Jeremy Urann & Sherri Bylenga, Creators of HOTSHOTS

Jeremy Urann and Sherri Bylenga are a brother-and-sister filmmaking duo from Spokane, and together they run Fat Gratitude Productions. Jeremy is a SAG-AFTRA actor, dancer, and model whose recent work includes Netflix's "Forever" and national campaigns for Nike and Columbia. Sherri is an award-winning director and cinematographer with more than 15 years of documentary film experience.Their short film HOTSHOTS is a rebellious queer comedy set in the world of Spokane bikini baristas, following June, a barista with until sunset to buy the coffee stand out from under her jerk boss before her dreams go up in flames. It's hyper local, hyper femme, hyper queer, and shooting right here in Spokane with a cast and crew of local LGBTQIA+ talent.This is a special vault edition of Spokast. We open with a brand new catch-up on where HOTSHOTS is today, then roll the full conversation from December 2024, where we dig into how a bikini stand outside their grandpa's funeral sparked the idea, Jeremy's road from BTS janitor to network TV, Sherri's path from backcountry documentaries to narrative film, and why they're determined to make this movie in Spokane, with Spokane people.Here's the important part: the HOTSHOTS Seed & Spark campaign ends August 20th, and every dollar pledged is being matched and doubled by a mystery donor until then. They have to hit 80% of their goal or they don't receive a dime. If you can't give, following the campaign is free and earns them festival fee waivers, and sharing costs you nothing.Pledge before the match ends August 20th: seedandspark.com/fund/hotshotsLearn more about HOTSHOTS: hotshotsthemovie.comFollow on Instagram: @hotshotsthemovieShow Flow00:00:00 — What Is HOTSHOTS?00:00:32 — Intro: Out of the Vault, Why Now?00:03:45 — 2026 Catch-Up with Jeremy & Sherri Begins00:06:01 — Jeremy on Dancing with the Stars: The Next Pro00:07:37 — Sherri's Update: Terrain Documentary & Counseling00:08:59 — What Is HOTSHOTS? The Pitch00:11:57 — The Pivot: $500K Feature to 17-Minute Short00:19:50 — How to Help: Seed & Spark, the Fires & the Final Push00:22:29 — The Mystery Donor Match & Mark Duplass Backs the Film00:28:41 — One More Time: Where to Go Before August 20th00:31:19 — The Full December 2024 Interview Begins00:33:21 — Jeremy's BTS "Permission to Dance" Janitor Story00:35:44 — Fat Gratitude Origins: Bay Window Plays & Backcountry Docs00:43:20 — The Spokane Arts Grant & Pitching HOTSHOTS00:44:05 — A Bikini Stand at Grandpa's Funeral: The Origin Story00:46:13 — Why Film It in Spokane & the Washington Filmworks Path00:54:04 — Five Applications, One Grant: Queer Joy Wins00:59:23 — Working as Siblings & the Future of Fat Gratitude01:06:00 — Advice for Aspiring Filmmakers & Why Spokane