Filmmaker Stu Pollard (B’89) has produced 10 films in his home state of Kentucky, including survival thriller Rust Creek, powerful high school drama And Then I Go, and bowling comedy Split. He has produced more movies outside the Bluegrass as well. These include the uproarious Jack Quaid & Maya Erskine wedding rom-com Plus One, Syrian refugee documentary This Is Home, and docu-drama Freeland, starring Krisha Fairchild. Pollard has also directed two features: romantic comedy Nice Guys Sleep Alone and suspense drama Keep Your Distance, both set against a vibrant Kentucky backdrop. 

Pollard founded Lunacy Productions in 2015 to expand his storytelling horizons and break free of the “one-at-a-time” Indie filmmaking model. This has sparked numerous new collaborations with both emerging talent and established creators. Lunacy’s current development slate includes We’re Haunted, a horror comedy about dysfunctional roommates confronting an evil spirit; The Man Who Knew Belle Starr, a riveting Western-infused revenge drama; The Trestle, a supernatural thriller revolving around an infamous Kentucky legend; and Alas, Babylon, a post-apocalyptic survival parable based on the classic novel.

Also an entrepreneur, Pollard has spearheaded a number of other creative endeavors including the event planning app Reunacy, nostalgic web series The 80’s Emporium, whiskey lifestyle brand Bourbonality, content creation collective Small Batch Content, and philanthropic nonprofit organization Trunacy.

In addition to teaching at Film Independent and USC’s School of Cinematic Arts, Stu recently founded LunacyU, an online educational platform dedicated to teaching the next generation of independent filmmakers. At LunacyU, he currently teaches classes on Film Financing and Cinematic Music. He holds a BS in business from Georgetown and an MFA in film from USC, is a member of the DGA and PGA, and serves on the boards of the Louisville Film Society, the Horse Farm Workers’ Educational Assistance Fund and Georgetown’s Alumni Board of Regents.