Local Filmmakers Spotlight Hoosier Dining

9th Street Bistro still from local filmmakers at Tilt23 Studios
9th Street Bistro is the subject of a documentary by Tilt23 studios.

WITH SENATE-ENROLLED Bill 361 going into effect today, eligible productions from Indiana media companies could receive tax credits for up to 30 percent of their production costs. To celebrate this effort to make the Hoosier State an economically viable haven for creatives, we’ve rounded up projects from six local filmmakers and production companies on restaurants with Indiana roots. 

Tilt23 Studios

The Fishers-based production company behind The Supper Club, which tells the story of Noblesville’s 9th Street Bistro and the ingenuity it takes to keep a new restaurant open in its first year (especially during the COVID-19 pandemic), just celebrated its 10th anniversary.

The Supper Club is available for streaming via Hoodox, along with many other Tilt23 productions.

Frontiersmen Media

Just as the subject of its documentary An Indiana Farm to Fork Celebration: The Joseph Decuis Story is based in Roanoke, Indiana, so is the production company itself. Their film on the fine-dining destination is a celebration of great food from great ingredients, which runs parallel with the restaurant’s mission.

An Indiana Farm to Fork Celebration is not currently available to stream, but DVD copies can be found on Amazon here.

Back of House Productions

The 10-minute restaurant shorts, recorded and directed by local filmmaker JD Schuyler and hosted by Tim Williams, aren’t your typical voice-overed reels. They’re professionally produced, coming off as both polished and raw. In the off-the-cuff style of Williams’s culinary inspiration, Anthony Bourdain, the videos seem more like conversations than interviews, with working kitchens bustling in the backgrounds. 

You can watch all the restaurants Back of House Productions has sat down with at backofhousevideo.com.

Pink Bike Media

Among its portfolio of work focused on local subjects, the Indianapolis-based visual media company has produced stunning promotional materials for Tinker Coffee and West Fork Whiskey.

Pink Bike Media’s portfolio is available to view at pinkbikemedia.com.

Sam Mirpoorian

The award-winning filmmaker and Indiana University grad directed Milktooth: A Fine Diner, a short documentary on the local favorite and its founder, Jonathan Brooks. The film had its world premiere at the inaugural Indy Shorts International Film Festival in 2018.

While Milktooth: A Fine Diner is not currently available to stream, you can check out more of Mirpoorian’s impressive portfolio at workofmiro.com.

PAETHOS

This production company with animation capabilities has a spot just off Monument Circle. Its promotional materials for Fountain Square’s Kultured Kombucha are vibrant and informative.

PAETHOS’s portfolio can be viewed at paethos.com.