Panchira Pictures is a group of outlaws, geeks and visionaries making no-budget films in and around Des Moines, Iowa.

The Core Panchira Team

While everybody does a little of everything, the individual Panchira Pictures team members each have their own strengths and focuses.

• Larry Enos: Writer of Scripts, Director of Films, Editor of Footage, Publicitizer, Social Engineer
• Mike Enos: Producer of Music, Writer of Songs, Composer of Scores
• David Jayne: Writer of Scripts, Director of Films, Editor of Footage, Driver of the Software, Visualizer of Effects, Master of the Web
• Mandy Zellar: Actor of Scenes, Caster of Roles, Securer of Wardrobe, Wrangler of Talent

Origin Story

Friends David and Larry had always dreamed of writing and directing films since they met in the Summer of 1994 and found that they had a mutual love of Quentin Tarantino, the Grateful Dead, and Newcastle Brown Ale. They spent days pitching ideas to each other and not working their schlubby jobs. While they had lots of great ideas, they lacked the time, equipment and most importantly the ambition to make a film happen.

In 2005, the 48 Hour Film Project came to Des Moines, Iowa. Finally, a project that would give them plenty of opportunity to show their skills, but with a deadline to push them. Unfortunately, they missed the entry deadline for 2005, but took the time to get ready for 2006. The following year, they hit the streets: joined by family and friends Team Space Monkey Mafia made the Silent Film “Tale of the Toe” fueled by minimal sleep and B-Bop’s. Using only one camera and one computer and a crew of five, Tale of the Toe to this day is one of the most talked about films of the 2006 Des Moines competition, although it came up empty at awards time.

Undaunted, Space Monkey Mafia changed its name to Panchira Pictures–a nod to their love of anime–purchased a second camera, trained themselves in digital animation and greenscreen techniques, and Larry honed his writing skills as part of the 7-11 Theatre Project, where he won the prize for Best Playwright. Most importantly, Dave moved from DeForest, WI to new facilities in the wilds of western Iowa.

All told, Panchira Pictures looks forward to making more films in pursuit of leaving their crappy jobs and doing this full time.