Alan Thompson

Los Sandy's (2020 - 2023)
Documentary by A Films Producer/Editor A family of Mexican immigrants struggle in the vineyards of the San Joaquin Valley, California. The children contribute to the family by forming a Mexican folk band called "Los Sandy's," and play gigs all over California.

Redwoods Rising (2020)
Documentary by NationSwell Director/Producer/Editor The redwood trees on the Northern California coast are the tallest trees in the world and some of the oldest to still be standing — aged anywhere from a few hundred to a few thousand years old. But not that long ago, the redwoods were once in grave danger. Before 1850, there were 2.2 million acres of redwood old-growth forests. Today, only 5% of the original old-growth remains, due mainly to heavy logging in the area. And redwoods are essential in combating climate change in America — an acre of redwood trees absorbs enough carbon dioxide as the equivalent of driving a car 8,000,000 miles. Enter Save The Redwoods League, a nonprofit that has been working since 1915 to protect and restore redwood forests, and connect people with their peace and beauty so these wonders of the natural world flourish. By teaming with the National Park Service and California State parks, “Redwoods Rising” was born out of this collaboration to help restore the scars left by years of logging in the redwoods and accelerate the pace of redwood forest recovery within the parks to help protect the area’s remaining old-growth groves, and usher in a healthy, new generation of redwoods.

Ancient Murals of Val Verde (2019)
Documentary by NationSwell Director/Producer/Editor Due to flooding and drastic weather, ancient murals in Val Verde County, Texas are at risk of being washed away. These archaeologists are preserving their historical record.

Adobe Houses of La Junta de los Ríos (2019)
Documentary by NationSwell Director/Producer/Editor Considered one of the earliest building materials known to man, adobe is a mixture of dirt, water and straw first used by natives of the American Southwest. Today, adobe homes remain popular thanks to their ability to regulate climate during blistering summers and cold winters. But in an area of West Texas along the Mexican border, the cost of adobe is skyrocketing. At the center of the controversy are newcomers to Marfa, Texas — a desert outpost turned arts mecca. As the town continues to gentrify, the wealthy residents moving here have given adobe a new cachet, in the process driving up the cost of the once-affordable material. And in a county where the average median income is just above $29,000, the adobe homes now on the market are going for upward of $1 million. That has forced locals to abandon adobe in favor of cheaper building options like concrete.

This Land (2016 - 2018)
Documentary by Tzu Chi Foundation Director/Producer/Editor This land is our only home, yet due to our addiction to fossil fuels, a finite, non-renewable source of energy to sustain our lifestyles, we are putting our future at risk. This Land takes us from the Texas and Mexico border, to the Dakotas, and then Northern Canada. As we profile methods of extracting fossil fuels and transporting them, we will meet native and local communities fighting against gas and oil pipelines and see what is at stake if we continue on our current path or decide to make a stand for our land, this land, our only home.