Cindy Meehl
Encyclopedia
Cindy Meehl is an American documentary
filmmaker and film producer
. Her first film, Buck
, was released on June 17, 2011, after a successful set of showings at U.S. film festivals including the 2011 Sundance Film Festival
.
She lives in Redding, Connecticut with her husband, writer Brian Meehl, two daughters, four dogs and two horses.
and The National Academy Museum and School of Fine Arts. Coming from a creative background in fashion and art, she ran her own label Sasha, Cindy and Phil as well as Cindy Hughes Designs in the 1980s. She designed couture evening wear that sold across the country. Her clothes were in the window at Bergdorf Goodman and were featured in film and television as well as magazines and print campaigns.
After marrying and moving to a horse farm in Redding, Connecticut, in the 1990s, Meehl began fine art painting and photography. She also raised a family and cared for her horses.
clinic in Pennsylvania
. As Meehl watched Brannaman lead the clinic, she thought "Everyone should know this. Everyone should know the way he teaches."
Ultimately, she worked up the courage to ask Brannaman if he would be interested in making a film about his methods. During a clinic at the McGginis Meadows Cattle & Guest Ranch in Montana, she spotted Brannaman sitting alone at lunch and approached him about doing a film. Two and a half minutes later, she had a "yes" and his phone number – and was off on a two year journey making her first film.
Following that meeting, Meehl founded Cedar Creek Productions, LLC in 2008. She quickly hired a team of seasoned documentary producers, editors, and advisors, including Andrea Meditch, Julie Goldman, Alice Henty, and Toby Shimin. The film company has traveled from North Carolina, on to Tacoma Washington, France, Wyoming, California, Montana and Texas to film the legendary Buck Brannaman.
Filmmaking, Meehl said, is like "building a house. There are so many details down to the hinges and screws that you don’t think about. That was a surprise. There was a certain naivete, not thinking it through. It might look effortless, but it’s not."
Documentary
A documentary is a creative work of non-fiction, including:* Documentary film, including television* Radio documentary* Documentary photographyRelated terms include:...
filmmaker and film producer
Film producer
A film producer oversees and delivers a film project to all relevant parties while preserving the integrity, voice and vision of the film. They will also often take on some financial risk by using their own money, especially during the pre-production period, before a film is fully financed.The...
. Her first film, Buck
Buck (film)
Buck is a 2011 American documentary film directed by Cindy Meehl. The film focuses on the life, career, and philosophy of the real-life "horse whisperer" Buck Brannaman.-Synopsis:...
, was released on June 17, 2011, after a successful set of showings at U.S. film festivals including the 2011 Sundance Film Festival
2011 Sundance Film Festival
The 27th annual Sundance Film Festival took place from January 20, 2011 until January 30, 2011 in Park City, Utah, with screenings in Salt Lake City, Utah, Ogden, Utah, and Sundance, Utah....
.
She lives in Redding, Connecticut with her husband, writer Brian Meehl, two daughters, four dogs and two horses.
Background
Cindy studied art at Marymount Manhattan CollegeMarymount Manhattan College
Marymount Manhattan College is an urban, coeducational, independent, private, liberal arts college located in Manhattan, New York City, New York with a focus in performing arts. The mission of the College is to educate a socially and economically diverse student body by fostering intellectual...
and The National Academy Museum and School of Fine Arts. Coming from a creative background in fashion and art, she ran her own label Sasha, Cindy and Phil as well as Cindy Hughes Designs in the 1980s. She designed couture evening wear that sold across the country. Her clothes were in the window at Bergdorf Goodman and were featured in film and television as well as magazines and print campaigns.
After marrying and moving to a horse farm in Redding, Connecticut, in the 1990s, Meehl began fine art painting and photography. She also raised a family and cared for her horses.
Film
Meehl took one of her troubled horses to a Buck BrannamanBuck Brannaman
Dan M. "Buck" Brannaman is a horse trainer and a leading practitioner within the field of Natural horsemanship, which is a philosophy of working with horses based on the idea of working with the horse's nature, using an understanding of how horses think and communicate to train the horse to accept...
clinic in Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania
The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania is a U.S. state that is located in the Northeastern and Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States. The state borders Delaware and Maryland to the south, West Virginia to the southwest, Ohio to the west, New York and Ontario, Canada, to the north, and New Jersey to...
. As Meehl watched Brannaman lead the clinic, she thought "Everyone should know this. Everyone should know the way he teaches."
Ultimately, she worked up the courage to ask Brannaman if he would be interested in making a film about his methods. During a clinic at the McGginis Meadows Cattle & Guest Ranch in Montana, she spotted Brannaman sitting alone at lunch and approached him about doing a film. Two and a half minutes later, she had a "yes" and his phone number – and was off on a two year journey making her first film.
Following that meeting, Meehl founded Cedar Creek Productions, LLC in 2008. She quickly hired a team of seasoned documentary producers, editors, and advisors, including Andrea Meditch, Julie Goldman, Alice Henty, and Toby Shimin. The film company has traveled from North Carolina, on to Tacoma Washington, France, Wyoming, California, Montana and Texas to film the legendary Buck Brannaman.
Filmmaking, Meehl said, is like "building a house. There are so many details down to the hinges and screws that you don’t think about. That was a surprise. There was a certain naivete, not thinking it through. It might look effortless, but it’s not."