What We Do

Blackbird Pictures is an independent film production company based out of Indianapolis, Indiana. Blackbird Pictures was founded in 2019 by composer and filmmaker, Ashton Gleckman. Gleckman began his career in music as a solo artist and performer and began work as a film composer at the age of 15.

Blackbird Pictures’ first project was We Shall Not Die Now, which premiered at the 2019 Heartland International Film Festival. The film included interviews with Holocaust survivors, WW2 liberators, and other figures such as Benjamin Ferencz — the last surviving prosecutor at the Nuremberg trials. We Shall Not Die Now was filmed, edited, and co-scored by Gleckman. The main theme for the score was composed by Benjamin Wallfisch (Blade Runner 2049), whose grandmother, Anita, is a survivor of Auschwitz and was featured in the film.

The Hills I Call Home marked Blackbird Pictures’ sophomore feature documentary - exploring life in the town of Beattyville, Kentucky. The film was shot during the early months of the COVID-19 pandemic and was released by Gravitas Ventures.

In the early summer of 2020, Gleckman began research on what would become Kennedy, an 8-part documentary series chronicling the life and legacy of President John F. Kennedy. Gleckman directed, produced, edited, and co-scored the series, with the Academy Award-winning production company RadicalMedia and The History Channel co-producing. The series was released worldwide on The History Channel in November 2023, a date that marked the 60th anniversary of John F. Kennedy’s assassination. It was later released on Hulu.

Blackbird Pictures’ next project is a 4-part documentary titled The Quiet Village. It tells the forgotten story of Kulmhof — Hitler’s first death camp established during the Holocaust. It is set to wrap filming at the end of January 2025.