In 2006, Keener founded his production company, Reining Nails. From 2006 to 2009, he directed several Southern Gothic-inspired surrealistic short films. His film
Hallelujah! Gorilla Revival featured guest voice-overs from filmmakers
Cory McAbee,
Damon Packard,
Todd Rohal and
Jamie Stewart of the bands
Ten in the Swear Jar,
Xiu Xiu and
Former Ghosts. The film won Best Experimental Short at the 2009
Nashville Film Festival, as well as Best Alabama Short Film and the
Kathryn Tucker Windham Storytelling Award at the 11th annual
Sidewalk Moving Picture Festival. In 2009, Keener released a DVD+R EP of his short films entitled
Catfish with Falcon Wings. Catfish with Falcon Wings has been remixed by
Brighter Death Now as projection for live shows. In 2011, the short films of Catfish with Falcon Wings were curated alongside films by
Woody Allen,
Jean-Luc Godard,
Harmony Korine, and
David Lynch as part of a film series on problems in contemporary society. The series was programmed by the Pavilion Unicredit Art Gallery in
Bucharest, Romania . ==
The Unreinable Compulsion==