IN A GENTRIFYING NEW ORLEANS, DEMOND SACRIFICES TO BE BIG CHIEF IN A SECRET 200-YEAR CULTURE KNOWN AS MARDI GRAS INDIANS: AFRICAN-AMERICAN MEN FROM THE CITY’S ROUGHEST NEIGHBORHOODS WHO SPEND ALL YEAR SEWING FEATHERED SUITS THEY’LL WEAR ONLY ONCE, IN A BATTLE TO DECIDE WHO’S “THE PRETTIEST.”
CREW
Michal Pietrzyk (Director, Producer, Editor) was born in Poland and emigrated to the US after his father’s imprisonment as a member of the anti-communist movement Solidarity. He started his career as an editor of unscripted television, graduating to Field and Executive Producer. He’s produced over 100 hours of network TV for National Geographic, Discovery, and Travel Channel, specializing in intimate, character-driven content, often in remote, dangerous places. One of his more memorable projects was spending Christmas in a Russian maximum security prison with a cannibal. All On a Mardi Gras Day is his first independent documentary, and first as director.
Gabriel Bienczycki (Director of Photography, Producer, Colorist) is an LA-based cinematographer, photographer and director. Born in Poland, Gabriel studied music, fine arts and modern dance, becoming a professional dancer before transitioning to cinematography. This influence and commitment to movement and the human form are strongly present in his work. He lensed the IDA Award-nominated short documentary Red Lake and the Emmy-winning feature doc Out of Iraq. Current projects include feature documentary film, commercial campaigns, music videos and humanitarian assignments. Clients include: Nike, Dell, Microsoft, XBox, The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, Nordstrom, Starbucks, LA Times, MTV, Komatsu and Amazon.
Celeste Caliri - Producer
David Favret - Producer
Jason Devore - Sound Editor
FEATURING
Big Chief Demond Melancon of the Young Seminole Hunters
Alicia Winding
Spyboy Walter “Trigga” Blakk
Spyboy Rashaud “Shaudy” Brown
Wildman Desmond “Dick” Francois