We Are Conquistadore

Conquistadore Films is an independent production company developing original films, literature, and expedition projects. Founded by filmmaker Michael Saye, Conquistadore is built around creator-owned work, practical production, firsthand experience, and the long-term development of the skills and resources necessary to pursue increasingly ambitious projects.

We approach filmmaking as an adventure in itself. We favor small crews, real locations, practical production methods, and firsthand experience whenever possible. Productions should engage directly with the places, people, conditions, and skills they depict rather than merely reproduce their appearance. Each project also develops the experience and capabilities necessary to pursue more ambitious work in the future.

We prioritize stories with a strong sense of place and physicality—stories built around discovery, unfamiliar worlds, and journeys of intellectual or spiritual consequence. We are drawn to work grounded in experience and serious inquiry, particularly when adventure, history, geography, culture, or the natural world become ways of investigating larger questions about human life.

"Criminals of Purpose" is our motto for pursuing stories and productions that allow us to approach truth through experiment, risk, and proximity to the subject. The phrase comes from a quote commonly attributed to Miyamoto Musashi:

"Do not sleep under a roof. Carry no money or food. Go alone to places frightening to the common brand of men. Become a criminal of purpose. Be put in jail, and extricate yourself by your own wisdom."