Welcome to the Film North Dakota Podcast brought to you by the North Dakota Film & Media Association.
Our mission is to connect, advance and promote North Dakota's audio and visual media industries and to further local development and economic impact.
Why I Left London's VFX Industry for North Dakota: “There Are Opportunities Here”
What does it take to work on blockbuster films like Batman Begins and Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire—and why would someone leave London's visual effects industry for North Dakota?In this episode, Matt Fern sits down with Birdtree Studio co-owner and Director of Animation Edward Sargeant to discuss his journey from England to North Dakota, his work in Hollywood visual effects, and what he learned from some of the world's biggest film productions.They also explore the launch of Birdtree Studio, why specialization is the key to world-class animation, and Edward's vision for creating opportunities so the next generation of North Dakota artists can build successful creative careers without leaving the state.
21 Sept 2026
Toby Jones on Building a Hollywood Career and Making Movies in North Dakota
Fargo native Toby Jones has built a successful career in animation, working on acclaimed series including 'Regular Show', 'OK K.O.! Let’s Be Heroes', 'Jellystone!' and 'Shape Island'. Most recently, he returned to the world of 'Regular Show' as a supervising director on 'Regular Show: The Lost Tapes'.
In this episode of the Film North Dakota Podcast, Toby talks about growing up making movies with friends in Fargo, studying filmmaking at the Minneapolis College of Art and Design and continuing to create after graduating during the 2009 recession.
He also explains why he keeps returning to North Dakota to make independent films, including the Fargo-made absurdist comedy 'AJ Goes to the Dog Park'. Toby shares an early look at his next feature, currently titled 'God Save the Queen', a hybrid narrative and documentary project inspired by a screenplay his friend wrote when he was 15.
The conversation also explores self-financing, finding your creative voice, the differences between animation and live-action production, returning to 'Regular Show' and why filmmakers shouldn’t wait for permission to begin making their work.
11 Sept 2026
Telling North Dakota Stories: “You Have to Allow Yourself to be Surprised”
Award-winning filmmaker Derek Fletcher joins the Film North Dakota Podcast to discuss building a career telling compelling stories from right here in North Dakota.
He shares the making of his latest true-crime documentary, Call Me Shelly, his collaboration with Dakota Spotlight, and lessons learned from projects including Grit and Grace, The House on Sweet and Seventh, and the Emmy-nominated Liquid Gold.
Derek also opens up about balancing filmmaking with a full-time career and family, finding creative solutions on limited budgets, and why filmmakers must “allow yourself to be surprised” while shaping a story.
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