Michael Cusack O’Connell
Meet the founder of Haw River Films.
My first experience in film was as a boom operator on the independent Canadian feature, Norman’s Awesome Adventure, shot on location in Argentina on 35mm film. I was hooked immediately.
At the same time, I began my first professional audio job as the house sound engineer at the venerable jazz club Blues Alley in Washington, D.C. After briefly attending the now-defunct College for Recording Arts in San Francisco, what followed was an extraordinary seven-year immersion, working nightly with many of the greatest jazz artists of that era — my real arts education, a graduate degree from the University of Dizzy Gillespie.
With my wife and our two young children, we later relocated to Pittsboro, North Carolina, where I joined UNC-TV, North Carolina’s statewide PBS network. I began as a sound recordist, moved into the ranks of videographer and editor, and in my final eight years served as a producer and director.
Along the way, I founded my independent production company, Haw River Films. Between my own productions and my work producing documentaries and programs at UNC-TV (now PBS North Carolina), I’ve been fortunate to continually refine my craft while creating more than a dozen feature-length documentaries, countless short films, and several broadcast programs for PBSNC.
It’s been a remarkable 30-year journey — and we’re still creating.
I’ve never been one for artist statements. The only one that’s ever stayed with me was written by outsider artist Clyde Jones of Bynum, North Carolina:
“If you like it, that’s great. If you don’t, that’s OK too.”
If you think I’d be a good fit for your project, feel free to get in touch.
Haw River Films Blog
Returning To Greenville Maine
I’ve been visiting Greenville, Maine for over thirty years. This weekend, I’ve arranged to shoot the Wilderness Sled Dog Race. Back in 2011, I made a short documentary on the event, mostly because I’ve long been fascinated by the ancient relationship between canines and humans—especially when that partnership plays out in some of the coldest,…
Light is Knowledge
“Light, I think, is knowledge. Knowledge is love. Love is freedom. Freedom is energy. Energy is all” — Vitorrio Storaro
Haw River Films 