The documentary Highroller marks Amy Bates-Nelson’s directorial and editorial debut, combining her eye for visual storytelling with a passion for unexpected, character-driven narratives. Selected as the closing film of the Rock the Word program at the Castle Rock Film Festival, where it sold out and was a finalist for best film. The documentary also received an additional nomination from the California Indie Film Festival. High Roller has introduced Amy’s voice as a filmmaker to audiences across the festival circuit.

Her filmmaking journey grew from a background in visual arts and communication, deepened by an unconventional creative education. When her son Aiden, who declared he wanted to be a filmmaker as soon as he could talk, was diagnosed with extreme dyslexia, Amy chose to homeschool him from fifth grade on. Together, they shaped their education around filmmaking, learning side by side and building creative skills in tandem. Aiden is now pursuing his filmmaking degree at the London Film Academy, where he will graduate in August 2026.

That partnership led to early collaborations, including the documentary Cue Card Girl, which Amy produced and which was selected and screened by the Denver International Film Festival. Further collaborations followed on two short films directed by Nate Starkey: Monday Night at the Blue Guitar and December 26th - A Humbug Hangover.

Amy and her family have since formed Old Scout Productions, LLC, a collaborative, family-run production company with plans to create more films together. They are currently in the scriptwriting phase for a historical fiction project set in the Beat Generation of the late 40s in Denver, Colorado.

At the heart of Old Scout Productions, LLC is a family of creatives bound by a shared love of storytelling, visual artistry, and the power of film to move people.