The Team
Fatal Funnel Films is a Chicago-based production company dedicated to the creation of independent feature films. Utilizing the increasingly relevant accessibility of digital filmmaking techniques and technologies, Fatal Funnel Films seeks to push the boundaries of filmmaking in order to tell unique and dramatic stories that will connect with audiences across the globe.
Fatal Funnel is a military breaching term, where a combat fire team must enter into the danger zone through a doorway to dominate the targeted room. The “fatal funnel” is the most dangerous aspect of the breach, where the fire team must rely on their faith in one another to take the plunge and cross the threshold together to complete the mission.
Film is the greatest collaborative art form there is, where creative vision is turned into reality through the hard work of many dedicated individuals who share a passion for story telling. Like breaching that door, filmmaking is a team-based operation, where creative and logistical minds must converge and collectively take the plunge into the commitment of great storytelling. Fatal Funnel Films aims to cross that threshold into the world of thrilling yet relatable drama, to dominate the landscape of independent film, and to fulfill our inherent desire to pursue our passion through the creation of art.
The journey is yours to take, just across the breach. Welcome to the threshold.
PHILIP S. PLOWDEN
CO-FOUNDER | Director | WRITER
Son of renowned photographer David Plowden, Philip is no stranger to the importance of well-crafted imagery. The Winnetka native graduated from Columbia College Chicago’s film program, where he fell in love with the process of visual storytelling. His ambition paid off, co-producing the award-winning feature film "Chicago Overcoat", which received a wide release on several platforms, including a domestic premiere on the Showtime Channel. In 2013, Philip served as an Associate Producer and the Location Manager on the independent film "Dig Two Graves", a thriller that utilized various parts of southern Illinois. Philip continues to find success on a variety of studio and independent projects, including working for eight seasons on Dick Wolf’s NBC drama “Chicago PD” and Steve McQueen’s heist drama, "Widows". In 2014, Plowden co-founded Fatal Funnel Films, an independent production company with writing and producing partner, Devon Colwell. In 2015, Philip became a member of the prestigious Director's Guild of America and made his feature film directorial debut in 2018 with the survival thriller “Range Runners” which was picked up for worldwide distribution by Dark Star Pictures in 2020 at the American Film Market. Philip has won two Best Director awards for “Range Runners” at the Artemis Women in Action film festival and the second at the Twister Alley International film festival.
devon colwell
CO-FOUNDER | Writer
Storytelling is an intrinsic part of the human experience, and throughout his life it has been a driving force for Devon Colwell. A passionate movie buff, and one of Stephen King’s dear constant readers, Devon decided he would become a novelist early on. After years of developing and honing his craft, Devon put his skills to the test at the College of DuPage in 2002, where he studied journalism and copy editing. In 2004, Devon joined the military, hoping to learn something of the human condition firsthand as an infantryman in the United States Marine Corps. After four years and two combat deployments to the battlefields of the Al Anbar Province in Iraq, Devon ended his active duty tenure in the Marines in 2008 and enrolled in the University of Illinois in Chicago. There he learned to channel his passion for storytelling through new mediums, eventually graduating with honors in 2012 with a focus on film and moving image. Since then, Devon has divided his time between working full time in the film industry and pursuing his first love of the written word, publishing his first short story and completing work on two novels. With industry experience in both feature films and network television, including credits in the Wachowski’s Jupiter Ascending and six seasons of NBC’s Chicago P.D., Devon set out to combine his talents with his passion, starting work on original screenplays and co-founding Fatal Funnel Films with his business partner, Philip Plowden. Drawing on his vast catalog of life experiences and his love for storytelling, Devon seeks to tell the kinds of stories that bring audiences together, exposing the every day drama of our lives with a twist of the macabre and a flair for the enigmatic. In 2016, Devon wrote the company's award-winning, thriller short film, Cellar Door and recently placed 2nd out of 3,500 screenplays for his original script The Regulars in the 2017 Scriptapalooza screenwriting competition. Most recently he wrote Fatal Funnel Films' award-winning feature film, Range Runners.
Christian Crocker
Producer
The home video camera; an integral part of Christian Crocker’s life. At an early age, Christian became infatuated with capturing moments in life, both big and small. Born and raised on Chicago’s Northwest side in the Portage Park neighborhood, Christian spent most of his time shooting and editing short videos of his friends and family. He carried this passion with him through college, where Christian studied film producing at Columbia College Chicago. During his final semester he completed Columbia College’s Semester in Los Angeles Program: an intensive five-week program covering the creative, legal, and technical aspects of film and television producing. While in LA, Christian was hired as a script reader for one of Hollywood's premiere script competitions where he read and scored countless scripts while also providing coverage services for up-and-coming writers. Upon his return to Chicago, Christian found work on the Netflix original series, Sense8, created by the Wachowskis, and on Steve McQueen's heist thriller, Widows. Recently, Christian completed work on the FX original series, Fargo and Amazon Studio’s new original series, Paper Girls. In 2015, Christian joined the creative team at Fatal Funnel Films, where he served as the lead producer on the award-winning films, Cellar Door and Range Runners.
RoseMary Prodonovich
Producer
RoseMary Prodonovich always had a love for story and a flair for the dramatic. Growing up in Kansas City, she began her career performing on stage in regional theaters. Her love affair continued at Indiana University Bloomington where she discovered Stage Management—blending performance with her innate aptitude for organization and communication—and a new love for empowering artistic vision. This redefined her professionally as a stage manager for regional opera houses across the United States. While working in Santa Barbara, RoseMary decided it was time to bring her skill set to Hollywood. Beginning, as all do, as a Production Assistant, she worked on films including Little Fockers, Contagion and The Dilemma—rising to become Production Coordinator for television shows produced by ABC, NBC, including FOX’s breakout hit, Empire, and Amazon Prime series, Patriot. RoseMary was an essential driving force behind Fatal Funnel Films’ award-winning, thriller short film, Cellar Door, where she served as a Producer and Unit Production Manager. In 2017 she completed work as the Production Coordinator on Steve McQueen’s heist-drama, Widows and FOX’s, Proven Innocent. Recently, she served as a Producer on Fatal Funnel Films' award-winning, survival thriller, Range Runners. RoseMary’s understanding of the realities of Studio Production are brought to the independent world, allowing her to create an environment where storytellers can flourish.
Emily Schoellkopf
Producer’s Assistant | Social Media Manager
As long as Emily Schoellkopf can remember, she has had a passion for acting. Inspired by shows like Shameless and Chicago Med, she chose to pursue this dream full-time in the Fall of 2020. After packing her bags and moving from Buffalo, New York to Chicago, she began forging a career path to be an actor and work in film and television. After finishing her undergraduate work at Loyola University of Chicago, she enrolled in the prestigious Black Box Acting Academy. Eager to grow as an actor and learn more about the industry, Emily joined forces with Fatal Funnel Films in 2021 as a Producer’s Assistant and Social Media Manager. She brought with her a fresh outlook to the company’s pursuit of indie storytelling.
COLLABORATORS
