Fandor Festival Podcast

During his teenage years, Lustig avidly watched a huge volume of lowdown trashy exploitation fare at numerous 42nd Street grindhouse theaters in Manhattan and also worked as a movie theater usher in Fort Lee, New Jersey. After graduating from high school, he took a few film classes at New York University.In 1980, Lustig found himself at the center of a storm of controversy when he made the grim, gory and disturbing slasher sleaze splatter landmark "Maniac," which boasts an incredibly intense performance by the legendary character actor Joe Spinell as a vicious depraved psychopath and plenty of hideously graphic and gruesome make-up effects by genre icon Tom Savini. In 1982, Lustig followed up "Maniac" with the tough, gritty and exciting New York urban revenge opus "Vigilante." In 1988, he delivered another winner with the terrific "Maniac Cop," a violent horror action flick about an undead New York police officer on a killing spree which was the first of several cinematic collaborations with fellow maverick independent filmmaker Larry Cohen.Lustig followed up with the 1989 stirring action item "Hit List" and the suspenseful serial killer thriller "Relentless," starring Judd Nelson and Robert Loggia. In 1990, Lustig made the favorite of his films, “Maniac Cop 2,” which many consider superior to the popular original. Lustig's last film as a director to date was the nifty and enjoyable 1996 fright flick "Uncle Sam." Recently Lustig produced the well-received remake of “Maniac” starring Elijah Wood, and is now producing the reboot of “Maniac Cop.”Since 1997, William Lustig went on to initially produce DVDs for Anchor Bay and now currently runs the outstanding home entertainment label Blue Underground, which restores and re-releases popular and little seen cult movies and other grindhouse horror, thriller, action, and western films. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The team sits down for a discussion with Mark Mills, as part of the Sonoma Valley Authors Festival.Mark P. Mills is a senior fellow at the Manhattan Institute and a faculty fellow at Northwestern University's McCormick School of Engineering and Applied Science where he co-directs the Institute on Manufacturing Science and Innovation. He is also a strategic partner with Montrose Lane, an energy-tech fund focused on software.His new book, The Cloud Revolution: How the Convergence of New Technologies Will Unleash the Next Economic Boom and a Roaring 2020s, has risen to #1 in Amazon's business planning and forecasting rankings. In the book, Mills presents a convincing vision of a coming era of economic prosperity fueled by today's radical advances in technology, data, and the Cloud. He explains how digital acceleration is changing the value of the physical economy and lays out a common-sense argument for optimism in our ability to grow and innovate, drawing comparisons with the tech revolution that drove the economic expansion of the 20th century and the widespread adoption of telephony, cars, power plants, and plastics.Mills' previous books include Digital Cathedrals: The Information Infrastructure Era, and Work In The Age Of Robots, as well as The Bottomless, co-authored with Peter Huber, about which Bill Gates said: “This is the only book I've ever seen that really explains energy.”Mills cofounded Digital Power Capital, which invested in emerging technologies. He has been a technology advisor for Bank of America Securities, and was a director for a preeminent engineering firm that designed power systems for global datacenters. He has testified numerous times before Congress on energy and technology matters.Early in his career, Mills worked in the White House Science Office under President Reagan and provided science and technology policy counsel to numerous private-sector firms, the Department of Energy, and U.S. research laboratories. Prior to that, Mills was an experimental physicist and development engineer in microprocessors and fiber optics, earning several patents for his work.Mills holds a degree in physics from Queen's University in Ontario, Canada. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The team sits down with the one and only, Roger Love!Roger Love is recognized as one of the world's leading authorities on voice. No other vocal coach in history has been more commercially successful in both the speaking and singing fields. Roger has vocally produced more than 150-million-unit sales worldwide and written three top-selling books. Roger coaches singers such as John Mayer and Selena Gomez, as well as speakers like Anthony Robbins, and actors including Brad Pitt, Reese Witherspoon, Zoe Saldana, Keira Knightly, and Bradley Cooper.If you would like to take advantage of Roger's generous $50 gift for his coaching services, please go to rogerlove.com/winner Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The team sits down with Nikki Erlick, as part of the Sonoma Valley Authors Festival. Nikki's book debuted #6 on the NY Times Best Seller list.Nikki Erlick is a journalist and travel writer whose work has appeared online with New York Magazine, Harper's Bazaar, Newsweek, Cosmopolitan, Indagare Travel, The Huffington Post, and Vox.Erlick's eagerly anticipated debut novel, The Measure, will be published by HarperCollins in June 2022. Equally charming and thought-provoking, The Measure explores a philosophical question – “what if everybody on earth knew exactly how long they had left to live?” – with compassion and pragmatism, examining how the implications might trickle down into every area of modern life.Of her inspiration for writing The Measure, Erlick says: “During this past year of tremendous pain and upheaval, I found myself reflecting on the ways in which we measure our own lives and success and happiness, the way we measure the value of others, and the way we measure a society as a whole. All of these thoughts poured into this story of a world that so closely resembles ours—but with one powerful, poignant twist. As someone who has always turned to literature for comfort and guidance, I am in awe of so many authors whose works have inspired such deep empathy within me, and my greatest wish is that this story might accomplish the same.” Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The team sits down with Rebecca Halpern, Director of "Love, Charlie: The Rise and Fall of Chef Charlie Trotter."Rebecca HalpernFrom true crime and social justice docuseries that affect real world change to epic feature documentaries rooted in history and the arts and culture, Rebecca's work evokes emotion, and enlightens and empowers audiences. LOVE, CHARLIE marks Rebecca's directorial debut. Most recently, Rebecca wrote and produced a forthcoming feature documentary with the SpringHill Company. Prior to that, she served as the Co-Executive Producer of "Helter Skelter," a six-part documentary series about Charles Manson for Epix network from Executive Producer Greg Berlanti and Director Lesley Chilcott. Rebecca earned both her Bachelor's and Master's Degrees from Northwestern University in Evanston, IL, where she also played on the varsity women's gold team. Rebecca also sits on the Board of Directors of FACETS in Chicago, and she mentors student athletes through Northwestern University's IMAP program. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The team sits down to get the scoop on new film, "Traveling Light". Featured in this interview is Bernard Rose, Director and Writer, and Danny Huston, who plays "Harry" in the film.Traveling Light tells the story of Caddy (Tony Todd) over a twenty four hour period on May 30th 2020 as he searches for his missing son who has been living on the streets, while working as an Uber/Delivery driver during the early days of the Pandemic in Los Angeles. His path crosses Harry (Danny Huston), a cult leader who is holding a bizarre happening/ceremony up on Mulholland drive where Todd (Stephen Dorff) and Mary (Olivia d'Abo) are attending as acolytes. All the while news of the horrific murder of George Floyd reverberates around the city as the social fabric collapses and we realize we are witnessing the end of an era... Funny and frightening in equal measure, Traveling Light is a Bunuelian satire of bourgeoisie life in Los Angeles at a moment of extreme crisis. Directed by Bernard Rose (Candyman 1992).______________Bernard Rose was born on 4th August 1960, in London, England, and began his career by making Super 8 films at the age of 9. The BBC held an amateur movie competition which he won in 1975. He attended The National Film and Television School in Beaconsfield, England, graduating in 1982 with a Master's in Filmmaking and first began directing music videos in the early days of MTV for artists such as UB40, Frankie goes to Hollywood, Roy Orbison, and Roger Waters. He then worked for the BBC, directing TV films before he directed "Paperhouse" and "Chicago Joe and The Showgirl." He gained American attention when he wrote and directed his 1992 cult horror film classic "Candyman."______________Danny Huston is an Award-winning actor, writer and director known for his versatility and dramatic screen presence. Most recognized for his roles in films like Martin Scorsese's The Aviator, Alfonso Cuaron's Children of Men and Alejandro Inarritu's 21 Grams, Huston has worked with some of the finest film directors of his generation. Huston got his start directing Mr. North with Robert Mitchum, Anthony Edwards and his sister Anjelica Huston. He went on to give his breakthrough acting performance in the independent film Ivansxtc for which he was nominated for Best Male Performance at the 2003 Independent Spirit Awards.In 2013, his critically acclaimed role of Ben the butcher in Magic City (STARZ), earned him a Golden Globe nomination for Best Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role in a Series, Mini-Series or Motion Picture Made for Television. His other television acting work includes the hit television series Masters Of Sex (Showtime), a recurring role in the hugely popular American Horror Story (FX), and performances in You Don't Know Jack (HBO)with Al Pacino and John Adams (HBO/Playtone). Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Georgette Angelos: Born in South Florida, Georgette moved to Los Angeles to pursue her love of photography. Working as the house photographer for Silverback Music Management Label, she was soon led to her career in the film industry. She transitioned between assistant directing and associate producing for music videos, commercials and short films presenting the opportunity to work with brands such as Adidas, WWE, GQ, Audi and NFL Films before settling into her position as Senior Producer and overall Head of Video Production for Snoop Dogg's company, MERRY JANE, from 2014 to 2016. Georgette is an Executive Producer at G2C Productions, most recently the Executive Producer of Boston George: Famous Without the Fortune. Chris Chesson: In 2008, Chris left a successful small business in South Louisiana to pursue a new venture in production. Currently he owns 2 Marketing/Digital Content Agencies in Colorado and has created viral campaigns for businesses coast to coast. In the last 10 years, his production career has encompassed virtually all formats of film and video content creation. As a hands-on executive producer, he is deeply engaged in the technical aspects of both the physical and creative aspects of production, from development through delivery. His passion is to create. Chris is an Executive Producer at G2C Productions, most recently the Executive Producer of Boston George: Famous Without the Fortune. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The once peaceful and booming Yellowstone City has fallen on hard times, but when a local prospector strikes gold, things seem to be turning around. Any hope is soon shattered when the prospector is found dead and the Sheriff quickly arrests a mysterious newcomer. But nothing is so simple in this sleepy western town, and more than a few of the locals have secrets to keep and reasons to kill. As the brutal murders continue, pitting neighbor against neighbor,Yellowstone City goes down a bloody path to a final showdown that not all will survive.Richard Gray - Director StatementAfter scouting almost every western town / back lot in North America, we built YellowstoneCity from scratch in Montana. It took over two years, with many Covid delays, but that gave us time to think about every scene, every beat, the weather — the look of each season. Watch the town grow from the ground up. The area we built in (Paradise Valley) was called Yellowstone City in the 1850s, and now it's back. I was so excited reading the screenplay. Eric did such a fabulous job. Murder mystery westerns are rare, that was super cool and original, but there is still such a classic western here and that's what really impressed me. At its heart we're dealing with fascinating characters, with major decisions to make. We're dealing with social injustice, and what folks are prepared to do in seeking the truth. What are they prepared to do for true justice? They risk their lives, they lose their lives — our heroes ultimately aren't prepared to stay silent, and that's what makes this film tick. There are themes, moments and truths that are incredibly relevant, then and now. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Sleeze Lake comes exclusively to Fandor on June 28. In the 1970s, the custom van craze was sweeping America. Van clubs began to form all over the country. In Chicago, one of the wildest to ever exist came into creation: Midwest Vans Ltd. On Memorial Day Weekend in 1977, these blue collar outcasts set out to throw a gonzo party and built their own personal van utopia around a small farm pond. They erected a ramshackle resort town and called it “Sleeze Lake." When over 20,000 people showed up to the party, all bets were off!Sleeze Lake co-directors Andrew J. Morgan and Nick Nummerdor are lifelong friends and filmmakers. Based in Chicago, they run Little Cabin Films and having been making films since their days of videotaping themselves skateboarding in West Michigan. Andrew is a director, cinematographer, and editor. He most recently co-directed Sleeze Lake and acted as a director of photography for shadow puppetry material in the 2021 horror reboot of Candyman. Nick Nummerdor is a director, producer, and editor. His producing credits include the Netflix documentary Hannibal Take Edinburgh as well as the recent documentary release Skate or Die. His work as a director and editor include feature length and short documentaries. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The team sits down with Director, Alberto Belli, and Writer/Star, Jim Mahoney from film, GATLOPP. A group of old friends reunites for a nostalgic evening of fun and games after a decade apart. After one too many, they decide to play a drinking game, but it's quickly revealed that this game comes with supernatural stakes. Mischief leads to mayhem, and the group realizes that if they can't come together to win the game by sunrise, they will be forced to play for eternity — in hell. Starring Jim Mahoney, Emmy Raver-Lampman, Jon Bass, and Sarunas J. Jackson; releasing June 23, 2022.Director Statement:GATLOPP started when Jim Mahoney (the writer and a dear friend) told me the story of an unforgettable night he had playing a drinking game with estranged friends and how it brought them back together. He had this great idea that the experience could be turned into a movie by giving the game supernatural powers--I was immediately hooked! We started developing it together and two years later, Jim crafted a hilarious script that felt fresh and modern yet held a nostalgic tone. As a director who is influenced by the 80s/90 saction/adventure movies, like Goonies, Gremlins, and Indiana Jones, the script was a dream to direct. It captured the essence of those entertaining movies by having relatable characters mixed with fantastical set pieces and big laughs. The craziest thing? The story all happens inside a house! — Alberto Belli Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The team sits down with Ásgeir and Anton, the co-directors of "Come to Harm," available exclusively to Fandor this month.Ásgeir Sigurðsson and Anton Karl Kristensen, the co-directors behind “Come to Harm” started their filmmaking journey early in their lives. Born in 2000 (Ásgeir) and 1998 (Anton), they met when they were little through their parent's friendship. One evening when they were bored at a dinner party, they looked to the laptop to kill their time with iMovie and after some experimentation they quickly found that filmmaking was what they were meant to do. After High School they went different paths. Anton moved to the U.S to study filmmaking at The New York Film Academy whilst Ásgeir went on to make a web series for the National Television in Iceland. While Anton was abroad, Ásgeir wrote “Come to Harm'' and when Anton came back to Iceland the first thing on their minds was finding a way to produce it. Ásgeir looked to his old schoolmates who were more than happy to help work on the film. Even though the budget was low, the cast and crew's passion for the project was immense and is the reason the outcome of the film is beyond what they thought could be.Fandor on Social Media:Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/fandorTwitter: https://twitter.com/FandorInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/fandorfilms Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The team sits down with Daniel Adams, Director of “The Walk“. This film has its WORLD PREMIERE at the Opening Night (8pm PT) of the 25th annual Dances with Films Festival in Los Angeles. Fandor is a proud sponsor of Dances with Films, a defiantly independent festival. The festival will run from June 9 – 19th, 2022.Daniel Adams grew up in Boston and worked in politics, including two gubernatorial campaigns, a race for attorney general, and a presidential campaign. He also garnered valuable film production experience directing television commercials for a Boston advertising agency. He then co-wrote (w/ Michael Mailer) and directed his first feature film in 1989, “A Fool and His Money” which starred Sandra Bullock, Jonathan Penner, George Plimpton and Jerzy Kosinski, released through Trimark Pictures (now LionsGate). He then went on to write and direct his second feature, the critically acclaimed “Primary Motive,” for Twentieth Century Fox which starred Judd Nelson, Justine Bateman, Richard Jordan, John Savage and Sally Kirkland, produced by Don Carmody. His third feature, which he also wrote and directed, a comedy entitled, “The Mouse,” starring Rip Torn and John Savage, released through Strand Releasing, also received positive reviews. “The Golden Boys,” which he wrote and directed, starring David Carradine, Rip Torn, Bruce Dern and Mariel Hemingway, had a very successful release through Roadside Attractions and Lions Gate Films in 2009. His next film, which he wrote and directed, released in 2010 through New Films Cinema, was “The Lightkeepers” which starred Richard Dreyfuss and Blythe Danner. “Lightkeepers” has been the recipient of many awards, including Best Musical Score for a Comedy in 2010 (Int'l Film Music Critics Assoc), Best Supporting Actor (Bruce Dern, Methodfest), and Best Film (“Golden Angel” award at the CAFF in Los Angeles). It was chosen as the closing night film at the prestigious Palm Springs International Film Festival and opening night film at the Boulder International Film Festival.He directed and co-wrote (with legendary National Lampoon editor Larry “Ratso” Sloman) the satire, “An L.A. Minute” starring Gabriel Byrne, Kiersey Clemons, and Bob Balaban, which was released in theaters through Strand in August 2018. And he wrote the script for the upcoming feature film “Panama” starring Mel Gibson and Cole Hauser.“The Walk” which he directed and co-wrote (with George Powell) has already won many film festival awards including “Best Picture” and “Best Director” and has been chosen as the opening night film at the Boston International Film Festival and Dances with Films.He is currently writing a biography of American patriot James Otis and developing the book into a limited series to be co-written and produced by multi-Emmy winner Jay Kogen. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

LESLEE SCALLON & MICHAEL TRENT are the Co-Founders of DANCES WITH FILMS, a tremendous indie film festival now in its 25th year!Fandor is a proud sponsor of this festival. Both Turducken and The Huntsman and the Hound were selected for the Fandor service at this festival last year - both available to watch now on Fandor!A Regent Scholar at New York University, Michael Trent began his career as one of the youngest stage managers to receive an Equity production contract with Broadway and touring credits including the Julliard based Acting Company (touring arm of the Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C.) and Lee Theodore's American Dancemachine. He has written, directed and produced a multitude of projects around the globe – from Sacramento to Singapore including numerous years helming the MOVIEGUIDE® Awards which airs on the Hallmark Channel. He lives in Washington, DC with his his lovely wife and their amazing dog, Zoe.Leslee Scallon got her start by moving to Hollywood at nineteen from a small town, where she literally went to a three room schoolhouse. After that small start, she did receive a DramaLogue Best Actress Award, as well as the honor of accepting that award on the same stage as Shirley MacLaine. Similar to Michael, however, she found producing and writing to be a true love, especially after the sage advice of the late Carrie Fisher, “get behind the camera, it's more fun there.” Together Leslee and Michael have produced and directed many shows, including the THALIANS, working with amazing legends such as the late Debbie Reynolds and Carrie Fisher; Dick Van Dyke; Shirley MacLaine amongst others. Their first feature INDEMNITY was the catalyst for DWF and has made for tremendous opportunities of working with amazing creative minds and visionaries. Leslee has been the key moderator of the Industry Panels and “Chats With” series of talks done at the festival, as well as asked to be on panels for her expertise in navigating the film festival world. She lives in Studio City with her lovely daughter, Jocelyn. Fandor on Social Media:Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/fandorTwitter: https://twitter.com/FandorInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/fandorfilms Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The team sits down with Program Director for the Mendocino Film Festival, Herb Stratford!Herb Stratford is the program director for the Mendocino Film Festival and Film Fest Tucson. He was previously the program director for the Napa Valley Film Festival and a guest programmer at the Sonoma International Film Festival. He is also a documentary filmmaker, film critic and historic theatre consultant.Fandor is a proud sponsor of the Mendocino Film Festival where the first "Fandor Independent Vision Award" will be presented to a filmmaker in 2022. The Film Festival runs June 2-5th.Fandor on Social Media:Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/fandorTwitter: https://twitter.com/FandorInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/fandorfilmsTikTok: tiktok.com/@fandorfilms Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The team sits down with Aaron Hillis, Director of Programming at Cinedigm.Aaron Hillis is the Director of Programming (VOD) at Cinedigm. As a film curator with an eclectic career from exhibition to distribution to owning a video store, he was praised by Brooklyn Magazine as one of "The 100 Most Influential People in Brooklyn Culture" alongside Lena Dunham and Spike Lee. His writing has appeared in The Village Voice, VICE, Variety, Vanity Fair, and other outlets that don't begin with V. During the pandemic, he hosted a private Zoom screening series with guests like Paul Schrader, Robert Townsend, Nina Menkes, “Weird Al” Yankovic, Sticky Fingaz, Alice Cooper, and Sparks.Fandor on Social Media:Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/fandorTwitter: https://twitter.com/FandorInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/fandorfilmsTikTok: tiktok.com/@fandorfilms Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The team sits down with Lori Shockley, Producer and Director.Lori is a seasoned, multifaceted independent writer, producer, and director. Her most recent project, Corked, an award-winning short film, follows a young woman and her struggle to enter the male-dominated wine industry in the early 70s. Corked also serves as a proof of concept for the feature script of the same name. Having won multiple screenplay awards, the feature script is based on a true story. Over the years, Lori has worked in physical and creative production for Disney, Pixar, HBO, and Warner Bros on feature films, episodic tv, and documentaries. Lori has had the pleasure of working with noted actors such as Reese Witherspoon, Kevin Costner, Mark Ruffalo, and Tony Shalhoub.A passionate storyteller, Lori was selected to attend the Mediterranean Film Institute in Greece in 2021 to develop one of her original screenplays. Lori has served as an Advisor and Executive Producer to The Friends of the San Francisco Film Commission and the Robin Williams Award for Excellence in Entertainment. She is a current member of the Producers Guild of America and Women in Film and Television. Lori is based in San Francisco and New York.Fandor on Social Media:Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/fandorTwitter: https://twitter.com/FandorInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/fandorfilmsTikTok: tiktok.com/@fandorfilms Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

MAY THE FOURTH BE WITH YOU. Special episode of the Fandor Festival Podcast releases today with guest, Steve Harms, Professional Opera Singer!Steven A Harms was classically trained as a professional opera singer and has been performing nationally and internationally for two decades. He has shared stages with well-known greats such as Placido Domingo and Andrea Bocelli. While spending the last two decades singing, speaking, and teaching, he has developed expert-level breathing techniques that enhance personal health and allow anyone to train their bodies to live healthier with the advantage of defying age and having longevity of life. Steven has appeared in 50 productions with the Los Angeles Opera and starred in dozens of lead and supporting roles. Steven is a frequently sought-after singer for independent projects, film, and television. He has also worked within the film industry with IMDB credits that include “Star Wars”, “The Hangover”, “Despicable Me”, and Disney's “Frozen”. As his global impact continues to expand, Steven is proud to serve today as a world-class speaker, trainer, and coach to provide understanding to the ever-popular and growing phenomena of how to easily optimize your voice, increase your influence and impact to command boardrooms, stages and everyday conversations while leading a healthy lifestyle.Fandor on Social Media:Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/fandorTwitter: https://twitter.com/FandorInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/fandorfilmsTikTok: tiktok.com/@fandorfilms Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The team sits down with Sunnie McFadden-Curtis, Director of Broken Vows.Sunnie McFadden-Curtis is a multi-award-winning independent filmmaker, director, producer, actor, educator, social advocate for women and children, and above all a devoted mother. Before she included independent filmmaker to her repertoire of titles, Sunnie was an actor for over twenty years, including the soap opera “Family Passions”. After taking a hiatus she went back to acting concurrently with filmmaking and can be seen in the soon-to-be-released Netflix Sci-Fi film ”Code 8-2” . While also raising her three children, Sunnie took a leap of faith and started a production company, benchboy productions inc. Along with producing her first feature documentary Bullying: A Culture of Silence she also produced the films; short-Cyber-Bullying: Where are we going wrong? and the short; non-fiction, Shane r u there? With her outspoken advocacy for the disenfranchised, she was invited along with Congresswoman Speier to be part of the campaign 24/7. 24/7 gave Sunnie internationally speaking status on anti-bullying education to help make schools safer for children and teens. So she took Bullying: A Culture of Silence on the road to the US while presenting. Sunnie recognized she needed to get involved in the political arena to continue to make real change in anti-bullying education which took her from Queen's Park, Toronto all the way to the US Senate. In 2010 Sunnie, 2 anti-bullying coalitions and the help of MPP Elizabeth Witmer they were all instrumental in having a resolution introduced and passed to officially recognize the 3rd week of November as “Bullying Awareness & Prevention week” across Ontario. The same year Sunnie and her son Brennan were honored to be invited by the United States Senate to take part in roundtable discussions, pertaining to ways to make schools safer through anti-bullying education. Sunnie has recently completed her second feature-length, multi-award-winning documentary BROKEN VOWS: Stories of Separation, and a six-volume digital companion resource to help women move forward upon separation. Now showing on FandorFandor on Social Media:Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/fandorTwitter: https://twitter.com/FandorInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/fandorfilmsTikTok: tiktok.com/@fandorfilms Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The team sits down with Lori Miller, Director and Producer of Living Wine.Lori Miller, a Los Angeles-based producer/director, is known for her documentaries about arts and culture. As a producer, credits include They Came to Play about the inspirational stories of older amateur pianists rekindling their musical dreams, Shakespeare High which follows underserved teens who study Shakespeare and stay in school, and Virtuosity, about the Van Cliburn piano competition. As producer/director, Lori recently completed Day One, about a trauma-informed public school for teenage refugees. Living Wine, Lori's second documentary as producer/director, follows natural winemakers in Northern California through the 2020 fire season. Originally from New Haven, CT, Lori is a graduate of Barnard CollegeLiving Wine follows the journeys of natural winemakers in Northern California, during the largest wildfire season on record. Equal parts farmer, winemaker, and artist, they stay true to their ideals of creating exceptional wines made through innovative sustainable, and regenerative farming and without chemical additives. Eschewing the industrial agricultural practices of the corporate wine industry – our winemakers are healing the very environment they are surviving, i.e., a changing climate marked by rising temperatures, shorter growing seasons, and more frequent and virulent wildfires.Fandor on Social Media:Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/fandorTwitter: https://twitter.com/FandorInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/fandorfilmsTikTok: tiktok.com/@fandorfilms Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Today we site down with Mikey Corker (Director of "Savage Waters") and Taz Knight (professional surfer featured in the film).Savage Waters is a captivating surf adventure inspired by a tantalizing passage in a 19th century treasure hunter's journal. Director Mikey Corker follows modern day adventurers, renowned skipper Matt Knight, world-class big wave surfer Andrew Cotton as they embark on a modern-day adventure to find and surf a spectacular wave in some of the most remote and dangerous waters of the Atlantic Ocean. Joined in their quest by family and friends, they'll be faced with serious challenges and forces to question their attitudes towards risk and the tensions that can exist between personal fulfillment and their relationships with those they love.The WORLD PREMIERE of this film will be shown at Doclands, Thursday May 5th at 7pm at the Smith Rafael Film Center in California. MIKEY CORKER began his career as a camera assistant on feature films, gaining a vital foundation in filmmaking and the hunger to become a director and cinematographer in his own right. He has a long-term love of the ocean and a fascination for those who understand its brutal power and yet are unable to resist its lure. After multiple award-winning short films, Savage Waters is his first feature-length documentary and depicts remarkable individuals in the jaw-dropping seas they hope to conquer.Fandor on Social Media:Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/fandorTwitter: https://twitter.com/FandorInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/fandorfilmsTikTok: tiktok.com/@fandorfilms Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The team sits down with Ed Vincent, CEO of Festival Pass.Ed Vincent is the founder and CEO of Festival Pass, the world's first festival and live events subscription marketplace providing access to thousands of experiences around the globe across music, film, food and wine, art, sports, theater, lifestyle, and tech & innovation experiences. Enjoy thousands of events & festivals locally and globally for one monthly fee. Festival Pass is a story about community and creating experiences that change you. We as humans need connection – it's in our DNA, as strong a need as food, water and warmth.The team at Festival Pass, which spans the globe from Bali to NY to Detroit to Lisbon, is bringing its members the only place to make accessing, discovering, and attending festivals the most user-friendly, frictionless, affordable, and valuable member experience possible.Ed Vincent is an entrepreneur with over 25 years of business, technology, and management experience including 6 years of banking and valuation experience. He founded an e-commerce business in 1999 which was sold to a competitor in 2001 and is a repeat founder including SimplyEngage, myProducer, & Predict Ventures. Ed's passion for festivals and the interpersonal connectivity fostered at festivals led him to found Festival Pass.Fandor on Social Media:Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/fandorTwitter: https://twitter.com/FandorInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/fandorfilmsTikTok: tiktok.com/@fandorfilms Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The team sits down with Dr. Nate Kohn, Director of Ebertfest.Dr. Nate Kohn is the festival director at Ebertfest and a professor at the University of Georgia. His producing credits include Zulu Dawn starring Burt Lancaster and Peter O'Toole; the independent feature Somebodies, which premiered at Sundance (2006); Rain, the Bahamas' first indigenous feature which premiered at Toronto (2007) and on Showtime (2010); the feature film Bottleworld (2010); he was Executive Producer on the BET television series Somebodies(2008); he was Producer on the feature-length documentary Bayou Maharajah that premiered at the SXSW Festival (2013); he produced the Emmy Award-winning short documentaryEbertfest 2012; and he was Executive Producer on The 73rd, 74th and 75th Annual Peabody Awards Specials for PivotTV/Participant Media (2014, 2015 and 2016). He has served on juries and mentored screenwriters at the Atlanta, Hawaii, Kerala, and Bahamas International Film Festivals. He is a board member of the Arkansas Cinema Society. And he is the author of numerous scholarly articles and of the book Pursuing Hollywood: Seduction, Obsession, Dread (AltaMira Press, 2006).Fandor is a proud sponsor of EbertFest.Fandor on Social Media:Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/fandorTwitter: https://twitter.com/FandorInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/fandorfilmsTikTok: tiktok.com/@fandorfilms Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The team sits down with Joseph A. Ziemba & Annie Choi, the Creators behind BLEEDING SKULL!On January 4, 2004, Joseph A. Ziemba launched BLEEDING SKULL! with a simple intention: to share a passion for obscure genre films and honor the filmmakers behind them. Since then BLEEDING SKULL! has become the authority on cinematic dispatches from the fringes. FANGORIA called BLEEDING SKULL! “The go-to encyclopedia for trash, bizarre, and shot-on-video horror cinema,” while VICE referred to it as “like a fever dream glimpse into parallel worlds.” Years of uncovering and celebrating outsider films led to the publication of BLEEDING SKULL! A 1980s TRASH-HORROR ODYSSEY (Headpress, 2013) and BLEEDING SKULL! A 1990S TRASH-HORROR ODYSSEY (Fantagraphics, 2021). In 2018, BLEEDING SKULL! teamed up with the American Genre Film Archive (AGFA) to launch a home video line that continues today, with releases such as THE MCPHERSON TAPE, LIMBO, and BOARDINGHOUSE. Now led by Ziemba and Annie Choi, BLEEDING SKULL! continues to explore and discover the depths of the underground, all with a joyful DIY spirit inspired by the films themselves.BLEEDING SKULL! playlist is now on Fandor.Fandor on Social Media:Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/fandorTwitter: https://twitter.com/FandorInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/fandorfilmsTikTok: tiktok.com/@fandorfilms Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The team sits down with David Goldblum & Julie Parker Benello, Producers of "Sell/Buy/Date".Sell/Buy/Date is a heartfelt, witty doc/narrative hybrid following Tony-winning performer/comedian Sarah Jones and her multicultural characters on a journey exploring her personal relationship to the sex industry through a social justice lens.David Goldblum is a writer/producer at the intersection of social justice and entertainment. Next up he's writing/producing an adaptation of the #1 New York Times best-selling book which sold 12 million copies worldwide, A Child Called It. David has extensive experience in film and TV development, having worked for Paula Wagner, Participant Media, AMC TV, and Stone Village Productions. He was a graduate of the UCLA MFA Screenwriting Program, the recipient of the UCLA/Participant Media Fellowship, a Telluride Film Festival Film Lab Fellow, a recipient of the Academy of Motion Pictures Arts & Sciences Fellowship, and was nominated for the Humanitas Drama Award.Julie Parker Benello is the Founder of Secret Sauce Media, her latest venture to produce and invest in surprising and timeless film projects. Julie co-founded Chicken & Egg Pictures, in 2005 with a shared belief that diverse women nonfiction storytellers have the power to catalyze change at home and around the globe. She produced Steven Bognar and Julia Reichert's Academy Award®, Emmy, Gotham, and Independent Spirit-winning feature documentary American Factory, streaming on Netflix in partnership with Higher Ground Productions and Participant Media. Most recently she produced Sarah Jones's directorial debut Sell/Buy/Date premiering at SXSW 2022 and Bonni Cohen & Jon Shenk's Netflix Originals documentary – Athlete A. Julie lives in San Francisco and serves on the Board of SFFILM and is a member of the Producers Guild of America and the Academy of Motion Picture Arts & Sciences Documentary Branch.Fandor is a proud sponsor of San Francisco International Film Festival.Fandor on Social Media:Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/fandorTwitter: https://twitter.com/FandorInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/fandorfilmsTikTok: tiktok.com/@fandorfilms Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The team sits down with Ondi Timoner, award-winning non-fiction filmmaker & director of "Coming Clean".Ondi Timoner is known to be one of the greatest talents in non-fiction filmmaking. She often takes on the stories of visionaries fighting against all odds with a gripping and unique narrative style. She has the rare distinction of winning the Grand Jury Prize at the Sundance Film Festival twice - for her documentaries DIG! (2004) and WE LIVE IN PUBLIC (2009). Both films were acquired by MoMA NY for its permanent collection.In 2020, she premiered her newest feature documentary, COMING CLEAN, which uncovers the genesis and potential solutions to the opioid epidemic through the eyes of political leaders and recovering addicts working together on the front lines. The film has picked up many awards on a robust virtual festival tour and will be released in 2022.Ondi Timoner is a member of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts & Sciences, the DGA, the PGA, the International Documentary Association, Film Fatales, and Women in Film.Watch Coming Clean now, exclusively on Fandor.Fandor on Social Media:Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/fandorTwitter: https://twitter.com/FandorInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/fandorfilmsTikTok: tiktok.com/@fandorfilms Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

During his teenage years, Lustig avidly watched a huge volume of lowdown trashy exploitation fare at numerous 42nd Street grindhouse theaters in Manhattan and also worked as a movie theater usher in Fort Lee, New Jersey. After graduating from high school, he took a few film classes at New York University. In 1980, Lustig found himself at the center of a storm of controversy when he made the grim, gory and disturbing slasher sleaze splatter landmark "Maniac," which boasts an incredibly intense performance by the legendary character actor Joe Spinell as a vicious depraved psychopath and plenty of hideously graphic and gruesome make-up effects by genre icon Tom Savini. In 1982, Lustig followed up "Maniac" with the tough, gritty and exciting New York urban revenge opus "Vigilante." In 1988, he delivered another winner with the terrific "Maniac Cop," a violent horror action flick about an undead New York police officer on a killing spree which was the first of several cinematic collaborations with fellow maverick independent filmmaker Larry Cohen. Lustig followed up with the 1989 stirring action item "Hit List" and the suspenseful serial killer thriller "Relentless," starring Judd Nelson and Robert Loggia. In 1990, Lustig made the favorite of his films, “Maniac Cop 2,” which many consider superior to the popular original. Lustig's last film as a director to date was the nifty and enjoyable 1996 fright flick "Uncle Sam." Recently Lustig produced the well-received remake of “Maniac” starring Elijah Wood, and is now producing the reboot of “Maniac Cop.” Since 1997, William Lustig went on to initially produce DVDs for Anchor Bay and now currently runs the outstanding home entertainment label Blue Underground, which restores and re-releases popular and little seen cult movies and other grindhouse horror, thriller, action, and western films. Connect with Fandor here:Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/fandorTwitter: https://twitter.com/FandorInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/fandorfilmsTikTok: tiktok.com/@fandorfilms Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

It's Fandor's April Fool's Special!Today the team brings special guest, comedian/actor Greg Baldwin, to the show.Greg Baldwin is a comedian/actor and producer and host of the popular podcast Second Chances. Greg performs regularly at the top clubs performing in shows with many of today's biggest comedians. He currently tours and features for Jay Mohr and Darrell Hammond from Saturday Night live.Greg is also a seasoned actor. He has honed his craft with amazing teachers Howard Fine, Kirk Baltz and Jean Shelton and was a member of the prestigious Actors Theater of San Francisco where he played the lead in multiple theatrical productions. Greg has also studied improv at UCB and The Groundlings and has acted in multiple films and commercials for Sony, Volkswagen and more.Connect with Fandor here:Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/fandorTwitter: https://twitter.com/FandorInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/fandorfilmsTikTok: tiktok.com/@fandorfilms Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The Team sat down with Ryan de Quintal, actor, producer, and writer. In the fall last year as he was on set of "Big Sky," please excuse the technical difficulties! Since that time we're pleased to announce that you can now watch Ryan's short film, The Huntsman and the Hound, on Fandor.com!Ryan began his acting career in 2005 while attending California State University Fullerton. He received his BA from CSUF in Radio, Television, & Film. He trained in the Meisner technique with veteran actor and actors studio member Robert Miano. Ryan's past theatre work includes playing Eddie in Fool For Love, Carter in The Dogs Pond, George in Of Mice and Men, and Austin in True West.His recent television credits include an eight episode recurring role on Big Sky for ABC, roles on Brooklyn Nine-Nine and The Good Place for NBC, Dave for FX, 9-1-1 and LA to Vegas for FOX, and Now Apocalypse for Starz. In 2022 Ryan will be recurring on a Netflix original series, making an appearance in the AMC series Dark Winds as well as Rutherford Falls for Peacock/NBC. His recent film work includes lead roles in Before It Ends, The Harbinger of Death, and The Huntsman and the Hound which Ryan won three best acting duo awards for with his co-star Nick Gracer on the festival circuit in 2021.Connect with Fandor here:Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/fandorTwitter: https://twitter.com/FandorInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/fandorfilmsTikTok: tiktok.com/@fandorfilms Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The team sits down with Louis Godbout, Writer & Director.Louis Godbout is a writer and director living in Montreal. He holds law and philosophy degrees and has taught philosophy for fifteen years in a Montreal college. In parallel with teaching, he has pursued a career as a writer, publishing essays in philosophy before recently turning to screenwriting and directing. His film credits include “Coda”, starring Patrick Stewart and Katie Holmes (2019, writer); “Mont Foster” (2020, writer-director), Une révision (2021, writer), and “The Cheaters” (2022, writer-director). Fandor is a proud sponsor of Sonoma International Film Festival.Fandor on Social Media:Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/fandorTwitter: https://twitter.com/FandorInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/fandorfilmsTikTok: tiktok.com/@fandorfilms Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The team sits down with Eric J. Adams, Producer & Writer.A passionate filmmaker, Eric is best known for his provocative and poignant storytelling. Most recently he produced the girl-empowerment feature film Rickshaw Girl — the first-ever US-Bangladeshi co-production — and winner of six international film festival awards. Eric wrote and co-produced Supremacy, starring Academy-Award-winner Mahershala Ali, Danny Glover, Anson Mount, Lela Rochon and Joe Anderson. He also co-wrote and produced Archie's Final Project (aka My Suicide), starring David Carradine, Gabriel Sunday, Mariel Hemingway, and Joe Montegna, winner of 21 major international film festival awards, including the Crystal Bear at the Berlin International Film Festival.Eric holds a Masters of Arts in Film Studies from Sonoma State University and is a professor of screenwriting at Santa Rosa Junior College. Eric is also the author of four novels including the utopian satire, Cosmic Fever.Fandor is a proud sponsor of Sonoma International Film Festival.Fandor on Social Media:Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/fandorTwitter: https://twitter.com/FandorInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/fandorfilmsTikTok: tiktok.com/@fandorfilms Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The team sits down with Gardner Grady Hall, Writer and Director of "Winter Ball."WINTER BALL is the debut feature film of writer-director Gardner Grady Hall. A former professional baseball player, Hall was a first round draft pick of the Chicago White Sox and is a member of Northwestern University's Athletic Hall of Fame. He wrote and directed the short film Fencing Miss Morality that starred Harry Lennix and Marc Blucas. He also worked with Morgan Creek Productions as part of the development and pitch team to turn the film franchise "Major League" into a television series, which was bought by FOX. He is the creator and writer of the children's book series, On the Trail With Seymour the Snail, which was developed in partnership with the National Park Foundation.Fandor is a proud sponsor of Sonoma International Film Festival.Fandor on Social Media:Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/fandorTwitter: https://twitter.com/FandorInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/fandorfilmsTikTok: tiktok.com/@fandorfilms Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The team sits down with Brian Lilla, Director of Children Of The Vine.Brian Lilla is an award-winning American documentary filmmaker. Lilla's first films began with raw super-8 footage of skateboarding empty pools in his 1999 short, Twenty To Life, and would later be nominated for best documentary short for Tale Of Two Bondage Models at the 2008 Tribeca Film Festival. From 2009 to 2011 Lilla directed Patagonia Rising which investigated the impacts of a proposal to build five large-scale dams in the heart of Patagonia, Chile. The film enjoyed an award-winning festival run before it was released on Netflix, The Discovery Channel, and other international television outlets.Followed up in 2017 with Ballroom Confidential, an intimate feature-length documentary on aging, loss, and the healing powers of ballroom dancing, Lilla would go on to direct Children Of The Vine, a 2018-2021 investigation into the health impacts of Monsanto's herbicide Roundup. Children Of The Vine is slated for release in 2022. Lilla lives with his wife and two children in Napa, California, and now focuses his attention on Garbage & Greed: Trashed In Napa Valley.Fandor is a proud sponsor of Sonoma International Film Festival.Fandor on Social Media:Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/fandorTwitter: https://twitter.com/FandorInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/fandorfilmsTikTok: tiktok.com/@fandorfilms Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The team sits down with Kathleen Ermitage, Director & Producer.Mixtape Trilogy: Stories of the Power of Music is written and directed by Kathleen Ermitage. This film is her directorial debut. Previously, she was an associate producer on Chasing Trane: The John Coltrane Documentary; Sergio Mendes: In the Key of Joy; Herb Alpert Is; and the forthcoming What the Hell Happened to Blood, Sweat & Tears?Fandor is a proud sponsor of Sonoma International Film Festival.Fandor on Social Media:Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/fandorTwitter: https://twitter.com/FandorInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/fandorfilmsTikTok: tiktok.com/@fandorfilms Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The team sits down with Patricia Nazario, International Journalist.Patricia is an international journalist with 18 distinguished recognitions, including two Congressional Awards. Her career spans from hurricane coverage in Florida and New York during the 9/11 terrorist attacks, to Argentina's severe financial, social, and political crisis in 2001. Her outstanding coverage of Miami's Cuban community won South Florida's WLRN (NPR affiliate) its first award and prestigious statewide recognition.Nazario is a UCLA alumna with a B.A. in Political Science. She moved to Buenos Aires in 2002 and freelanced during Argentina's worst-ever social, economic, and political crisis. Nazario became bilingual by living and traveling extensively across South America, and she produced a large body of print and radio work. Nazario holds a Master of Science degree from Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism. She was in class the morning of the terrorist attacks on September 11, 2001, and spent the next year reporting about its devastating effects on families in New York's East Harlem community.Fandor is a proud sponsor of Sonoma International Film Festival.Fandor on Social Media:Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/fandorTwitter: https://twitter.com/FandorInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/fandorfilmsTikTok: tiktok.com/@fandorfilms Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The team sits down with Marc Shaffer, Documentary Filmmaker, Investigative Reporter, and Founder of Inside Out Media.Marc Shaffer's latest film is Exposing Muybridge, the first feature documentary on the revolutionary 19th-century photographer Eadweard Muybridge. Exactly 150 years after Muybridge made the very first photographs of Northern California winemaking in Sonoma, Exposing Muybridge has its California premiere at the Sonoma International Film Festival.Over a documentary career spanning more than two decades, Marc has traveled the world making films on many of the most pressing issues of our time, from environmental threats to corporate corruption, democratic integrity, and economic inequality to immigration and problems in the American healthcare system. Marc's films have received three national Emmy nominations, among many honors, and have been watched by millions of people on PBS, National Geographic, Netflix, Al Jazeera, online and in theaters. Notably, Exposing Muybridge, won the WGA Award for Best Documentary Screenplay in 2022.Fandor is a proud sponsor of Sonoma International Film Festival.Fandor on Social Media:Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/fandorTwitter: https://twitter.com/FandorInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/fandorfilmsTikTok: tiktok.com/@fandorfilms Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The team sits down with Stan Zimmerman, industry veteran, and multi-talent.Stan Zimmerman is a writer, producer, and director, with multiple decades in the entertainment industry, including two nominations from the Writers Guild of America for Episodic Comedy. Stan's writing has spanned across film and television, including such notable credits as "The Golden Girls," "Roseanne," "A Very Brady Sequel," and "Gilmore Girls." In recent years, Stan acts as the host and producer of "Brunch Date" alongside Kristen Carroll.Stan will also be in attendance at the first ever "Golden Girls" convention: "Golden-Con: Thank You for Being A Fan." The Convention will take place in Chicago April 22-24, 2022.Now streaming on Fandor.com is "The Baby of Mâcon."Fandor on Social Media:Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/fandorTwitter: https://twitter.com/FandorInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/fandorfilmsTikTok: tiktok.com/@fandorfilms Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The team sits down with the talented Rosalie Chiang! Rosalie is the voice star in Pixar's new release, "Turning Red" (2022).Rosalie Chiang was born in the Bay Area, California. She is the lead in Pixar's "Turning Red" (2022). She also played the lead in the USC MFA thesis film, "Soiled" (2018), and was the principal in Yamaha Piano's first TV commercial in the US (2017). She has published two poetry books: "A is for Albatross: Birds A to Z" and "A is for Arowana: Freshwater Fish A to Z". The former won the Skipping Stone Honor Book Award in 2017.Born to parents from Taiwan and Singapore, she is fluent in Mandarin. In her free time, she enjoys playing the piano, hip-hop dancing, baking, and traveling. Interestingly, Chiang was just hired as the scratch voice for the Pixar team — she was 12 at the time. By the time the Pixar team had refined the script, they couldn't imagine anyone else as the voice of Mei (the lead character). Chiang finished recording the role when she was 16.This film is now available to stream on Disney+.Fandor on Social Media:Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/fandorTwitter: https://twitter.com/FandorInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/fandorfilmsTikTok: tiktok.com/@fandorfilms Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The team sits down with Domee Shi, Director of Pixar's new film, "Turning Red" (2022). (And she did the screenplay!!)Domee Shi is a Chinese-Canadian animator, director and screenwriter. Since 2011, she has worked for Pixar, where she has contributed to multiple films including Inside Out (2015), Incredibles 2 (2018), and Toy Story 4 (2019). She was the first woman to direct a short film for Pixar ("Bao," 2018), and is the Director for Pixar's new film, "Turning Red" (2022).Fandor on Social Media:Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/fandorTwitter: https://twitter.com/FandorInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/fandorfilmsTikTok: tiktok.com/@fandorfilms Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The team sits down with Kevin McNeely, Artistic Director at SIFF.The Sonoma International Film Festival is celebrating 25 years this year! The SIFF team does an incredible job each year of curating talent from around the globe. This year there is an incredible 120 films showing at the festival and 79 of those (79!!) are premieres of some sort. Kevin W. McNeely, Artistic Director at Sonoma International Film Festival since 2010, is a catalyst for inspiring and supporting creative development and pursuits in Sonoma. His commitment to education and passion for film was the impetus for the creation of the Media Arts Program for high school students at Sonoma Valley High School. Started in 2002, Sonoma International Film Festival, with nonprofit partner Sonoma Education Foundation, has provided more than $650,000 in resources to enhance the student filmmaking program, including building a state of the art production services studio at the campus.Since taking the helm at SIFF, McNeely expanded the programming to include international film, including supporting new filmmakers with awards and travel stipends, hosting illustrious film industry executives and actors for educational talks and panels, and introducing a culinary and wine component to the festival to engage local businesses.Born in Minnesota, McNeely and wife Rosemary, also an active Sonoma arts patron who teaches art through the Sonoma Valley Museum of Arts' children's program, moved from New York to Sonoma in 1992. Their daughter, Hannah Rose, is studying International Business at Franklin University in Locano, Switzerland. In addition to his visionary direction of the Sonoma International Film Festival, McNeely is a Trustee for the Manitou Fund.Now streaming on Fandor.com is "The Baby of Mâcon."Fandor on Social Media:Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/fandorTwitter: https://twitter.com/FandorInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/fandorfilmsTikTok: tiktok.com/@fandorfilms Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The team sits down with very special guests, Iryna and Lesya. This interview was recorded on 3/7/22. Iryna Pravylo, filmmaker, is in the middle of a war zone in Ukraine. Please excuse any technical difficulties.Iryna PravyloFilm director, screenwriter, producer, member of the NGO "Congress of Cultural Activists", and associate professor of the Institute of Screen Arts of Kyiv National I. K. KarpenkoKary Theatre, Cinema and Television University, member of the National Union of Cinematographers of Ukraine Co-founder and CEO of the Right Time Studios. Based in Kyiv, Ukraine

The team sits down with Obie Benz, Producer, and Director.Benz was born in 1949 in New Jersey. After graduating from Middlebury College in 1971, he founded the Vanguard Foundation, a San Francisco-based philanthropic group that granted over $400,000 a year to social change organizations. Benz served on the boards of progressive organizations: TVTV, one of the first groups producing PBS programming with videotape; The Film Fund, a foundation supporting documentary films; and the Funding Exchange, a national network of community foundations supporting social activism. He was a founder of Pacific Alliance, the country's first benefit concert production company, and the MUSE Foundation, which produced the feature "No Nukes", a concert film supporting various anti-nuclear causes. He served on the boards of the Council on Foundations and KQED, San Francisco's PBS station.Obie Benz began his film career in 1981 by directing and producing "Americas In Transition", a 30-minute documentary, narrated by Ed Asner, that traced U.S. involvement in Latin America in the 20th century. The film was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Documentary Short, won numerous prizes, and is still in active distribution over 45 years later. His works include: "Heavy Petting", "Celebration", "My Generation", and "Ashtanga, NY".Now streaming on Fandor.com is "Herschell Gordon Lewis' Blood Mania"Fandor on Social Media:Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/fandorTwitter: https://twitter.com/FandorInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/fandorfilmsTikTok: tiktok.com/@fandorfilms Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The team sits down with Brad Parks, CEO of Hollywood Film Festival. Brad has over 30 years' experience in community engagement and social commerce technology development. In February of 2014, Brad financed the acquisition of the Hollywood Film Festival and became the CEO, before managing the acquisition of other “Hollywood” related brand properties that now make up the Hollywood Film Holding Corporation.Prior to that, he worked over a decade each in three separate disciplines. First as V.P. of The Hanleigh Companies, America's first-ever direct underwriter for Lloyds of London, specializing in entertainment, professional sports, high net-worth corporate and exceptional risk management and mitigation. This year, the Hollywood Film Festival is re-launching its competition this May in Cannes. The actual event will occur this November in Los Angeles in a hybrid environment. The festival will last 4 days and is primarily a working festival, though 20+ films will be shown. The Festival itself hopes to connect Filmmakers to opportunities. There is no entry fee for filmmakers to enter the festival, but inquires can be directed to: Brad@HollywoodFilmFestival.com, as the festival site is currently under construction.Now streaming on Fandor.com is Seasons 1 & 2 of "Masters of Horror".Fandor on Social Media:Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/fandorTwitter: https://twitter.com/FandorInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/fandorfilmsTikTok: tiktok.com/@fandorfilms Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The team sits down with Claudia Puig, Director of Programming for the Santa Barbara International Film Festival. The SBIFF, in its 37th year, is happening in person from March 2—12th in Santa Barbara, CA.Claudia Puig is a nationally recognized film journalist. Currently, she is Director of Programming for the Santa Barbara International Film Festival and also President of the Los Angeles Film Critics Association. Claudia has been a film critic on National Public Radio's “Film Week,” on KPCC-FM, since 2005. She was the lead critic at USA Today for 15 years, and host of the USA Today video series The Screening Room. She also reviewed books during her tenure at USA Today. Before that Claudia was a staff writer at the Los Angeles Times for 11 years covering city government, courts and the entertainment industry. While at the LA Times she was part of a team of journalists that won the Pulitzer for spot news reporting of the 1992 Los Angeles uprising.  In 2020 she was Senior Programmer for the AFI Film Festival, prior to which she was Program Director for the Mendocino Film Festival and FilmFest 919 in Chapel Hill, N.C. as well as consulting program director for the Napa Valley Film Festival. In 2016, Claudia was a speechwriter and diversity consultant for the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. She has been a featured guest on NPR's Morning Edition and All Things Considered, KCRW, NBC, CBS, CNN, MSNBC, Spectrum News, Al-Jazeera and Mitch Albom's syndicated show. Claudia is also a frequent moderator for film-related panels and Q&As, and has a consulting business specializing in film analysis and cultural diversity issues.Join Fandor at Santa Barbara Film Festival this year! The word is that popsockets and some free streaming subscriptions may be available. Now streaming on Fandor.com is "13 Nights of Elvira".Fandor on Social Media:Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/fandorTwitter: https://twitter.com/FandorInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/fandorfilmsTikTok: tiktok.com/@fandorfilms Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The team sits down with Renny & Boston McConnaughey, Filmmakers, Director, and Star of "Alien Country." We'll be checking back in with the duo as they progress through their journey of making their dream a reality, which includes a companion video game!Renny and Boston are a filmmaking duo based in Utah. They got their start writing and directing viral sci-fi action and comedy videos on YouTube. Their YouTube success spring-boarded a career making commercial content for large brands like Nokia, Google, Reebok and Coca-cola. And soon after building a Youtube brand and production company they tied the knot. As a married couple they wanted to pursue feature film and television projects and have spent the last two years producing the action packed sci-fi comedy "Alien Country." It's not your typical love story, since it also has man-eating monsters in it, but it's still fun for the whole family. As they finish the final stages of post production they are creating in-depth social media content that shares the entire indie filmmaking process, not only breaking down the techniques they employed to make this movie, but also the honest story of working day in and day out with your significant other. Follow @aliencountry on social and subscribe on Youtube.com/indiefilmschool for updates!Fandor on Social Media:Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/fandorTwitter: https://twitter.com/FandorInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/fandorfilmsTikTok: tiktok.com/@fandorfilms Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The team sits down with Alison Levine, Documentarian, Polar Explorer & Mountaineer. Alison is the executive producer of: "Pasang: In the Shadow of Everest;" which has its WORLD PREMIER at The 37th Annual Santa Barbara Film Festival running March 2-12, 2022. Alison will be in attendance for the second screening of the film. Alison Levine is a history-making polar explorer and mountaineer. She served as team captain of the first American Women's Everest Expedition, climbed the highest peak on each continent and skied to both the North and South Poles—a feat known as the Adventure Grand Slam—which only twenty people in the world have achieved. In January 2008, she made history as the first American to complete a 600-mile traverse across west Antarctica to the South Pole following the route of legendary explorer Reinhold Messner.In addition to climbing mountains, Levine has also spent time climbing the corporate ladder. She has worked for several Fortune 500 companies in both sales and marketing roles and spent three years in finance at Goldman Sachs. She left Wall Street in 2003 to serve as Deputy Finance Director for Arnold Schwarzenegger in his successful bid to become governor of California. When not challenging herself in the outdoors, Levine focuses on training others to become strong leaders. She is the author of the New York Times best-seller On the Edge: Leadership Lessons from Mount Everest and other Extreme Environments, and the founder of the Climb High Foundation, a nonprofit organization dedicated to improving the lives of jobless women in western Uganda by training them to be trekking guides and porters in their local mountains, thus allowing them to earn a sustainable living wage through climbing-related tourism.In 2019, Levine was awarded the Ellis Island Medal of Honor.Not to mention, Levine's life story was the inspiration for a craft beer called Conquer the Route Chocolate Stout which is distributed by Bold Missy Brewery and features her likeness on the label! We're honored to have Alison join us on our podcast today.Fandor on Social Media:Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/fandorTwitter: https://twitter.com/FandorInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/fandorfilmsTikTok: tiktok.com/@fandorfilms Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The team sits down with Chaz Ebert, Publisher, Producer and Philanthropist. Chaz Ebert is the CEO of Ebert Digital LLC, which publishes the acclaimed movie review site, Rogerebert.com. She is also a producer of television and movies, and co-founded the Ebertfest Film Festival at the University of Illinois, now in its 22nd year. Her civic passions include programs to help break the glass ceiling for women and people of color, and to provide education and arts for women, children and families, with a global interest in encouraging empathy, kindness, compassion and forgiveness. Her philanthropic endeavors personally and through the Ebert Foundation include providing grants to support films with strong social justice themes, and encouraging emerging writers, filmmakers, and technologists with an endowment of scholarships, internships, and awards at a variety of notable film festivals and universities. Now Playing on Fandor is The Snows of Kilimanjaro (1952).Fandor on Social Media:Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/fandorTwitter: https://twitter.com/FandorInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/fandorfilmsTikTok: tiktok.com/@fandorfilms Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The team sits down with Tim Kirkby, Director of "Last Looks," currently in theaters."Last Looks," which stars Charlie Hunnam, Morena Baccarin, Lucy Fry, Dominic Monaghan, Cliff "Method Man" Smith, Clancy Brown with Rupert Friend and Mel Gibson is about Charlie Waldo (Charlie Hunnam) an ex-LAPD superstar who left the force. He now lives a life of simplicity and solitude deep in the woods. Alistair Pinch (Mel Gibson) is an eccentric actor who spends his days drunk on set. When Pinch's wife is found dead, Waldo is convinced to come out of retirement to investigate.The case finds Waldo contending with gangsters, Hollywood execs, and pre-school teachers, all in pursuit of clearing Pinch's name... or confirming his guilt.The action/comedy "Last Looks" is currently in Theaters, On Demand and Digital!Fandor on Social Media:Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/fandorTwitter: https://twitter.com/FandorInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/fandorfilmsTikTok: tiktok.com/@fandorfilms Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The team sits down with Frazier Prince, Director and Producer of Crackdown Big City Blues and Crackdown Retrospective: Behind the Scenes of Crackdown Big City Blues. Both films are set to come to Fandor as exclusives for streaming in early April. Frazier Prince is the CEO/Founder of Prince Henry Entertainment, assembling a multi-talented creative team specializing in feature film, music video, and digital production. He is a Director, Producer, Writer and Media Specialist. His current production, the feature film “The Play Book Redemption” is now in Pre-Production. As a filmmaker, Frazier made his feature film producing debut with his first 35 mm feature film, “Crackdown Big City Blues”, for Juniper Pictures, Inc. The film was later re-distributed by The Film Detective and PHE in 2018 on various platforms. Frazier Prince is a retired 20-year Veteran Police Detective with the NYPD, turned filmmaker. He served as the key Liaison and Technical Advisor to Fox's “Americas Most Wanted” for more than ten years and then went on to produce, write, and direct the “Crime Stoppers Goes to the Movies” ad campaign for the NYPD/NYC Police Foundation. Watch "Coach of the Year" (1980) on Fandor.com now.Fandor on Social Media:Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/fandorTwitter: https://twitter.com/FandorInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/fandorfilms Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Chris and Hooman sit down with Ray Giarratana ("Jer - a - tanna"), Director of The Tiger Rising.Ray has been a staple in the commercial industry for over 20 years. Originally visual effects supervising high-end commercials for directors like Fincher, Bay, Fuqua (and many more guys with accents) as well as music videos for artists ranging from Michael Jackson to the latest One Direction video, Ray then moved on to directing commercials for Coca- Cola, Budweiser, Mercedes, Hallmark and many others. Ray's always thought of himself primarily as a storyteller which led him to adapt Kate DiCamillo's powerful book, THE TIGER RISING. In-between his writing and directing, Ray has consulted on films for many studios. THE TIGER RISING is based off of the 2001 children's book written by Newbery Medal winning author Kate DiCamillo. This story follows 12-year-old Rob Horton (Christian Convery) and teaches us about overcoming life's challenges and rising above with the help of your imagination. Starring Christian Convery, Madalen Mills, Sam Trammell, Katharine McPhee, Dennis Quaid, and Queen Latifah, you can see The Tiger Rising in theaters now.Watch "Charade" (1963) on Fandor.com now.Fandor on Social Media:Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/fandorTwitter: https://twitter.com/FandorInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/fandorfilmsVimeo: https://vimeo.com/fandor Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Hooman and Bryn sit down with multi-talent, Anthony Diaz V, "T-Boy," joining us all the way from the Philippines, where he is in pre-production on his next film.Anthony Diaz V discovered his love for film since childhood and enthusiastically began his journey into filmmaking through creating dozens of short films since the age of 15. His passion for filmmaking led him to enroll at the University of Las Vegas Film School, where many famous movies directors and producers have taught. He graduated with high honors with a Bachelor Degree in Film in the year 2010 at the age of 20, making him the youngest graduate in the history of the program. Anthony stars in "Way of the Cross," which he also co-wrote and co-produced.Set against a small religious town in the Philippines, "WAY OF THE CROSS" follows Rogelio "Rogue" Marquez (Anthony Diaz V), a Las Vegas based Filipino American FBI agent, whose estranged father living in the Philippines, is diagnosed with stage 4 cancer. Rogue travels to the Philippines to visit his dying father and half sister in Manila. A string of murders occur during holy week celebrations in the nearby town of San Antonio that send waves of terror among the local town people, and stuns the NBI and its top agent. Rogue's curiosity and FBI instincts lure him into a dark cat and mouse world of religious abstracts as he attempts to uncover the motivation behind these murders in hopes to solve the mystery.Watch "Way of the Cross," (2017) on Fandor.com now. Stay tuned for Anthony's film, "Break," which he wrote, directed, edited, produced, and starred in. Coming exclusively to Fandor on 1/28/2022.Fandor on Social Media:Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/fandorTwitter: https://twitter.com/FandorInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/fandorfilmsVimeo: https://vimeo.com/fandor Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Hooman and Chris sit down with the Senior Programmer at Slamdance, Ben Umstead.Ben Umstead is a non-binary filmmaker and senior programmer at the Slamdance Film Festival, where they participate in building the fest's First Time Narrative Features Competiton and the Breakouts section.As a creative development specialist, script consultant, and filmmaker, Ben works with artists outside the Hollywood norm, striving for new freedom in cinematic storytelling. Their films include the multi-award-winning "Three Fingers'', the parable "Tormenting the Hen", and dark comedy "Homewrecker".In this episode, we discover the origins of the festival and get an inside scoop on how the films are selected to show at this one of a kind festival. Pop Quiz! How do you think the films at Slamdance are selected for the honor of showing? Listen in to find out.Slamdance will be held virtually from January 27 — February 6th.Now playing on Fandor is Rolling Stone: Life and Death of Brian Jones (2019)Fandor on Social Media:Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/fandorTwitter: https://twitter.com/FandorInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/fandorfilmsVimeo: https://vimeo.com/fandor Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.