Bohemian Industries, a name symbolizing the spirit and ingenuity of those lovemaking creatives found throughout all the arts, is founded in Provo, Utah by Jonathan Martin. The long term plan for the company would be (and is) to be a creative arts umbrella for music, literature, fashion, and more, all built on a foundation of film and filmmaking.
The first film from Bohemian Industries, I Am from Nowhere, premieres. A documentary about the little known Lemko people of the Carpathian Mountains, the film was shot on location in Poland, Slovakia, Canada, and the USA. A somber reflection on a people afflicted by ignorance and genocide, the film was the first small step into a larger world and industry.
April, 2011. An Evening with My Comatose Mother, our first narrative short, premieres in Beverly Hills at the Famous Monsters of Filmland Film Festival. Two wins at the festival would be the first of a tidal wive of accolades and critical praise for the film, as it would proceed to become the world record holder for the most awarded horror short film of all-time, winning 76 festival and industry awards while playing over 100 film festivals around the world. The film would be picked up for distribution by Shorts International, playing on ShortsHD regularly, and becoming the #6 best selling short on iTunes within its first 24 hours of release.
Teaming up with the SLC based electronic duo Muscle Hawk, Bohemian Industries would bring a high-concept music video to fruition with Electric Light. A colorful cast of intergalactic characters, a closet with a portal to another universe, and space cops would all collide in our first music video that would win 12 festival and industry awards upon release.
Not just a house of chills and thrills, Bohemian Industries collaborated with Shaun Canon and Be Young Essential Oils to create the music video for I’ll Always Be Young. A modern fairy tale about the pursuit of youth and love, the video is a romantic journey that showcased the stunning landscapes of Utah, while also delivering a heartwarming experience. The video would win Utah’s Best Music Video and Best Song at the Utah Film Awards.
Seizing opportunity, a new venture was presented to Bohemian Industries and the film festival FilmQuest was born. A festival celebrating the majesty and might of genre filmmaking, and taking our successful experience from playing our own films at international events, we created a festival that immediately began to make waves. Since its creation, FilmQuest was named twice to the prestigious MovieMaker Magazine‘s “Top 50 Film Festivals Worth the Entry Fee” list (2017 & 2015), as one of their “30 Bloody Best Genre Fests on the Planet” (2019), is one of FilmFreeway‘s “Top 100 Reviewed Film Festivals,” and was named Salt Lake City Weekly‘s Best New Film Festival (2014). Our campaign ad for the festival also would win 6 industry awards.
A co-production with Regent’s University London brought to life Creatures of Whitechapel, a bold, new take on the Frankenstein and Jack the Ripper legends. The film premiered in Oscar Qualifying Competition at the world famous Sitges Film Festival in Spain, and won 87 festival and industry awards. Yet another opportunity arose with the horror convention FearCon, where we teamed with the event to create a unique haunted house experience incorporating our three most notable properties: Comatose Mother, Kiss the Devil, and Creatures. We delivered a one-of-a-kind experience that saw patrons taking part in the worlds of our creation, that combined live theater, escape rooms, elaborate costuming and sets, and more which has spawned future plans to create a year round haunted theater experience unlike any other.
Three new projects loom for release in 2018 and beyond: the dark fantasy short film Kiss the Devil in the Dark, and the two music videos Gravity and Demons. Kiss the Devil stars the world famous Doug Jones playing the demon Dagon who makes a Faustian pact with a desperate sorcerer to save his dying wife. The film has already won 60 awards to date. Demons is a companion piece to Comatose Mother that expands upon the film’s mythology, featuring original music produced by Bohemian Industries, itself the winner of over 10 awards. Gravity is an ambitious sci-fi adventure of love and longing that was made with the Irish artist Yelpy. All three projects continue the Bohemian tradition of colorful, rousing filmmaking across a spectrum of three different genres: fantasy, horror, and sci-fi.
Since 2011, Bohemian Industries has won over 250 festival and industry awards and we’re just getting started. Working with various companies around the world, as well as in our home base of Utah, we’re striving to create the unique, bold entertainment that we’ve become known for. As we now venture into feature filmmaking and publishing, we’ll continue to expand the brand of Bohemian Industries into new markets and opportunities while delivering unforgettable experiences.