MEET THE FILMMAKERS
Joanne Storkan
Writer, Director, Producer
Joanne Storkan is the founder and executive producer of Honest Engine Films. Formerly a journalism and English teacher, turned screenwriter, she founded the company in 2004, in Monterey, California. She co-directed a documentary entitled “Dirt McComber: Last of the Mohicans,” that has won numerous awards.
Some of her other production credits include: A BRAVE HEART - The Lizzie Velasquez Story, BOTSO - The Teacher from Tbilisi, Shorts by Amy Jo Johnson, LINES and BENT, the Bill Nighy/Emily Blunt comedy directed by Jonathan Lynn, WILD TARGET, and CAMP UNITY filmed in Iraq.
Brant Davis
Producer
Born in the Kahnawake Mohawk Territory outside of Montreal, Brant Davis is the son of a career ironworker. His family relocated to his mother's reservation, the Akwesasne Mohawk Reserve, where he now lives, located west along the St. Lawrence River and straddling two countries, Canada and the USA. After a stint in the United States Air Force, he traveled through many States. Brant inherited his father's love of reading about Native history, which would help steer him into the field of reenacting and portraying Native People in such movies as, THE LAST OF THE MOHICANS, TNT: TECUMSEH, and THE WAR THAT AMERICA MADE to name a few. Brant recently established his own production company, Real Mohawk Entertainment. DIRT MCCOMBER: LAST OF THE MOHICANS is his first film as a producer.
Tom Ryan
Producer
Tom Ryan is a former professional lacrosse player and All-America at Bowdoin College, Ryan has worked with the St. Lawrence University men's lacrosse program since 2013. He was named the IMLCA Division III Assistant Coach of the Year in 2016 after helping the men's lacrosse team reach the semifinal round of the NCAA Championship.
Ryan had a nine-year professional career, playing for the 2001 World Champion Philadelphia Wings of the National Lacrosse League and the New Jersey Pride of Major League Lacrosse. Prior to turning pro, he was an All-America attackman at Bowdoin College where he remains the school’s all-time leading scorer with 315 points.
A native of Canton, N.Y., Ryan earned his Bachelor’s Degree from Bowdoin in 1993. He earned his Master’s Degree in Psychology at Connecticut College, where he served as an assistant coach for 3 seasons.
Ryan’s coaching career includes 4 head coaching stops, including at Mount Ida College in 1997 and professionally with the Boston Blazers of the NLL. He was the head coach of Team USA’s Indoor squad from 2006-2011. He was an assistant DI women's coach at Loyola (MD) 1999-2003 and Towson University in 2004.
He amassed 202 points in 95 career professional games, was on Team USA’s Heritage Cup winning team in 2002, and is a member of both the Canton High School and Bowdoin College Hall of Fames.