{"id":2154,"date":"2026-04-06T05:18:44","date_gmt":"2026-04-06T05:18:44","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/bfashow.dmd.uconn.edu\/2026\/?p=2154"},"modified":"2026-04-06T12:55:20","modified_gmt":"2026-04-06T12:55:20","slug":"against-the-wind","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/bfashow.dmd.uconn.edu\/2026\/against-the-wind\/","title":{"rendered":"Against the Wind"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<div class=\"wp-block-uagb-container wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio uagb-block-vtch0jvd alignwide uagb-is-root-container\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-uagb-info-box uagb-block-7gzwqvxn uagb-infobox__content-wrap  uagb-infobox-icon-above-title uagb-infobox-image-valign-top\"><div class=\"uagb-ifb-content\"><div class=\"uagb-ifb-title-wrap\"><p class=\"uagb-ifb-title-prefix\">Short Documentary<\/p><h1 class=\"uagb-ifb-title\">Against The Wind<\/h1><\/div><\/div><\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-vimeo wp-block-embed-vimeo wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio\" style=\"margin-top:var(--wp--preset--spacing--50);margin-bottom:var(--wp--preset--spacing--50)\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"Against the Wind - Trailer - Jesse Gillett\" src=\"https:\/\/player.vimeo.com\/video\/1179684721?dnt=1&amp;app_id=122963\" width=\"500\" height=\"281\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"autoplay; fullscreen; picture-in-picture; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\"><\/iframe>\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-uagb-container wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio uagb-block-5d14a065 alignfull uagb-is-root-container\"><div class=\"uagb-container-inner-blocks-wrap\">\n<div data-aos= \"fade-right\" data-aos-duration=\"400\" data-aos-delay=\"0\" data-aos-easing=\"ease\" data-aos-once=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-uagb-container uagb-block-4b65b89d\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-group is-layout-constrained wp-container-core-group-is-layout-e0082cf6 wp-block-group-is-layout-constrained\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-uagb-advanced-heading uagb-block-26e8081a\"><h2 class=\"uagb-heading-text\">Jesse Gillett<\/h2><\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-uagb-advanced-heading uagb-block-03f5dcbb\"><h3 class=\"uagb-heading-text\">Stafford Springs, CT<\/h3><\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-uagb-advanced-heading uagb-block-8ae5a0fe\"><h3 class=\"uagb-heading-text\">Advisor: <strong><strong>Heather Cassano<\/strong><\/strong><\/h3><\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-uagb-advanced-heading uagb-block-6f5037cc\"><h4 class=\"uagb-heading-text\">Artist Bio<\/h4><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p style=\"margin-top:0;margin-bottom:0\">Jesse Gillett is an independent filmmaker, content creator and freelancer from New England. He holds an Associate\u2019s degree in Media Communications from Connecticut Community College Manchester and is currently pursuing a Bachelor of Fine Arts at the University of Connecticut. Jesse\u2019s first feature-length award-winning documentary <em>Storm of Passion (2025)<\/em> screened in several local theaters across Kansas and Oklahoma. He also co-edited the award-winning film <em>The Art of Being Seen (2025), <\/em>which was screened at film festivals across the state. He is currently working on <em>Against The Wind (2026)<\/em>, a short film about storm chaser Ryan Shepard and the challenges of navigating a tornado intercept vehicle directly into the center of a tornado.&nbsp;&nbsp;<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<div data-aos= \"fade-left\" data-aos-duration=\"400\" data-aos-delay=\"0\" data-aos-easing=\"ease\" data-aos-once=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-uagb-container uagb-block-787c2033\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-uagb-image uagb-block-33d869bf wp-block-uagb-image--layout-default wp-block-uagb-image--effect-static wp-block-uagb-image--align-none\"><figure class=\"wp-block-uagb-image__figure\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/bfashow.dmd.uconn.edu\/2026\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2026\/03\/Jesse-Gillett-Headshot-1024x1024.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"uag-image-1564\" width=\"800\" height=\"800\" title=\"Jesse Gillett Headshot\" loading=\"lazy\" role=\"img\" \/><\/figure><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-uagb-container wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio uagb-block-f6f9c3e4 alignfull uagb-is-root-container\"><div class=\"uagb-container-inner-blocks-wrap\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-uagb-advanced-heading uagb-block-899e302d\"><h4 class=\"uagb-heading-text\">Artist Statement<\/h4><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p style=\"margin-top:0;margin-bottom:0;padding-top:0;padding-right:0;padding-bottom:0;padding-left:0\"><em>Against The Wind<\/em> centers on Ryan Shepard, a storm chaser determined to drive his custom-built armored vehicle, the TIV-2, directly into a tornado. The film explores both his technical and financial challenges while chasing in the memory of his dead friend who shared the same passion for storm chasing. Shot observationally, we follow Ryan and his crew as they get close to some of the most violent winds on the planet.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p style=\"margin-top:0;margin-bottom:0;padding-top:0;padding-right:0;padding-bottom:0;padding-left:0\">I was inspired to produce this piece after being made aware of the close bond Ryan shares with not only storm chasing but his friend who passed away in 2014. I also found the act of chasing tornadoes with the goal of driving into one fascinating and an excellent base to build this story about Ryan. Especially after watching shows like <em>Storm Chasers (2008 &#8211; 2011)<\/em> which features the vehicles Ryan uses to get in close proximity to twisters.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-uagb-slider wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio uagb-block-f263f817 uagb-slider-container\"><div class=\"uagb-slides uagb-swiper\"><div class=\"swiper-wrapper\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-uagb-slider-child uagb-slider-child-wrap swiper-slide uagb-block-ade93ac2\"><div class=\"swiper-content\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-uagb-container uagb-block-cdc44df8 alignfull uagb-is-root-container\"><div class=\"uagb-container-inner-blocks-wrap\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-uagb-image uagb-block-d5bb1180 wp-block-uagb-image--layout-default wp-block-uagb-image--effect-static wp-block-uagb-image--align-none\"><figure class=\"wp-block-uagb-image__figure\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/bfashow.dmd.uconn.edu\/2026\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2026\/04\/ATW_Build_01_06_01_09-1024x576.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"uag-image-2155\" width=\"1024\" height=\"576\" title=\"\" loading=\"lazy\" role=\"presentation\" \/><\/figure><\/div>\n<\/div><\/div>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-uagb-slider-child uagb-slider-child-wrap swiper-slide uagb-block-8355035d\"><div class=\"swiper-content\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-uagb-container uagb-block-02af7eaa alignfull uagb-is-root-container\"><div class=\"uagb-container-inner-blocks-wrap\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-uagb-image uagb-block-01ebb901 wp-block-uagb-image--layout-default wp-block-uagb-image--effect-static wp-block-uagb-image--align-none\"><figure class=\"wp-block-uagb-image__figure\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/bfashow.dmd.uconn.edu\/2026\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2026\/04\/ATW_Build_01_16_08_01-1024x576.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"uag-image-2157\" width=\"1024\" height=\"576\" title=\"ATW_Build_01_16_08_01\" loading=\"lazy\" role=\"img\" \/><\/figure><\/div>\n<\/div><\/div>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-uagb-slider-child uagb-slider-child-wrap swiper-slide uagb-block-bb90d1b8\"><div class=\"swiper-content\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-uagb-container uagb-block-91d3ad2e alignfull uagb-is-root-container\"><div class=\"uagb-container-inner-blocks-wrap\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-uagb-image uagb-block-7d3c3272 wp-block-uagb-image--layout-default wp-block-uagb-image--effect-static wp-block-uagb-image--align-none\"><figure class=\"wp-block-uagb-image__figure\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/bfashow.dmd.uconn.edu\/2026\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2026\/04\/ATW_Build_01_15_46_00-1024x576.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"uag-image-2156\" width=\"1024\" height=\"576\" title=\"ATW_Build_01_15_46_00\" loading=\"lazy\" role=\"img\" \/><\/figure><\/div>\n<\/div><\/div>\n<\/div><\/div>\n<\/div><\/div><div class=\"swiper-pagination\"><\/div><div class=\"swiper-button-prev\"><\/div><div class=\"swiper-button-next\"><\/div><\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Jesse Gillett Stafford Springs, CT Advisor: Heather Cassano Artist Bio Jesse Gillett is an independent filmmaker, content creator and freelancer [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":19,"featured_media":2155,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_uag_custom_page_level_css":"","site-sidebar-layout":"default","site-content-layout":"","ast-site-content-layout":"default","site-content-style":"default","site-sidebar-style":"default","ast-global-header-display":"","ast-banner-title-visibility":"","ast-main-header-display":"","ast-hfb-above-header-display":"","ast-hfb-below-header-display":"","ast-hfb-mobile-header-display":"","site-post-title":"disabled","ast-breadcrumbs-content":"","ast-featured-img":"","footer-sml-layout":"","ast-disable-related-posts":"","theme-transparent-header-meta":"","adv-header-id-meta":"","stick-header-meta":"","header-above-stick-meta":"","header-main-stick-meta":"","header-below-stick-meta":"","astra-migrate-meta-layouts":"default","ast-page-background-enabled":"default","ast-page-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center 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