BLHS grad who found passion in filmmaking shows documentaries at national film festival

Before graduating in 2020, Nate Markquart developed his love for storytelling in part due to the English classes he took at Bonney Lake High School.

“My teachers were amazing,” he said. “They showed us amazing books and encouraged us to really dive deep into the themes and character arcs, and that inspired my drive for storytelling. I would think, ‘How can I make someone feel the way that this book is making me feel now, but through film?’”

Now, Nate works in the film business and recently directed two documentary short films, “22” and “The Deer Divide.” Both were shown at the National Film Festival for Talented Youth (NFFTY), held in April in Seattle. NFFTY is the world’s largest, most influential film festival for emerging filmmakers 24 years old and younger.

“22” follows a Washington-based nonprofit called Mission Outdoors dedicated to bringing veterans together in the outdoors and inspiring hope back into their lives. Every day in the United States, 22 veterans die by suicide – the film is about the importance of support for veterans. 

“The Deer Divide” follows the impact of non-native deer on the natural ecosystem on an island off the coast of California, and the conflict that arises when a plan is proposed to eliminate all the deer with sharpshooters from helicopters. 

Both documentaries are currently in the last leg of their film festival runs and will be released online this summer. 

Nate started his filmmaking career in high school as a freelance videographer, filming weddings, nonprofit promotion videos, events, sports, and more.

“I became interested in documentary filmmaking because of the puzzle that was finding an engaging story in truth and reality,” Nate said. “There are no ‘take two's’ in documentary filmmaking, it's the real deal. To me, that was impactful and inspiring to be a part of.” 

After graduating in 2020, Nate studied Broadcast Journalism and Documentary Filmmaking, with a minor in Entrepreneurship, at Chapman University in California. 

Congratulations to Nate for sharing his documentaries with the world, and shoutout to the educators who helped instill his passion for filmmaking along the way!

Learn more about Nate and his films.