PAIKAR (2025)'s logline: "an Iranian expat journeys back to his homeland, where he must face his domineering father and grapple with complex emotions about family ties, cultural identity, and his place in the world."

I've spent 18 months in Afghanistan and it holds a special place in my heart. Let's celebrate people like Dawood who have given so much to make their art a reality.

In this episode, Dawood and I discuss:

• what his father would think of his film;
• how he got started in filmmaking;
• what made him decide to do PAIKAR as his directorial debut;
• the blend of languages in between Iran and Afghanistan and why the landscape is so important in understanding the film;
• what people should know before watching the film and how they should feel afterwards;
• the technical aspects of the film and how he decided how it was going to go -- at least in the beginning;
• why did he choose the festivals he did for his film;
• the release date for the film;
• what's next for him.
• the state of film in Afghanistan.

Dawood's Indie Filmmaker Highlight: Aboozar Amini

Memorable Quotes:

" He would be grateful or he would feel good that it's not against him. It's more like for him or because of him."

" The filmmaking, it has a long history in my family. Even as a child we were not allowed to watch films, so we were forbidden to watch films."

"I need to share untold stories."

" It's like when once you leave your country is almost like the memory of a home that maybe doesn't exist anymore. So you keep desiring that home. You keep thinking of it."

" Just be patient with the emotional moments and with the silences in the film."

" I have a different kind of connection to IDFA because I used to go there and watch films, like days nonstop, watching six films a day."

" We're starting a new era of Afghan films and new sort of new type of films. 

Links:

Follow Dawood On Instagram

PAIKAR Trailer

Every Sunday, I'll post a quick video -- and podcast -- about an indie film from at least a year ago. Today's film: FOUR LETTER WORDS (2000)

Director: Catherine Breillat

Writer: Sean Baker

Stars: Henry Beylin; David Ari; Darcy Bledsoe; Fred Berman

SYNOPSIS

A study of the post-adolescent male psyche looks at their views, attitudes, and language.

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We talk about why we don't see the bug, what college roommate inspired her to write this story -- not in a good way!; animated films and screentime for kids, and more.

If all of our films were given the thought and love Vanessa gives her directorial debut, we would be in such a better place.

In this episode, Vanessa and I discuss:

• do we see the bug in CHRISTOPHER & THE BUG?
• how she got started in filmmaking and why she decided this would be her directorial debut;
• what is it like producing animated films and if it is an easy jump back to live action;
• the lessons she's learned from producing films that she brought to CHRISTOPHER;
• how to tell the story on a run time of 11 minutes!;
• the challenges of specifically an animated film;
• why sound design and score were so huge for this film;
• the idea that animation is just for kids and how it is different in the short film world;
• how we can improve families and filmmaking;
• her day job at Boatrocker Studios as a senior director for creative affairs, kids & family, and how she feels about screentime for kids;
• what it's like being a filmmaker in Toronto and what's next for her.

Vanessa's Indie Film Highlight: GYMNASTICS (2025) dir. by Nikki Buziak and Leo Fafard

Memorable Quotes:

" We call it a bedtime story for adults."

" The reason that you never see the bug is because I don't want it to necessarily just be a bug, right? If we showed the bug, then it's a film about an owl and a bug, and then it definitely feels like it's for kids."

"I was living inside childrens' entertainment."

" Honestly, storytelling is storytelling, so whether it's going to be animated or if it's going to be live action...it really is you're working with the scripts and you're focusing on the story, so the two are very interchangeable."

"I learned how to tell stories on a small scale."

"The sound design was huge for us and score was huge. We called score our other main character because we needed the score to be so powerful that it would draw you through, right?"

" When you look at more mainstream animation, you're going to see more often, I think, blockbusters that are animated are usually for kids or family viewing. But in the short film world, it can really span everything, all the ages, all the genres."

" I often say that it's not just my job, it's also my hobby, which is so true because filmmaking has been a part of my life since I was a kid."

Links:

Follow CHRISTOPHER & THE BUG On Instagram

Follow Vanessa On Instagram

If you're looking to understand the business of film, let me suggest listening to Ben Fritz, who covers entertainment for the Wall Street Journal and is my guest for the podcast.

Why? Well, for me, it's two things. First of all, if you listen to his astonishing documentary podcast called "With Great Power: The Rise of Superhero Cinema", you get to hear why he's such a successful journalist. An executive will offer a throwaway line, and Ben simply asks: why? You get something much closer to the truth from a one syllable question than one might expect.

It happens throughout this podcast series from 2023, and it is a true masterclass on how interviews should be conducted.

And two -- he's just straight with people. In this episode, we talk about an article he recently co-wrote on MUBI, the streaming service, and the money they've lost over the past year. In almost any other situation, the company doesn't participate, the article is branded a hit piece, and the audience is left wondering about the veracity of the story.

Instead, MUBI's CEO is quoted in the article, which tells me the respect he gives the co-authors.

Or maybe it's three: just listen to the insight Ben provides in this episode. If you go by the notion that the business offers an explanation of the films that show up on our screens, there's no better person than Ben Fritz.

In this episode, Ben and I talk about:

• his preference for hosting a podcast or being a guest on one;
• his ability to tell a story evenly without looking for gotcha moments, which distinguishes his journalism;
• how he got started in filmmaking;
• what he expects out of the summer festival market;
• what he's learned between covering filmmaking to AI and back to filmmaking;
• the future of AI in filmmaking;
• the "$50 Movie Ticket Has Arrived" article and what it means for theaters;
• what that means for indie filmmakers;
• the behind the scenes story of his article, "How VC Money and Israel Outrage Derailed a Hot Hollywood Startup" about MUBI;
• what MUBI's business model portends for the industry;
• how production companies make money in such a competitive environment -- branding;
• why Silicon Valley doesn't invest more in Hollywood;
• what's next for him and how things have changed since 2019;

Ben's Indie Film Highlights: PINK WALL (2019) dir. by Tom Cullen; COW (2021) dir. by Andrea Arnold

Memorable Quotes:

"I try to make clear to people I'm not gonna pull any punches, but I'm also not here to try to get a gotcha moment."

"I feel like it's becoming a lot like everything in the American economy, which is, it's a have and have-nots world."

" What I realized quickly is if you understand the business, then you understand why you get the movies and TV shows that you get, right?"

" So you could see more movies getting made, more original movies getting made, more people who don't have access to Disney and Netflix being able to raise a little bit of money and make an interesting movie on their own. So we could see this blossoming of creativity that maybe would rival what we saw in the 1970s."

" The danger, which some people in Hollywood think, is the more movies become a premium experience where you spend a lot of money, the more it becomes something people think of as I only do this two or three times a year," 

" I think the I'm gonna get a specialty label or specialty company to buy it and put it in theaters is...that's like winning the lottery at this point."

" The one promising thing in this world of indie film theatrical I've seen recently is you've seen some YouTubers put movies into theaters and find a niche audience."

" I was able to connect to a source who was just close to Mubi, who was able to give me a lot of inside information on really what happened."

" Mubi is a solid business. That's why Sequoia invested in them. It is a healthy business. They just made this huge mistake last year."

"My teenage son knows what A24 is, and that name means something to him."

"Sequoia's investment in Mubi was shocking to a lot of people. This is so outside the box for what they normally do. And the only other prominent example of VC investment in entertainment is A24, which definitely has some VC investment in it."

Links:

Ben Fritz's WSJ Page

Ben Fritz's Website

Every Sunday, I'll post a quick video -- and podcast -- about an indie film from at least a year ago. Today's film: LAST SUMMER (2023)

Director: Catherine Breillat

Writers: Catherine Breillat; Pascal Bonitzer; Maren Louise Käehne

Stars: Léa Drucker; Samuel Kircher; Olivier Rabourdin

SYNOPSIS

Successful lawyer Anne leads a happy life with her husband Pierre and their two daughters. But when she begins an affair with Theo, Pierre's son from a previous marriage, her career and family life are in jeopardy.

The film SEAWEED SNACKS (2026), which screened at Slamdance this year, was so moving for me as a father that I wanted to talk with the person that directed it -- Sylvia Ray, a great episode, you can find it linked in the show notes -- and my guest today, the writer, Brandyn Johnson.

What does it feel like when someone else directs your words? Why the focus on fatherhood? What is it like mentoring young up and coming filmmakers at Ghetto Film School? Is a USC grad education worth it? We get into all this and more with Brandyn, a brilliant filmmaker and writer currently based in Los Angeles.

Finally, we talk about suicide in this episode. If you're struggling, there are resources, starting with 988 if you need someone to talk with about your journey. Kindness truly is currency, as Brandyn says on the show; we want you sitting next to us at the birthday party.

n this episode, Brandyn and I talk about:

• why the topic of fatherhood is so important to him;
• how much he believes in "write what you know";
• his start in filmmaking and the incredible work he does for Ghetto Film School;
• whether teenagers are benefiting from a filmmaking perspective from constant access to video-making devices;
• his recommendations on an MFA from USC;
• the experience of watching someone else direct your work as he did in SEAWEED SNACKS;
• the honesty he tried to imbue in the film;
• as a writer, what kind of story would he not be comfortable giving away?
• is it an ego thing connected with just being "writer/director"?
• the humility associated with giving up your story as a writer in order to get it made;
• his personal new film, COPARENTING STOREY;
• what's next for him and why he's so passionate about storytelling.

Memorable Quotes:

On fatherhood: "Just generally speaking, it's right in front of my face."

" Hats off to filmmakers who can write things and build worlds that might not necessarily directly reflect where they come from."

"Access in that way is really great for the folks who are aware of that access."

On Ghetto Film School's art: "as long as they are making things that prioritize story."

" I've been doing this work for almost 20 years, right? So...the reason why I keep doing it is because...it's definitely great to see young people find power."

" As a storyteller, our best stories come from our experiences."

"It's hard to be creative when you have broke goggles on."

" I pitched projects that I knew I would be okay giving away."

" If there's one thing that USC is really great at is, it helps you, it forces you to be a great collaborator."

" And I think that's also what SEAWEED SNACKS was about. I just want it to be honest."

"The soul is in my words."

On COPARENTING STOREY: "It's all built around, like the ability that we have to design the kind of life that we want to see."

"If I'm going to be here, I'm going to make a net positive impact."

Links:

Follow Brandyn On Instagram

Follow Ghetto Film School

COPARENTING STOREY On Film Independent

Watch Sylvia Ray, director of SEAWEED SNACKS

The words "artist, writer, and director" that my guest, filmmaker Suki Chan, uses to describe herself, do not come close to encompassing the artistic brilliance of her feature directorial debut, CONSCIOUS (2026), which she premiered at CPH:DOX this year in Denmark.

The film delves into the stories of three people who "navigate dementia in transformative ways", and even that gives short shrift to what we see on screen. I don't think I've seen a documentary get closer to explaining the frailty of the human mind in visual form.

It's no surprise to people who've seen Suki's art, though -- they say this gorgeously shot film is in line with her signature style. I cannot wait for you to see this film and for what's next for Suki.

In this episode, Suki and I talk about:

• how she decided to approach making CONSCIOUS and what that tells us about documentary filmmaking;
• how she went from a fine art degree to expanding into moving image;
• her signature style, whether it's sculpture or a film;
• the medium of documentary and where she thinks it's going in the future;
• incorporating dramatizations into the film and what she learned about that process -- and people who wanted to play themself!;
• how she assembled a team that does not normally work on documentaries;
• what's next for her and when can viewers get an opportunity to see this brilliant film.

Memorable Quotes:

" I didn't set out to make a film that was at such a high level for documentary. I made the film in the way that feels the most natural to me as an artist."

" It then made me realize that dementia wasn't just gonna be one chapter. It was actually quite integral to understanding consciousness."

" I decided to create moving image, because for me, it's something that can unfold over time. And I think people always describe my sculptures, my installations as being cinematic and working with lights and shadows."

" How come we don't see the brain? How come you're talking about consciousness? And we don't see the brain?"

Links:

Follow Suki On Instagram

Every Sunday, I'll post a quick video -- and podcast -- about an indie film from at least a year ago. Today's film: YEAST (2008)

Director: Mary Bronstein

Screenplay: Mary Bronstein; Greta Gerwig

Stars: Mary Bronstein; Greta Gerwig; Benny Safdie

SYNOPSIS

A maddeningly oblivious, tyrannical and emotionally stunted young woman tries her best to negotiate two toxic friendships

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Only a Marine could get away with writing a novella entitled -- let me make I'm sure I got this right -- "Let's Murder the Fuck out of Baby Hitler." And even then, maybe only a Marine who is a filmmaker and screenwriter.

Fellow redleg Eric Leja (servicemember assigned to the artillery branch) returns to the podcast to talk about his new novella which is he is hoping to turn into a feature or a series; the reaction to such a provocative title in an industry that claims to support free speech; the lumping of veterans immediately into the red hat crowd, and more.

He asked me, are you sure you're okay with the title? Fuck yeah, I'm okay. I'm supporting fellow veterans till I die. We do touch on politics in this episode, which I'm usually loathe to do because you hear enough of this stuff on everything other than a film podcast. But if you do hear something you disagree with, certainly as it relates to the film industry, I'd love to hear why.

And that brings us right back to where we started: Eric's novella. Spoiler alert, no babies are actually harmed. The whole point of it is to think about our current situation in a new and hopefully funny way. And to let Eric turn this into a feature film. Fire for effect, I'm cheering him on.

In this episode, Eric and I discuss:

• how the catchy name came about;
• what he's been up to since the strike;
• why he decided to self-publish on Amazon and the amount of money he makes per sale;
• the chilling of speech and how that's different than Hollywood at any point in Eric's lifetime;
• how far he decided to go politically in the novella;
• the assumptions made about veterans in film and politics;
• what the future of the novella is;
• the challenges facing the business right now and the power of dentists in filmmaking!

Eric's Indie Film Highlight: GODMOTHER dir. by John Veron

Memorable Quotes:

" I don't think it's ethical to Hitler-ize my children."

" if things keep going like this unchecked, this is what it's gonna look like and it's gonna be, dystopic far right version of America. That was what the screenplay was about. And it came from a place of anti extremism."

" Everyone's horrified to do anything right now."

" I've never seen in my lifetime out here, like these corporations also having to fight for attention from the government and a constant approval as well."

On the expectations of being red-pilled as a veteran: " I've noticed a lot of sighs of relief when I like reveal that I'm not like that."

" People have literally said to me like, I think it's so cool that you're a veteran, but you're not like one of those veterans."

" Nobody at like Warner wants to be the guy holding the TV show with three showrunners that's struggling to get off the ground when Paramount buys 'em."

Links:

Buy LET'S MURDER THE FUCK OUT OF BABY HITLER Now

Follow Eric On Instagram

Now he's helping you achieve your dreams by serving as commissioner of New York City Mayor's Office of Media and Entertainment, or MOME. And what I mean by that is I didn't expect him to be so in tune with the plights of independent filmmaking, in New York City and elsewhere. We talk about the challenges of indie filmmaking in NYC, including improving permitting; how it can be competitive globally; childcare in the city and how that affects filmmakers; the hopeful rise of more diverse voices, and more.

All that said, the main takeaway if you're out there wanting to make a film career in NYC, he's on your side. And if you want to move your production studio or career to the best city in the world, he's the man for that as well.

I don't think you can listen to this episode and not be bullish on the prospects of making a film in New York City over the next few years.

In this episode, Rafael and I talk about:

• why he is the best person to lead the NYC MOME right now -- he's an indie filmmaker as well (he made his first film recently);
• what he's going to do with his film -- festival route? YouTube? -- and how that affects how he runs MOME;
• what does the commission do for me?;
• his sympathies (but honest advice) for the filmmakers not applying for permits in the city;
• his comments when taking the job that " the systems are extremely archaic in a way that creates a burden on production companies" -- have things improved?;
• production space in NYC and the role of AI in the built environment;
• how the Mayor's goal of free childcare throughout the city will influence filmmakers in the city and what MOME can do to help;
• diversifying the industry in New York City and how making it "look like our subway cars" actually happens;
• whatever happened to the Alliance for Downtown New York's Filmmaker in Chief initiative and how we get MOME's name out there in terms of outreach?
• how does NYC plan to stay competitive in attracting global productions?
• his goals for the next few years.

Memorable Quotes:

" Just recently, I made my first professional short film that I've been working on."

" Like every filmmaker, we sit at home thinking about, how do we get exposure, who's gonna help us produce and make our first film?"

" What I'm most proud of about the team here at the film office is that the folks running the permit system are actually independent filmmakers themselves."

" If you want to ensure that you don't have the NYPD or any other agency come down and shut down your production, the best thing you can do is come to us."

"[I] remember what it is to be someone who's just trying to make their film, who is looking for their way into the industry. And that's what I bring to the table."

" Our dream here is to see a film industry and a film landscape where the workers and the directors and the folks on sets look like our subway cars, right?"

" Going to the DMV is not the most pleasant experience, and I don't want filmmakers to feel like going to MOME feels like going to the DMV, right?"

" There are folks out there, investors doubling down on building stages in the city of New York."

" It was easier for me to become a politician than it was to be a film director."

" We haven't fully baked it yet, but I'm thinking about how do we replicate that idea and create filmmakers in each borough."

" At the end of the day, top line, I would love to say that New York has become the easiest and most affordable place to make a movie."

Links:

Follow Rafael On Instagram

Follow MOME On Instagram

Every Sunday, I'll post a quick video -- and podcast -- about an indie film from at least a year ago. Today's film: HAPPYEND (2024)

Director: Neo Sora

Writer: Neo Sora

Stars: Kurihara Hayato; Hidaka Yukito; Ayumu Nakajima

SYNOPSIS

Friends Yuta and Kou, about to graduate, sneak into school. They pull off a terrible prank and face unforeseen consequences as graduation approaches.

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One time, it might be a coincidence. But time after time, if you're going to areas that make other people afraid, like underground fight clubs in Asia or the Chilean Andes or like in her latest film, SILVER (2026), a mine in Bolivia, that's your hallmark as a filmmaker.

You can say that about my guest, brilliant director Natalia Koniarz, whose film SILVER won the Documentary Feature Grand Jury Prize at this year's Slamdance film festival. No explanations, no interviews, just gorgeous cinema about a Bolivia mine that needs to be seen on a big screen.

Will it? How can we do that? We discuss that on this episode, as well as being absolute brave as hell. When I'm sleeping in my warm bed, I thank God for filmmakers like Natalia.

In this episode, Natalia and I discuss:

• what do all the awards tell her about SILVER? And what does it feel like?
• what should people know about the film before watching;
• how she got such immersive footage of the mines that few films have achieved;
• did anyone tell her she needs to offer more explanations in the film?;
• how she knew she wanted to get involved in filmmaking;
• her next film will be about underground fighting in Asia -- what draws her to otherworldly topics?
• the distribution process and the challenges of seeing a doc like hers in a theater;
• indie filmmaking in Paris and Poland;
• what's next for her.

Memorable Quotes:

" It's a very immersive film where you have to immerse into the world. There is no explanation of history or there's no interviews."

" I was asking the miners and people around how they would make the film."

" I've met people who have been completely crushed by the film and I met those who haven't felt anything. And I think it's the way that things exist in the art."

On her film's topics: " I have this feeling that they are choosing me more than I'm choosing this."

" I don't treat fear as something bad."

" That's actually a game changer also...how easy it is in Europe, easier to have co-productions between countries."

Links:

Follow Natalia On Instagram

Let's all wish happy birthday to filmmaker Victoria Trow, whose film ERUCTATION (2026) won big at SXSW this year -- not at all surprising once you watch it.

That said, when you first read about it, at least for me, it was...a film about what? Burping? Then you watch it and realize you're in the hands of an ultra-talented admaker and filmmaker for six quick minutes that makes you know right away that she's going far.

Her attention to detail, use of color and sound, all make ERUCTATION and Victoria one of my favorite films -- and guests -- of the year. Happy birthday, Victoria! Hope today is a great one.

In this episode, Victoria and I discuss:

• how excited she was to attend SXSW this year, even before knowing her film would win!;
• her start in filmmaking and all of the things that led up to the incredible cinematic experience of her film;
• the evolution in her thinking from considering herself just a writer to directing films;
• what part of advertising work she dislikes;
• the crazy reactions to watching ERUCTATION or even just hearing about the topic;
• how hard it is to get comedy right in advertising;
• why the incredible 6 minute run time for ERUCTATION;
• does she read reviews for her films?
• the essential palette to the film and the amazing sense of place;
• her approach to going to SXSW;
• what's next for her and jumping between narrative and documentary.
• her advice for indie filmmakers and work with Charli XCX;
• artists compartmentalizing their talents -- they shouldn't!

Victoria's Indie Filmmaker Highlights: Mike Egan; Victor Gabriel

Memorable Quotes:

"15 years in advertising and 15 years plotting my escape."

" And then this project literally burped in my face, so I thought maybe this is the one to try it."

"Do you wanna make a documentary about burping? They would laugh like you are now. And then I think. yeah, I just wanna make something fun and dumb and make something that can be beautiful."

" Let's make a burp joke, but treat it seriously with reverence." 

"This should feel like Portland in the rain."

"Don't be afraid to talk about your ideas."

Links:

Follow Victoria On Instagram

Victoria's Website

Every Sunday, I'll post a quick video -- and podcast -- about an indie film from at least a year ago. Today's film: ADOPT A HIGHWAY (2019)

Director: Logan Marshall-Green

Story By: Logan Marshall-Green

Stars: Ethan Hawke; Elaine Hendrix; Diane Gaeta

SYNOPSIS

When an ex-convict finds an abandoned baby in a dumpster, he gains a new lease on life, deciding to dedicate himself to making sure the child has a good life.

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Here's a challenge: watch the first few minutes of ROAD TO L'ETAPE DU TOUR (2026) and not get the sense you're seeing a documentary. Impossible because the film is that good about its comparison to real life. The logline: facing a turning point in her life, a woman with a congenital heart defect embarks on a journey to train for a famous cycling race.

It's all narrative, but the heart of the film, just like all her other art, is from its director, Julia Coulter, who you can tell from this discussion puts her whole being into her art.

The opening segment is Julia talking about her lighting decisions in BROTHERS (2021), which you should watch. It is cinema at its highest level. Julia takes a couple of actors, a single location, and makes something that will stay with you for a long time. The film is linked below.

I felt so lucky to watch her films and hear about how much love she puts into them, and I think you will feel the same way, too.

In this episode, Julia and I talk about:

• why she made a narrative film that feels like a documentary in parts;
• how she came up with that brilliantly moving first scene, performing a stress test, and how that sets up the character for the film;
• her hopes to inspire others through her film;
• her start in filmmaking -- writing, directing, and acting! -- and how she figured out which to do in her first two short films;
• did the classical acting education help her craft?
• her lessons from casting films from an actor's perspective;
• her deeply personal film, BROTHERS, and what she took away from that experience in making such a moving film with just three characters and a hotel room;
• why we don't see more shorts like BROTHERS and HABIT (2022), which are so refined in run time, story, and cinematography?
• her advice for people directing other peoples' writing;
• whether it would be harder for her to give up directing or acting;
• the financial hurdles of making her first feature;
• the ending of ROAD TO L'ETAPE DU TOUR and the feeling she wants to give the audience;
• whether actors as directors handle complexity better in a story;
• why Cinequest and what she's looking for at a festival;
• what's next for her and the film.

Julia's Indie Film Highlight: DICK JOHNSON IS DEAD (2020) dir. by Kirsten Johnson; CLOSE (2022) dir. by Lukas Dhont

Memorable Quotes:

"It's something that we see very intense, like athletes doing, but never in the context of hospitals have I seen that on screen."

"I was very inspired by mumblecore."

"If I wanted to create something, then I could just go out and do it. I could go out and write it. And so that gave me the freedom that acting alone doesn't where you are waiting on somebody else and their opinion of you or their opinion of your skills."

"Do I have such a clear vision in my head when I write things that I really want to be the director? I think the answer to that is yes."

"I always try to center myself on what do I want to watch and what would I go and see and what would I be interested in feeling from seeing a film? That's what I think is matters in the end."

"Giving yourself constraints is actually helpful sometimes."

Links:

Follow Julia On Instagram

Watch BROTHERS (2020)

Every Sunday, I'll post a quick video -- and podcast -- about an indie film from at least a year ago. Today's film: THE WOMAN IN THE FIFTH (2011)

Director: Pawel Pawlikowski

Story By: Douglas Kennedy

Stars: Ethan Hawke; Kristin Scott Thomas; Joanna Kulig

SYNOPSIS

Tom Ricks, estranged from his wife and daughter, travels to Paris to try and reunite with them, but he's left dejected when his wife slams the door in his face. Then, one evening, he meets Margit, a beautiful and enigmatic widow. They embark on a passionate affair - and she seems to have real faith in his creativity. Before long, a series of disturbing events begin to cast doubt on whether she is all she seems.

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When you watch SOUVENIR (2025), you know you are watching something incredible -- filmmaker Renée Marie Petropoulos brings the power of cinema to the topic of relationship abuse. And what I mean is that she uses the full force of the medium to craft a story of what it really looks like in the modern age.

It's like nothing I've ever seen before, and SXSW agrees -- it won the 2026 narrative shorts competition. The jury said, "Led by moving, raw performances, this film meets viewers in an intimate space. Layering the complexities of love, trust, and the vulnerability of being perceived, this short is a beautiful piece of storytelling that sheds light on the most intrinsic and intimidating aspects of relationships and girlhood.”

We talked before the festival, but it was obvious that the film is something special. And so is Renée.

In this episode, Renée and I talk about:

• what about SXSW does she love as a festival;
• how she got started in filmmaking;
• the success of her thesis film, TANGLES AND KNOTS (2018), and the expectation of a Columbia MFA;
• the Australian diaspora at festivals like SXSW and what it feels like when taking a film to an international festival;
• the remarkable and unique story behind SOUVENIR (2026);
• how she chose to portray abuse "through a realistic take on the cycle of abuse, through an accumulation of small, painful moments" and what does a poor portrayal of abuse look like?
• her goals at SXSW for the film;
• advice for filmmakers when delving into really personal topics;
• how she put together such a tremendous cast and crew and advice for casting;
• what describes an Australian filmmaker;
• what's next for her.

Renée's Indie Film Highlights: Warwick Thornton; OF AN AGE (2022) dir. by Goran Stolevski

Memorable Quotes:

"SXSW has always had a tender spot in my heart."

"I'm definitely not making films with those festivals in mind."

"I really wanted to explore a young toxic relationship that I feel like we don't really see much of on screen."

"I'm hoping to people seeing this, if they connect to it in some way, if they've experienced this, like seeing it on screen, like it feels like a more of a validating experience."

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Watch TANGLES AND KNOTS (2018)

PHENOMENA (2026) is a type of film that I've never seen before -- an exploration of nature through a visual medium. It's not surprising that it, too, comes from a filmmaker of a type I've never talked with-- an Australian who started doing art exhibitions and immersive experience shows before his debut feature.

So it's not surprising it's getting the rave reviews it's getting from places like Variety, and it is a testament to the vision that Josef brings to filmmaking. So get in early on this film and this filmmaker -- the sky is the limit for the Aussie, and who knows, it might be a part of nature he explores in his next project.

In this episode, Josef and I discuss:

• the wildly complimentary Variety review, describing the film as "an iridescent ode to ordinary wonders";
• how he got started in filmmaking and how artist exhibitions transferred to filmmaking;
• how much his feature debut needs to be seen in a theater and the future of immersive exhibitions;
• what he wants people to feel watching PHENOMENA;
• why he worked with Sandbox Films and some of the logistical challenges inherent to making this film;
• his feelings narrating his film and a hilarious story about being on camera for a childrens' show;
• being an Australian filmmaker and his feelings on the level of travel necessarily associated with international festivals;
• where you can see his latest film, whether we'll get a narrative work, and what's next for him.

Josef's Indie Film Highlight: SLACKER (1990) dir. by Richard Linklater

Memorable Quotes:

"I pointed the camera at the sound waves and recorded it for the first time, and that really was like the seed for the feature film was that moment right there."

"Image quality for me is everything. And when I put those goggles on, I'm never blown away."

"I hope I was careful enough to allow room for the audience to find their own meaning and to have their own experience."

"it's been about 10 years since those, that first short film, so that was in 2016. Yeah...I did other things in between, obviously. I've got a life to live and bills to pay."

"I think it's super exciting to be asked overseas to go and take part in the broader community and to share the film with the larger audiences and take things international."

"I think it's super exciting to be asked overseas to go and. Take part in the broader community and to share the film with the larger audiences and take things international."

Links:

Follow Josef On Instagram

Josef's Website

During this episode, you'll hear a part that's normally edited out -- a phone ringing. But given that's one of my guests' school calling, I decided to leave it in. Because that's the life of a parent, right? It doesn't stop for a podcast recording, a film premiere, whatever you have going on in life.

And the point of this episode, with Cinecamp founders Jessica Kivnik and Alexa Coblentz, is that's okay. We'll make it work. I love the way they put this description, so I'll use it here -- Cinecamp is a pop-up daycare center during the Los Angeles Festival of Movies April 10-12th. They have an open house on the 10th that I hope you'll check out.

And if you don't have kids, I hope you stick around for this conversation as well. This isn't about excluding anyone; just the opposite. Cinecamp is about everyone feeling a part of the story.

In this episode, we talk about:

• why Cinecamp matters in the film sector, even if you don't have kids, and how Jessica and Alexa got started;
• the genesis of Cinecamp and how it got started;
• why 4m to 12 years old? why start at the Los Angeles Festival of Movies? the smart decisions that went into Cinecamp's first film festival;
• why starting at film festivals and "being at that hub" is so important;
• whether the rise of female filmmakers has led to programs like Cinecamp;
• what's next for the program?

Alexa's Indie Film Highlight: HARVEST (2024) dir. by Athina Rachel Tsangari

Memorable Quotes:

"I have just always been interested in the way that humans relate to each other, through these kinds of stories or so many possibilities."

"Inclusion matters. Equity matters. Choosing to be a parent in this world is political."

On starting Cinecamp: "The more we would talk about it, [we saw] how much possibility there was there. As collaborators and like partners in it, we were waiting for a chance to do that again, but also because we both really need this. So it spoke to us really personally."

"We are not just providing accessible low cost care. We're providing excellent care at a low rate." 

"There's a lot of conversations in the parenting circle about how being a modern mom is like a full-time job."

"Everybody that's interacting with the kids is gonna be vetted and background checked and safe."

"Across the board, women have lost ground in the past year in terms of equity."

"It's basically building like a pop-up daycare center for children of all different ages."

Links:

Cinecamp's Website

Follow Cinecamp On Instagram

Eric's career, as a filmmaker and musician based in Los Angeles, led him to this moment. He plays drums, attended the Berklee College of Music, and I'll say it: he's a brilliant director.

The audience at SXSW agrees. And I think you will, too, after hearing our discussion.

In this episode, Eric and I discuss:

• the first time reaction and sensory overload of seeing his award-winning film;
• why the film was so perfect for SXSW's Midnight Madness competition;
• what is giallo films and why he was drawn to making one of his own;
• how he got started in filmmaking and if he has any preferences in terms of writing, directing, and scoring films;
• what indie filmmakers don't understand about comedy and music in their films;
• his thoughts on the podcast space for filmmakers;
• hidden genres of indie films;
• what's next for him and his advice for people who didn't make SXSW with their films (with a crazy Judd Apatow story!);

Eric's Indie Film Highlights: GRIND (2026) dir. by Brea Grant; Chelsea Stardust; Ed Dougherty; I LOVE BOOSTERS (2026) dir. by Boots Riley

Memorable Quotes:

"It's very mixed, but it ranges on a scale, right? There's people that really get it, who understand giallo films, who are horror fans, who are comedy fans. And then on the other end of it, there are people who are like, wow, I really like that. I don't really know what you were referencing."

On giallo films: "And they're so bad. It's good. So good, it's good and so great, it's good."

"And I feel like in a short block you have to, and with the goal of making a feature, you have to make as big of a announcement as possible."

"Music is an afterthought."

"I'm very happy to announce that I actually just quit my job podcasting."

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Every Sunday, I'll post a quick video -- and podcast -- about an indie film from at least a year ago. Today's film: CAPTAIN FANTASTIC (2016)

Director: Matt Ross

Screenplay: Matt Ross

Stars: Viggo Mortensen; Samantha Isler; George MacKay

SYNOPSIS

Ben Cash (Viggo Mortensen), his wife Leslie and their six children live deep in the wilderness of Washington state. Isolated from society, Ben and Leslie devote their existence to raising their kids -- educating them to think critically, training them to be physically fit and athletic, guiding them in the wild without technology and demonstrating the beauty of co-existing with nature. When Leslie dies suddenly, Ben must take his sheltered offspring into the outside world for the first time.

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She'll tell you acting is her calling, but then you listen to Victoria Blade sing and watch her direct -- her most recent film, VICKY WAKES UP (2026) won the episodes grand jury prize at the 2026 Slamdance Film Festival -- and I'm with you in thinking maybe three things are her calling.

Filmmaker Victoria Blade is here to talk about her path to winning filmmaking prizes, and it starts with thinking she's going to be a dramatic actor and realizing she's can play comedy just as well. and then just rolling with the opportunities given to her. I get it: acting is her first love.

But this blend of comedy and drama about things we don't see very often, means I'm dying to see Victoria in the director's chair again as soon as possible.

In this episode, Victoria and I talk about:

• why VICKY WAKES UP won at Slamdance;
• how she got started in filmmaking;
• finding her home in comedies;
• why more classically trained actors don't make the leap to directing?
• whether it was hard for people to see her as a director, given her success in acting and singing;
• what she brought to the casting process for VICKY WAKES UP and if her reputation helped attract great actors;
• if she has a preference of writing, acting, or directing;
• whether there's other episodes ready to go for VICKY WAKES UP;
• how she incorporated surrealism into the show;
• do indie films do enough with music?
• cubicles -- why both her films showcase office environments;
• directing herself in her films and what she'd tell directors who want to act;
• how she feels about influencers getting into acting;
• what's next for her and how she chooses who to work with.

Victoria's Indie Film Highlights: DANNY IS MY BOYFRIEND (2025) dir. by Lucy Sandler and Mechi Lakatos; SCRATCH (2023) dir. by Michael Trainotti

Memorable Quotes:

"What stood out to them was the deeper themes of sexism in the workplace; of the need to pursue our deeper dreams; and the positive vibe that music can bring when even when we're in really dark times."

"So I came out of acting school just thinking I was gonna be a dramatic actor because that's what I taught, but what I learned really quickly is that it was easy for me to bring levity into the room."

"Even when you do have a successful acting career, you have a lot of free time."

"I learned that really as a director, you're sitting in such a privileged seat because there's so much talent and only one person gets the job."

"Whenever you see filmmakers who are going to festivals and they're hiring a casting director and they're really putting their all behind a project, that's attractive to me."

"It is if Pam Beasley from "The Office" slowly became a pop star."

"I don't see a lot of films that talk about music in a very practical way, like in a relatable way."

"It's not like the drudgery and the commitment and the discomfort that it actually takes to change your life."

"The acting becomes instinctual."

"Yeah, I think in the current landscape of the industry with things just constantly changing and evolving and no one really, honestly, knowing what the hell is going on, it's very silly to try to gatekeep anything because this is this is like a free for all. If you wanna go, do it."

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Victoria's Website

RE-RELEASE: I'm re-releasing this episode, in part to congratulate the team behind MR. NOBODY AGAINST PUTIN (2025), who won the Best Documentary Feature at the Oscars, and also give further background to director David Borenstein's comments at the event. After you listen to this episode and hear about his background, his words come from experience. Congratulations, team. So well deserved.

From December, 2025:

Surely he didn't know it then, but his work in media in China made my guest, filmmaker David Borenstein, the perfect person to direct MR NOBODY AGAINST PUTIN (2025). It's a fantastic film following a Russian teacher "secretly documenting his school becoming a war recruitment center during the Ukraine invasion."

What David and especially his co-director, Pasha Talankin did was make a film at great personal risk because it's so cutting towards the Russian authoritarian regime. And astonishingly, as David shares in the podcast, he wants to do more of these stories in repressed societies.

Thank God there are people like David and Pasha. Denmark's nominee for best international film at the 2026 Oscars is an absolute gem.

In this episode, David and I discuss:

• the simplicity of the documentary and whether the overwhelmingly positive reaction surprised him;
• how he got started in filmmaking and his familiarity with heavily propagandistic societies;
• the difference between journalism and documentary filmmaking (he has an incredible answer here);
• the debates with his co-director about the concept of propaganda;
• how cool it would be to see a documentary or podcast on the making of MR NOBODY;
• logistically, how did the film happen?;
• how his co-director became knowledgeable behind the camera;
• advice for anybody interested in doing a project like this, especially when you aren't in the same place as your co-director!;
• how he edited the project and who got the line credit for it;
• how we can better support filmmakers in places like China and Russia;
• when the film will be available for streaming and the challenges of finding distribution in the United States;
• the clash between US and Europe distributors for documentary films;
• what's next for him.

David's Indie Filmmaker Highlight: Nathan Fielder

Memorable Quotes:

"The co-director, he actually responded to a casting call in the beginning. So in the beginning, we were filming him as a character."

"The very first time that I was involved with cameras of any sort was actually as a Chinese speaking host on Chinese TV."

"if you are a quite fluent foreign speaker of Chinese living in China, they'll find you after a while. You are a curiosity to Chinese audiences."

"[John Grierson] defined documentary in a very special way. He didn't define it as journalism per se. He actually called it the propaganda of democracy."

"There were so many points where I thought about quitting or walking away 'cause it was so hard. But don't give up." 

"The way I work with editors is I make a rough cut myself and then I deliver it to editors to work for a little bit of time to challenge me." 

"I think it's really important as director to be generous."

"[The film] is resonating with people in Russia and not necessarily people who are already part of the Russian opposition."

"I'm still really interested in getting into the big kind of countries that we don't understand enough, Russia and China."

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Follow MR NOBODY AGAINST PUTIN

Every Sunday, I'll post a quick video -- and podcast -- about an indie film from at least a year ago. Today's film: HARD EIGHT (1996)

Director: Paul Thomas Anderson

Screenplay: Paul Thomas Anderson

Stars: Philip Baker Hall; John C. Reilly; Samuel L. Jackson; Gwyneth Paltrow

SYNOPSIS

Veteran gambler Sydney befriends a young man named John, transforming into a Las Vegas casino champion. John falls for a prostitute, and the couple soon finds themselves in need of Sydney's help.

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Started Rooftop Films, which presents art and films around New York. Made a studio feature. Made deeply personal short films like ____ IN PARIS (2026), which he premiered at Slamdance this year. Made interactive art. Taught film. With a background like that, I knew the insight he would bring is incredible, and he doesn't disappoint here.

The best part is you can tell Mark has thought about all these bigger issues in filmmaking, too, and I'm so thrilled he's here to share his perspective.

Mark and I discuss:

• why Slamdance for the premiere of ___ IN PARIS (2026);
• how he got started in filmmaking and if he knew when he started Rooftop Films if he wanted to work on his own projects;
• what Rooftop Films has taught him about the theatrical experience;
• the process of creating his first studio feature, APPROACHING THE UNKNOWN (2016), and how it wound up so different than his vision;
• how the experience of making the film might be different today;
• what advice he gives his students and labs today from all of his studio and independent filmmaking experiences;
• why big, heavy philosophical topics are important to him;
• what should people expect to watch ___ IN PARIS and why does he make so many personal stories;
• how the next generation of filmmakers will approach these deeper questions;
• what his next projects are.

Mark's Indie Film Highlights: AMERICAN GIGOLO (1980) dir. by Paul Schrader; Ja'Tovia Gary

Memorable Quotes:

"The people at Slamdance care about their filmmakers and the filmmaker experience and supporting them as much as any festival I've ever seen in the world." 

"We don't screen in theaters, we screen in neighborhoods."

"With some slight variation for special screenings and regions, most movie tickets all across America cost the exact same."

"There should be a move towards more truly nonprofit filmmaking where films are supported in the arts the same way other art forms are."

"And the NASA administrator said it doesn't help national defense, except in that it makes America a country worth defending."

Making his first feature: "It was a wonderful and difficult and amazing experience."

"This gets back to also the sort of capitalism of filmmaking. If I hadn't made those compromises, the people with the money would've pulled out."

"Don't submit to most festivals unless you think you're gonna be able to go."

"For my students, for any artist, for myself, you have to find that thing that you care about, that you wanna say in the world, but then you also have to find the structure to put it in."

"So the next one is actually about the the physical force of gravity but gravity, both as a force of physics in the world, in the universe, but also as a sort of metaphor for our lives."

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My conversation with filmmaker Sylvia Ray was eye-opening for me in so many ways. Let's start from the top: SEAWEED SNACKS (2026) is phenomenal filmmaking that is slightly dark, extremely funny, and captures a social dynamic that we too often don't see on screen: dads at a birthday party. Sylvia directed it, and the film was a product of Film Independent's Project Involve, where the SEAWEED SNACKS team was the only one with three out of 31 people with kids.

I'm seeing this from the vantage of someone who is chronically online, but the kids/no kids debate is frustrating to me. Both sides often talk about how you're living life wrong if you're on one side of it or the other. I don't feel we should look at it in such a binary way, and the show is a friendly place to talk about ways in which independent filmmaking can make living your best life easier.

In this case, as Sylvia shares, it was having kids that turned her into the dynamic filmmaker she is. SEAWEED SNACKS and her films don't exist without them and I feel so very lucky they do.

Sylvia and I talk about:

• her incredible output of five films in close to five years and whether she still has that same feeling of excitement when they come out;
• directing material that you didn't write;
• how she got started in filmmaking and how having kids focused her vision on what she wanted to do -- directing;
• finding your community, whether it's at film school or elsewhere;
• how she won over friends and colleagues at top film schools;
• what is the Film Independent Project Involve experience like?;
• what makes a great lab and what doesn't work regarding labs and fellowship;
• how she wants people to feel watching SEAWEED SNACKS and whether it's harder to find laughs than in a drama;
• surrealism in the film and why it makes films so much better when used appropriately;
• what makes a great short film and the distribution system for shorts;
• whether she sees the growth from her previous films;
• what the climate in Los Angeles is right now for shooting films;
• childcare on set and the state of parenting and filmmaking;
• what's next for her.

Sylvia's Indie Film Highlight: BETTER LIFE (2025) dir. by Jessica Liu; THE INHERITANCE dir. by Destinee Stewart

Memorable Quotes:

"The excitement is definitely still there. It just feels like a shared responsibility or a shared vulnerability."

"it never occurred to me that's something that I would pursue is arts or performance arts until I had my first kid actually."

"There was something really empowering about having him and my second child...it rewired my brain in a lot of different ways and made me think of how capable I am."

"The biggest life saving part of being in this career is finding my community." 

"What can I do in order to get to set and work and do what I love? I look at it a little bit like a sport."

On Project Involve: "I knew their intention and they made this very clear in the beginning was that they wanted us to create community and build collaborations that would go on into the future."

"And particularly parents who are artists, I hope that it feels like that they're being seen in some way."

"When I was pitching on it, I lost my home in the fires and I think I was just really in a what is life? What is money? And then just going through all of these life can just feel surreal at times."

"Consuming a lot of shorts allowed me to feel confident that this was gonna work and play well on festivals."

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Every Sunday, I'll post a quick video -- and podcast -- about an indie film from at least a year ago. Today's film: THE CELEBRATION (1998)

Director: Thomas Vinterberg

Screenplay: Thomas Vinterberg; Mogens Rukov

Stars: Henning Moritzen; Ulrich Thomsen; Thomas Bo Laren

SYNOPSIS

A dark secret mars a Dane's (Henning Moritzen) 60th birthday celebration, attended by his family (Ulrich Thomsen, Thomas Bo Larsen) and friends.

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So when I invite someone on the podcast, it's usually about promoting a particular project at a festival. There certainly is that here with director Andrew Kightlinger regarding his genre-breaking film OKAY (2026), which had its world premiere at Slamdance 2026, a festival that he also served on the jury. But we don't hit OKAY discussion until minute 27!

That shouldn't surprise you, though, if you look at Andrew's biography. His origin story is incredible, yes, but what fascinated me the most is how deeply knowledgeable he is about the art of filmmaking. He was brought on to direct OKAY to highlight Fujifilm's GFX ETERNA 55 and Andrew did it in a way that made me rethink how he deal with human emotions on screen. There's a documentary about the project that is well worth watching.

I wish every camera maker funded a gorgeous film to highlight their products. And I wish every filmmaker was as thoughtful as Andrew.

In this episode, Andrew and I discuss:

• is Slamdance too indie? a hearty defense of the festival;
• his unique background into filmmaking, South Dakota by way of Madagascar;
• how pirated blockbusters are what's easily accessible around the world, including a hilarious story about belatedly watching TITANIC (1997);
• starting with shorts or jumping into features;
• the wild story about how he became a director and what he turned down to stay independent and true to his vision;
• how he makes successful pitches for investors, including a lot of dentists (who knew?!);
• how to find great collaborators;
• the common threads for films he judged at Slamdance and whether chapter headings say something about episodic content;
• what is OKAY about and how Andrew describes it;
• how to depict grief on screen and why OKAY is so original in its handling of the subject;
• giving feedback in a creative and useful way that finds a way to make art honestly;
• the connection between Fujifilm and Andrew;
• whether the ubiquity of great cameras means we're moving back to more story-led films;
• why some big budget films "look like crap";
• how indie films are screened and if Fujifilm thought about how people would watch the film;
• what's next for him.

Andrew's Indie Film Highlight: WALKABOUT (1971) dir. by Nicholas Roeg; DIRTY WORK (1998) dir. by Bob Saget

Memorable Quotes:

"If anybody's thinking, ugh that's too hoity tody or that's not good enough, or whatever, just stop and just submit the movie...the movies are very varied. It's a very eclectic selection of films, and the tastes are all over the place, and that's what's really fun about the festival. It's it's a cornucopia of stuff and everybody should submit."

"why is this kid obsessed with movies? Like, why? We want a scientist."

"So we didn't see the last hour of Titanic until a year later when we went to Minnesota." 

"Because I went out to my dentist and said, hey, can I get 10 grand? He [said], sure!"

"A valuable lesson to learn as a filmmaker: choose your collaborators wisely."

"Look at my name in the credits and you want to feel good about helping a young artist. And if you sell that to them, they'll invest. If you sell them numbers, they're not gonna do it."

"Shorts are good as reps in the gym."

"The common thread between all the movies that I watched on the feature jury, the movies in competition, I would say that 70% of them were in black and white, which is a trend right now, which kinda shocked me. And almost 50% of them had chapter headings throughout the film."

"The short film is a movie about grief at its core, and it's about a woman who is grieving the death of her husband and she's trying to find healing by searching for him in the cosmos. And that's the general idea of the film, and people just need to watch it to figure out what that means."

"OKAY is the most honest move I've ever made because I was able to pour myself into it."

"Younger filmmakers send me like their ideas or treatments like, Hey, could you look at this? And I can tell that it's been written with that [AI] format."

"[OKAY] was the weirdest concept by far. But they said, oh, that's our favorite one." 

"I wanted to make a movie that had very formalistic editing and very dirty 70 style camera work as well. And they didn't shy away from that."

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Watch The Documentary On OKAY

Kate Cobb is one of the most dynamic filmmakers working right now, and it's because she's willing to be an actress, an editor, a writer, a director, as well as empower everyone else on set to make the film happen. Her feature debut, OKIE (2024), was a revelation for its authenticity and heart, so it's no surprise that the filmmaker behind it is, too.

Her new film, BRB (2026), premiered at Slamdance 2026 to fantastic reviews. It's a "love letter to early Internet girlhood", and I'm so thrilled to see Kate's ambition expand to such a well-written, personal film.

As she talks about in pod, she already has a third film in the can -- this is the story of a person fully taking the reins of her career and making great art. I'm absolutely here for it.

Kate and I talk about:

• what is BRB, her stunning second film that premiered at Slamdance 2026;
• her takeaways after her first film, OKIE (2024);
• the journey from acting at DePaul University to directing;
• the wisdom of making a proof of concept short before making OKIE;
• how we should talk about -- and rate -- first features without being condescending;
• why she directs films that other people wrote;
• casting people with large social media followers, and finding someone like that who can truly act in Zoe Colletti;
• distribution for the film and what she learned from OKIE;
• how being an actor informs how she runs a set;
• what it's like working with a business partner who is also a life partner;
• what's next for this astonishingly creative filmmaker and is there a job on set she *hasn't* done?!

Kate's Indie Film Highlights: GUACAMOLE YESTERDAYS (2024) dir. by Jordan Noel; EDGE OF EVERYTHING (2023) dir. by Pablo Feldman and Sophia Sabella

Memorable Quotes:

"I think I learned that the festival part is such a joyful experience and to treat it as such."

"When I turned towards directing and when I did...it was like putting on the right size shoes for the first time in my life. All of a sudden I was like, oh, wow, I'm using my artist heart, but I'm also using my like corporate shill brain."

"If you learn every single job, no one can stop you from making a movie."

"Your first feature is precious. It's precious because you, yes, you're not the best filmmaker in the world and no, you're gonna mess up and you don't have the luxury of a huge budget or a bunch of time or even a bunch of experience, but that's what makes it amazing, because you're finding that person while you do it."

"I want my audience to be able to see themselves within it. And in order to do that, it has to start with me seeing myself within it."

"I was an actor for so many years and I've been on so many different types of sets, and let me tell you, most of them are run by men. I had a lot of thoughts on that as far as basically it gave me a map. Not all men, obviously there are incredible male directors and filmmakers."

"The absolute enemy of creativity is when people cannot feel vulnerable."

"Make a seat for fear."

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Every Sunday, I'll post a quick video -- and podcast -- about an indie film from at least a year ago. Today's film: MISTRESS DISPELLER (2024)

Director: Elizabeth Lo

Writers: Charlotte Munch Bengtsen; Elizabeth Lo

Stars: Fei Fei; Wang Zhenxi

SYNOPSIS

A Chinese woman hires someone to secretly end her husband's extramarital relationship in an attempt to save her marriage.

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I can't think of a better way to start special Slamdance coverage than with Sammy LeMieur, talking about his film, THE LEMIEURS (2026), which debuted at Slamdance this week.

The logline: Fearing regret and desperate to keep hold of their history, the five sons of a small-town Minnesota matriarch must reconcile her aging, while her three grandsons running a funeral home face death head-on.

I spend a fair amount of time in Minnesota so I can say: this is exactly what it's like. That was one of his goals at film school -- to show people the real Minnesota -- and for him to be able to pull it off, it's an incredible story.

Over the next few weeks, the pod will release episodes more frequently than Tuesdays and Fridays (in theory, anyway) with a host of interesting Slamdance films.

Slamdance is one of my favorite festivals because it attracts unique and groundbreaking films that are still absolutely independent. As long as I have a podcast, there will be Slamdance episodes, and of course, I'd start with Minnesota and filmmaker Sammy LeMieur.

In this episode, Sammy and I talk about:

• why Minnesota is rarely on screen and why his film is such a breath of fresh air;
• how he got started in filmmaking in Minnesota;
• why NYU and if he recommends going to film school;
• the importance of creating short films in his filmmaking journey;
• how THE LEMIEURS got its start;
• what he wants people to feel when they watch this deeply personal film;
• the ending everyone sees coming -- but you don't want to see;
• his families' reaction to the film;
• his path into making documentaries and what his future in the genre holds;
• the distribution for his film and generally for docs;
• what's next for him, which is another doc that I can't wait to see.

Memorable Quotes:

"We were the first NYU production to shoot in Minnesota."

"You pay for film school to meet your collaborators and...for the opportunity to use the equipment and make a movie."

"I think there's something about short films that really teach you structure."

"What I want people to feel is just be, feel like a LeMieur for 70 minutes, like you're a part of this family from when you sit down and when you leave the theater."

"I knew from the start that it was always gonna end like that, and I figured the audience would know that too. And that was the challenge was like, how do you create a progression and create a rising conflict throughout this story that you know where it's gonna go?"

"I always thought I was gonna be a fiction guy, like with more a narrative approach. But I think like I said they're the same to me."

Links:

Follow THE LEMIEURS On Instagram

Charlotte and I discuss so many topics we don't normally talk about on the podcast -- an unvarnished take on not showing up for class in college and the blockchain. It is thrilling to share an episode with such a unique filmmaker, Charlotte Siller.

In this episode, Charlotte and I talk about:

• her ten year quest to bring her film, A CURIOUS IDOL: DOCUMENTARY OF A LOST GIRL;
• her unvarnished and amazing take on school, acting, and how she wound up as a filmmaker;
• why she didn't connect with acting and how cinema studies set her up to make a documentary;
• what the film looks like now and when it can expected to be released;
• why she's putting the film out now, despite the enormous challenges;
• the opportunities of the blockchain for indie filmmakers and her award from Decentralized Pictures;
• how marketing helped her filmmaking;
• what's next for her.

Charlotte's Indie Filmmaker Highlight: Wong Kar-Wai; George Cukor; THE MOMENT (2026) dir. by Aidan Zamiri based on a original idea by Charli XCX

Memorable Quotes:

"The film itself is about Louise Brooks, who was a silent film star, but even more was a writer and like this brilliant self-taught woman."

"The hardest thing about being truthful about the world is having to be truthful about yourself."

"I think the professors there taught me how to look at film storytelling analytically and how to have a holistic viewpoint on it."

"The most important thing to me in this whole process was that I did not put my own bias on it."

"This has been a pretty sporadic decade of doing this. Hopefully, this is helpful to young filmmakers who are starting to embark in these journeys. I had to live a life in between all of this."

"Filmmaking requires, oh, so much marketing, like a ton of marketing. And I didn't realize that. I had that experience until I started doing marketing and then I was like, oh, wait a minute."

Links:

Follow A CURIOUS IDOL On Instagram

A CURIOUS IDOL Website

Every Sunday, I'll post a quick video -- and podcast -- about an indie film from at least a year ago. Today's film: JACK GOES BOATING (2010)

Director: Philip Seymour Hoffman

Story by: Robert Glaudini

Cast: Philip Seymour Hoffman; Amy Ryan; John Ortiz; Daphne Rubin-Vega

SYNOPSIS

Single Jack (Philip Seymour Hoffman) drives a limo for a living and has a best friend, Clyde (John Ortiz), a married co-worker. Clyde and his wife decide to set up Jack with another friend, Connie (Amy Ryan). Jack and Connie hit it off, and a tentative romance blossoms, inspiring Jack to take cooking lessons, learn to swim, and apply for his dream job. However, as that relationship grows stronger, Clyde and his wife find their marriage crumbling.

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Instead of making a "Parisian film about a middle age couple in the crisis of existential bullshit" -- his words -- he has made feature films that depict the life of an immigrant. Paris was the setting for his latest film, but he wanted it to come across as a foreign ZIP code.

This was all borne out of his roots as a documentarian, and I am simply in awe of his story. And the fact that he eschews all social media. You're living the dream, Boris.

In this episode, Boris and I discuss:

• why he's gone beyond most French filmmakers to show France from the outside;
• how he got his start in filmmaking as a philosophy teaching, making two documentaries in Vietnam;
• how narrative films can lose the reality of documentaries;
• the reason immigration factors into so many of his stories;
• if he's the right person to tell an immigrants' story;
• telling the story of female protagonists in his films;
• how Sean Baker helped him get distribution;
• if he's disappointed that his previous films aren't available for streaming;
• what led him to create SOULEYMANE'S STORY and the risks he took in making the film;
• the documentary feeling in his films and how he handles actors;
• does he see it as a compliment that other people are making films with similar stories?
• what's next for him and how filmmakers should be more adventurous.

Boris' Indie Film Highlights: I ONLY REST IN THE STORM (2025) dir. by Pedro Pinho; A POET (2025) dir. by Simón Mesa Soto

Memorable Quotes:

"I started to make documentary films because my ex-wife was making documentary films and I saw how she was doing and I thought, okay, I will try to do my my own films too."

"I wanted to make films abroad. I was not interested in making a Parisian film about a middle age couple in the crisis of existential bullshit."

"There is the question of legitimacy and sometimes people, usually young people, younger people than younger than I am from, from another generation, they ask me, what's your legitimacy? And now I answer my legitimacy is zero. But because my legitimacy is zero, I have to work more."

"I have to listen, and I think the most important thing in my work is not to direct, but to listen."

"I was talking with a Congolese director. And my neighbor in the restaurant, he told me, oh, you are Boris. I watched your film yesterday and it's an incredible film. Let me talk to my friend Sean Baker, and he talked to his friend Sean Baker, who made a tweet. And the week after, we had a distributor, you know, sometimes you just have to eat Vietnamese in a restaurant."

Every Sunday, I'll post a quick video -- and podcast -- about an indie film from at least a year ago. Today's film: CITY ISLAND (2009)

Director: Raymond De Felitta

Writer: Raymond De Felitta

Cast: Andy Garcia; Steven Strait; Julianna Margulies

SYNOPSIS

Prison guard Vince Rizzo (Andy Garcia) wants to quit his job to become an actor, but he also needs to make up for lost time with Tony (Steven Strait), a long-lost son who's an inmate where Vince works. When Tony is freed, Vince suggests the ex-convict move in with his wife, Joyce (Julianna Margulies), and their children. But because Vince neglects to tell his family that Tony is not just a stranger, but the son he fathered before he met Joyce, this leads to a series of comic misunderstandings.

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In today's podcast, I talk with filmmaker Adam Neuhaus, who helped put together possibly the best brand in documentary, 30 for 30, and then bet on himself, founding Neuhaus Ideas and then The Nonfiction Hotlist. The latter project has continued to grow. March 6th, 2026 is the deadline for the Yahoo x The Nonfiction Hotlist partnership, which helps give a home to short docs.

He is also involved in numerous nonprofits that help people get started in filmmaking, a sorely-needed boost when people need it to the most. That's the through-line of his career -- helping others. And much to his credit, pushing back on podcast hosts. That's my favorite type of guest.

In this episode, Adam and I discuss:

• why extending a ladder -- or an elevator -- to people starting their careers is important to him;
• how he practically makes it work running his own company as well as companies like Nonfiction Hotlist;
• his start in filmmaking and journey from William Morris to creating puzzles;
• 30 for 30's brand and what makes a great sports documentary;
• the issue of access in documentaries, especially sports;
• founding an "ideas" company versus running a production company;
• the amazing story of founding The Nonfiction Hotlist from a post on LinkedIn;
• why people were more amenable to accepting feedback as part of the application process of The Nonfiction Hotlist;
• sports films as part of the Hotlist and the importance of expanding your aperture about what a sports doc is;
• how film festivals actually work; Adam pushes back on the notion that a lot of it is determined by friends and pitching the programmers;
• why the Yahoo x The Nonfiction Hotlist partnership is such an important platform for short docs;
• what's next for him and The Nonfiction Hotlist.

Adam's Indie Film Highlight: The 2025 Nonfiction Hotlist

Memorable Quotes:

"If you're feeling bad for yourself, give to somebody else, be of service to somebody else."

"I decided to leave a...corporate job that I worked at ESPN for many years to give this a shot."

"You need to find something that works between projects."

"How do we find more durable systems for ourselves so that we stay accountable to ourselves, to the work we're doing? The only thing that I've ever seen really work in that way is consistency."

"We're building a puzzle community. We're trying to build a large community, and then we don't need corporate dollars. We then could be able to sustain ourselves as an independent company."

"I'm certainly entrepreneurial-minded. But it's certainly not easy."

"A great sports documentary goes beyond who won and lost the game."

"The projects that I'm less interested in are just the pure follow docs."

"I call it an ideas company because primarily I am not necessarily looking to run production services for my company."

"The challenge of a development company versus a production company is that development only gets paid when the project really comes to fruition."

"When did we all start believing that everything has to take forever in this business? It's actually not true."

"Fish your barrel before you start looking for generalized storytelling fans."

Links:

Follow The Nonfiction Hotlist On Instagram

Neuhaus Ideas

Yahoo x The Nonfiction Hotlist

The Nonfiction Hotlist

When you watch BUTTERFLY, you get the sense of an assured filmmaker at work: a close to two hour runtime that goes quickly and a work of art that doesn't feel like it was made by a committee. It was made by a truly unique voice.

In this episode, Itonje and I talk about:

• the world premiere of BUTTERFLY at the International Film Festival Rotterdam in February, 2026;
• what she wants them to feel when watching the film;
• how she decided to get into filmmaking;
• the best way to encourage rebelliousness in film students;
• why we can't see her directorial debut, GRITT (2021);
• her focus on depicting artists in her films;
• the strong female protagonists in BUTTERFLY and why we don't see more of that on-screen;
• the balance of following the script versus giving actors room to maneuver;
• finding female role models as a director and whether things are getting better for female stories;
• how she didn't make compromises in her films;
• incorporating spirituality into her films without turning it into a punchline;
• what's next for her and what she has learned about the process.

Itonje's Indie Filmmaker Highlights: Guy Maddin; Denis Côté; MAGIC FARM (2025) dir. by Amalia Ulman; Camilla Figenschou; Mariken Halle

Memorable Quotes:

"The audience [at International Film Festival Rotterdam] was, they're so attentive, they have a lot of questions and everything is arranged beautifully. So we had a blast."

"There's no hierarchy. Everyone goes to the same party. You speak with short filmmakers, you speak with distributors or festival assistants."

"I felt so many of the things I learned was wrong, kill your darlings. Less is more. All of this bullshit that I don't believe in."

"It was my first feature feature film idea. It came in 2008. So I've been working with this for 18 years."

"I think the sibling relationship...it must be the most defining relationship we can have." 

"I always felt that there's my way or no way for me."

Links:

Hollywood Reporter Interview With Itonje

Follow Mer Film On Instagram

Andropia

Every Sunday, I'll post a quick video -- and podcast -- about an indie film from at least a year ago. Today's film: OKIE (2024)

Director: Kate Cobb

Writers: Boris Lojkine; Delphine Agut

Cast: Kevin Bigley; Kate Cobb; Scott Michael Foster; Dan Johnson

SYNOPSIS

Louie, a lauded writer, returns to his dilapidated hometown after his father's death. Confronted with a deluge of people from his past, Louie is forced to reconcile with the stories he's stolen, twisted, or downright exploited for profit.

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He put it together with the help of the Czech and Mexican governments, not an easy task, and now goes on to launch a streaming platform!

It takes guts. Let's celebrate that today with Alejandro.

In this episode, Alejandro and I talk about:

• how he launched Vilpa Max, a new platform available in the Middle East and the UK for award-winning short films;
• his start in filmmaking and what led him to starting his own streaming service;
• why the distinction of award-winning films as part of Vilpa Max;
• what's the pitch for an Oscar nominated short to wind up on Vilpa Max?;
• his advice for nominated filmmakers right now;
• the need to create high-quality films of your own if you want to attract those kind of filmmakers;
• the story behind THE UNDERTONE OF DAVID JENSEN (2026);
• how he handled the music playing in the film from actors who didn't know how to play the violin;
• putting together a film assisted by both the Czech and Mexican governments;
• "short films don't matter" -- his thoughts?;
• what's next for him and when Vilpa Max will launch in the United States.

Alejandro's Indie Filmmaker Highlight: Malachi Marlan

Memorable Quotes:

"It's all about the team that I got. I got all the best team that I could have with what I had."

"Most of us artists, we struggle to find out what's next, right?"

"I found there was...these films from the Oscars and Cannes Film Festival. They won and nobody knew about them. Why?" 

What's the pitch for Vilpa Max to filmmakers? "We make them make money with their films"

"I like to say we are all David Jensen."

"We're constantly scouting for new films."

"I don't think there's a single film in Vilpa Max that you would say, okay, that looks amateur."

Links:

Vilpa Max

Follow Alejandro on Instagram

Venezuela is in the news for things other than filmmaking, but that doesn't have to be the case. Let's appreciate the true artistry of filmmakers like Miguel.

In this episode, Miguel and I discuss:

• the radiance of the film and how it shows people what life is like in Venezuela;
• how the global news stories about Venezuela turned a spotlight on the country and its filmmakers;
• film school in Miami and how the city should be viewed in indie film;
• how his 11+ shorts led into this remarkable feature film;
• taking jobs you might not expect as a hidden strength;
• how he manages two companies -- Magic Films and Multi Movie Studios;
• what he's looking for in a director;
• how somebody should feel watching THE SHADOW OF THE SUN;
• why he imbued so much life into each of his characters in his film and why that's so rare;
• his commitment to shooting the film in Venezuela and what advice he'd give others on the process;
• his powerful answer about inspiring future Venezuelan filmmakers;
• how he got the nomination for Venezuela's entry to the Oscars;
• what's next for him, including a remake!

Miguel's Indie Film Highlights: Jeff Nichols; THE SEA INSIDE (2004) dir. by Alejandro Amenábar; J.A. Bayona

Memorable Quotes:

"What's been happening lately obviously puts a spotlight on Venezuela, a gigantic spotlight on Venezuela, and people start doing the research and start asking the right questions, they find a lot of truth that they didn't know about."

"As a filmmaker, you have to grab...the cards that life gives you and play them as best as you can."

"Everybody wants like instant gratification and everybody wants the David Fincher career, the Nolan career. Whereas Nolan never had to do a commercial or a music video."

"I want them to see themselves in these characters."

"Having done verticals and having done a movie for a studio very rare nowadays does a movie get made that is not by committee meaning you have to adhere to something that the studio needs to be done or that the producer, the production company, needs to get done."

"This one was one that when I got the kernel of the idea, it pulled me. I couldn't stop thinking about it. It pulled me and it pulled me, and I couldn't let it go until it was done on the page."

"That's what we wanted to capture in the film, the Venezuelan spirit."

"The moral of the story there is, listen to your girlfriend and to your mom."

Links:

Follow Miguel On Instagram

Miguel Ferrer's Website

Director: Antoine Barraud

Writers: Boris Lojkine; Delphine Agut

Cast: Abou Sangare; Alpha Oumar Sow; Nina Meurisse

SYNOPSIS

Judith leads a double life: two lovers, two sons in France and one daughter in Switzerland. Entangled in secrets and lies, her lives begin to shatter.

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As you hear in the intro, we talk about women in film and the lack of representation, as Sara served as president of Women in Film & Video, and through our conversation, I say she's forceful...because she is. But as I came up with that intro, I reflected on that: is that an attribute I'd give some guy? No. Because he'd be just being a guy.

So a better way of putting it is Sara is how all people should be in film, regardless of gender: fierce advocates for their art.

In this conversation, Sara and I discuss:

• her name being next to the director and producer on the poster;
• the story of DAD GENES and what the premiere was like in NYC;
• how she got her start in filmmaking;
• should directors know how to edit?;
• do you need to have a forceful personality to be a great editor?;
• looking back on her film, LITTLE BUT FIERCE (2020), and what she learned from it;
• finding issue areas to pursue as a documentary filmmaker;
• the quick 60 minute+ run time and her support for short feature docs;
• whether she loves the producing job -- on ads, yes; on films, no;
• progress on women in film;
• what's next for her and innovation in political advertising.

Sara's Indie Film Highlights: THE SOCIAL DILEMMA (2020) dir. by Jeff Orlowski; THE GREAT HACK (2019) dir. by Karim Amer and Jehane Noujaim; THE LAUNDROMAT (2019) dir. by Steven Soderbergh

Memorable Quotes:

"I don't think most people realize this, but when it comes to documentary filmmaker, the editor does a lot more than just piecing it together."

"It was my first time seeing it with an audience. It was my first time seeing it on a screen larger than my laptop. And so I kept being like, oh my God, it looks so good. It sounds good. Okay, this is like a real movie."

"I was the kid who was making all the neighborhood kids perform in backyard plays for our parents growing up."

"The best people on set are the ones who know how to do everyone's jobs."

"Yeah, I can edit this film, but you have to let me do my job."

"When I'm in pain, when my back goes out, there's not enough weed on this planet."

"The second you stop recording is when they say something amazing."

"I have a ADHD, I'm like, come on man. We gotta keep this moving."

Links:

Sara Barger's Website

Watch LITTLE BUT FIERCE (2020)

I know Sara -- she was one of the excellent instructors at my George Washington documentary film certificate program -- and the kind of teamwork that puts the three of their names together on the poster for DAD GENES is the kind of team I want to have on the show. I'll talk with Sara for the next episode.

DAD GENES is a film that's worth a close look, for what it says about American society and the tremendous team that put it together.

In this episode, Craig and I discuss:

• the crazy over half-a-decade path to making the film;
• how he got started in filmmaking -- as a kindergarten teacher! -- and then off to Latin America and Iceland filming messaging videos for non-profits;
• if people have to go the influencer router versus what he did to get started;
• what brought him to documentary?
• the story of DAD GENES and what people should expect when they watch;
• how they took seven years of footage and made it understandable;
• the improvement of his skillset as filming went on;
• the state of documentary and the quick ruintime;
• what he's working on next.

Craig's Indie Film Highlight: POW WOW (2016) dir. by Robinson Devor

Memorable Quotes:

"And Matt [the producer of DAD GENES] called me and he was like, hey Greg, do you know any directors that might be interested in working on this? And I was like, yeah, Matt, me."

"If I took a video of someone walking out of Trader Joe's with avocados, they'd be like that's a pretty good shot, Craig, whatever. But if I took the exact same context of someone walking out of a Guatemalan market with a bag of avocados, you're like, whoa, that's amazing." 

"It is not necessarily just documentary, it's for me...where is the story?"

"My producer and publicist is we gotta tell 'em something about the movie or that they're not gonna know what's going on. Yeah, okay, that's fair, but don't play all the cards."

"I felt like if you watch this movie, you see the development and the maturity of my ability to make interviews happen."

"I think the runtime will be dictated by the story."

Links:

DAD GENES Website

Follow Craig Downing On Instagram

Every Sunday, I'll post a quick video -- and podcast -- about an indie film from at least a year ago. Today's film: SOULEYMANE'S STORY (2024)

Director: Boris Lojkine

Writer: Boris Lojkine; Delphine Agut

Cast: Abou Sangare; Alpha Oumar Sow; Nina Meurisse

SYNOPSIS

Souleymane, an asylum-seeking cyclist who delivers meals in Paris, has only two days to prepare for a crucial interview. This interview will determine his residence permit status.

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In this episode, Jeffrey and I discuss:

• what's the best way to describe his newest film;
• how he got started in filmmaking;
• why he's interested in the human element of history;
• film in documentaries and his view on hybrid docs and re-enactments;
• the political environment and reaction if he announced he was doing a documentary on any sort of figure today versus when he did 41 (2012);
• the wild and bold story of how he secured the ability to make THE MAN WITH THE HAT;
• what he owes a subject as a documentarian;
• how he structured THE MAN WITH THE HAT;
• the name of the film and how he chooses topics;
• what's next for him.

Jeffrey's Indie Film Highlight: FOR ALL MANKIND (1989) dir. by Al Reinert

Memorable Quotes:

"It's always one step ahead of you then where you really think that you should be." 

"I was with a buddy at a an event with these Apollo astronauts and we were just sitting around listening to them. And somebody had just mentioned it would be very interesting to see and watch a story about who they are as opposed to the science or the technology."

"41 is not how to love or hate a Republican. It's about a story and a man...who happened to become president."

"I would rather go to Egypt and shoot the antiquities there and shoot it either artistically, stylistically, whatever you wanna call it rather than get on a set."

"I don't think the [political atmosphere] has changed. I would say it's probably heightened."

"They made a big event with George and Barbara, with eight Apollo astronauts, six of the guys that walked on the moon in this one event. We showed the room and I walked out of there that night thinking I'll never see this guy again. But that was fun."

"I owe them respect. I owe them honesty and to try to let them know really what the goal is. I don't want to tell them too much about what I'm trying to do. Because I don't want them to think about it. I want to...try to get the real person if I can. So when I'm sitting in an interview situation, I do not like to give the questions in advance."

"I don't like to put somebody's name or really hit home to make the title too specific to what you're doing."

Links:

Watch THE MAN WITH THE HAT (2026)

Follow THE MAN WITH THE HAT

Every Sunday, I'll post a quick video -- and podcast -- about an indie film from at least a year ago. Today's film: TO THE WONDER (2012)

Director: Terrence Malick

Writer: Terrence Malick

Cast: Ben Affleck; Olga Kurylenko; Javier Bardem

SYNOPSIS

After falling in love in Paris, Marina and Neil come to Oklahoma, where problems arise. Their church's Spanish-born pastor struggles with his faith, while Neil encounters a woman from his childhood.

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And if this sounds heavy, that's the duopoly of sometimes difficult service. I can't speak to any other profession like medicine that often walks the line so closely with the fragility of life, but in the military, a positive outlook even in the harshest conditions is the only way you'll make it through, and that spirit is reflected today on the podcast. Welcome to our world. 

In this episode, Robert and I discuss:

• the instant rapport of veterans, immaterial of branch and age;
• how he joined the military as a combat cameraman and the advice he'd giving aspiring filmmakers thinking about joining the military (OCS is officer candidate school; new recruits can attend with a four-year degree);
• how he became the most decorated combat cameraperson in Army history;
• graduate school at USC and earning a Tillman Scholarship from the Pat Tillman Foundation;
• why he started his own production company, HAMMR Productions;
• the challenge of showing PTSD on screen and what he thinks of veteran-focused films;
• weighing his own mental health with making realistic films about painful parts of his life;
• his reflections on MADE WITH MELANIE (2022) and his advice for people embarking on a similar journey;
• releasing indie films on YouTube;
• working on different topics than military related films?
• how INTERPRETERS WANTED (2023) is a great primer for learning more about the U.S. relationship with Afghanistan;
• why he edits his own projects;
• the story behind ZZASLOW K-427 (2025), which is screening in NYC on January 18th;
• the festival strategy for his films;
• what's next for him.

Robert's Indie Film Highlights: WARFARE (2025) dir. by Ray Mendoza; MY DEAD FRIEND ZOE (2024) dir. by Kyle Hausmann-Stokes; HOLLYWOOD GRIT (2025) dir. by Ryan Curtis; SAND CASTLE (2017) dir. by Fernando Coimbra and Chris Roessner; Rebecca Murga; Maximilian Uriarte; Mike Dowling

Memorable Quotes:

"As going through the unique experience of being in the military and then coming out of the military and now being labeled a veteran, which becomes so much part of our personality...when I meet other veterans, it is that common bond."

"I did extra work. I was a Marine in FLAGS OF OUR FATHERS (2006) as an extra."

"Same thing with everybody in the military. It's hard. You're asked to do morally complicated things that you have to then live with. And so that's the first thing that I would approach it with is that like, where do you stand?"

"It feels like the further you get away from the source of anything, the further from the truth you're gonna get, right?"

"I've always used the camera to almost separate myself from the trauma."

"All I could do was film. I don't know, I'm not a doctor, I'm not, I'm like trying to read these crazy things that she's researching and that we're looking together and taking notes when doctors tell us diagnoses and what we're trying to do and what options and medicines and stuff I've never heard of before."

"We had the conversation about how we share this with the world and she just basically said, I trust you." 

"She was a great person. She was a wonderful woman. She deserved a film to be made about her." 

"It does come back down to my own inability to know how to help a helpless situation."

"I have four kids. I'm married, I have a mortgage. So whoever calls up and says, we got a budget, I'm like, okay, let's do this."

"I'm very self-critical of my edits and I don't hold onto things very closely. As a director, you shoot something and you're like, oh, this is it. And then the editor has to be like, no, that wasn't it."

Links:

Follow Robert On Instagram

HAMMR Productions

Watch MADE WITH MELANIE (2022)

An experimental dance film? A psychological coming of age horror? Sign me up for the next few years of Sam Mandich's work. What an astonishing person and I'm so glad to talk with her today for the pod.

In this episode, Sam and I discuss:

• how dance informs her filmmaking;
• the amazing through-line in dance, conformity, and coming of age stories;
• what she got out of attending incredibly selective programs like the Paris College of Art and the American Film Institute;
• why she was selected by her peers at programs like these for higher honors and how it relates back to dance;
• the signs that people handled selective opportunities poorly;
• the simplicity -- and complexity -- of her latest works like JIA (2025) and ANGELS;
• her work on a new experimental dance film (!!);
• what it is like for her directing other peoples' projects;
• how she developed her writing skills and working on a script she didn't write;
• the fact that coming of age stories have become more immediately told and what that means for the future;
• the various stages of release for her films and the emphasis of top film schools on festivals;
• what Square Peg Social was like for her;
• what's next.

Sam's Indie Film Highlight: MA (2015) dir. by Celia Rowlson Hall

Memorable Quotes:

"when I was living in New York and commuting everywhere with my headphones on, suddenly everyone's a dancer."

"With dance, it's so interesting because it's an art that's about honing in on your personal craft, and how your singular way of expression feels."

"Going back to dance, there's been so many times where you're thrown into environments where you don't know anyone and you're immediately expected to be open and soft and receive like people's most vulnerable stories and then tell them through your own body."

"All of these experiences I've been reflecting on so much when I'm doing...I try to journal every morning and try to understand why I am feeling the way I'm feeling about something."

"Even though art is so personal, it's really healthy to try to not take things personally."

"Directing is a pretty lonely profession...so I think for certain stories, I'm really drawn to collaboration for that sense."

"Working on my own scripts, there is a certain vulnerability that comes with the solitude of that...manifests in the story as well."

"When you're choosing to make a film with someone, you're choosing to be in a relationship with them. So it's it's a little bit of you. It's a little bit of me, and we figure it out together."

"Coming of age can happen at any age."

Links:

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Sam Mandich's Website

Director: James Ponsoldt

Screenplay: Donald Margulies

Cast: Jason Segal; Jesse Eisenberg

SYNOPSIS

David Lipsky, a reporter with the Rolling Stone magazine, interviews acclaimed novelist David Foster Wallace for five days, during which they form a unique bond.

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In this episode, Jonny and I discuss:

• whether his sense of humor is a reason for his success;
• naming a film G.S.W. and what he wants people to know going into watching it;
• his transition between advertising and filmmaking;
• how advertising informs his filmmaking;
• the release strategy process for short films and what he might do differently;
• his ability to find great actors for his films and its affect on getting his films made;
• don't be shy on sending out your script if you believe in it!;
• casting for short films;
• how the US market views the film given the higher rate of gun violence;
• making indie films in Britain.
• what's next for him.

Jonny's Indie Film Highlight: A FRIEND OF DOROTHY (2025) dir. by Lee Knight; PROTEIN (2024) dir. by Tony Burke

Memorable Quotes:

"I grew up quite in a rural area, so to...say to someone, I want to be a film director, they might as well have said, I wanna be a NASA astronaut."

"For short films in particular, you really have to be tight with your story because there's no...time to spare."

"And then I put the phone down and immediately pick up the phone to the producer, and said good news and bad news. Good news: Genevieve's in. Bad news: we've got five weeks."

"One of the things I've learned is to always leave space for the actors to do their thing."

"I feel like the kind of the talent of people coming through is so much greater than it's ever been. It's just I feel now that we could be in a golden age of short film really, or independent film, hopefully."

Links:

Follow GSW On Instagram

Jonny Durgan's Website

It's hard for me to conjure up another word for Joecar Hanna's award-winning short films, DELIVER ME (2003) and TALK ME (2025), other than: masterpiece. They push the boundaries of cost, intimacy, and what the medium itself can deliver. If you're able to see them -- maybe reach out to Joecar on social media and be nice, it might work -- do so. Near the end of the episode, he gets to an important point: intimacy content still hasn't been taken over by AI.

What a unique filmmaker here today for the podcast; director/writer/actor, even willing to work blue, Joecar Hanna.

In this episode, Joecar and I discuss:

• what it's like having masterpieces of short films unavailable for viewing;
• if there's a part of filmmaking that doesn't appeal to him;
• how he got started in filmmaking and why he decided to get his MFA at NYU;
• telling "your story" if you don't have a story to tell;
• changing "find your voice" to "find your perspective";
• how to think of his last two films with similar names;
• his ability to pull off so many things with his films -- art department, makeup, intimacy coordination -- with so little money;
• the focus of his art at the intersection of intimacy and love;
• the amazing story (and Spike Lee's encouragement) about him acting in intimate scenes;
• why so many filmmakers shy away from the level of intimacy that's in his projects;
• if he's happy with NYU's focus on top festivals and his recommendations for others;
• what people are looking for in films if it's not quality?
• his next project and how people should approach film festivals.

Joecar's Indie Film Highlights: AFTER THIS DEATH (2025) dir. by Lucio Castro; DRUNKEN NOODLES (2025) dir. by Lucio Castro; THE MAN FROM EARTH (2007) dir. by Richard Schenkman

Memorable Quotes:

"And they always tell you to keep it private and to preserve the status and all this kinds of things, right? That, for a short, I sometimes wonder really if it's necessary."

"Racism in Europe -- in particular, Spain -- is completely different to how racism could be here, right? It's more invisible. It's more like little details."

"Do I need to go to film school? And the truth is I could focus while I had all the other crafts, I could focus on the last one that I needed to train, which was writing." 

"How can I tell this story and can I condense when I don't have tools or I don't have money." 

"When you're in film school and you have many people helping you, obviously they're not getting paid."

"For TALK ME, I had to go back and ask every single person I knew for the last 20 years favors."

"I really like to talk about what I call little prisons of, or cages, from people...that we like to put ourselves in."

"They have to know me and they have to know that I'm not a creepy person that is just...trying to get everyone naked."

"There's 300 people in this room seeing our butts right now." 

"When I won TIFF, no one called me next day." 

"We can't be too precious about what we have."

"Even if you go to Sundance Labs right now, you can find people struggling with financing. You better hurry."

"Good thing for now is the [AI] limitation with intimacy content is not allowing people to do that yet."

Links:

Follow Joecar On Instagram

Joecar Hanna

Every Sunday, I'll post a quick video -- and podcast -- about an indie film from at least a year ago. Today's film: BUNNY (2025)

Director: Ben Jacobson

Writers: Mo Stark; Ben Jacobson; Stefan Marolachakis

Cast: Mo Stark; Ben Jacobson; Liza Colby

SYNOPSIS

Over one wild summer day and night in their East Village tenement, streetwise hustler Bunny and his friend Dino scheme with a crew of eccentric neighbors to cover up a dead body. Chaos reigns as the clock ticks and the heat rises.

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Considering most of the episodes now from the previous three seasons are under paywall, the first episode of the New Year simply has to be excellent. It's what listeners throughout the year probably will listen to first, and thankfully, I found a guest that absolutely exceeds any expectation a listener might have when they click play: director Robert Kolodny of THE FEATHERWEIGHT (2023).

If you google Criterion Collection, Robert's name, and Reddit, you'll get the comment I reference here about how he's going to be a "GOAT filmmaker in a couple of years, up there with Scorsese, Anderson, Fincher. Just watch."

I didn't write it, but I wish I had.

In this episode, Robert and I discuss:

• the obsession of what's next, from filmmaking to college football, and what that means for directors;
• how he got his start and his incredible preparation work of watching films for his craft;
• how he watches other films and his thoughts on film criticism;
• what he learned on his 14 year path from cinematography to directing his first feature;
• what he's looking for in terms of working on a project;
• the genesis of THE FEATHERWEIGHT and what people should expect to watch;
• how he came up with the style of the faux documentary for the film;
• the invented crew members for the film to help the actors;
• why there are so many siblings in independent films;
• whether indie filmmakers can go too far in pretentiousness;
• if THE FEATHERWEIGHT felt like a documentary while filming and his thoughts on the genre;
• AI in indie films;
• the incredible score in THE FEATHERWEIGHT and why the music was so important for the film;
• the casting process and the BAND OF BROTHERS (2001) connection;
• the underrated nature of this film;
• what he'd do differently for the release strategy of the film;
• what's next for him.

Robert's Indie Film Highlights: PREDATORS (2025) dir. by David Osit; ZODIAC KILLER PROJECT (2025) dir. by Charlie Shackleton; EEPHUS (2024) dir. by Carson Lund; PETER HUJAR'S DAY (2025) dir. by Ira Sachs

Memorable Quotes:

"My philosophy has always been, in order to be a filmmaker, you have to be a working filmmaker. Now that doesn't just mean being a technician, but it does mean putting the hours in and looking at what contemporary cinema is and trying to be attached to it in as many meaningful ways as possible."

"I've been incredibly privileged that there's never really been a time in my life where I did not know this is what I wanted to do."

"I keep...a very extensive spreadsheet...it's December 11th that we're recording this. I have watched 362 movies in the year 2025 so far. And I'll probably get up to 380."

"Will it be able to...hold the amount of prestige that I am attributing to it? That I believe that it deserves. You're like a parent waiting for your kid to get into college."

"Do I think that some kind of digital actor is gonna give a better performance than a real actor? I would rather boil myself in a pot of soup than even consider such a ridiculous question."

"There's a ton of music in the film but most of it is hidden. I could see people watching the film and being like there's just that one song at the end, which is not true." 

Why the music was so important to him: "It's partially because I'm an insane person. And partially because, you're working in a period piece, right? The film takes place in 1964 and then intermittently in 1941. And if we're going to sell the idea of this is a documentary that was made half a century ago, how are we gonna stand up and believe in that?"

"The originator of the idea of making this movie about Willie Pep was James Madio."

"Despite people being like, oh, there's no good movies out. That's a fucking lie."

Links:

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Watch THE FEATHERWEIGHT On Mubi

It's the perfect time to catch up with its director.

In this episode, Charles and I discuss:

• what makes a great Christmas film and why CHRISTMAS, AGAIN fits that bill;
• how he got involved in filmmaking;
• the truly insane story of creating your own tree stand and running it for FIVE years as a gateway for the film;
• how the film is a great case study for his students;
• how the film heralded so much great indie film talent for the subsequent decade;
• that film v. digital is such a project-specific question;
• who should be attending film school?
• the "everyone is a filmmaker" phrase and what that means for students and emerging filmmakers;
• what's next for him and avoiding cultural references in a film so that it ages better, especially for Christmas films.

Charles' Indie Film Highlight: OBEX (2025) dir. by Albert Birney

Memorable Quotes:

"Every year there's a little bit of bump in people who discover it."

"People really appreciate the familiarity of Christmas tree sellers in New York." 

"There'd be a lot of complications trying to shoot a film like this at somebody else's Christmas tree stand." 

"And then the third year we shot the film at the Christmas tree stand while it was open. So we had people working there selling trees while we were shooting. Our actors would stop and sell trees if customers came up right."

"I was working documentaries. I'd never made a feature. I hadn't even made a fiction short since college at this point. My boss very smartly at the time was like, don't make a short, make a feature. And I was like I don't even know what I'm doing."

"And I've shot some stuff on an iPhone and even if someone gave me a million dollars, I wouldn't have shot it on 35 because it just wasn't the right thing to do." 

"Shooting on film is more than just like an aesthetic look of a one frame versus another frame."

"Especially with cinephiles, we all kinda approach this as like, film is a holy thing that we have and let's treat it that way."

Links:

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Watch CHRISTMAS, AGAIN (2014)

Every Sunday, I'll post a quick video -- and podcast -- about an indie film from at least a year ago. Today's film: CHRISTMAS EVE IN MILLER'S POINT (2024)

Director: Tyler Taormina

Writers: Eric Berger; Tyler Taormina; Kevin Anton

Cast: Matilda Fleming; Francesca Scorsese; Maria Dizzia

SYNOPSIS

A family gathers on Christmas Eve for what could be the last holiday in their ancestral home. As the night wears on and tensions arise, one of the teenagers sneaks out with her friends to claim the wintry suburb for her own.

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In my discussion with director Jaydon Martin, we delve into what is truly fiction in a documentary; his work at moving furniture to support his vision; and his advice for indie filmmakers embarking on their first feature.

It's astonishing filmmaking from the Australian, and I cannot wait to watch what's next.

In this episode, Jaydon and I discuss:

• the North American premiere for FLATHEAD and why he decided to make such an intimate film about his characters;
• how an award for the film at the Melbourne International Film Festival allowed him to stop moving furniture at night;
• finding his filmmaking system that works for him;
• how his career prepared him for FLATHEAD and his views on the concept of fictionalization in documentary;
• the unique docufiction nature of the film -- it's like nothing you've seen before;
• the dilemma about truth and how the film would be different if he had gone to film school;
• film v. digital;
• whether he'd use AI or not;
• the importance to him of the International Film Festival Rotterdam and how he views Australia's place in the world;
• whether the Australian government can do more;
• how indie filmmakers should view their careers;
• what's next for him and his advice from the festival run of FLATHEAD.

Jaydon's Indie Film Highlight: SONG OF ALL ENDS (2024) dir. by Giovanni C. Lorusso

Memorable Quotes:

"A lot of working class cinema or just media in general, it's always from a distance." 

"That was all just, talking through and establishing trust and establishing a relationship where, you go, all right, we want to do an intimate scene. And Cass was like, yeah, just, come in boys in the morning, I'll be stark naked."

"That award has set me up. I'm working on two features right now."

"I think sometimes you get into a trap if you try to work for industry jobs, you get burnt out. If you sat in an edit room four days a week, it's hard to jump into your own edit." 

"Mindless work is great because it's you can think about anything. You can dream away while you're moving a desk, moving furniture."

"That's how you capture intimacy because if there's three people, two people there, the camera just fades away eventually after a while." 

"I've got a version of myself which is different to my partner's version of me or my friend's version of me or someone I work with. I've got different versions of myself in this world. Which is the most truthful version of yourself?"

"I'm a big believer in trying to create an aesthetic of now rather than an aesthetic of nostalgia."

"People get wrapped up about...this nostalgia about the tools."

"And realistically, I can't pitch an idea, go, all right, can you gimme money? And two years later I'll have something to show you."

"For any young filmmakers, I think EPs (executive producers) help a lot as well. Getting good eps that can get your film in front of programmers."

Links:

Watch FLATHEAD On IndiePix Unlimited

Follow Jaydon On Instagram

Let's get REQUIEM over the line. Happy holidays.

• In this episode, Jeremy and I discuss:
• the crowdfunding video and how he describes REQUIEM FOR A SOLDIER;
• what defines a good war film;
• why REQUIEM is a documentary rather than a narrative project;
• why they decided to crowdfund the film and use Seed & Spark specifically;
• the landscape for grants right now;
• the 60 day length of their campaign versus shorter options;
• the visual style he brings to documentary filmmaking and why they are weaving animation into the story;
• what he wishes existed for parents and fathers on film sets;
• the next few months for the film.

Jeremy's Indie Film Highlights: THE ZONE OF INTEREST (2023) dir. by Jonathan Glazer; LITTLE DEATH (2024) dir. by Jack Begert

Memorable Quotes:

"The interview we did with him to shoot this kind of teaser was a seven hour interview, and Peter just has story after story."

"It is the story of a Vietnam veteran who in his last weeks of service, found a Vietnamese soldier's diary, and 56 years later returned it to the soldier's family."

"I feel like financing a film is harder than actually making the film."

About one of the subjects of the documentary: "He struggled with a lot. He struggled with PTSD. He was an alcoholic, he was homeless, divorced arrested, and never lost the diary."

"I've never done a crowdfunding campaign before and I've always pushed it off until I found a project that I really cared about."

"[Animation] works so well for war...because I think that war is probably one of those things that you can't really understand unless you've lived through it and as somebody who hasn't lived through it, it's hard to ever fully understand it. I think love is honestly on that same spectrum."

"It is a really hard industry...to have kids in, be a filmmaker and to have kids in our industry. You get locked in to staying local. And I think there's a reason, Terrence Malick took 20 years off of being a filmmaker so he could watch his, so he could actually raise his children."

Links:

Donate To REQUIEM FOR A SOLDIER

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Follow Jeremy On Instagram

Director: Edward Burns

Writer: Edward Burns

Cast: Jack Mulcahy; Michael McGlone; Edward Burns

SYNOPSIS

Three Irish Catholic brothers from Long Island struggle to deal with love, marriage, and infidelity.

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What David and especially his co-director, Pasha Talankin did was make a film at great personal risk because it's so cutting towards the Russian authoritarian regime. And astonishingly, as David shares in the podcast, he wants to do more of these stories in repressed societies.

Thank God there are people like David and Pasha. Denmark's nominee for best international film at the 2026 Oscars is an absolute gem.

In this episode, David and I discuss:

• the simplicity of the documentary and whether the overwhelmingly positive reaction surprised him;
• how he got started in filmmaking and his familiarity with heavily propagandistic societies;
• the difference between journalism and documentary filmmaking (he has an incredible answer here);
• the debates with his co-director about the concept of propaganda;
• how cool it would be to see a documentary or podcast on the making of MR NOBODY;
• logistically, how did the film happen?;
• how his co-director became knowledgeable behind the camera;
• advice for anybody interested in doing a project like this, especially when you aren't in the same place as your co-director!;
• how he edited the project and who got the line credit for it;
• how we can better support filmmakers in places like China and Russia;
• when the film will be available for streaming and the challenges of finding distribution in the United States;
• the clash between US and Europe distributors for documentary films;
• what's next for him.

David's Indie Filmmaker Highlight: Nathan Fielder

Memorable Quotes:

"The co-director, he actually responded to a casting call in the beginning. So in the beginning, we were filming him as a character."

"The very first time that I was involved with cameras of any sort was actually as a Chinese speaking host on Chinese TV."

"if you are a quite fluent foreign speaker of Chinese living in China, they'll find you after a while. You are a curiosity to Chinese audiences."

"[John Grierson] defined documentary in a very special way. He didn't define it as journalism per se. He actually called it the propaganda of democracy."

"There were so many points where I thought about quitting or walking away 'cause it was so hard. But don't give up." 

"The way I work with editors is I make a rough cut myself and then I deliver it to editors to work for a little bit of time to challenge me." 

"I think it's really important as director to be generous."

"[The film] is resonating with people in Russia and not necessarily people who are already part of the Russian opposition."

"I'm still really interested in getting into the big kind of countries that we don't understand enough, Russia and China."

Links:

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Follow MR NOBODY AGAINST PUTIN

Every Sunday, I'll post a quick video -- and podcast -- about an indie film from at least a year ago. Today's film: CHRISTMAS, AGAIN (2014)

Director: Charles Poekel

Writer: Charles Poekel

Cast: Kentucker Audley

SYNOPSIS

A heartbroken Christmas tree salesman returns to New York hoping to put his past behind him. He spends the season living in a trailer and working the night shift until a mysterious woman and some colourful customers rescue him from self-destruction.

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Every Sunday, I'll post a quick video -- and podcast -- about an indie film from at least a year ago. Today's film: THE FEATHERWEIGHT (2023)

Director: Robert Kolodny

Writers: Tyler Taormina; Eric Berger

Cast: James Madio; Ruby Wolf; Keir Gilchrist

SYNOPSIS

In 1964, a camera crew follows retired featherweight boxing champion Willie Pep. Down and out in Hartford, Conn., married to a woman half his age and facing mounting debts, Pep decides to return to the ring.

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Every Sunday, I'll post a quick video -- and podcast -- about an indie film from at least a year ago. Today's film: HAM ON RYE (2019)

Director: Tyler Taormina

Writers: Tyler Taormina; Eric Berger

Cast: Haley Bodell; Audrey Boos; Gabriella Herrera

SYNOPSIS

A bizarre rite of passage at the local deli determines the fate of a generation of teenagers, leading some to escape their suburban town and dooming others to remain.

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His story is an extraordinary one -- majoring in computer science at UCLA in 2020 to some of the most prestigious student awards and fellowships in filmmaking. How did he get there? Let's find out.

Also, watch LAYOVER before listening. A Vimeo Staff Pick, it will be with you for awhile.

In this episode, Taylor and I talk about:

• what surprises him in short films now;
• his reaction to winning the 2025 Grad Film Volker Bahnemann Award for Outstanding Cinematography;
• his amazing story of pivoting from software engineering to filmmaking;
• his film viewing background before beginning graduate school and did it help or hinder his start;
• his contentment with film school (versus YouTube) and what he would tell a software engineer thinking of making the same leap he did;
• what drew him to cinematography;
• how he chooses which directors to work with;
• how he describes his own visual style;
• why he didn't shoot his directorial debut;
• what it was like as a writer/director vs. cinematographer or director;
• do cinematographers become harder to work with as they become more established?
• his directorial debut, LAYOVER, and what to expect when watching it;
• how he feels about editing his films;
• his relationship with receiving feedback;
• a geeky military uniform question (he used outdated uniforms in service of the script -- really genius);
• how is LAYOVER different than what he expected?
• what's next for him with PARKSIDE EAST and how it'll be released;
• the Spike Lee production grants and how they work for NYU students;
• how much gear matters to him.

Taylor's Indie Film Highlight: THE LOVE THAT REMAINS (2025) dir. by Hlynur Pálmason

Memorable Quotes:

"Recently I've been pretty drawn to filmmakers who...are very aware that an audience is watching the film and that the audience wants to be surprised."

"In terms of a fresh perspective....I think I still need to watch more movies, honestly. I think it helps."

"Sometimes it's my prep with directors. I'll ask them to give me like 10 of their favorite films."

"I learned pretty much everything I know from film school, and from YouTube, and really just doing it. I think that film school offers you an opportunity to just keep doing it."

"In an ideal world, you would look at several of my films and not see the same cinematographer."

"if you look at my reel, my cinematography reel, you'll see the same cinematographer. But that's just because I choose the best wide shots for the reel."

"The role of the director is really to have the vision and to communicate that vision to your crew and to your actors. And if I were to shoot it at the same time...I would need two of myself."

"Directors should treat each film like it's the last film that they're going to direct and cinematographers should treat each film like it's the first film that they shot."

"One of my professors always said, your relationship to feedback will define your graduate school experience."

"PARKSIDE EAST, it was all my classmates. There was no paid crew."

Links:

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Check Out Taylor's Reel

Every Sunday, I'll post a quick video -- and podcast -- about an indie film from at least a year ago. Today's film: GHOST TRAIL

Director: Jonathan Millet

Writers: Jonathan Millet; Florence Rochat; Sara Wikler

Cast: Adam Bessa; Tawfeek Barhom; Julia Franz Richter

SYNOPSIS

Hamid is a member of a secret organisation pursuing Syrian regime's fugitive leaders in Europe. He ends up in Strasbourg while searching for his former torturer. What happens when they finally meet?

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In this episode, Brett and I discuss:

the future documentary on the 2025 NYC Mayoral race (not by her, unfortunately);

how she came upon her unique style of documentary filmmaking;

does she watch a lot of documentaries?

her feelings towards her films entering the Criterion Collection and what that means about her art;

whether the honors has made pitching projects easier;

what about her work is particularly Canadian?

how does she start her documentaries and her process for making her films;

the visual attractiveness of her documentaries;

the festival and release strategy for her films;

how can someone with no name recognition make it into a big festival;

her film, UNION, and the tradeoffs doc filmmakers have to make to get their films made;

what’s next for her (such an incredible next project, combining art + film, called PRODUCTION OF THE WORLD;

Brett's Indie Film Highlights: THE IMAGE YOU MISSED (2018) dir. by Dónal Foreman; Deborah Stratman; Jem Cohen

Links:

The Criterion Channel - Brett Story

I'm looking to support more veteran actors, producers, directors...filmmakers. And we need more filmmakers like Geoff telling these kinds of deeply researched stories.

In this episode, Geoff and I talk about:

• how he got started in filmmaking;
• what led him to make FRAY;
• the intense research from friends and veterans before he made his first feature;
• how he would describe the film, FRAY;
• the amazing subtlety in the film -- he doesn't show the characters as completely broken, as so many other veterans' films do;
• what the lead actor, Bryan Kaplan, brought to the role;
• whether his film is more sensitive and accurate to the veteran experience because he hasn't served and will concentrate more on getting the details right;
• has he watched the film lately and what would he change about it now;
• what's he working on now -- how he's getting back into short films;
• his advice for students graduating film school;
• the importance (or not) of having social media in indie filmmaking.

Geoff's Indie Film Highlight: OVATION (2025) dir. by Noam Kroll; Al Profit

Memorable Quotes:

"A few of them really let me just follow them. I stayed overnight under a bridge with one guy, walking through the woods where one of them would sleep at night."

"Another big motivator of it was so many of the vets that I did know and got to meet during that time would just trash talk the way that movies portrayed them." 

"I jokingly refer to it as a 94 minute montage of misery."

"One of the worst pieces of advice...and it's so ubiquitous, it's annoying, is write what you know, which isn't wrong, but it's mistaken all the time." 

"There's no music throughout the entire film other than location music."

"I honestly don't know how a lot of these things get funded other than like venture capital and money laundering. And unfortunately, I don't know any money launderers or VC investors."

"I'm fortunate FRAY still gets at least 10,000 views a month. Unfortunately, I get literally 2 cents every time somebody watches it."

"Can you cut out the the cursing,the drugs, the sex, and the violence? I'm like, that's the whole movie."

"If you're in USC, you're gonna have the connections. They're gonna place you in the industry."

"Trust your voice. Don't try to do what someone else is doing. Don't try to do what you think is popular."

Links:

Follow Geoff On Instagram

Watch FRAY Now

Every Sunday, I'll post a quick video -- and podcast -- about an indie film from at least a year ago. Today's film: JIMMY AND CAROLYN (2022)

Director: James Andrew Walsh

Writer: James Andrew Walsh

Cast: Alberto Bonilla; Mark H Dold; Gregory Harrison

SYNOPSIS

An emotional crisis threatens to destroy James and William's 20-year relationship.

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Every Sunday, I'll post a quick video -- and podcast -- about an indie film from at least a year ago. Today's film: THE PROBLEM WITH PEOPLE (2023)

Director: Chris Cottam

Writer: Wally Marzano-Lesnevich

Cast: Paul Reiser; Colm Meaney; Jane Levy

SYNOPSIS

Things don't go as planned when two distant cousins -- one from New York City, the other from Ireland -- come together to finally put an end to a generations-long family feud.

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Every Sunday, I'll post a quick video -- and podcast -- about an indie film from at least a year ago. Today's film: INHERITANCE (2024).

Director: Emily Moss Wilson

Writer: Rachel Noll James; Austin Highsmith Garces

Cast: Austin Highsmith Garces; Rachel Noll James; Wes Brown

SYNOPSIS

Estranged sisters Lucy and Paige reunite to bury their father, becoming entangled in the complicated web of their past as they realize that they have inherited more from their father than just money.

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At the end of each episode, I ask my guest if they’d like to highlight someone else, given how hard indie filmmaking is. It’s called the indie film highlight. And of course they do. My guest today, Ömer Sami, is the only person who was nominated on two separate occasions and that speaks to both how well respected he is amongst his peers but how groundbreaking his filmmaking is. 

In this conversation, I get to find out why that is, and I think it’s partially due to his interest in psychology. His background gives him the skillset to better understand the human condition and then portray it on film. Or maybe he’s just a fantastic guy who supports his fellow filmmakers. Why can’t it be both? 

In this episode, Ömer and I discuss:

• How does he feel about the respect he’s garnered amongst his peers;
• His unique educational background — he went to LA to study psychology and Denmark for film school;
• How to become a filmmaker in Denmark (important note: neither of us are providing immigration advice!);
• What made him decide to head into documentary?
• His film, ETERNAL FATHER (2023), and how he views the burgeoning “don’t die” movement;
• How he built trust to be able to film such a personal documentary;
• Why is he working on a feature now and the role of short docs vs. short narratives;
• What’s next for him — a feature length doc on the “Indiana Jones of Scotland”;
• What it’s like taking short films to festivals;
• Festivals and filmmaking in Denmark. 

Ömer ’s Indie Film Highlight: BALOMANIA (2024) dir. by Sissel Dargis Morell

Memorable Quotes:

“The question that I was always interested in was what it’s like to be someone in a specific situation. I studied psychology because I was interested in consciousness of what it’s like to be another being. And then I found out that film was actually a much better way of conveying that emotionally.”

“Generally I love working with kids because they have an unfiltered, immediate way of seeing the world.”

“In the case of the kids, my experience is that they have to get bored of it. And when the novelty wears off, that’s when the interesting things start happening. And in the case of adults, I think a lot of documentary is about performance, how intentional that is.”

“Short documentaries are often tied to news outlets, so people are used to consuming shorter form content. And I’m not a snob at all about length. I think it’s ridiculous this idea that the feature is a kind of holy grail of filmmaking.”

“I think often you leave feeling that film could be shorter. It’s very rare that it could have been longer.”

“The shorts that work best for me are the ones that embrace the limits and the constraints of this sort form instead of trying to be a mini feature.”

“The curation is just really important in terms of what is the emotional journey that you go on. [Film festivals] are like having a birthday party and a funeral in the same room.”

Links:

Follow Ömer On Instagram

Watch ETERNAL FATHER Now

Ömer 's Vimeo

This conversation could have gone on for another few hours. I felt so blessed to chat with a kindred spirit about raising the profile of independent filmmakers, Hope Lawson. Hope founded Takeout LA after finding herself in the filmmaking business. She also works for Gersh so this episode opens up discussions I’ve been dying to have on the podcast. 

Takeout LA is a film screening series and it’s also a party, which come to think of it, is what this episode is like. 

In this episode, Hope and I discuss:

• Does Hollywood still get its drink on?
• The origin story of Takeout LA and what the submission process is like;
• How she got her start in filmmaking;
• Breaking in — are people still willing to take those 345 AM wake up calls or is the issue the jobs aren’t available?
• Making money after film school; 
• What is happening at agency film festivals — and the first use of hip-pocketing on the pod — and who is being signed at agencies right now;
• Why Gersh must love her creation of Takeout; 
• How crucial her diverse screening committee is for the success of Takeout; 
• What constitutes a great short?
• Los Angeles’ place in indie films and how it competes as a character in films;
• What’s next for her — including, fingers crossed, a Hope Lawson film;
• The platform that rises above the rest for short films;
• If filmmakers can be a bit too twee with their films and what is “social chess”;
• Whether social media has made film sets better or worse. 

Hope’s Indie Film Highlight: FORMER CULT MEMBER HEARS MUSIC FOR THE FIRST TIME (2020) dir. by Kristoffer Borgli — Watch Now

Memorable Quotes:

My former boss told me when I started, I came in and I was just hungover…”if you get sober before the age of 40, it'll be detrimental to your career.”

“ I started Takeout right when I got to my agency job when I started as an assistant. And coming in, I immediately realized like all of my friends that do creative things, they hold these networking events, but it's all creatives. And we hold these networking events and it's all business people. There's no low pressure way for creatives to show their work to up and coming young people in the business.”

“ And I got a job as a COVID PA, very glamorous. It was my job to get there at 3:45 AM and greet all of the really happy people on this freezing cold ranch.”

“ For the first time in five years in Hollywood, I'm no one's assistant. It's great.”

“When you go to school for this and you're promised like this kind of easy path up, it's a lot harder to motivate yourself to do like truly grunt work.”

“There's the flip side of the coin, if you're too good of an assistant and you start feeling like, oh, this is where they want me forever, it's time to go.”

“You are always your first agent.”

“I think bringing young creatives into that kind of bubble where everyone's young and hungry now and we can't really do much, but once we're recognized and we get a little bit more power, we're gonna remember all the people we met when we were young and hungry, and we wanna make those movies.”

“So a good short makes me care about the people in it and wonder when it ends.I don’t need to know the whole story. I need to want to know.”

“ We do a q and a after it's just kind of me up there cracking jokes and trying my best.”

“The motto of me is I love to help.”

“You can cool kid yourself into no one seeing your work ever.”

Links:

Follow Takeout LA On Instagram

Follow Hope On Instagram

Some of the films that were screened at Takeout:

MIRIAM (2025) dir. by Josie Andrews

FUCK THAT GUY (2024) dir. by Hanna Gray Organschi

CONFESSIONS (2023) dir. by Stephanie Kaznocha

MY BRIEF CONVERSATION WITH THE DOJ (2024) dir. by Luke Strickler

ITS SNOWING IN THE SUMMER (2021) dir. by Gladimir Gelin

A KIND FAVOR (2024) dir. by Christian Klein and Mattias Evangelista

The Cursed Sea (Il Mare Maledetto) dir. by Eliana Victoria Alcouloumre

RABBIT (2024) dir. by Carson Culver

BETWEEN GIGS (donSMITH Visual Album) dir. by Brittney Briggs

THE DEATH OF ART SLOB (2023) dir. by Ahmar Ahmad

ALIEN IN LOVE (2024) dir. by Corrinne James 

Director: Irving Franco

Writer: Irving Franco

Cast: Oakes Fegley; David Duchovny; T.R. Knight

SYNOPSIS

After finding a list of names and addresses, 14-year-old Adam sets out across the country to meet a series of men who could be his father.

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A FRIEND OF DOROTHY could be described as "a lonely widow's quiet life is upended when a teenage boy accidentally kicks his football into her garden", but that doesn't do justice to the casting, the lighting, the cinematography, and the music of this short. It's brilliant filmmaking from a man who worked his way up to making it, and I'm so glad to have him on the show to celebrate his success and talk about how he made it happen.

In this episode, Lee and I discuss:

• after winning best director at HollyShorts, what he wished he knew before the festival run started;
• how he got started in filmmaking, initially honing his craft as an actor, and if he has one favorite;
• actors' relationships with older actors and whether it's something he's uniquely talented;
• why he waited for A FRIEND OF DOROTHY to be his directorial debut;
• if rejection is different as an actor versus a director;
• what he wants people to be thinking of when they watch his first film as a director;
• why he set up the film the way he did, with an intro that "plays with the audience";
• the runtime of 23 minutes and its reaction from programmers;
• the brilliant casting of the film and how his judgment as an actor influenced the final decisions;
• the consul general hosted a party for British filmmakers in Los Angeles. Can the UK do more to promote its filmmakers?
• what's next for this uniquely talented filmmaker.

Lee's Indie Film Highlights: 22+1 (2025) dir. by Pippa Bennett-Warner; COOL BOY (2024) dir. by Peter Bjerre Salling

Memorable Quotes:

"I look back on my career as an actor and I think there was always there was always a writer director there, even when I was training. And I think it's because of ownership of story."

"I also think that the film highlights a kind of safety that older people give, and specifically older women and as a gay man, and I think a lot of gay people say this...we always loved and felt very safe with older women. "

"You have to be forced to dig deep because every time you are rejected, it's the same as an actor, every time you are rejected, if you stop, you just are missing out on digging that bit deeper to kind of really push forward." 

"When did you want to be a filmmaker? And I think I didn't, I wanted to be everything -- a storyteller in every sense, whatever medium it takes." 

"I actually don't think it's my job as a director to know about lenses. My job is to have people that are experts in that field and then we collaborate."

"You've got to surround yourself with people you trust who are not going to feed your ego."

"I really believe that you've got to aim high with actors because if they connect with your story...they don't do short films for the money...they will do it if they really believe in the story."

"If you need to really get an actor to feel safe and vulnerable...it's a bespoke job."

Links:

Follow Lee On Instagram

Follow A FRIEND OF DOROTHY on Instagram

Every Sunday, I'll post a quick video -- and podcast -- about an indie film from at least a year ago. Today's film: GOODBYE, HELLO (2024).

Director: Jack Cooper Stimpson

Writers: Jeremy Ford; Bec Pittard

Cast: Steve Guttenberg; Nancy Linari; Hollie Bahar

SYNOPSIS

Nate Ryan returns home to Bundy Canyon to visit his dying father; Nate opens old wounds in an attempt to make peace with his incredibly unpeaceful father.

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That’s my guest, Alex Salam, with one of the most riveting reasons to become a filmmaker I’ve ever heard. Given their significant training, it’s practically impossible to do, but I wish we had more doctor/filmmakers in the world. From those that I’ve seen, they’ve produced work that is equal parts precision and creativity, the perfect combination of soul and mind. 

Alex’s film, TWENTY TWENTY (2025) certainly does that — it’s “set over one brutal night shift at the height of the COVID pandemic and shows a very seasoned doctor’s emotional transformation” — and I feel so grateful we have filmmakers like Alex making art. 

In this episode, Alex and I talk about:

• How a medical doctor + film director relates to other filmmakers — are people curious?;
• Balancing his passions for medicine and filmmaking;
• The existential crisis to do “something artistic that is an expression of myself”;
• Whether he’s surprised there’s not more doctors/filmmakers and the quality of stories from the field;
• How his questions about moral character and medicine influence his filmmaking;
• The push and pull of methodical planning and precision inherent in the medical profession and creativity;
• What makes a great short film;
• The subtlety of his film, TWENTY TWENTY, and how he found his cinematic pace;
• The reaction to the audience of its screening at the Edinburgh International Film Festival;
• The importance of setting the sense of place;
• What he’s taken away from all of the labs and fellowships he’s been a part of;
• What his representatives at The Agency will do for his writing and directing;
• His next films.

Alex's Indie Filmmaker Highlight: NFTS Sean Connery Lab Shorts

Memorable Quotes:

“What medicine has done for me as a filmmaker, it gives you a good understanding of character and emotion.” 

“You have to be clinically insane to go straight to a feature without having done a short or worked on TV.”

On what makes a great short: “Have a beginning, a middle, and an end to a story.” 

“That’s an advantage…if you’re making a drama set in hospital, it’s a shortcut.”

“ The kind of collaborators that I like working with that are important for me to work with [are] other collaborators who can be a little bit vulnerable.”

Links:

Follow Alex On Instagram

Alex Salam's Website

I haven’t done a how much I love New York City episode in a couple weeks, so the indie smash, OR SOMETHING (2024), and the film’s director, Jeffrey Scotti Schroeder, makes for the absolute perfect guest. Why is the film being extended at Quad Cinemas? What does it say for indie filmmakers that the Substack crowd got so behind this film? Is it repeatable? Let’s hope so. And if you haven’t seen it at the time this airs, go see it through September 4th. Or later, if we keep talking about it.

In this episode, Jeffrey and I talk about:

• The word of mouth success of OR SOMETHING (2024), whose theatrical run was extended through September 4th;
• His origin story — a true OG throwback to William Morris mailrooms;
• What makes a great agent?
• What to expect when you watch OR SOMETHING;
• How he wound up attached to the film, written by comedy stars Kareem Rahma and Mary Neely;
• What the six day, ultra-low filmmaking process was like and how filmmakers get the knowledge of avoiding dudes in golf carts in New York City;
• How the film blew up on blogs + NYC social media and whether it’s repeatable in cities with a clear sense of place (warning: some Los Angeles indie film bashing in this answer);
• Whether there’s infrastructure to make more of these films in NYC; 
• How much it matters making investors whole to make your next film;
• Whether local government could get behind a gritty NYC film like this;
• What’s next for him — it involves surfing and Rio. 

Jeffrey’s Indie Film Highlight: THE SWEET EAST (2023) dir. Sean Price Williams 

Memorable Quotes:

“The good agents would have a really hard and fast rule that they’d return everybody’s call at least the same day.”

“If you like your classic New York City walk and talk film and if you don’t mind two people talking the entire movie….then you’ll like it. If you don’t like that type of movie, you’re not gonna like this film.”

“Hey, do you wanna do this ultra low budget feature? They were, what’s the rate? And I told them…like..nothing.”

“Whereas New York people are just mind your fucking business on both ends, like we’re filming. And then we’re in their space, excuse me, can you, they’re like, mind your business. It’s New York City.”

“If you’re leading with the idea of profitability, it might not come to fruition.”

“Word of mouth is definitely the only way because we have a $0 marketing budget.”

Links:

Follow Jeffrey On Instagram

Follow OR SOMETHING On Instagram

Director: Kenneth Lonergan

Screenplay: Kenneth Lonergan

Cast: Laura Linney; Kenneth Lonergan; Mark Ruffalo; Matthew Broderick

SYNOPSIS

Sammy is a single mother who is extremely protective of her 8-year old son. She is satisfied with living in the small town she grew up in and working in a local bank. When her brother Terry visits he fits the void in the life of both her and her son. Temporarily free of the constraints of single motherhood she begins to break free of her normal routine. In a string of traumatic events Sammy is torn between helping her brother and her maternal instinct to protect her son from getting hurt.

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I’m not sure if the pod has ever gotten a bigger honor than what Antonio Harper & Abby Burton gave it in this episode — sure, they said, listeners can watch our short, currently on its festival run. FORWARD THINKING (2025) is a “surreal short film about a young black man who is attempting to trademark his likeness in the event that he's murdered by the police.” And to me, that sells it short. It’s a film about race that goes further than any other film I’ve seen in a way that makes you think about what you saw so much you’ll watch it again, all to make you smile once again with the amazing closing scene. Go watch FORWARD THINKING, go watch it again, and come back and hear this fantastic conversation with an epic filmmaking duo from Cleveland. 

In this episode, we talk about

• how they got started in filmmaking;
• what they would recommend in regards to working as a team;
• the ideas that motivated FORWARD THINKING (2025);
• How the film goes further than usual on the topic of race — was there pushback for being so bold?;
• the amazing music for the film — the Cleveland connection got it from Chip Tha Ripper;
• the importance of a final shot in a short film;
• how to discuss race, disability, gender in filmmaking and finding the balance in between highlighting and ignoring those areas;
• the Black ecosystem of film and whether it’s represented well in the larger film festival/independent film scene;
• the advantages of subtlety and how it allows filmmakers to go further than if they were blatantly talking about a topic;
• The amazingness of Cleveland for independent film;
• what’s next for them — Abby saves them for giving away important information!

Abby’s Indie Film Highlight: TALK (2025) dir. by Jessica Perlman; RENEGADES - Judy-Lynn del Rey dir. by Jeremy Hsing

Memorable Quotes:

“Don't be a Dwayne. Practice cultural appreciation, not cultural appropriation.”

“ Do I see myself wanting to get up at 4:00 AM to run suicides or get up at 4:00 AM for a call?”

“The music just ended up being that Cleveland luck”

“ Disability and disabled filmmakers are just that, they're just more filmmakers and they need to have their stories told. They need to have the opportunity to show what they can do. And, yes, it's a very vulnerable thing to come out and talk about it when it's not as accepted in the industry.”

The approach to race “ should be a lot like what Abby and I did with FORWARD THINKING” 

“What I would hope to see is, especially in the in industry, is just having more people of color and underrepresented actors in roles that aren't necessarily traditionally tailored for that group.”

Links:

Follow Abby On Instagram

Follow Antonio On Instagram

Subscribe To West 10G Productions On YouTube

Every Sunday, I'll post a quick video -- and podcast -- about an indie film from at least a year ago. Today's film: HOW TO MAKE MILLIONS BEFORE GRANDMA DIES (2024)

Director: Pat Boonnitipat

Writers: Pat Boonnitipat; Thodsapon Thiptinnakorn

Cast: Putthipong Assaratanakul; Usha Seamkhum; Sanya Kunakorn

SYNOPSIS

A man, driven by his desire for a multi-million dollar inheritance, begins to care for his terminally ill grandmother. However, winning her favor will not be an easy task and he is not the only one with an eye on the money.

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Every Sunday, I'll post a quick video -- and podcast -- about an indie film from at least a year ago. Today's film: GOD'S POCKET (2014)

Director: John Slattery

Writers: Peter Dexter; Alex Metcalf; John Slattery

Cast: Philip Seymour Hoffman; Richad Jenkins; Christina Hendricks; John Turturro

SYNOPSIS

A boozy lowlife (Philip Seymour Hoffman) tries to bury the truth about his crazy stepson's suspicious death, but a nosy newspaper columnist (Richard Jenkins) and the young man's mother complicate matters.

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Every Sunday, I'll post a quick video -- and podcast -- about an indie film from at least a year ago. Today's film: BEFORE/DURING/AFTER (2020)

Director: Stephen Kunken; Jack Lewars

Screenplay: Finnerty Steeves

Cast: Finnerty Steeves; Jeremy Davidson; John Pankow; John Ellison Conlee

SYNOPSIS

This sharp-witted dramedy studies a middle-aged NYC theatre actress suddenly forced to figure out the kind of person she wants to portray in real life when her marriage comes to an end after she catches her husband cheating.

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Every Sunday, I'll post a quick video -- and podcast -- about an indie film from at least a year ago. Today's film: UNTOGETHER (2018).

Director: Emma Forrest

Written By: Emma Forrest

Cast: Jamie Dornan; Ben Mendelsohn; Jemima Kirke; Lola Kirke; Billy Crystal

SYNOPSIS

Once considered a teen prodigy, a recovering addict sobers up and tries to get her writing career back on track. She begins a relationship with a rising author known for his wartime memoirs.

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Every Sunday, I'll post a quick video -- and podcast -- about an indie film from at least a year ago. Today's film: TO DUST (2018).

Director: Shawn Snyder

Written By: Shawn Snyder; Jason Begue

Cast: Matthew Broderick; Géza Röhrig

SYNOPSIS

A Hasidic cantor in upstate New York, distraught by the untimely death of his wife, befriends a local community college biology professor and the two embark on an increasingly literal undertaking into the underworld.

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It’s hard to say what’s been the biggest achievement for Daniel over the past few weeks — starting his own studio, Outerboro Films, getting selected as a 2025 Film Independent Documentary Story Lab Fellow, or telling the white supremacist Nick Fuentes that he’s an asshole.

Daniel said it’s the latter, but I’m guessing as we look back, it’ll be the first two, as he releases more of his critically acclaimed docs under his own banner. 

Daniel has made truly extraordinary films, and now he’s put himself in a position to help others make theirs. 

In this episode, Daniel and I discuss:

• how do you make the jump into embed in alt right hate groups? -- Daniel has the most incredible origin story;
• WHITE NOISE, The Atlantic's first feature documentary, directed by Daniel -- "it was journalistically important; a historical document";
• did The Atlantic know they were going into video when they hired him out of college?
• his founding of Outerboro Films; is he building off his work at The Atlantic and The New Yorker with a strategy to monetize his films?
• how he sees those two venerable magazines moving away to more social videos and leaving a space for companies like Outerboro;
• what Outerboro is -- a production studio? a distributor? both?;
• the unreal story of his upcoming documentary feature film, YOU'LL BE HAPPIER;
• his process of starting the project and then bringing on executive producers;
• the role of festivals in releasing documentaries in ways that they stay relevant;
• the advice "we need to destigmatize working at the coffee shop" for documentary filmmakers -- how does he feel about that advice?
• the name Outerboro Films and what it means; what would his company look like if it was based in Los Angeles?;
• what's next for him and Outerboro -- a sequel to NINA AND IRENA (2023)!;

Daniel's Indie Film Highlight: ETERNAL FATHER (2023) dir. by Omer Sami

Links:

Follow Daniel On Instagram

Outerboro Films Website

Follow Outerboro Films On Linkedin

Every Sunday, I'll post a quick video -- and podcast -- about an indie film from at least a year ago. Today's film: BROKEN FLOWERS (2005).

Director: Jim Jarmusch

Written By: Jim Jarmusch; Bill Raden; Sara Driver

Cast: Bill Murray; Jessica Lange; Sharon Stone

SYNOPSIS

When his latest girlfriend (Julie Delpy) leaves him, retired computer magnate Don Johnston (Bill Murray) has no greater ambition than to sit around the house. When he receives an anonymous letter from a former girlfriend claiming he has a 19-year-old son he's never met, Don doesn't even think to follow up. It's not until his neighbor, a mystery fan, encourages him that Don resolves to visit the exes who seem the most likely candidates and find out the truth.

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Every Sunday, I'll post a quick video -- and podcast -- about an indie film from at least a year ago. Today's film: THE BACHELORS (2017).

Director: Kurt Voelker

Written By: Kurt Voelker

Cast: JK Simmons; Josh Wiggins; Odeya Rush

SYNOPSIS

After the death of his wife, Bill and his 17-year-old son, Wes, move from a small town to a big city for a fresh start. As they begin to adjust to life in the city and seek ways to heal their wounds, they both find comfort in newfound romances. Although circumstances contribute to Bill and Wes growing apart, they come back together and rediscover their true selves in the process.

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Every Sunday, I'll post a quick video -- and podcast -- about an indie film from at least a year ago. Today's film: FIVE YEARS APART (2019).

Director: Joe Angelo Menconi

Written By: Joe Angelo Menconi; Zac Krause

Cast: Chloe Bennet; Scott Michael Foster; Ally Maki

SYNOPSIS

Two estranged brothers born on the same day five years apart run into each other at their family vacation home with wildly different expectations for how their birthday weekend will play out.

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Director: Nick Naveda

Written By: Nick Naveda

Cast: Travis Tope; Katherine Hughes; Israel Broussard; Sam Trammell

SYNOPSIS

After his father's suicide, a promising young musician tries to help his mother survive her grief while he tries to find solace in a troubled childhood crush.

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Ntare Guma Mbaho Mwine is an accomplished actor, director, and documentary filmmaker, and so it's no surprise that his film, MEMORIES OF LOVE RETURNED (2024), is a love letter to the arts. It's also a love letter about Uganda, and offers a deeply personal look at his experience in the country and that of photographer Kibaate Aloysius Ssalongo.

In this episode, we discuss:

• how he got started in filmmaking and if he has a preference between acting and directing;
• how his knowledge of directing affected his acting "for years";
• what he learned in his decades of documentary filmmaking;
• the role of LGBTQ films going forward;
• the challenge of making films in an occasional hostile social and political environment;
• why Slamdance?;
• when can people see MEMORIES OF LOVE RETURNED;
• what's next for him?
• does he ever feel typecast as an actor or as a director -- because of his name, he was getting "certain African roles"; he told his reps, it would be great to get something where he isn't speaking an African accent;
• being told he "wasn't African enough."

Ntare's Indie Film Highlight: WHEN THE SMOKE CLEARS (2024) dir. by Misha Kapany Schwarz, Maarya Zafa.

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Every Sunday, I'll post a quick video -- and podcast -- about an indie film from at least a year ago. Today's film: BROADCAST NEWS (1987).

Director: James L Brooks

Screenplay: James L Brooks

Cast: Holly Hunter; William Hurt; Albert Brooks

SYNOPSIS

A highly strung news producer finds herself strangely attracted to a vapid anchorman even through she loathes everything he personifies. To make matters worse, her best friend, a talented but not particularly telegenic news reporter, is secretly in love with her.

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Director: Guillermo Rojas

Written By: Guillermo Rojas; Kevin Dániel di Angelo

Cast: Silvia Acosta; Teresa Arboi; Beatriz Arjona

SYNOPSIS

Abril left Daniel behind 5 years ago, when she decided to try her luck in London. She is back home now, to bury her grandmother. Walking the streets of what was her home with the man who was her love, she realizes she had missed it all.

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Director: Monia Chokrisd

Written By: Catherine Léger

Cast: Pierre-Marcel Blanchot; Fabrice Lambot; Catherine Leger; Martin Paul-Hus

SYNOPSIS

After a sexist joke goes viral, Cédric loses his job and embarks on a therapeutic journey. When he and his girlfriend hire a mysterious and liberated babysitter to help shake things up, everything seems too good to be true.

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Director: Thomas Torrey

Writer: Thomas Torrey

Cast: Stephen Williams; Emily Althaus; Charley Koontz

SYNOPSIS

Nearing the end of another financially difficult year and feeling pressured to finally give up on his dreams, struggling musician Gabe Lovell wonders if his break is just around the corner when his rock star cousin offers him a spot in the final show of his tour.

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Mira Shaib is an alumnus of prestigious film development labs and residencies, including Robert Bosch Stiftung, where she attended the Film Academy Baden-Württemberg, Film Independent's Global Media Makers LA Residency, the Red Sea Lodge, and the Torino Film Lab. Her first feature film was among the first recipients of the Red Sea Film Festival Foundation Production Fund. Mira is the cofounder of Cinema For All, an arts initiative with a mission to make cinema accessible in rural Lebanon. The initiative was launched in 2019 in Ain Ebel with film-making workshops and outdoor screenings of Sophie Boutros' Mahbas and Cyril Aris's documentary feature The Swing.

In this episode, we talk about:

• how she got started and the amazing sense of place for this film -- did she ever feel pressure to downplay the Lebanese aspect?
• what they should expect to see when they watch the film;
• how she made a first feature without writing the script and the importance of making it as team with the writers;
• what it's like being a female director with a Lebanese film and the inspiration of other female directors like Nadine Labaki being nominated for the Oscars;
• the strength of her female characters in the film;
• the importance of the sense of place in Arzé and how she showed the colors of Lebanon;
• how she wouldn't feel comfortable making a film in a place she didn't know intimately;
• her thoughts on production grants, Arab film, and the Red Sea Film Festival;
• what the process was like for Arzé to be Lebanon's selection to the Oscars;
• how she feels about where she lives -- Montreal -- and its role in independent film;
• and what her next film will be -- "set in Lebanon...about sisters fighting over a house"

Mira's Indie Film Highlight: TO A LAND UNKNOWN (2024) dir. by Mahdi Fleifel

Links:

Follow Mira On Instagram

Follow Arzé On Instagram

Arzé On Letterboxd

Arzé On Wikipedia

Ross died on November 5, 2023. His co-director, Victor Blue, writes movingly about his work. Later on this year, I'll post an episode remembering Ross and the legacy of independent filmmakers.

In this episode, I talk with Ross McDonnell, co-director of the new documentary short, SWIFT JUSTICE, about Sharia justice in Afghanistan.

Ross and I discuss:

• how he got started in filmmaking;
• whether some people are just built for the visual arts;
• the gear behind making a film like SWIFT JUSTICE and how they went about filming "without understanding what was happening in realtime"
• the importance of Christmas movies in Ireland and W.B. Yeats;
• never-ending praise for editors and the New Yorker's prowess in the documentary realm;
• what's next for the documentary field.

Ross' Indie Film Highlight: Jonathan Glazer; Wong Kar-wai; Spize Jonze; Chris Cunningham; Floria Sigismondi; Chris Doyle; Lance Acord

Links:

SWIFT Justice Film

Watch The News & Doc Emmys Live On September 26, 2024

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• we talk about the reaction of BLACKIFIER at film festivals;
• why people don't pursue controversial social topics;
• how he thinks we can change festivals to hear more diverse stories ("it starts at the top") and stresses the importance of ownership of your own stories;
• his thoughts on AI in filmmaking;
• are there enough films programs at HBCUs (Historically Black Colleges and Universities)?
• and what this extraordinarily talented filmmaker is working on next.

Christian's Indie Film Highlight: Letia Solomon

Links:

Christian Kamaal’s Website

American Black Film Festival

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In this episode, we discuss how she got started in filmmaking; her goal of making sure minority filmmakers feel seen; how life experiences have made her a better filmmaker; the depth of the story behind her genre-breaking film COMET ORPHAN; what made her decide to use Seed & Spark for the film ("we were way short because we had to built a spaceship"); where you can expect to see the film; and what's next for Grace.

If there's a Grace Park fan club, I'm the first member. Go to her Vimeo and see for yourself. It's truly incredible what she's accomplished and I cannot wait to see what's next.

Grace's Indie Film Highlight: Christian Kamaal

Links:

Grace Park's Vimeo Page

Meet Hyejin "Grace" Park

Hyejin "Grace" Park's Website

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• LIFE WITH BATS by David Luff
• CLIMATE DIARIES: HEATHER'S STORY by Berit Anderson and Ali Scattergood
• FINDING HOME by Maria Stanisheva
• GROVE OF GIANTS by Bree Sanders
• SAVING GLACIERS by Ciril Jazbec

And you'll hear who won. But as David Luff says, they all won by being a part of this process. Thanks again to Bloomberg Climate for helping make these interviews happen.

Links:

Bloomberg Green Docs

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Taken altogether, they paint a picture of where the industry is going in regards to climate documentaries; how nonprofits are changing views through both narrative and documentary filmmaking; the secrets to success in a tough industry; and what they were looking for from the five finalists.

I've broken down the interviews into two episodes: the first is with the judges and the second with the finalists. Maybe you've read who won, but if you haven't, I urge you to go on a ride with me this week and wait till the end of part 2 to see who takes home the $25,000.

In this episode, I talk with:

• Aaron Rutkoff, Executive Editor, Bloomberg Green
• Will N. Miller, Producer, The Territory & Co-founder, Documist
• Jill Tidman, Executive Director, The Redford Center
• Lindsay Firestone, Film & Special Content Projects Lead, Bloomberg Philanthropies

In part 2, I'll talk with the five finalist teams:

• CLIMATE DIARIES: HEATHER'S STORY by Berit Anderson and Ali Scattergood
• FINDING HOME by Maria Stanisheva
• GROVE OF GIANTS by Bree Sanders
• LIFE WITH BATS by David Luff
• SAVING GLACIERS by Ciril Jazbec

Links:

Bloomberg Green Docs

The Redford Center

A Louisiana Story (the 1948 film Lindsay Firestone references)

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There's just something about Lorenzo's deeply moving films -- he refers to his three feature films as a trilogy about fathers and sons -- that makes a viewer think more deeply about...well, more deeply about everything. And the same thoughtfulness you see in his films is on full display here: his thoughts on film school and film festivals; tackling hard issues in service of art; the state of film in Latin America; and what's next for this extraordinarily talented filmmaker.

Lorenzo's Indie Film Highlight: Gustavo Rondon Cordova (https://www.imdb.com/name/nm2271584/)

Links:

Lorenzo Vigas' IMDb (https://www.imdb.com/name/nm1729237/)

Watch THE BOX on Mubi (https://mubi.com/en/us/films/the-box-2021-lorenzo-vigas)

Five Films That Inspired My Career (https://aframe.oscars.org/what-to-watch/post/lorenzo-vigas-five-films-that-inspired-my-career)

I talk to Wendy Corn about her new film, Exit Strategy: From Scared to Sacred, which recently raised over $34,000 as part of a successful crowdfunding campaign on Seed & Spark. Wendy is an award-winning documentary filmmaker whose films have been featured at SXSW and other festivals. She gives advice to filmmakers, talks about why Austin is a great home for indies, and shares the level of commitment -- and vulnerability -- it requires to embark on a crowdfunding campaign.

Links mentioned in the conversation:

• https://www.austinfilm.org/sponsored/exit_strategy/
• https://seedandspark.com/fund/exit-strategy/
• Matthew Kochmann (wetranscend.com)
• Artist/Animator: Yuliya Lanina (yuliyalanina.com)