Will Bakke - Director / Producer
BIO
Will Bakke is an award-winning filmmaker based in Austin, TX who focuses on coming-of-age stories with a smart, comedic bent. Will began his career in 2008 when he directed two feature-length documentaries, ONE NATION UNDER GOD and BEWARE OF CHRISTIANS, which landed him a worldwide distribution deal and premiered in over seventeen film festivals. Will was awarded “Best Documentary” at the Maranatha InternationalFilm Festival and “Best Feature Film” at the Pan Pacific Film Festival. His first narrative feature film, BELIEVE ME, which he co-wrote and directed, was selected as a centerpiece film at the Dallas International Film Festival before its release in 2014. The film starred Alex Russell (CHRONICLE, SWAT) and featured Nick Offerman (Parks and Rec). The film was chosen as a Critic’s Pick by The New York Times. Will went on to direct several short films including THE STUDY which was selected as a Vimeo Staff Pick and THE GET TOGETHER which served as a proof-of-concept to later be adapted into a feature. The full feature that was released on May 14, 2021, is a love letter to Austin, TX and stars local musician Shakey Graves. The film premiered during the opening weekend at the Austin Film Festival to positive reviews being hailed as a “fresh spin on Linklater’s narrative style”.