“Have camera - Will travel.”

Those of a certain age may recognize the paraphrase of the title for a hit television series, “Have Gun - Will Travel” (1957 - 1963), starring Richard Boone as Paladin, a gun-for-hire in America’s wild west.

Emmaus native Stephanie Gardner and cinematographer Duprelon Tizdale had a camera and did travel the whole wide world to track down film-makers of a certain age for a new quest.

It began in 2018 when Gardner was 33 and interviewed directors who were also age 33 for “The 33 and Me Film Project.” That morphed into “Cinema Nomad,” billed as “an arts and culture focused travel series,” and picked up for international distribution by American Public Television.

“Türkiye,” first episode of “Cinema Nomad,” was previewed by Gardner at a packed, invitation-only reception May 1, Lehigh Country Club, Allentown. Gardner and Tizdale are executive producers of “Cinema Nomad.”

Said Gardner prior to the preview, “I decided I wanted to travel the world to meet other film-makers my age.”

Gardner said of Tizdale, whose nickname is Tiz, “He decided to join me. Tiz is the cinematographer. He did lighting, sound and data management.”

Gardner thanked her mother Linda, an executive producer of “Cinema Nomad” and host of the country club event.

“There’s another person who has influenced this project, my father. Even though he passed away before the project got started, he has been with me every step of the way,” Stephane Gardner said.

Stephanie Gardner is a daughter of Linda Klenk Gardner and the late Judge James Knoll Gardner (1940-2017), a United States District Judge, U.S. District Court, Eastern District of Pennsylvania.

Stephanie Gardner also thanked her sisters: “They’ve helped through the years.” She has three sisters: Christine Hanna, Andrea Merrill and Victoria Misenti.

Gardner said “Cinema Nomad” depicts “how they [the film-makers] are overcoming their obstacles to tell their story and reflect their cultures.

“Each episode is a stand-alone of each country,” said Gardner. Three seasons are planned.

“Cinema Nomad,” Season 1, with 14 episodes, is released through public television in the United States and online at PBS.org. “Cinema Nomad” will broadcast on public television stations, including PBS stations, and on WORLD, public television’s news, science and documentary channel.

PBS39 has put “Cinema Nomad” on its schedule. The series begins airing May 22 and May 23 through WPPT PBS39 extra.

In the 26-minute episode, “Türkiye,” available as of May 1, film director Sezen Kayhan describes life in Istanbul.

Kayhan is an award-winning director of “A Hard Day in the Empire” (2019), honorable mention, London World-Wide Comedy Short Film Festival; “Elene” (2017), first prize, International Competition, Montreal World Film Festival, and “Time of the Plums” (2012), award of merit, short film, Lucerne International Film Festival.

The “Türkiye,” episode, narrated by Gardner in a relaxed, confident and informative style, is a cinematic panorama of Istanbul, with Gardner on-camera interviewing and interacting with Kayhan and others. The episode provides a delightful glimpse of “Türkiye” through a film-maker’s lens. It’s a director’s travelogue.

The country club screening included music by The Complicated Trio; a “Türkiye” episode talk-back, and a preview of the next “Cinema Nomad” episode, “Romania,” released May 8, and described on Internet Movie Database: “Tedy, considered the first disabled filmmaker in Romania, makes films to inspire a nation.”

Gardner’s “33 and Me Filmmakers Festival” was presented Sept. 22 - 30, 2024, Frank Banko Alehouse Cinemas, ArtsQuest Center, SteelStacks, Bethlehem.

Gardner directed the narrative fiction films, “And If I Stay” (2013), “Okay, Joe” (2012), “If I Had a Piano: I’d Play You the Blues” (2015), ”For His Riches” (2021) and “Para Todo Mal Para Todo Bien: A Mezcal Trilogy” (“For Everything Bad Mezcal ... For Everything Good As Well”) (2021), several of which were screened in the Lehigh Valley.

Gardner received an MFA, Playwriting and Screenwriting, Tisch School of the Arts, New York University, Class of 2010; BA in Drama and Dramatics, Theatre Arts, Music and Creative Writing, The George Washington University, Class of 2008, and graduated from Emmaus High School, Class of 2004.

States IMDb of “Cinema Nomad”: “On her 33rd birthday, American filmmaker Stephanie Gardner set out to travel to over 33 countries to meet other film directors who are also approximately 33-years-old, to learn about their lives, careers, engage with their cultures.”

The PBS website adds: “Explore nations through the country’s cinematic past, present and future. Cinephile host, Stephanie Gardner, takes viewers on a journey around the world to meet directors in their thirties, delving into their hopes, dreams and desires. Viewers experience the filmmakers’ daily lives, visit their homes, neighborhoods, hangouts, and the locations that inspire their creativity.”

States Gardner, “Each episode has its own unique look and feel due to the vast diversity of landscapes and locales that we visit, such as the ancient history of the Silk Road in Uzbekistan, the colorful markets of Ghana, the hidden souks of Saudi Arabia, the fjords of Iceland during the Winter Solstice and the rhythmic nightlife of Cali, Colombia.”

“Cinema Nomad”

PBS.org Season 1

May 1, Episode 1, Türkiye

May 8, Episode 2, Romania

May 15, Episode 3, Iceland

May 22, Episode 4, Uzbekistan

May 29, Episode 5, Ghana

June 5, Episode 6, Brazil

June 12, Episode 7, Cuba

June 19, Episode 8, Azerbaijan

June 26, Episode 9, Bolivia

July 3, Episode 10, Uganda

July 10, Episode 11, Cambodia

July 17, Episode 12, México

July 24, Episode 13, Egypt

July 31, Episode 14 Bosnia & Herzegovina (bonus hour)

Information: https://www.pbs.org/show/cinema-nomad/