator Curtis Craven is a Texas-based producer, director, and cinematographer with over 40 years of experience focused on cultural, historical, and environmental documentaries. Since the 1970s, he has worked extensively throughout Texas and Mexico. His acclaimed PBS documentaries include Koo-hoot Kiwat: the Caddo Grass House (Lone Star Emmy), Life in the Logwoods (Lone Star Emmy for Photography), A Way of Life: East Texas Cowboys, and Caddo Voices: a Pottery Revival.
Editor
Ron Kabele
Ron Kabele spent most of his career with the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department, traveling across the state creating documentary-based segments for TPWD’s PBS television series. He found a niche making serious and complex subject matter both easy to understand and entertaining to watch. Ron retired from TPWD with 25 Regional Emmys and now works on documentaries that are broadcast on PBS.
Writer
Thad Sitton
Growing up in Lufkin and in the Neches Bottoms, Thad Sitton, environmental historian, has written or co-written 15 + books, including the classic “Backwoodsmen: Stockmen and Hunters along a Big Thicket River Valley” and the beautiful Introduction for Charles Kruvand’s “Riverwoods: Exploring the Wild Neches”. He is passionate about preserving the Neches River bottomlands.
Narrator
W.F. Strong
W.F. Strong is best known for his Stories from Texas radio series that airs on The Texas Standard and NPR stations across Texas. Dr. Strong has been a Fulbright Scholar and Professor of Communication and Culture at The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley for 30 years.
Associate Producer
Adrian F. Van Dellen
After retiring from the USAF in 1991, Adrian F. Van Dellen settled in east Texas, inspired by the pineywoods and river bottomlands reminiscent of his native Minnesota. As a landscape and wildlife photographer, he became deeply connected to the wilderness of the Neches River and its biodiversity. Through his photography, he supports conservation efforts protecting east Texas ecosystems. His work has appeared in books and exhibitions across the region. He lives in Woodville.