• Premiere will be the kick off event for the Governor's 250th Celebration
• July 3 at Laramie County Community College's Surbrugg/Prentice Auditorium in Cheyenne
• 5:30 p.m. Reception
• 6:30 p.m. Film Screening
• 7 p.m. Panel Discussion

By the People: Conversations Beyond 250 is a series of community-driven programs created by humanities councils in collaboration with local partners. The initiative was developed by the Federation of State Humanities Councils and the Smithsonian Center for Folklife and Cultural Heritage.

The Film

Before Wyoming: The West in 1776 expands the story of the American Revolution beyond the eastern colonies to the vast interior of the continent. It explores the Northern Rockies and Great Plains as a living, dynamic world shaped by thriving Indigenous nations, shifting alliances, and the early arrival of horses, firearms, disease, and trade.

Through historians, archaeologists, Native knowledge holders, and young people from the region, the film connects landscapes, artifacts, oral histories, and contemporary perspectives to reveal a hidden chapter of American history. Set against the nation’s 250th anniversary, it offers a fresh and meaningful look at what was happening in the West when the United States was just beginning.

The Filmmakers

Director and Producer Geoff O’Gara is the owner of Caldera Productions, a media production company based in Lander, WY. He previously worked for Wyoming PBS as on-camera host and public affairs producer, script writer, and documentary producer. His productions include Home From School: The Children of Carlisle, Dick Cheney: A Heartbeat Away, Will Rogers & American Politics, The Drift: An American Cattle Drive, and Alan K. Simpson: Nothing Else Matters. He hosted, wrote and produced series for Wyoming PBS, including Main Street, Wyoming, Capitol Outlook and Wyoming Chronicle. Among his awards are several Heartland Emmys, NETA’s top award for public affairs programming, and numerous festival prizes. Geoff is the author of several books, one of which, What You See in Clear Water, is about the Wind River Indian Reservation, and won the Spur award for best non-fiction from the Western Writers of America. In 2023, he received the Wyoming Governor’s Arts Award. He has had residencies with various arts foundations, including Breadloaf in Vermont and Ucross Ranch in Wyoming, and a year-long Knight-Wallace fellowship at the University of Michigan.

Director of Photography Kyle Nicholoff is an independent, multiple award-winning video specialist with 40 years of cinematography, editing, and producing experience in documentary, sports, and live production. For 30 years, he worked for Wyoming PBS as a director of photography, editor, and documentary producer, and served as Production Services Manager. Kyle has been honored with the prestigious Western Heritage Wrangler Award, and his productions have won a variety of accolades—including four Regional Emmy Awards. Notably, he won Best Documentary for Glaciers of the Winds, which examines the changing landscape of glaciers in Wyoming’s Wind River Mountains. He has also been recognized with Emmy Awards for his camera work on various productions. Prior to his work in Wyoming, Kyle spent nine years in the production and engineering departments of the ABC affiliate in Columbus, Ohio.

Producer Lynette St. Clair is a dedicated advocate for authentic and respectful representation of Native history and languages. As an advocate for Shoshone language preservation, she worked with language speakers to develop the first Eastern Shoshone language app. Lynette continues to represent tribal interests in education to ensure the history and contemporary contributions of Indigenous people are taught. She shares her expertise as a freelance consultant contributing to film projects such as the Amazon Prime series Outer Range and the recently released Netflix series American Primeval. As a documentary producer, she co-produced Generation Warrior. Lynette was appointed by the Superintendent of Public Instruction to serve on the Tribal Education Cabinet for Wyoming. Her dedication to language and education earned her the prestigious honor of being selected as 2025’s Woman of the Year. This honor recognizes influential women throughout the United States who break barriers and uplift their communities.

Producer Sophie Barksdale is a Heartland Emmy winning Australian-American filmmaker based in Wyoming. Her film Who She Is was named 'Best Documentary' at the Flagstaff Film Festival, 'Best Social Justice Film' at the Latino & Native American Film Fest and 'Best Animated Doc' at the Oregon Documentary Festival. It broadcast nationally on PBS after premiering on the World Channel in May of 2024. It won for 'Best Cultural Documentary' at the Heartland Emmys in 2025. With Caldera Productions, Sophie produced the Heartland Emmy-nominated Home From School: The Children of Carlisle and the Heartland Emmy-nominated The State of Equality, a co-production with Wyoming PBS. Sophie has extensive experience in film and the arts, including with Screen Ireland, and numerous film festivals in the USA, Australia & Ireland. She is a Wyoming Arts Council Visual Arts Fellow (2024 -2025).

Editor Liza Slutskaya is an Emmy-nominated editor and story producer working on short and feature length original and branded documentaries. Her work centers on character-driven storytelling across broadcast, digital, live event, and museum platforms. She has produced and edited projects for international nonprofits and Fortune 500 companies including work for HIAS and the Holocaust Museum Houston, and contributed to award-winning independent films including the short film Police Dive and the feature film The Spies Among Us. She is an editor on the ongoing series Interview with a Killer. Liza is originally from Ukraine and is currently based in Baltimore, Maryland. She holds a Bachelor of Arts in Anthropology and Film Production from Johns Hopkins University.

Snapshots from the Film

WY PBS is proud to share stories of adventure and discovery that bring our state's treasures to light. Through films like Before Wyoming, we connect viewers with the wild places and remarkable experiences that make Wyoming unique. To help us continue bringing these stories to your screen, please consider supporting WY PBS.