Bruce Gelfand
Writer and Producer
Bruce Gelfand has over 30 years experience in theater, film, television, and publishing in both New York and Hollywood. His plays have won national playwriting awards, been produced Off-Broadway and in theaters around the country. He has written numerous feature films and movies-for-television, as well as writing and directing the feature-length documentary, “The Family Safe”. He is also a writer of fiction, non-fiction, songs, and award-winning poetry. His book, “Brighter the Light, Deeper the Shadow” was published in 2004. His many screenplays include “Rainbow Man”, “Bashert”, “Touched”, “The House at Otowi Bridge” and, most recently, “Refugee”, an adaptation of the award-winning Holocaust memoir “Choices”.
Bruce lives in Santa Monica, California
Scott Gelfand
Scott Gelfand has been a Producer and entrepreneur for over 40 years in the San Francisco/Bay Area. He currently runs five businesses, and his resume includes being the Chief Operating Officer for The Bay Area Book Festival, one of the largest events in Northern California, and an international Event Producer.
Scott lives in the Bay Area hills with his wife Batya and has two remarkable daughters.
Joseph R. Aguilar, Ph.D.
Archaeologist – San Ildefonso Pueblo, New Mexico
Joseph Aguilar is an enrolled member of San Ildefonso Pueblo, New Mexico, and currently serves as historical and cultural script consultant for The House at Otowi Bridge, assuring the cultural content regarding San Ildefonso Pueblo is appropriate and correct.
During his usual work, he is an archaeologist with Bering Straits Native Corporation. He received his Ph.D. from the Department of Anthropology at the University of Pennsylvania. He has worked on exhibit and content development for several museums, including the Museum of Indian Arts and Culture in Santa Fe, the de Young Museum of Art in San Francisco, The MARKK Museum in Hamburg Germany, and for the School for Advanced Research in Santa Fe, NM.
His general research interests include Indigenous Archaeology, museums, landscape archaeology, and tribal historic preservation.
Lori Tapahonso
Lori Tapahonso is a citizen of the Navajo Nation and also raised at Acoma Pueblo in New Mexico. She is a creative consultant with extensive experience in public relations, journalism, theater, as an educator, and a cultural liaison. She provides culturally specific consulting as an Indigenous professional in the entertainment industry. Her professional experience is rooted at the intersection of equity, social justice and education.
Justin Zoladz
Justin Zoladz is a New Mexico native, and the owner and partner in Monumental Services.
Monumental Services is a production services company that provides production coordination, transportation, and costume services to the film industry in New Mexico.
Justin is responsible for about 15 productions per year providing risk management and the financial security allowing the production to take place.
Justin is married with 3 children and lives in the mountains outside Albuquerque.
Rosey Hayett
Film Prize Jr. New Mexico Director
Rosey has supported youth in Northern New Mexico for the last 30 years, creating experiential education programs in schools, camps, non-profit organizations, and Tribal communities. In 2016, Rosey founded the youth media education organization, True Kids 1, supporting youth journalism, media literacy and production.
Rosey currently is the Director of Film Prize Jr New Mexico, a youth film education and festival competition supporting students from over 70 schools across New Mexico to share their stories through short films.
He lives in Taos with his wife and two children ages 9 and 14.
Project Fact Sheet
Rights and Screenplay:
Bruce Gelfand has optioned the rights to the book “The House at Otowi Bridge”and has written a feature-length screenplay inspired by it.
Budget & Schedule:
Otowi Films has developed a budget, shooting schedule, and has New Mexico’s award-winning Production Designer Robb Wilson King available to move the project forward to funding and production.
Estimated Timeline:
Production in spring 2025, post-production wrapped by summer 2026, and our commercial/theatrical release in December 2026.
Producer’s Statement:
More than ever, we live in the shadow of nuclear war.
The story of the Atomic Bomb has been told many times, but always through the same point-of-view.
This story is told through the eyes of Edith—a soulful woman living among the indigenous people of San Ildefonso Pueblo.
Our intention is to support seeing this monumental moment in time through other eyes, and new stories, and listen to their wisdom.