DUSTIE WAS BORN IN PARAGOULD, ARKANSAS, AND
GREW UP AT THE CONVERGENCE OF THREE WORLDS:
the Missouri Bootheel, the Arkansas Delta, and the
edge of Tennessee. It’s a corner of the country that
doesn’t appear on most cultural maps, shaped by
hard labor, gravel roads, and a Southern character
that Missouri rarely claims. He spent his formative
years working in rice and cotton fields, absorbing a
dialect, a set of traditions, and a way of seeing that
most people only encounter in fiction. Then he left to
make films.
He is currently finishing his first feature screenplay, set against the landscapes of the Mississippi River Delta. His narrative work has earned recognition at film festivals. Heck to Death, his self-funded digital short series, won Best Director at SeriesFest Season 11. Dumpster Archeology was an official Slamdance selection. His most recent project, Octarine, both short film and a pilot, was developed with support from the St. Louis Film Project grant and produced by his company, StolenSun, using the Missouri Film Tax Credit in partnership with the Missouri Film Office.
Dustie is a rostered director at Bruton Stroube
Studios, where he directs high-end commercial
content for clients including Amazon, Delta Airlines,
and Major League Soccer. That work has taken
him across the United States and internationally,
sharpening his ability to manage significant budgets,
lead large crews, and deliver under pressure, skills
he carries directly into his narrative projects.
He’s not chasing recognition. He’s chasing the next
story worth telling.