Haptic Pictures is an award-winning production company founded by Willow O’Feral & Brad Heck based in Southern Vermont
Haptic Pictures produces gorgeous original content around pressing issues of social justice and human interest. Our approach to storytelling is fiercely heart-forward and guided by passionate curiosity and a skillful artistic eye. In addition to producing documentaries including Sisters Rising and Break the Silence, Haptic Pictures also collaborates with select non-profits, arts organizations, and small businesses.
Why the word “haptic” and the snail logo? We mean the word “haptic” in the sense of relating to touch and proprioception, and in the far-out philosophical sense that Gilles Deleuze employs the concept of ‘haptic,’ especially ‘haptic cinema,’ – haptic visuality is expressed by a body in relationship to the world. Snails felt to us like a beautiful illustration of the haptic sense because their whole body is like a hand and a mouth both – touching, feeling and tasting everything they encounter – receptive, sensual, exploratory and adventurous. The sensitive antennae of the snail reaching out to the world is a metaphor for the incredible power of film to open us up to new encounters.
Who we are
WILLOW O’FERAL is the producer, director, and cinematographer of feature documentaries Sisters Rising and Break the Silence, as well as the short doc Artifacts of the Present: Portrait of a Printmaker. Willow is a 2022 DOC NYC “40 Under 40” filmmaker, a Fledgling Fellow at the 2018 DX Investigative Film Festival, and a member of the Film Fatales. She is also a proud member of New Day Films, the longest running distribution cooperative for independent documentary filmmakers in the US. Willow was honored with a Choice Champion Award by Planned Parenthood of Northern New England for her work in creating the documentary Break the Silence. She is from Northern California and now lives in Vermont.
BRAD HECK is a filmmaker, cinematographer, and educator. Sisters Rising is Brad’s directorial debut, and he co-produced Willow O’Feral’s feature documentary Break the Silence: Reproductive & Sexual Health Stories. Most recently he produced and directed the short doc Artifacts of the Present: Portrait of a Printmaker. Previously in his career he worked as a cinematographer on commercial and independent projects and feature films. Brad was awarded a regional Emmy for his cinematography work for BRIC Media in NY, and is a recipient of the Thriving Communities Grant from the Community Engagement Lab. Brad has taught film at Marlboro College, was the Director of the MFA in Film Program at the Vermont College of Fine Arts, and is currently teaching film production at Central Connecticut State University. Brad is from Chicago and now lives in Vermont.
Awards & Recognition
Sisters Rising
Notable Films for Adults
American Library Association
Honorable Mention Big Sky Award
Big Sky Documentary Film Festival
Best Documentary Feature
American Indian Film Festival
Thaddeus Stevens Award
Middlebury New Filmmakers Festival
Best Film Award
Women’s Voices Now Film Festival
Best Documentaries of the Year
Video Librarian
Silver Telly Award for Social Impact
Media for a Just Society Award
Vision Maker Media
Public Media Grant
Break the Silence
Best Documentary Feature
La Frontera Queer Film Festival
Choice Champion Award
Planned Parenthood of Northern New England
Official Selection
Green Mountain Film Festival
Official Selection
Global Health Film Days, Danish Film Institute
Official Selection
Middlebury New Filmmakers Festival
Official Selection
Mendocino Film Festival