James A. Willis
Producer/Director/Co-Writer
Mr. Willis has a varied background in film, television, and video. Early on, James gained valuable experience on studio films such as Paramount Pictures Necessary Roughness and Warner Bros. Any Given Sunday as a production assistant. In 1990, he co-wrote and produced the independent
feature The Dreaded. Later, in the early 90's, he started work for VideoPlus, Inc. in their duplication department and later moved into production as a PA before moving up to an associate producer, and finally as producer/production coordinator where he oversaw editorial
operations, freelance producers, and project budgeting for the organization.
feature The Dreaded. Later, in the early 90's, he started work for VideoPlus, Inc. in their duplication department and later moved into production as a PA before moving up to an associate producer, and finally as producer/production coordinator where he oversaw editorial
operations, freelance producers, and project budgeting for the organization.
In 1997, James wrote and produced the independent television pilot West Texas Khaki, a rural comedy shot in North Texas. In 2007, James wrote the screenplay Aurora and then in 2009 went on to obtain the rights and pen the screenplay version of best-selling author Fred Saberhagen's novel After the Fact.
In 2013, he signed on as art director/location manager on the award winning feature film Love Land. Soon after the film wrapped, he formed Ignite Productions & Entertainment where he began work on his latest film, the award winning feature length documentary, Field of Valor: Air Activities of Texas as producer/director/co-writer. The film was released in 2019 and appears on worldwide streaming platforms such as Amazon Prime Video, Tubi, Freevee and more. In 2020, James founded Texas Archival Entertainment specifically for the production of Hitler's Reluctant Emissaries.
Mr. Willis has experience in other facets of the industry including motion picture exhibition. He has worked for companies such as United Artists Theatres, Regal Entertainment Group, and Movie Tavern Partners in theatre operations.
James B. Brandt
Co-Writer
James B. Brandt has been active as a writer/producer since 1980 when Film Ventures International assigned him a writing project for an original script titled Whatever it Takes. He has completed numerous other film projects on assignment, including: Ancient My Enemy (1981), based a Gordon R Dickson's novella; R.A.T...S [Retired Actors of Texas... Sanatorium] (Comedy); and The Missing Keys, (1993).
His first independent project, Dr. Who in America, a 1983 documentary that he co-wrote and co-produced, was bought for worldwide rights by the BBC in 1985 after a year's run on PBS regional networks. In 1993 James worked on the development of Warriors of Virtue, (MGM). Later that year he partnered with Lang Elliot (former CEO of Tri-Star Pictures) and Hugh Kelley (Caged, Caged II, Warriors of Virtue) to develop a sci-fi/buddy film, Minor Crimes. Steven de Sousa hired him as a staff writer on his short-lived cartoon series Cadillacs and Dinosaurs, also in 1993.
As producer/writer of the award-winning faith-based film The Miller Prediction (Radiant Century Productions); James shared in the success when the film received Best Feature 2016 Los Angeles Reel Film Festival, Best Feature 2016 Madrid International Film Festival, Best Feature 2016 Berlin International Film Festival, and nominated Best Screenplay for the 2016 Berlin Film and 2017 London Festivals. The film is currently in distribution. He completed work on the award-winning documentary Field of Valor: Air Activities of Texas as co-writer/co-producer. The film was signed for international distribution and is currently available on Amazon Prime Video and other streaming services. Next, James penned The Desert Project, a film for Tank Pictures which premiered in November of 2019 at AFM and has enjoyed a run in theatrical release overseas. Another screenplay titled Angel of Death, a re-write for Tank Pictures, is currently in development. Carrot (rom-com feature) is in development by Fanatik Films for international theatrical release and Mr. Brandt is currently in post-production as writer/producer/director on The Birngan File (feature documentary) and That’s Not My Mother (horror feature).
Derek R. Mallett
Executive Consultant
Derek brings invaluable knowledge to the film as Executive Consultant. His background includes the books "Hitler's Generals in America: Nazi POWs and American Military Intelligence" and "Monumental Conflicts: Twentieth Century Wars and the Evolution of Public Memory".
Derek's research primarily focuses on twentieth century American and European military history with a particular interest in World War II, military intelligence, and prisoner of war studies. Currently he is an associate professor at the US Army Command and General Staff College where he teaches in the Department of Military History.
Prior to his appointment with the Army, he spent three years as a research historian, attempting to account for lost American service personnel from World War II. Derek earned his PhD from Texas A&M University in 2009.
Christian Hanna
Post Production Supervisor/Co-Editor
Chris Hanna is a born and bred El Paso filmmaker, documentarian and editor. He has made a number of short films and documentaries which have been successful in the festival circuit, including a regional Emmy win for Best Editing in a College Production with his more recent film “Pitch Black” in 2017. Chris has directed, co-produced, edited and filmed for a local PBS show in Oklahoma, “Art of a Cowboy”. As well as completing “Now or Never: A Tony Romo Story” as the creator, director, producer, lead editor and cinematographer, Chris is working on a local documentary in El Paso, “Beyond the Dream”.
He has also made promotional videos for companies in El Paso, such as Tropicana Properties, Tropicana Homes and Shine On El Paso. When he is not working on his film career, he invests his time as the co-founder of the El Paso Media Fest, an El Paso-based international film festival, as well as in the up-and-coming talent management group he is creating.
Nina Hedberg
Sound Design/Graphics Supervisor
Nina Hedberg is a sound designer, production sound mixer, and editor based in El Paso, Texas. She has worked on a number of short films and documentaries including Now or Never: A Tony Romo Story, Beyond the Dream, Art of a Cowboy, and The Talk in the Night most of which have been successful in the festival circuit.
Nina hopes to push the boundaries of what sound can do for film, bringing knowledge of the world of sound to the masses.
Lukas Logan
Soundtrack Composer
Lukas Logan is an upcoming composer, music producer, and sound designer that is constantly pushing himself to achieve success in his musical career.
In 2022, under the artist alias “little hollow,” Lukas released his debut album, titled October Second, a 14-track collection of all original compositions available through a variety of music streaming services that has been enjoyed around the world by his small following.
In addition to creating the world of music for the feature documentary Hitler's Reluctant Emissaries: German POWs in the United States, Lukas is working on the soundtrack and sound design for a video game, an album of electronically based music, and another album of original compositions he intends to release in the next year or two to all music streaming platforms.
Lukas’ music has been described as on par with the soundtracks of The Walking Dead, Downtown Abbey, House of Cards, Tron Legacy, and The Dark Knight, amongst others, by professional and amateur composers alike, to friends, family, and numerous online listeners.
Mr. Logan hopes to create captivating soundtracks for the movies we all know and love. He continues to pursue his education in music to enhance his repertoire, perfect his technical abilities, and develop his own unique style while also remaining faithful to the inspirations that originally shaped his musical journey.
Once the United States was actively fighting in World War II an obvious question emerged, what to do with all the captured prisoners of war? A system of prisoner of war (POW) camps had to be quickly established and facilities obtained or built from the ground up. This was a massive undertaking with some 900 plus installations opened throughout the country. These camps held prisoners from a variety of Axis countries and their allies. Hitler's Reluctant Emissaries focuses on the German facilities exclusively.
When it came to the camps housing German soldiers, sailors, and airmen there were more than a few incidents involving discipline, Nazism, escapes, and even murder. Many of these stories have been lost to history by way of neglect, security concerns, politics, and in some cases, even the desire to bury the program under a mass of bureaucracy. With the Cold War emerging, there was a dire need to quickly move on from the last war, leaving only traces of the POW system behind.
Now, from the producers of the award winning "Field of Valor: Air Activities of Texas" comes this extraordinary film detailing the forgotten history of the 379,000 German prisoners held within the United States during the Second World War. After three years and over 1000 photographs, forty plus reels of vintage footage, and highly insightful interviews with both authors and historians the feature length film is finally nearing completion.
forgotten history
Production team
James A. Willis
James A. Willis
On location for a re-enactment scene: "Field of Valor: Air Activities of Texas"
Ignite Productions & Entertainment, LLC
James B. Brandt
James B. Brandt
Derek R. Mallett
Derek R. Mallett
Lukas Logan
Lukas Logan
Christian Hanna
Christian Hanna
Nina Hedberg
Nina Hedberg
On location: Camp Mexia, Texas
Stephen Cabrero (camera) and James Willis (producer/director) visit and film one of seventy POW camps located in Texas during World War II.
Coming to
Blu-ray
Home Video this Fall !
Coming to
Blu-ray
Home Video this Fall !
Michael Newby
Narrator
Narrator
Michael Newby is an American voiceover talent, model, and actor based out of Wisconsin. Voice-wise, he focuses on commercials, narratives, and audiobooks including Undo the Heartbreak, Adrift, and Red Glows Only Lovers Know. Michael brings an authoritative narration to what is sure to be known as the defenitive documentary on the story of the German prisoners of war that were held in the United States during and after World War II.
Gabriel Blanco
Co-editor
Co-editor
Gabriel Blanco is a video editor born and raised in El Paso, Texas and is a recent graduate of the University of Texas at El Paso. When not editing, he works as a production assistant on documentary and narrative features and as an event photographer.
Gabriel Blanco
Gabriel Blanco
Michael Newby
Michael Newby
TEXAS ARCHIVAL ENTERTAINMENT, LLC PRESENTS
HITLER'S RELUCTANT EMISSARIES
GERMAN POWS IN THE UNITED STATES
WITH DEREK R. MALLETT MICHAEL R. WATERS KEITH WARREN LLOYD
KATHY KIRKPATRICK AND ROBERT WRIGHT
NARRATED BY MICHAEL NEWBY DIRECTORS OF PHOTOGRAPHY STEPHEN CABRERO JIMMIE SULLIVAN
FREDRICK WALTERS TIM HUYNH AND TYLER WESTPHAL EXECUTIVE CONSULTANT DEREK R. MALLETT
MUSIC BY LUKAS LOGAN EDITED BY NINA HEDBERG AND CHRISTIAN HANNA
ARCHIVES PHOTOGRAPHY CASEY CROW AND STEPHEN CABRERO
WRITTEN BY JAMES B. BRANDT AND JAMES A. WILLIS
PRODUCED AND DIRECTED BY JAMES A. WILLIS
COPYRIGHT 2024 TEXAS ARCHIVAL ENTERTAINMENT, LLC
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