Meet tomorrow's filmmakers today. Hosted by film festival programmer Jeff Howard, Discover Indie Film features interviews with filmmakers from the festival circuit who rise above the crowd. Find out what films inspire them, how they get their films made, and what they plan to do next.
Happy Friday, Film Lovers! It's an extra special day today because it's the first night of programming for our 10TH YEAR of the SHERMAN OAKS FILM FESTIVAL! Hopefully you're all listening to this podcast on the way to Look Cinemas to catch some of our incredible films. Something else amazing happened in 2025 and it is because Bob Lindenmayer made the feature documentary, “Making Megaforce,” and submitted it to Film Invasion Los Angeles. What was so amazing? My life partner and best friend, an introvert who refuses to come to any of the film festivals that I run, came to the sold out world premiere of “Making Megaforce” to see it a second time and meet Bob. We had to sit in camping chairs at the front corner of the theater for that sold out show. Even better, she got to see me grab the one moment during the Q&A that Barry Bostwick took a break from enchanting the entire room to present Bob with The Poppy, the trophy that we introduced for the Best In Fest award at Film Invasion L.A.'s Tenth Anniversary. It should also be noted that “Making Megaforce” is the first documentary to win the Best In Fest - Feature award! You will have to wait a while to see it because “Making Megaforce” is still on the festival circuit. But when it does get its release, make sure to catch it. Then you'll know why watching this film is not just entertaining; it is the most genuine love letter to the movies that I've ever seen. And you get to see Barry Bostwick and Bob bond in a way that you will never forget! Follow the film on Instagram at @makingmegaforce Making Megaforce on IMDB Making Megaforce on Letterboxd _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ Discover Indie Film Links DIF Podcast Website - DIF Instagram - DIF BlueSky Discover Indie Film Foundation (nonprofit for the arts) Website Sherman Oaks Film Festival Film Invasion Los Angeles
What are the 4Qs? (1) Three favorite films. (2) An underrated film. (3) An overrated film. (4) A lesser-known film people should seek out. Dancer/Choreographer/Performer/director/writer Anna Long had two official selections at Film Invasion Los Angeles 2025; the short film “Death in The Desert” that took home the Filmmakers Award for Outstanding Writing - Drama and the feature length screenplay “The Experience.” I could wait to interview this incredibly nice and talented person (I hope you already listened to that chat!) and pick her brain with the always revealing 4 Questions. You should follow Anna's work at the website https://www.thisisannalong.com/ And on Instagram at @thisisannalong _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ Discover Indie Film Links DIF Podcast Website - DIF Instagram - DIF BlueSky Discover Indie Film Foundation (nonprofit for the arts) Website Sherman Oaks Film Festival Film Invasion Los Angeles
Anyone else not know how we're already in December?! Dancer/Choreographer/Performer/director/writer Anna Long was developed by scientists in a lab to create a person who would literally engage my every artistic interest at once. That is almost not hyberbole! Anna had two official selections at Film Invasion Los Angeles 2025; the short film “Death in The Desert” that took home the Filmmakers Award for Outstanding Writing - Drama and the feature length screenplay “The Experience.” This incredibly talented person also happens to be one of the nicest people to interact with. In fact, while putting together the FI-LA lineup I tend to email with folks, and I could already tell that Anna is an awesome person. You should follow Anna's work at the website https://www.thisisannalong.com/ And on Instagram at @thisisannalong _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ Discover Indie Film Links DIF Podcast Website - DIF Instagram - DIF BlueSky Discover Indie Film Foundation (nonprofit for the arts) Website Sherman Oaks Film Festival Film Invasion Los Angeles
What are the 4Qs? (1) Three favorite films. (2) An underrated film. (3) An overrated film. (4) A lesser-known film people should seek out. Michael D. Cohen held his WORLD PREMIERE of his short comedy film “Roughing It” at Film Invasion Los Angeles in June, 2025 and took home the Filmmakers Award for Outstanding Writing, Comedy. When I'm forced to wrap up a great conversation, I'm always grateful for the follow up 4 Questions for an excuse to chat a little longer! Here are the best ways to check in on Michael and his work: Roughing It - official website - https://roughingitfilm.com/ Michael D. Cohen Studio - official website - https://michaeldcohenstudio.com/ IG- @michaeldcohen _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ Discover Indie Film Links DIF Podcast Website - DIF Instagram - DIF BlueSky Discover Indie Film Foundation (nonprofit for the arts) Website Sherman Oaks Film Festival Film Invasion Los Angeles
It's the week of Gratitude and one thing I'm certainly thankful for is all of you curious listeners and our amazing guests. Speaking of amazing guests: Michael D. Cohen has enjoyed a wonderful career as a TV actor, but I got to meet him at Film Invasion Los Angeles in June, 2025 when we held the World Premiere of a short comedy film that Michael wrote and directed called “Roughing It.” As a fan of the film, I was particularly pleased to see our jury give Michael the Filmmakers Award for Outstanding Writing, Comedy. The screening was standing room only and I am proud to say that you have another chance to see it at the Sherman Oaks Film Festival on Sunday, December 7 at 6:15 PM! That's one week after this podcast releases... and we didn't plan that out. Kismet! Here are the best ways to check in on Michael and his work: Roughing It - official website - https://roughingitfilm.com/ Michael D. Cohen Studio - official website - https://michaeldcohenstudio.com/ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ Discover Indie Film Links DIF Podcast Website - DIF Instagram - DIF BlueSky Discover Indie Film Foundation (nonprofit for the arts) Website Sherman Oaks Film Festival Film Invasion Los Angeles
What are the 4Qs? (1) Three favorite films. (2) An underrated film. (3) An overrated film. (4) A lesser-known film people should seek out. Caleb Garrett brought his film “Lonesome Town” to FIlm Invasion Los Angeles in 2025 and took home the Grand Jury Award for Best Short Film, Experimental/Arthouse. Caleb and I got swept away in our chat (posted Friday) but you know I had to squeeze in our 4 Questions follow up before I could let him run off to a production meeting! Follow Caleb on Instagram at @cmgcine _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ Discover Indie Film Links DIF Podcast Website - DIF Instagram - DIF BlueSky Discover Indie Film Foundation (nonprofit for the arts) Website Sherman Oaks Film Festival Film Invasion Los Angeles
Thank Goodness It's (DIF) Friday! Caleb Garrett brought his film “Lonesome Town” to FIlm Invasion Los Angeles in 2025 and took home the Grand Jury Award for Best Short Film, Experimental/Arthouse. I have yet to meet someone, audience or jury member, who did not love this film. Caleb also took home awards from our Filmmakers Board, a jury of alumni filmmakers, including Outstanding Direction, Outstanding Writing, and Outstanding Cinematography. Quite literally... WooHoo! I hope you enjoy listening to this podcast as much as we did recording. In fact, we went long and Caleb literally had to run out the door to a production meeting! Follow Caleb on Instagram at @cmgcine _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ Discover Indie Film Links DIF Podcast Website - DIF Instagram - DIF BlueSky Discover Indie Film Foundation (nonprofit for the arts) Website Sherman Oaks Film Festival Film Invasion Los Angeles
What are the 4Qs? (1) Three favorite films. (2) An underrated film. (3) An overrated film. (4) A lesser-known film people should seek out. Maxwell Hamilton produced and starred in “The Mannequin,” a feature length horror film that came to Film Invasion Los Angeles in 2025 and took home the Grand Jury Award for Best Feature Film, Horror, Best Screenplay - Feature Film for John Berardo, Best Cinematography - Feature Film for Jonathan Pope, and Best Production Design - Feature Film for Emily Peters! I hope you already enjoyed our conversation from Monday and here because you are as excited as I was to hear Maxwell's answers to the 4 Questions. I also urge you to watch, review and support The Mannequin! How? Letterboxd - https://letterboxd.com/film/the-mannequin-2025/ JustWatch - https://www.justwatch.com/us/movie/the-mannequin-2025 Watch it. Review it. Support it! Social Media Handles Instagram @maxwellhamilton Facebook @MaxwellHamilton X @maxxhamm _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ Discover Indie Film Links DIF Podcast Website - DIF Instagram - DIF BlueSky Discover Indie Film Foundation (nonprofit for the arts) Website Sherman Oaks Film Festival Film Invasion Los Angeles
Happy Monday, Film Folks! Maxwell Hamilton produced and starred in “The Mannequin,” a feature length horror film that came to Film Invasion Los Angeles in 2025 and took home a little award that we like to call the Grand Jury Award for Best Feature Film, Horror. But you can add a few more to the list, including Best Screenplay - Feature Film for John Berardo, Best Cinematography - Feature Film for Jonathan Pope, and Best Production Design - Feature Film for Emily Peters. I was excited to get to have an extended chat with Maxwell and that was BEFORE he helped me put it together that his onscreen role is one of my favorites in the film. In fact, I feel safe saying that Maxwell delivers an absolutely crucial performance during the film's climax. I hope you enjoy our conversation and I urge you to watch, review and support The Mannequin! How? Letterboxd - https://letterboxd.com/film/the-mannequin-2025/ JustWatch - https://www.justwatch.com/us/movie/the-mannequin-2025 Watch it. Review it. Support it! Social Media Handles Instagram @maxwellhamilton Facebook @MaxwellHamilton X @maxxhamm _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ Discover Indie Film Podcast Links DIF Podcast Website - DIF Instagram - DIF BlueSky Discover Indie Film Foundation (nonprofit for the arts) Links DIF Foundation - Sherman Oaks Film Festival - Film Invasion Los Angeles
What are the 4Qs? (1) Three favorite films. (2) An underrated film. (3) An overrated film. (4) A lesser-known film people should seek out. Filmmaker Chloe Schieldhause's “Pool House,” a surreal, original, imaginatively dark comedy kicked off Film Invasion Los Angeles 2025 and took home the Filmmakers Award for Outstanding Originality, Comedy. I was pretty eager to learn more about Chloe, and she did not disappoint. Great conversations always get me excited about the 4 Questions follow up! Follow Chloe on Instagram at @chloish Or at the website https://www.schildhause.com _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ Discover Indie Film Links DIF Podcast Website - DIF Instagram - DIF BlueSky Discover Indie Film Foundation (nonprofit for the arts) Website Sherman Oaks Film Festival Film Invasion Los Angeles
A Wonderful Wednesday to You All! Chloe Schieldhause won me over pretty quickly. The first time I saw the short film “Pool House” as a member of the Film Invasion Los Angeles jury, I thought, “This HAS to be the film that launches the festival.” And it worked out! The first film in the first block of 2025 was Chloe Schieldhause's “Pool House,” a surreal, original, imaginatively dark comedy that took home the Filmmakers Award for Outstanding Originality, Comedy. As you might imagine, I was pretty eager to learn more about Chloe. It's not every day that you meet someone who writes, produces and stars in a completely unique comedy that blows your mind. Here's the blogline, “A horror novelist, with the help of a ghost hunter, brings back the spirit of a ghost who is hell bent on staying on Earth for socialization.” That description doesn't even scratch the surface, to be honest. It was a ton of fun to record this podcast. I hope you enjoy it, too! Follow Chloe on Instagram at @chloish Or at the website https://www.schildhause.com _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ Discover Indie Film Podcast Links DIF Podcast Website - DIF Instagram - DIF BlueSky Discover Indie Film Foundation (nonprofit for the arts) Links DIF Foundation - Sherman Oaks Film Festival - Film Invasion Los Angeles
What are the 4Qs? (1) Three favorite films. (2) An underrated film. (3) An overrated film. (4) A lesser-known film people should seek out. Tommy O'Rourke and Josh Sathree had their theatrical premiere of the episode “Hairy Herb” of their comedy series, “Barney & Herb,” at Sherman Oaks Film Festival 2023. Their screening and Q&A at the festival were extremely fun and it was well worth the two year wait to get them on the podcast for a longer interview and the follow up 4 Questions. Watch “Barney & Herb” on YouTube at https://www.youtube.com/@GrandpaBunny Review on Letterboxd at https://boxd.it/PFQe Follow these two at: @grandpabunnyproductions @thetommyorourke tiktok: @grandpabunnyproductions _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ Discover Indie Film Links DIF Podcast Website - DIF Instagram - DIF BlueSky Discover Indie Film Foundation (nonprofit for the arts) Website Sherman Oaks Film Festival Film Invasion Los Angeles
Welcome back for another exciting Filmmakers chat! I met Tommy O'Rourke and Josh Sathree when we held the theatrical premiere of the episode “Hairy Herb” of their series, “Barney & Herb,” at Sherman Oaks Film Festival 2023. Thanks to some pre-fest emails, I wasn't too surprised when their presents, screening and Q&A at the festival were extremely fun. The comedy series they created is filled with humor, but also heart, intelligence and thoughtfulness. I sh*t you not... we emailed back and forth about recording this podcast more times than I can recall. But damn if Josh isn't a film producer extraordinaire; he did not let this ball drop. It may have taken us two years, but we did it! One special favor. First, watch “Barney & Herb” on YouTube at https://www.youtube.com/@GrandpaBunny And you know what? Even if you don't watch it, give it a great review on Letterboxd at https://boxd.it/PFQe Do the right thing, folks. Finally, follow these two at: @grandpabunnyproductions @thetommyorourke tiktok: @grandpabunnyproductions _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ Discover Indie Film Podcast Links DIF Podcast Website - DIF Instagram - DIF BlueSky Discover Indie Film Foundation (nonprofit for the arts) Links DIF Foundation - Sherman Oaks Film Festival - Film Invasion Los Angeles
What are the 4Qs? (1) Three favorite films. (2) An underrated film. (3) An overrated film. (4) A lesser-known film people should seek out. Filmmaker JB Singh Ghuman, Jr. provided the main attraction at our Film Invasion Los Angeles 2025 Opening Night Gala's VR Pavillion by presenting, "paSSive poWer." It was described as, “a sonic visual 8K 4D 360 VR collaborative experience” and I was very eager to interview him about the piece and what inspired him to make the type of work he does. Always grateful the Four Questions to help with that! Follow JB at @JBGhumanJR _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ Discover Indie Film Links DIF Podcast Website - DIF Instagram - DIF BlueSky Discover Indie Film Foundation (nonprofit for the arts) Website Sherman Oaks Film Festival Film Invasion Los Angeles
Welcome back, Listeners! Meeting filmmaker JB Singh Ghuman, Jr. was definitely one of the highlights of Film Invasion Los Angeles 2025. JB provided the main attraction at our Opening Night Gala's VR Pavillion by presenting, "paSSive poWer," described as, “a sonic visual 8K 4D 360 VR collaborative experience.” As you can imagine I am super busy at the gala and never get a chance to actually watch the VR presentations. Well... JB wasn't going to let me leave without seeing this 4D extravaganza. And I was extremely grateful, because I loved it! For the record, the 8K image was a three dimensional space and that fourth dimension was the utilization of a fan to simulate wind at just the right moment. I'm not exaggerating when I say that I wish there had been a way for all 150+ in attendance that evening to have experienced “paSSive poWer.“ I was delighted to see JB's name on my podcast recording calendar. I hope that you all enjoy listening to our conversation as much as I enjoyed having it. Follow JB at @JBGhumanJR _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ Discover Indie Film Podcast Links DIF Podcast Website - DIF Instagram - DIF BlueSky Discover Indie Film Foundation (nonprofit for the arts) Links DIF Foundation - Sherman Oaks Film Festival - Film Invasion Los Angeles
What are the 4Qs? (1) Three favorite films. (2) An underrated film. (3) An overrated film. (4) A lesser-known film people should seek out. Joel Benjamin created the Immersive Film “Max Q,” one of the highlights of the VR Pavilion at Film Invasion Los Angeles 2025, and took home the Grand Jury Award for Best Immersive Short! Seeing the array of great film posters behind Joel during our chat got me very eager to get to our follow up 4 Questions! You can learn more about Joel at his website https://electricbeard.com/ and you can follow the Max Q on Instagram at @maxqmovie And a Happy Halloween to all that celebrate! _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ Discover Indie Film Links DIF Podcast Website - DIF Instagram - DIF BlueSky Discover Indie Film Foundation (nonprofit for the arts) Website Sherman Oaks Film Festival Film Invasion Los Angeles
A Wonderful Wednesday to You All! Joel Benjamin created the Immersive Film “Max Q,” one of the highlights of the VR Pavilion at Film Invasion Los Angeles 2025. In fact, Joel took home the Grand Jury Award for Best Immersive Short! I am always too busy at our festival's Opening Night Gala to get a chance to watch the Immersive Films up in the VR Pavilion, but thankfully Joel created a “play through” video that gives a non-interactive representation of the work and... holy moly I'm impressed. It's a fun, captivating thrill-ride in a cutting edge cinematic format. You can learn more about Joel at his website https://electricbeard.com/ and you can follow the Max Q on Instagram at @maxqmovie _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ Discover Indie Film Podcast Links DIF Podcast Website - DIF Instagram - DIF BlueSky Discover Indie Film Foundation (nonprofit for the arts) Links DIF Foundation - Sherman Oaks Film Festival - Film Invasion Los Angeles
What are the 4Qs? (1) Three favorite films. (2) An underrated film. (3) An overrated film. (4) A lesser-known film people should seek out. Johnny Galvan III has had several scripts in previous festivals and returned to Film Invasion Los Angeles in June, but this time with the animated short film “Franks In Hell.” Thanks to its creativity and originality, “Franks In Hell” won Johnny the Programmer's Prize for Exceptional Filmmaking. Johnny and I have deep connection which I talk about more in Friday's post with his full interview, but I was excited to dig even digger with the 4 Questions. To learn more about Johnny and his work, visit https://thewriting-company.com _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ Discover Indie Film Links DIF Podcast Website - DIF Instagram - DIF BlueSky Discover Indie Film Foundation (nonprofit for the arts) Website Sherman Oaks Film Festival Film Invasion Los Angeles
Happy Friday, Film Friends! I've got a history with Johnny Galvan III. It started when Johnny's screenplay “My Brother The Lion” was an Official Selection at Film Invasion Los Angeles in June, 2024. (More on that below.) In December, 2024, Johnny was an Official Selection at Sherman Oaks Film Festival with the screenplay, “For Misty.” When 2025 rolled around, Johnny was once again at Film Invasion Los Angeles in June, but this time with the animated short film “Franks In Hell.” Thanks to its creativity and originality, “Franks In Hell” won Johnny the Programmer's Prize for Exceptional Filmmaking. To learn more about Johnny and his work, visit https://thewriting-company.com Before I complete this introduction, I have to honor Johnny's wife Misty and mention something from the first time that we met. I was moderating the FI-LA 2024 Screenplay Awards Ceremony, which is a very cool event where each nominated screenwriter gets to stand in front of the audience and pitch their script. As Johnny was talking about his screenplay, a story about his brother who he lost, he began to cry. I was sitting in the front row and, well, I lost a best friend of 40 years in 2020 to Covid and know what it's like to lose someone that you expected to be with you until your golden years. I stood up and offered Johnny a hug, and he accepted it, and we hugged. It was a moment that I will never forget. As North American men, we failed to bring up our weeping hug during the podcast, but after recording Johnny mentioned that Misty had mentioned it. So... the story will live forever in these show notes! _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ Discover Indie Film Podcast Links DIF Podcast Website - DIF Instagram - DIF BlueSky Discover Indie Film Foundation (nonprofit for the arts) Links DIF Foundation - Sherman Oaks Film Festival - Film Invasion Los Angeles
What are the 4Qs? (1) Three favorite films. (2) An underrated film. (3) An overrated film. (4) A lesser-known film people should seek out. Drew Lewis Guerra wrote and directed the film “The Last Light” and we had the honor of hosting its World Premiere at Film Invasion Los Angeles 2025. Drew's smart, touching and extremely powerful film took home two awards at FI-LA, the Filmmakers Awards For Outstanding Cast Performance, Drama and for Outstanding Cinematography, Drama. I was delighted to chat with Drew about his life and work and, as always, learn more about his inspirations with the follow up 4 Questions. Visit the website for Drew's production company Black Canvas and watch the trailer at https://www.blackcanvas.com/the-last-light. Drew's IG: @directordlg _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ Discover Indie Film Links DIF Podcast Website - DIF Instagram - DIF BlueSky Discover Indie Film Foundation (nonprofit for the arts) Website Sherman Oaks Film Festival Film Invasion Los Angeles
Drew Lewis Guerra wrote and directed the film “The Last Light” and we had the honor of hosting its World Premiere at Film Invasion Los Angeles 2025. I have watched this film several times and I swear to you... it's a masterpiece. I find myself crying throughout the credits. Drew's smart, touching and extremely powerful film took home two awards at FI-LA, the Filmmakers Awards For Outstanding Cast Performance, Drama and for Outstanding Cinematography, Drama. I highly recommend you watch this film! So... do this. Visit the website for Drew's production company Black Canvas and watch the trailer at https://www.blackcanvas.com/the-last-light. And keep your eyes out for festival screenings and its eventual online release! Drew's IG: @directordlg _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ Discover Indie Film Podcast Links DIF Podcast Website - DIF Instagram - DIF BlueSky Discover Indie Film Foundation (nonprofit for the arts) Links DIF Foundation - Sherman Oaks Film Festival - Film Invasion Los Angeles
What are the 4Qs? (1) Three favorite films. (2) An underrated film. (3) An overrated film. (4) A lesser-known film people should seek out. Amy Whittenberger brought her film “As A Rake” to Film Invasion Los Angeles 2025 and took home the Filmmakers Award for Outstanding Short Film, Horror! One of my favorite parts of interviewing such a smart, compelling, and entertaining person is asking them the follow up 4 Questions! Follow Amy on Instagram at @philia6 _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ Discover Indie Film Links DIF Podcast Website - DIF Instagram - DIF BlueSky Discover Indie Film Foundation (nonprofit for the arts) Website Sherman Oaks Film Festival Film Invasion Los Angeles
Welcome Back, Listeners! Amy Whittenberger brought her film “As A Rake” to Film Invasion Los Angeles 2025. This smart, creepy and rather timely film took home the Filmmakers Award for Outstanding Short Film, Horror! Unsurprisingly, the person who wrote and directed the smart, compelling, and entertaining “As A Rake” is a smart, compelling, and entertaining person. I was fortunate to get a chance to meet and chat with Amy a little bit at Film Invasion L.A., but getting to have a long conversation without distractions was a lot better. Plus, I didn't get to moderate the “As A Rake” festival Q&A, meaning that when you listen to this you get to hear me pay a whole lot of compliments to Amy that I did not get the chance to share at the screening. Follow Amy on Instagram at @philia6 _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ Discover Indie Film Podcast Links DIF Podcast Website - DIF Instagram - DIF BlueSky Discover Indie Film Foundation (nonprofit for the arts) Links DIF Foundation - Sherman Oaks Film Festival - Film Invasion Los Angeles
What are the 4Qs? (1) Three favorite films. (2) An underrated film. (3) An overrated film. (4) A lesser-known film people should seek out. Filmmaker Jannik Ehret is part of a unique trio that brought the wonderful documentary “Paisano Overhang” to FIlm Invasion Los Angeles in June 2025 and took home the Filmmakers Award for Outstanding Short Film, Documentary as well as for Outstanding Cinematography, Documentary that was presented to Catalina Guerra Hoffman. It was no surprise to me to learn how smart and interesting Jannik was during our chat, and it made me extra eager to get to the 4 Questions to see what films inspired him along his way. You can learn more by going to @inindieknot_films _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ Discover Indie Film Links DIF Podcast Website - DIF Instagram - DIF BlueSky Discover Indie Film Foundation (nonprofit for the arts) Website Sherman Oaks Film Festival Film Invasion Los Angeles
Happy Indie Film Friday! Filmmaker Jannik Ehret is part of a unique trio that brought the wonderful documentary “Paisano Overhang” to FIlm Invasion Los Angeles in June 2025. Among their collaboration “Indieknot Films,” the trio credited their film as, “Produced, Filmed & Edited by Dakota Kappen, Jannik Ehret, and Hayden Garratt.” This is one of the more honorably egalitarian things I have seen on the festival circuit. The trio took home the Filmmakers Award for Outstanding Short Film, Documentary as well as for Outstanding Cinematography, Documentary that was presented to Catalina Guerra Hoffman. As you might imagine, Jannik and others were also operating cameras as “Paisano Overhang” essentially covered a live rock climbing event. Jannik volunteered to represent the Indieknot trio on this podcast and the others are certainly welcome to come on themselves someday. You can learn more by going to @indieknot_films _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ Discover Indie Film Podcast Links DIF Podcast Website - DIF Instagram - DIF BlueSky Discover Indie Film Foundation (nonprofit for the arts) Links DIF Foundation - Sherman Oaks Film Festival - Film Invasion Los Angeles
What are the 4Qs? (1) Three favorite films. (2) An underrated film. (3) An overrated film. (4) A lesser-known film people should seek out. Braeden and Nathan Lambert premiered their film “The Big Picture” to Film Invasion Los Angeles in 2025 and took home the Grand Jury Award for Best Music Video. These brothers not only make amazing work, they have incredible taste in other's work. Listen to see what I mean! INTERLINKED and you check out their work at https://www.interlinkedhq.com/ as well as follow them on Instagram at @interlinked.hq _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ Discover Indie Film Links DIF Podcast Website - DIF Instagram - DIF BlueSky Discover Indie Film Foundation (nonprofit for the arts) Website Sherman Oaks Film Festival Film Invasion Los Angeles
I hope everyone had a great weekend and is ready to start the week with a great film chat! Braeden and Nathan Lambert brought their film “The Big Picture” to Film Invasion Los Angeles in 2025 and took home the Grand Jury Award for Best Music Video. The story behind the film, and what led them to create it, is very engaging and I won't give it away here. You'll just have to listen to the podcast find out! Nathan is a musician and composer who goes by the moniker New Monk. Braeden, the filmmaker of the team, pitched the idea for this film that would be set to Nathan's music and have more in common with a performance art film than a traditional music video. It's clear that Nathan loved the concept, and the two put together their team and made this extremely creative project happen. And I have to brag that I learned during this interview that FI-LA 2025 was The Big Picture's world premiere... how cool is that?!?! Nathan and Braeden have insightfully named the company for their collaborations INTERLINKED and you check out their work at https://www.interlinkedhq.com/ as well as follow them on Instagram at @interlinked.hq _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ Discover Indie Film Podcast Links DIF Podcast Website - DIF Instagram - DIF BlueSky Discover Indie Film Foundation (nonprofit for the arts) Links DIF Foundation - Sherman Oaks Film Festival - Film Invasion Los Angeles
What are the 4Qs? (1) Three favorite films. (2) An underrated film. (3) An overrated film. (4) A lesser-known film people should seek out. Chris Fiore was one of my very first guests on the podcast and he returns to chat about his new documentary, “Broadway & Swan,” which was part of the 10th Anniversary edition of FI-LA and earned him the Grand Jury Award for Best Director, Featurette. I just love talking to Chris and was very eager to see what was brewing in his 4 Questions all these years later. You can check out Chris's work at chrisfiore.com _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ Discover Indie Film Links DIF Podcast Website - DIF Instagram - DIF BlueSky Discover Indie Film Foundation (nonprofit for the arts) Website Sherman Oaks Film Festival Film Invasion Los Angeles
Chris Fiore is back! This podcast holds a special place in my heart. The journey that I have been on for a decade, running two film festivals per year and inviting those filmmakers onto this podcast, began with Film Invasion Los Angeles in 2016 when Chris Fiore submitted his documentary “Goodwoman” to this first-year festival and took home the Grand Jury Prize for Best Documentary! Imagine my delight when Chris submitted a new documentary, “Broadway & Swan,” to the 10th Anniversary edition of FI-LA! Not only that, but Chris took home the Grand Jury Award for Best Director, Featurette this time. I had no idea until this podcast that this particular award for Directing meant the world to Chris, a professional editor. Call me crazy, but I could not have asked for a better Tenth Anniversary FI-LA story! You can check out Chris's work at chrisfiore.com and I hope you enjoy our conversation! _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ Discover Indie Film Podcast Links DIF Podcast Website - DIF Instagram - DIF BlueSky Discover Indie Film Foundation (nonprofit for the arts) Links DIF Foundation - Sherman Oaks Film Festival - Film Invasion Los Angeles
What are the 4Qs? (1) Three favorite films. (2) An underrated film. (3) An overrated film. (4) A lesser-known film people should seek out. Actor, writer and producer Eddie Alfano brought his short “Mondays At The Office” to Film Invasion Los Angeles and took home the Filmmakers Award for Outstanding Short Film, Comedy. We had a terrific chat posted on Friday but you know I can't truly know someone until I've followed up with the 4 Questions. You can follow Eddie at @eddiealfano And here's where all his films live:What A Nightmare Productions - YouTube _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ Discover Indie Film Links DIF Podcast Website - DIF Instagram - DIF BlueSky Discover Indie Film Foundation (nonprofit for the arts) Website Sherman Oaks Film Festival Film Invasion Los Angeles
Happy Friday, Friends! Actor, writer and producer Eddie Alfano brought his short “Mondays At The Office” to Film Invasion Los Angeles and took home the Filmmakers Award for Outstanding Short Film, Comedy. This personal, well-crafted comedy manages to not just bring the laughs but to make a genuine emotional connection between the characters and the audience. I also want to brag that FI-LA 2025 was the film's Los Angeles Premiere! I had a quick chance to discuss the film with Eddie at the festival, amusingly praising him for something that didn't even come up during the podcast; that among its other accomplishments “Mondays At The Office” also manages to be one of the best representations of running a small business that I've seen on film in ages. You can follow Eddie at @eddiealfano, where I hope you enjoy his #BadNeighbor videos! And here's where all his films live: What A Nightmare Productions - YouTube _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ Discover Indie Film Podcast Links DIF Podcast Website - DIF Instagram - DIF BlueSky Discover Indie Film Foundation (nonprofit for the arts) Links DIF Foundation - Sherman Oaks Film Festival - Film Invasion Los Angeles
What are the 4Qs? (1) Three favorite films. (2) An underrated film. (3) An overrated film. (4) A lesser-known film people should seek out. Mother and daughter, Melissa Jean Martinez- Areffi and Bella Zoe Martinez brought their unbelievable OSCAR- QUALIFYING short, "Once More, Like Rain Man” to Film Invasion Los Angeles in 2025, and took home the Filmmakers Awards for Outstanding Direction, Comedy for director Sue Ann Pien as well as the Filmmakers Award for Outstanding Cast Performance, Comedy. I truly hope you listened to this very special conversation posted on Monday and that's why you have returned for their 4Qs! Websites to share! www.omlrmovie.com www.navautism.com Instagram/FB Handles! @omlrmovie @bellazoemartinez @bella_daze! @navautism Bella's songs on Spotify https://open.spotify.com/artist/5XKVdsr14mppTFfASbMfOp?si=j-0w3-QIQs2KWhOGi0b7qA For trailers, interviews, etc. check out the YouTube Channel at https://www.youtube.com/@OnceMoreLikeRainMan All trailers by Tal Anderson, who is not only a professional editor and successful actor, but was also our guest on episode 557 of this podcast! _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ Discover Indie Film Links DIF Podcast Website - DIF Instagram - DIF BlueSky Discover Indie Film Foundation (nonprofit for the arts) Website Sherman Oaks Film Festival Film Invasion Los Angeles
Let's get right to business, Listeners. Do this now! Click https://www.omlrmovie.com/screenings and see when and where you can catch “Once More, Like Rain Man”! I first met Bella Zoe Martinez and Melissa Jean Martinez- Areffi at Film Invasion Los Angeles in 2022, when their short film “Glory & Injustice” was an Official Selection. Personally, I LOVED that wonderful short where a thirteen year old has to yell at her supervillain father to get his off his butt and go commit some crimes! Imagine my delight when this same team, and when I say “team” I should really say “family,” sent a new film three years later and it is an Oscar-quality short that is amazing in every dimension? No surprise that “Once More, Like Rain Man” came to the 2025 edition of Film Invasion Los Angeles and took home four awards! By the way, I referred to this team as a family and now I should clarify. Melissa and Bella are mother and daughter, and father Andy Areffi is equally involved in every film. Bella and Melissa came over to record the podcast, while Andy deserves this personal shout out for holding down the fort while the others came over to have fun. Fingers crossed that someday we get Andy on the podcast! For the record, “Once More, Like Rain Man” won the Grand Jury Awards for Best Short Film, Comedy and Best Performance by a Cast, Short Film. On top of that, it took home the Filmmakers Awards for Outstanding Direction, Comedy for director Sue Ann Pien as well as the Filmmakers Award for Outstanding Cast Performance, Comedy. This conversation was so much fun and we clearly could have talked all night! Enjoy! Websites! www.omlrmovie.com www.navautism.com Instagram/FB Handles! @omlrmovie @bellazoemartinez @bella_daze! @navautism Bella's songs on Spotify https://open.spotify.com/artist/5XKVdsr14mppTFfASbMfOp?si=j-0w3-QIQs2KWhOGi0b7qA For trailers, interviews, etc. check out the YouTube Channel at https://www.youtube.com/@OnceMoreLikeRainMan All trailers by Tal Anderson, who is not only a professional editor and successful actor, but was also our guest on episode 557 of this podcast! And, finally... a funny bonus shoutout. If you look at the pic of Melissa & Bella on the DIF website or social media, you might notice someone in the kitchen behind them. That would be our soon-to-be-college-student who, without my asking, baked cookies that evening. That's right. DIF Podcast guests sometimes get made-from-scratch-fresh- baked-chocolate-chip-cookies! If that became common knowledge... _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ Discover Indie Film Podcast Links DIF Podcast Website - DIF Instagram - DIF BlueSky Discover Indie Film Foundation (nonprofit for the arts) Links DIF Foundation - Sherman Oaks Film Festival - Film Invasion Los Angeles
What are the 4Qs? (1) Three favorite films. (2) An underrated film. (3) An overrated film. (4) A lesser-known film people should seek out. Ari Flesch's debut film “It's Not For Me To Say” took home the Grand Jury Award for Best Short Film, Animation at FI-LA 2025. Ari and I were wearing almost the same outfit, have similar heritage and discovered that neither of us participate in social media, so naturally I was curious if we had any 4 Questions opinions in common as well. _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ Discover Indie Film Links DIF Podcast Website - DIF Instagram - DIF BlueSky Discover Indie Film Foundation (nonprofit for the arts) Website Sherman Oaks Film Festival Film Invasion Los Angeles
Welcome Back To All You Indie Film Discoverers! I met filmmaker Ari Flesch at the Opening Night Gala of Film Invasion Los Angeles in June 2025. Ari's animated short “It's Not For Me To Say” was an official selection and, this might only be funny for Ari and I, but we noticed our similar looks and heritage and then, when he came over to do this podcast, we were both wearing a black shirt and green shorts. Okay, this is all less important than the fact that “It's Not For Me To Say” took home the Grand Jury Award for Best Short Film, Animation at FI-LA 2025. Ari's film is beautiful, funny, touching and even a little heartbreaking. We had a great Q&A at the theater but anyone who listens to this podcast knows that a fifteen minute Q&A where people in the audience get to ask questions as well is not enough for me! This is normally where I type that you can follow the guest on social media, but Ari isn't wasting his time on that nonsense! Yay!!! This is why he manages to be such a productive creative while working full time in animation. Enjoy! _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ Discover Indie Film Podcast Links DIF Podcast Website - DIF Instagram - DIF BlueSky Discover Indie Film Foundation (nonprofit for the arts) Links DIF Foundation - Sherman Oaks Film Festival - Film Invasion Los Angeles
What are the 4Qs? (1) Three favorite films. (2) An underrated film. (3) An overrated film. (4) A lesser-known film people should seek out. Annie Girard and Diana Wright co-directed and co-wrote the short film “1 in the Chamber” that took home the Filmmakers Award for Outstanding Short Film - Comedy at FIlm Invasion Los Angeles 2025. I was extra-happy when Diana and Annie scheduled their podcast, because only Diana was able to attend the screening. We had a wonderful chat that we posted Friday but the journey with these amazing ladies isn't complete until you hear their 4 Questions. You cannot watch the film yet, as “1 in the Chamber” is still on the festival circuit, but as soon as you can we will add a link here. In the meantime, you can follow this brilliant creative team at... The Film @1intheChamberfilm Diana @thatswright24 Annie @anniegirardyay _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ Discover Indie Film Links DIF Podcast Website - DIF Instagram - DIF BlueSky Discover Indie Film Foundation (nonprofit for the arts) Website Sherman Oaks Film Festival Film Invasion Los Angeles
Welcome back, Listeners! We have a great episode for you today. Annie Girard and Diana Wright are officially one of my favorite creative teams. They co-directed and co-wrote the short film “1 in the Chamber” that took home the Filmmakers Award for Outstanding Short Film - Comedy at FIlm Invasion Los Angeles 2025. I was extra-happy when Diana and Annie scheduled their podcast, because only Diana was able to attend the screening. We had a wonderful Q&A at the screening that went around 17 minutes, but for a film this good that's just not enough. Plus... Annie wasn't there! You cannot watch the film yet, as “1 in the Chamber” is still on the festival circuit, but as soon as you can we will add a link here. In the meantime, you can follow this brilliant creative team at... The Film @1intheChamberfilm Diana @thatswright24 Annie @anniegirardyay _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ Discover Indie Film Podcast Links DIF Podcast Website - DIF Instagram - DIF BlueSky Discover Indie Film Foundation (nonprofit for the arts) Links DIF Foundation - Sherman Oaks Film Festival - Film Invasion Los Angeles
What are the 4Qs? (1) Three favorite films. (2) An underrated film. (3) An overrated film. (4) A lesser-known film people should seek out. A.J. Lising wrote and directed “Papa's Corner,” a film that was an official selection at Film Invasion Los Angeles in 2025 and took home the Grand Jury Award for Best Supporting Performer in a Short Film, for Val Victa's performance as Papa. A.J. was not able to stay for the Q&A at FI-LA so I was thrilled for the chance to dive deeper with A.J. about his incredible work and get to the 4Qs to see what type of films helped him cultivate it. Follow A.J. and his work at: Website: http://filmbyaj.com/ Instagram: @ajlising Instagram: @papascornerfilm _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ Discover Indie Film Links DIF Podcast Website - DIF Instagram - DIF BlueSky Discover Indie Film Foundation (nonprofit for the arts) Website Sherman Oaks Film Festival Film Invasion Los Angeles
A Marvelous Monday to You All! A.J. Lising wrote and directed “Papa's Corner,” a film that was an official selection at Film Invasion Los Angeles in 2025 and took home the Grand Jury Award for Best Supporting Performer in a Short Film, for Val Victa's performance as Papa. I was in the theater for this screening and even though I had already seen it as a member of the jury, after the film's beautiful ending I wept for nearly all of the credits. We did hold a Q&A at the theater with Erik Luminarias (producer & lead actor) and Patricia Esguerra (editor & script supervisor), but A.J. was not able to stay for the Q&A. Once again the Discover Indie Film podcasts gives me a chance to more than make up for a missed Q&A opportunity. It was a pleasure to talk to A.J. and I hope to see a lot more work from him in the future. Follow A.J. and his work at: Website: http://filmbyaj.com/ Instagram: @ajlising Instagram: @papascornerfilm _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ Discover Indie Film Podcast Links DIF Podcast Website - DIF Instagram - DIF BlueSky Discover Indie Film Foundation (nonprofit for the arts) Links DIF Foundation - Sherman Oaks Film Festival - Film Invasion Los Angeles
Happy Friday! Time for something different! The guest for this podcast is Jessie Sparrow, Executive Director of RE:IMAGINE ATL, a community-based nonprofit in Atlanta that's reshaping access to film, media, and digital storytelling for the city's youth. RE:IMAGINE ATL reached out to me about this and even though the main focus of this podcast is indie filmmakers and their work, in this case RE:IMAGINE ATL's mission struck me as important enough for me to be a little more flexible than usual. Because the closest I've come to visiting Atlanta is changing planes at their massive airport, I thought it would be a good idea to pull in frequent Discover Indie Film guest and Atlanta resident Fr3deR1cK Taylor as a co-host. I think you'll agree that RE:IMAGINE ATL is doing wonderful, necessary work. Visit these links to learn more: RE:IMAGINE Website: https://reimagineatl.comDreamfest Ticket Link: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/1141075771349?aff=oddtdtcreator Liktree: https://linktr.ee/reimagineatl RE:IMAGINE Socials IG -@reimagineatl Facebook -https://m.facebook.com/reimagineatl/? LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/company/re-imagine-atl/?viewAsMember=true TikTok- https://www.tiktok.com/@reimagine.atl?_t=ZT-8yz6RUvqvLZ&_r=1 Youtube - https://youtube.com/@reimagineatl?si=JTlGpiPxfgvnFQoF _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ Discover Indie Film Podcast Links DIF Podcast Website - DIF Instagram - DIF BlueSky Discover Indie Film Foundation (nonprofit for the arts) Links DIF Foundation - Sherman Oaks Film Festival - Film Invasion Los Angeles
What are the 4Qs? (1) Three favorite films. (2) An underrated film. (3) An overrated film. (4) A lesser-known film people should seek out. Sweden-based Henrik Larsson co-directed, co- wrote and co-produced “Pierre West” with Jakob Arevärn, a drama about hope & darkness spanning 17 years. This remarkable film took home two awards at Film Invasion Los Angeles in June, 2025 (Grand Jury Award – Best Lead Performer – Featurette – Tomas Hartwig and Best Screenplay – Featurette – Henrik Larsson & Jakob Arevärn) Henrik was unable to make it to the festival in person so I was not able to do a Q & A. Which made this interview all follow up 4 Questions that much more exciting. His excellent taste did not disappoint! You can catch “Pierre West” on the big screen at the Silicon Beach Film Festival on Friday, Sept 5 in Block H. https://www.siliconbeachfilmfestival.com/tickets Or you could also follow Henka on Instagram to catch other festival screenings near you! @fotohanke _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ Discover Indie Film Links DIF Podcast Website - DIF Instagram - DIF BlueSky Discover Indie Film Foundation (nonprofit for the arts) Website Sherman Oaks Film Festival Film Invasion Los Angeles
Happy Labor Day, Listeners! I hope everyone is kicking back today, firing up the bbq and popping on your favorite indie film podcast while you flip burgers for your friends and family. It's a good one too! Sweden-based Henrik Larsson co-directed, co- wrote and co-produced the film “Pierre West” with Jakob Arevärn. A drama about hope & darkness spanning 17 years, this remarkable film took home two awards at Film Invasion Los Angeles in June, 2025 (Grand Jury Award – Best Lead Performer – Featurette – Tomas Hartwig and Best Screenplay – Featurette – Henrik Larsson & Jakob Arevärn) Henrik was not able to travel for the festival, but that's when doing this podcast allows me a chance to learn more about filmmakers who cannot make it to the festivals. Henke, his preferred name just as I prefer Jeff to Jeffrey, hopped onto Zoom for an extended chat about his career and “Pierre West.” The film is still on the festival circuit, so that you cannot catch it online yet, but as soon as it is we will provide links here. But you CAN catch “Pierre West” on the big screen at the Silicon Beach Film Festival on Friday, Sept 5 in Block H. https://www.siliconbeachfilmfestival.com/tickets You should also follow Henka on Instagram to catch other festival screenings near you! @fotohenka _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ Discover Indie Film Podcast Links DIF Podcast Website - DIF Instagram - DIF BlueSky Discover Indie Film Foundation (nonprofit for the arts) Links DIF Foundation - Sherman Oaks Film Festival - Film Invasion Los Angeles
What are the 4Qs? (1) Three favorite films. (2) An underrated film. (3) An overrated film. (4) A lesser-known film people should seek out. Jesseca Ynez Simmons had her film “Heaven in a Wild Flower” at the Sherman Oaks Film Festival in 2024 and took home the Filmmakers Award for Outstanding Cinematography - Arthouse/Experimental. I was thrilled for the chance to finally sit down (virtually) and have a chat with Jesseca since she was not able to attend the festival and, of course, that included the 4 Questions follow up. Website: https://www.jessecaysimmons.com/ Parts Per Million: https://www.jessecaysimmons.com/#/parts-per-million/ Personal Instagram: @jessecaynezsimmons Microscope Instagram: @micro_landscapes _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ Discover Indie Film Links DIF Podcast Website - DIF Instagram - DIF BlueSky Discover Indie Film Foundation (nonprofit for the arts) Website Sherman Oaks Film Festival Film Invasion Los Angeles
A Wonderful Wednesday to everyone listening! Jesseca Ynez Simmons brought her film “Heaven in a Wild Flower” to Sherman Oaks Film Festival in 2024 and took home the Filmmakers Award for Outstanding Cinematography - Arthouse/Experimental. Jesseca wasn't able to attend the festival, but thanks to this podcast I finally got to “meet” Jesseca on Zoom and confirm that all the amazing cinematography in the film was Jesseca's own work. In fact, she shot nearly all of it at home with this setup! Microscope Cinematography for The WIN! I could not have enjoyed this conversation more. My only regret is that Jesseca does not live in SoCal and cannot come to all our festival-centric mixers. I hope that you enjoy listening to our chat as much as I enjoyed having it! Become as fascinated by Jesseca's work as I am at these links: Website: https://www.jessecaysimmons.com/ Parts Per Million: https://www.jessecaysimmons.com/#/parts-per-million/ Personal Instagram: @jessecaynezsimmons Microscope Instagram: @micro_landscapes _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ Discover Indie Film Podcast Links DIF Podcast Website - DIF Instagram - DIF BlueSky Discover Indie Film Foundation (nonprofit for the arts) Links DIF Foundation - Sherman Oaks Film Festival - Film Invasion Los Angeles
What are the 4Qs? (1) Three favorite films. (2) An underrated film. (3) An overrated film. (4) A lesser-known film people should seek out. Graham High directed “The Housesitters,” a smart and hilarious film that played at Sherman Oaks Film Festival in 2022 and took home Best Lead Actress - Short Film - The Housesitters - Erin Pineda and Best Lead Actor - Short Film - The Housesitters - Matt McConkey. I had such a fantastic time chatting with Graham that I was thankful for the excuse to keep it going with the 4 Questions! Link to Housesitters: https://youtu.be/FmLgR1lXsak @instagrahamhigh https://www.youtube.com/@Grahamihigh http://grahamhigh.me _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ Discover Indie Film Links DIF Podcast Website - DIF Instagram - DIF BlueSky Discover Indie Film Foundation (nonprofit for the arts) Website Sherman Oaks Film Festival Film Invasion Los Angeles
TGIFF! (Film Friday) Graham High directed a film that will forever live in my heart, “The Housesitters,” because not enough people make wonderfully acerbic comedies. Written by lead actors Erin Pineda & Matt McConkey, who co-produced with Graham and his sister Brittany High, “The Housesitters” is smart and hilarious, and it makes me love its two lead characters even if they show close to zero redeeming qualities. Graham took that wonderful script and directed it perfectly, taking home several awards at Sherman Oaks Film Festival in 2022 including Best Lead Actress - Short Film - The Housesitters - Erin Pineda and Best Lead Actor - Short Film - The Housesitters - Matt McConkey. Thankfully Graham kept in touch over the years and thanks to a little prodding from Karina, this podcast's producer, we managed to finally record this interview. Yay! Link to Housesitters: https://youtu.be/FmLgR1lXsak @instagrahamhigh https://www.youtube.com/@Grahamihigh http://grahamhigh.me Bloody Bites (https://tubitv.com/series/300009135/bloody-bites) _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ Discover Indie Film Podcast Links DIF Podcast Website - DIF Instagram - DIF BlueSky Discover Indie Film Foundation (nonprofit for the arts) Links DIF Foundation - Sherman Oaks Film Festival - Film Invasion Los Angeles
What are the 4Qs? (1) Three favorite films. (2) An underrated film. (3) An overrated film. (4) A lesser-known film people should seek out. Filmmaker Lindsay Nyman returns to the podcast to chat about her new film, “They Call Me The Tattoo Witch.” This remarkable documentary, directed and produced by Lindsay, screened at Sherman Oaks Film Festival in 2024 and took home the Grand Jury Awards for Best Short Film - Documentary and Best Cinematography - Short Film for Katie Eleneke and the Filmmakers Award for Outstanding Direction - Documentary! Lindsay is an outstanding filmmaker and citizen of the world and I was very excited to hear what films she had up her 4 Questions Sleeves! Learn more about Lindsay and Leading Woman Films at https://www.leadingwomanfilms.com/ and on Instagram @ leadingwomanfilms _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ Discover Indie Film Links DIF Podcast Website - DIF Instagram - DIF BlueSky Discover Indie Film Foundation (nonprofit for the arts) Website Sherman Oaks Film Festival Film Invasion Los Angeles
It's a great day today because Filmmaker Lindsay Nyman returns to the podcast! And she was zooming in from Berlin! Back in April, 2018, Lindsay appeared on Episode 57 to talk about her pilot, “The Blind Center.” That wonderful film played at Film Invasion Los Angeles 2017 and took home the Grand Jury Award for Narrative Short Film. Thanks to Instagram I was able to keep up with Lindsay over the years and then she returned with a new film in 2024, “They Call Me The Tattoo Witch.” This remarkable documentary, directed by Lindsay, screened at Sherman Oaks Film Festival and took home the Grand Jury Awards for Best Short Film - Documentary and Best Cinematography - Short Film for Katie Eleneke. Lindsay's peers on the Filmmakers Board also awarded her with the Filmmakers Award for Outstanding Direction - Documentary! Lindsay directed and produced the film, working side by-side with cinematographer Katie Eleneke and assembling an all-female crew local to Hanoi. Lindsay always credits the heart and authenticity of the film to this extraordinary Vietnamese team, who brought their talent, care, and cultural insight to the process and became like family. Learn more about Lindsay and Leading Woman Films at https://www.leadingwomanfilms.com/ and on Instagram @ leadingwomanfilms _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ Discover Indie Film Podcast Links DIF Podcast Website - DIF Instagram - DIF BlueSky Discover Indie Film Foundation (nonprofit for the arts) Links DIF Foundation - Sherman Oaks Film Festival - Film Invasion Los Angeles
What are the 4Qs? (1) Three favorite films. (2) An underrated film. (3) An overrated film. (4) A lesser-known film people should seek out. Vincent Salvano's film Crosby was at FI-LA 2018 and he has been such a busy young person -- graduating college, working PA jobs at fantastic places like Pixar and such -- that it took us SEVEN years of scheduling and rescheduling this podcast before we managed to record this! That means seven years eagerly anticipating what his 4 Questions might be! Vincent's IG: @vincent_salvano _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ Discover Indie Film Links DIF Podcast Website - DIF Instagram - DIF BlueSky Discover Indie Film Foundation (nonprofit for the arts) Website Sherman Oaks Film Festival Film Invasion Los Angeles
A Wonderful Wednesday, Friends! Vincent Salvano's film Crosby was at FI-LA 2018 and he has been such a busy young person -- graduating college, working PA jobs at fantastic places like Pixar and such -- that it took us SEVEN years of scheduling and rescheduling this podcast before we managed to record this! I'm so impressed with Vincent's filmmaking journey and it was definitely worth the wait to chat with him. Vincent's IG: @vincent_salvano _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ Discover Indie Film Podcast Links DIF Podcast Website - DIF Instagram - DIF BlueSky Discover Indie Film Foundation (nonprofit for the arts) Links DIF Foundation - Sherman Oaks Film Festival - Film Invasion Los Angeles
Happy Monday, Discover Indie Film Folk! Fr3deR1cK has been a staple guest on the podcast and when he recently came to LA for an extended visit, I obviously agreed to pick up our musings on film and the universe. LINKS THAT Fr3deR1cK mentions: tomorrowpictures.com tomorrow pictures.tv Fr3deR1cK.com jonesfoundation.com IG- @fr3der1ck _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ Discover Indie Film Podcast Links DIF Podcast Website - DIF Instagram - DIF BlueSky Discover Indie Film Foundation (nonprofit for the arts) Links DIF Foundation - Sherman Oaks Film Festival - Film Invasion Los Angeles
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