Overview

SHENANDOAH is a cinematic journey through one of America’s most iconic landscapes. Produced by Orange Frame Productions, and presented & co-produced by VPM, the documentary delves into a wilderness nestled in the ancient Appalachians—a land shaped by ongoing formations, migrations, and transformations.

Filmed over the course of almost six years, SHENANDOAH reveals a dynamic world where geology, human history, and diverse species intersect, driving constant change within the park. With rare access to the park’s hidden caverns and boundless forests, the OFP team transports audiences to vantage points rarely seen by the human eye.

From scuba diving into mountain caves for the elusive American eel to scaling cliff faces for a peregrine falcon’s first flight, the crew ventured off the beaten path to capture the endangered species and extraordinary life forms that call the mountains home. Interwoven with the lives of these creatures are stories of people: a descendant of a family who was displaced, an Appalachian hiker and her guide dog, and a hemlock tree conservationist. The result is an intimate portrait of a sanctuary in flux and a celebration of the stories and creatures that define this American treasure

Production & Creative Team

Producers:
Orange Frame Productions – Co Produced by VPM

Directors: Elizabeth Crowl and Jeff Boedeker

Elizabeth is the Executive Producer and Creative Director of Orange Frame Productions, where she develops stories spanning science, nature, and history. She built her cinematic foundation at NYU and previously served as an art director at the Sundance Institute’s Directors Labs, collaborating with emerging directors. As Co-Director of SHENANDOAH, Elizabeth spent years shaping the film’s narrative and spirit alongside Jeff Boedeker. Following Jeff’s passing in 2023, she led the OFP team through the final stages of production, completing the park’s official interpretive film and the feature-length documentary. Her leadership continues to define OFP’s portfolio, ranging from immersive museum exhibits to national TV documentaries.

Co-Director, Jeff Boedeker

Jeff Boedeker began his career as an accomplished series writer and producer for National Geographic’s NYC office, where he was assigned to Emmy-nominated series. He founded Orange Frame Productions with the mission to advance science and natural history storytelling by producing relevant, relatable, and thought-provoking content. Throughout his career, Jeff pushed the boundaries of the medium – from producing immersive exhibits for the Smithsonian to creating groundbreaking television documentaries – earning a 2023 Writers Guild of America nomination for Best Documentary Script. Jeff was the original visionary behind SHENANDOAH, dedicating many years to capturing the park’s spirit and elusive wildlife. Following his unexpected passing in October 2023, his legacy lives on through this inspired film.

Overview

From Freetown, Virginia, to New York City, Edna Lewis carved a remarkable path. She introduced many Americans to seasonal cooking, Southern cooking—the cooking of the Black community in rural Virginia that raised her. Yet even though her life included fame and acclaim, she is not a household name.

In FINDING EDNA LEWIS, Deb Freeman travels to the places where Miss Lewis made her mark, and where her legacy endures. Deb interviews—and cooks!—with chefs, farmers, cookbook writers, and family members whose approach to food was profoundly shaped by Miss Lewis.

Decades before culture celebrated chefs as celebrities, and often behind-the-scenes as a Black woman working in food, Miss Lewis appears in little archival footage. But Deb discovers Miss Lewis again and again, cooking dishes from her repertoire and talking to those who knew her and her food best. She finds not only an enigmatic chef, but also an essential American personality—a champion of seasonal, local, farm-to-table cooking whose life reveals deep truths about the tables we set.

Production & Creative Team

Producers:
Deb Freeman (Executive Producer)
Hannah Ayers and Lance Warren

Directors: Hannah Ayers and Lance Warren

Hannah Ayers and Lance Warren are Emmy-winning, married documentary filmmakers working at the intersection of history and social justice. Their company, Field Studio, has been based in Richmond, Virginia, since 2014. They have since produced three feature-length films, two seasons of a public television series, and several short films. Their documentary How the Monuments Came Down was named the best historical documentary of 2021 by the American Historical Association. Their film Finding Edna Lewis was nominated for a 2026 James Beard Award.

Overview

The story follows a young Jewish filmmaker from New York who ends up helping an enthusiastic Baptist preacher in rural Alabama make a film about the Prodigal Son. What starts as a chaotic church movie project becomes a broader story about unlikely friendships, cultural misunderstandings, and learning to love people outside your comfort zone. 

The film leans into:

• Small-town church dynamics 
• Humor rooted in personality clashes 
• Interfaith and cross-cultural understanding 
• Redemption and forgiveness themes 
• Grassroots filmmaking itself as part of the story 

Production & Creative Team

The film was directed by David E. Powers and written by David Powers, Deborah Hocutt, and Greg Womble. 

Notable cast members include:

• Paul Wilson as Brother Bob Cross 
• Sterling Hurst 
• Christie Osterhus 
• Tim Reid 
• Daphne Reid 

Tone & Audience

The film is a family-friendly, faith-oriented comedy. Dove.org described it as a “witty movie with a message” focused on “love, acceptance, and trust in God.”