502 South Cooper St. #335
Box #19089
Arlington, TX 76019
Nature Kills | Nature Heals
A Conversation with Cane Wilson and Wesley Reed
On May 4, 2026, UTA Cinematic Arts community celebrated graduating filmmakers Cane Wilson and Wesley Reed. Following the screening, a directors’ Q&A opened space for reflection on their process, intention, and growth. Introducing them, professor Daniel Garcia praised their courage in telling stories rooted in lived experience and making work shaped by “truth, survival, and self-trust.”
Asked to choose a film that best represents their MFA journey, Wes pointed to Jelly Bones as “a culmination of everything” that he learned. A film in which an estranged mother and son discover a rotting sheriff as they bury their secrets demonstrates an evolution from a loose, montage-driven concept into a thoughtful dialogue-centered work.
Cane highlighted Buckshot Odyssey for its autobiographical core – following a protagonist fleeing an adopted family to reconnect with his sister – and Flamingo Experiment as a formally resolved thesis. Reflecting on process, he noted: “There comes a point where you have to force yourself to stop. That’s the art. There’s no touching it further.”
The conversation with the audience underscored not only the individual approaches to filmmaking of Cane and Wes, but also a shared understanding of artistic discipline, intuition, and growth, marking the culmination of their time within a supportive and collaborative MFA community.
On Personal Growth Through Filmmaking
Cane Wilson: “Each film came from a very personal place. Bright Eyes and Steady Hands is about my Filipino grandmother, in Tagalog – a language I didn’t speak. Working on this film slowed me down, I started practicing meditation, and that made me really sit with where I come from. With Buckshot Odyssey, I confronted the figure of my abusive grandfather. I didn’t want him to be just a villain. Through the film, I found unexpected empathy. Letting go of that anger changed me – and the work.”
Wesley Reed: “I’ve become more open – more vulnerable. My earlier films were vague because I wasn’t ready to be direct. Jelly Bones draws from my family history and having an ancestor on dad’s side who used to be the third Dallas sheriff. He was there for the first hanging, among other sad things, and eventually got stabbed seven times on the courthouse steps by someone who had outdid him for some pigs. Reflecting on family history pushed me closer to something honest. There’s a moment where everything unspoken comes out – that was new for me.”
On Mentorship and UTA Professors’ Advice
Wesley Reed: “I hated writing when I started. Professor Daniel Garcia pushed me to be clearer – to say what I actually mean. We think very differently, so he challenged me to see how others might interpret what I’m doing. Clarity – it helped me grow.”
Cane Wilson: “Professor Changhee Chun kept repeating: ‘Write what you know.’ I resisted it at first, but that’s where all my films came from. Bright Eyes is about my grandmother, Apostle of Sorrow about a breakup, Buckshot Odyssey about my experience in foster care, Flamingo Experiment about my mom. Things I couldn’t shake – so I just had to make films about it.”
On Storytelling and Genre Choices
Wesley Reed: “I move between genres depending on interest. For Sale became a montage horror, although I wasn't really intending to go for any specific genre. With Remains, I went into phantasy because I was on a kick at that time and found it really fun mixing in mythical alien elements. Jelly Bones became a Western because it started with a figure from my family history. But even then, it shifted – the further I wrote, the more it became about something personal. Genre is more like a filter than a starting point.”
Cane Wilson: “I don’t think in terms of genre. What matters is emotional truth. If a genre helps me get there, I’ll use it. But I’d never start with genre first and then build a story around it.”
Actors Reflect
Introducing the actors, Daniel Garcia pointed that Cane and Wes worked with a steady cast and pushed the actors to their limits. During Q&A, actors highlighted the directors’ evolution and collaborative approach.
Bailey Lewis: “The filmmaking industry is tough and can be soul-crushing, but Cane’s and Wes’ persistence is inspiring. It’s been amazing to watch their ambition grow. It makes me want to keep pushing too.”
Bryan Fernandez: “What stood out in working with Cane was how much access he gave us to the material. He shared the full script early, which is rare. It lets you understand the character more deeply, even at the audition stage. It made the whole process stronger.”
Connor Roland: “I’ve known Cane most of my life, and the shift has been huge. He moved from directing expressions to helping actors feel the character. That change deepens the performance. His directing really has bloomed.
What Comes after MFA
Cane Wilson: “I’m ready to move beyond short films and want to make a feature. I’ve been carrying two ideas for years. One project is about a woman in her 60s rediscovering herself after the loss of a partner. The other draws from my father’s story, set in the 1990s Texas gang scene. I’ve also come to really value teaching – it’s become central to how I stay connected to film. I want to keep making work, stay in that creative environment, and collaborate – whether that’s on sets or in the classroom.”
Wesley Reed: “I’m not done with the Jelly Bones saga. The program gave me space to really reflect on this autobiographical material, but there is still more to explore there. At the same time, new ideas are forming – often circling similar themes. I’m interested in experimenting more, maybe with puppets and creature features.”
A Community in Practice
Closing the evening, Daniel Garcia emphasized the program’s collective ethos and structure that sustains these individual achievements: “We are a small MFA program… and we depend on each other. It’s a community that teaches itself.” Within the UTA Cinematic Arts program, Cane Wilson and Wesley Reed were not only filmmakers but active participants in that ecosystem, mentoring undergraduates while continuing to be shaped by their peers.
That spirit was echoed by Joseph Balderas, who described the program as “a tight-knit community… a little family.” Arriving to UTA without connections, he found guidance in others, including Cane and Wes: “They surprised me – I took as much from them as from my mentors.” Having traveled eight hours to attend the screening, he added, “I had to be here… I feel part of each of their films.” It was a fitting end to an evening defined not only by films, but by the relationships that made them possible.
Bios
Cane Wilson is a DFW-based filmmaker exploring inherited trauma, fractured families, and the search for stability. His thesis, Flamingo Experiment, blends science fiction with psychological drama.
Wesley Reed describes film as foundational to his life: “If not for film, I wouldn’t be here. Every time I return to it, I grow more vulnerable. I found survival in film.”