A veterinarian reflects on growing up on an Iowa farm, building an animal hospital in the big city, confronting the upheavals transforming his profession, and navigating the unexpected chapters — Murders, Mormons, a Modern Family — that helped shape his life.
GENRE: DOCUMENTARY

Film Trailer
Note: the first 30 seconds of the 60-second trailer is a 30-second trailer
VIMEO
60-sec HORIZONTAL: view and download at https://vimeo.com/1178856675

60-sec VERTICAL: view and download at https://vimeo.com/1178855880

YouTube
60-sec HORIZONTAL: view at https://youtu.be/J5LLwrIyJwg
60-sec VERTICAL: view at https://youtube.com/shorts/HnsgQl2Hdac

Film Screener
available on request

Iowa Vet Film Synopsis
A rural Iowa veterinarian reflects on a life shaped by animals, family, and unexpected turns. Dr. Alan Younkin was raised on an Iowa farm that has been in his family since 1863, an upbringing that inspired his lifelong commitment to animal care. After graduating as the valedictorian from the Iowa State University College of Veterinary Medicine, Alan moved with his wife, Dr. Sybil Younkin, to St. Louis, where the couple built their own animal hospital and raised four children while he navigated the rapid changes transforming veterinary medicine. After his wife’s death, Alan began an unexpected new chapter: he moved to New York, where he met and married a man, forming a modern family with his husband, Michael Schelp, a father of three. Along the way, Alan learned that some believe Zarahemla — the ancient city described in the Book of Mormon, a city believers say Jesus visited — was located on Alan’s Iowa farm.
GENRE: 85-MIN DOCUMENTARY

Bios
Dr. Alan Younkin (Subject) grew up on a farm in southeast Iowa, where daily life among livestock and crops inspired a lifelong commitment to animal care. His family’s farm, which dates back to 1863, remains an important part of his life and story.

Younkin earned his Doctor of Veterinary Medicine degree from the Iowa State University College of Veterinary Medicine, graduating as valedictorian. After completing an internship in small animal medicine and surgery at the University of Missouri–Columbia, he and his wife, Dr. Sybil Crocker Younkin, established Bogey Hills Animal Hospital in St. Charles, Missouri. The hospital grew into a thriving full-service practice providing comprehensive care for companion animals, and for nearly three decades, Dr. Younkin cared for pets and their families.

After selling the hospital to a large veterinary corporation, he spent ten years as a medical director overseeing clinical standards for vaccination clinics operating across the United States. He is licensed to practice veterinary medicine in 42 states.

Dr. Younkin resides in Allentown, Pennsylvania, with his husband and producing partner, filmmaker Michael Schelp. In 2022, they produced BROKE(N), an 88-minute documentary exploring the financial struggles of everyday Americans. The film has been honored in sixteen film festivals. Dr. Younkin is Festival Director of the Allentown Film Festival and Art Show Director of Art in the Park, both in Allentown, Pennsylvania.

Michael Schelp (Director) Before moving to Pennsylvania in 2020, Schelp worked in New York as Senior Director of Business Affairs at Fujisankei Communications International (FCI), a wholly owned subsidiary of Japan’s Fuji Television Network.

At FCI, Schelp developed and sold television programming internationally, launching several successful projects. He sold Iron Chef to the Food Network and executive produced series including MANswers (Spike TV), Blais Off (Discovery Science), Viking: The Ultimate Obstacle Course (ESPN), and Reinventing the Meal (Cooking Channel). He also executive produced SUPERCHEF KIDS, a Telly Award–winning web series sponsored by P&G’s Bounty, and served as senior producer on CHA$E for the SciFi Channel. Schelp created and executive produced TILT 23 ½, an 86-episode reality series sold in more than 120 countries.

Earlier in his career, Schelp appeared on Japanese television as a reporter and commentator, including coverage of the Atlanta Olympic Games. For more than a decade, he served on the International Emmy Awards Committee of the International Academy of Television Arts and Sciences and as a juror for both the International Emmys and the CableACE Awards.

Now based in Allentown, Pennsylvania, Schelp is married to his producing partner, Dr. Alan Younkin. In 2022, they produced BROKE(N), an 88-minute documentary exploring the financial struggles of everyday Americans. The film has been honored in sixteen film festivals.

Bathsheba Monk (Director) is an author, publisher, and intuitive storyteller whose work as co-director of Iowa Vet proved pivotal in shaping the film’s emotional depth. Known for her sharp editorial instincts and ability to uncover the human core of a story, Monk brought a fresh perspective to a project that had been years in the making.

Director and filmmaker Schelp spent years interviewing veterinarian Dr. Alan Younkin, carefully documenting the events and experiences of his life, but when Monk joined the project, she recognized that while the narrative was rich in detail it invited a deeper emotional connection with viewers. She identified key moments where Dr. Younkin’s inner life needed to come forward and diagnosed the central issue: the film had not yet invited its subject to fully express his feelings. Monk drafted targeted questions and outlined specific sections requiring emotional expansion. Her guidance led to a more resonant and satisfying film.

In other words, two men spent years crafting the story of Dr. Younkin’s life, but it took a woman, Bathsheba Monk, to unlock the emotional voice at its center, to reveal the personal stakes and emotional arc of Dr. Younkin’s journey.

Credits Sheet
Runtime: 85 minutes

Country: USA

Year: 2026

Directors: Michael Schelp, Bathsheba Monk

Producers: Michael Schelp, Alan Younkin

Editor: Michael Schelp

Cinematography: Michael Schelp

Supervising Technical Producer: Steve McKinnon

Consulting Producer: Min Benjamin-Hong


Screening Information
Theater
Cinema Village
22 East 12th Street
New York, NY 10003

Dates: June 5 - 18, 2026

Showtimes: Daily at 2pm, 4pm, 6pm, 8pm

Ticket Link
https://www.cinemavillage.com/Now-Playing/iowa-vet-dogs-cats-corn-murder.html

Director’s Statement
Though I was born and raised in Washington, D.C., my roots, and my values, are deeply Midwestern. Both of my parents came from Illinois, and that sensibility shaped how I see the world. In Dr. Alan Younkin, I recognized everything I admire about the Midwest: earnestness, humility, resilience, and a quiet, unwavering work ethic.

Alan’s life also reflects a broader American story. Raised on a farm, he and his siblings became the first in their family to graduate from college, a turning point that led him from the land into the fast-changing world of veterinary medicine. Like so many Americans since the 19th century, Alan ultimately left farming behind, embodying a generational shift that continues to define our country.

Iowa Vet: Dogs, Cats, Corn, & Murder is, at its core, a film about change. It traces the many transformations in Alan’s life, across agriculture, the veterinary profession, and his own personal journey. Along the way, audiences encounter surprising, often humorous experiences that reveal both the unpredictability and richness of a life fully lived.

At a moment, when the world feels in constant flux, this film explores enduring themes of family, faith, love, work, and adaptation. It is both a deeply personal tribute to my husband and a broader love letter to the Midwest. And to the enduring spirit of America itself.

Contact Sheet
Email:  iowavetfilm@gmail.com

Press Agent: Keith Sherman

Marketing: Table 7 Strategies

Website: https://www.iowavet.net/

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