The Filmmakers

(b. 1949)

Writer/Director

Mike Frankel has been a professional photographer and multimedia artist for over 50 years. His early work as a rock’ n’ roll photographer in the 1960’s has seen worldwide publication and reproduction over the decades. 

He did pioneer work in the field of the artistic and commercial application of Lasers and Holography, including marketing the very first Marvel Superhero Holograms in the 1970’s and the first  use of abstract laser images orchestrated to original music in film. He has worked in Collage and Assemblage for decades using elements of Steampunk long before the movement even had a name. 

He owned and programmed the “Man Ray Cinema” in Belmar, New Jersey for 4 years in the 1970’s. Mr. Frankel has been a proud resident of Flagstaff for 16 years, and continues his work in multimedia art and photography in a place that both inspires and satisfies his soul. He has been President or Executive Director of the Artists’ Coalition of Flagstaff for the past 14 years and has presented and programmed the annual Flagstaff Film Noir Festival for the last three years.

 (b. 1983)

Writer/Director

Darren Rudy grew up in Flagstaff, Arizona and became enamored with cinema at a young age. At 16 he was diagnosed with bone cancer, going through a year of chemotherapy and having an above knee amputation. It was then that he realized he wanted to become a filmmaker. He taught himself how to edit and saved up for a video camera, making video projects with classmates in high school, including a short of William Faulkner's As I Lay Dying. After high school, Darren studied film at the University of Arizona, graduating with a BFA in 2006. Darren has worked on a feature length documentary Changing Gears. 

He co-wrote, directed a short comedy Blind Date, it played in many festivals and is currently playing on ShortsTV from 2017-2020. Darren met Mike Frankel at a double bill of Frankenstein and the Bride of Frankenstein. Outside of Fritz Lang: Cinematic Oracle, Darren has worked with Mike on the Flagstaff Film Noir Festival from its inception. Darren is a lifelong student of film and plans to continue to direct films.