History of the Project

from Amanda Kulkoski - Producer/Director

 

THROUGH THE WINDMILL is a feature-length documentary which looks at the history of 

miniature golf in the USA, and how it has evolved over the last 100 years. The film

explores these unique, family-friendly roadside attractions and the talented,

often unsung, people who design, build and operate them.   

 

The inspiration for the film? My love of mini golf started the very first time I picked up

a putter. In my youth, any time our family took a vacation, I would ask to go miniature

golfing. Truth be told, I asked to go miniature golfing even when we weren't on vacation!

I absolutely adored the vintage mechanical courses of the '50s (and still do), but also

enjoyed the charm of  the more standardized, Putt Putt-style courses. My first job as a kid

was at Fort Fun Amusements in Green Bay, Wisconsin, where I would spend Saturday

nights and Sunday mornings sweeping the course and collecting balls.  

 

The concept of THROUGH THE WINDMILL came about during my time in graduate school

at Georgia's Savannah College of Art and Design, as myself and a group of friends

regularly visited the old Putt Putt course on Savannah's Mall Boulevard. 

 

Talented crew and award-winning consultants from all over the United States are

involved in the making of this independent documentary. To date, we have traveled far

and wide to shoot footage and interviews across the United States.  I can't wait to

showcase to the world a wide variety of the USA's permanent courses (both vintage

and newly-constructed), as well as a number of extremely unique, artist-designed

"Pop-Up" courses, and some truly one-of-a-kind locations, such as mini golf-themed

night clubs, and even one year-round course that is located in the basement of a

functioning funeral home!

 

THROUGH THE WINDMILL  premiered at the 2017 SCAD Savannah Film Festival where it won a Special Jury Award. The film was awarded  Best Feature Film at the Sunrise 45 Film Festival! We are honored to have been an official selection of the Door County Film Festival, Fort Myers Film Festival, Rivers Bend Film Festival, Middlebury Film Festival,  Twin Cities Film Festival, Orlando Film Festival, and the New Haven Documentary Film Festival.

 

Through the Windmill is screening next at the New Haven Doc Festival Oct 18th, 2023!!!

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