Interviews with leading film and TV creators about their process and craft. From screenwriting to film language to cinematography, we'll be examining the innovative ways today's best filmmakers are getting their visions out into the world.
Writer, director, producer and editor James Cameron joins IndieWire's Jim Hemphill for a wide-ranging discussion of “Avatar: Fire and Ash.” Cameron talks about his casting process, why maintaining the perspective of the audience throughout editing is so challenging and so important, and much, much more. Listen to the Screen Talk Podcast. Every Friday IndieWire editors Anne Thompson & Ryan Lattanzio break down insider news from Hollywood and debate the latest films and series. https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/indiewire-screen-talk/id893977298 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
The star and showrunner of the hit HBO comedy sat down with IndieWire's Sarah Shachat to talk about how her experience in films translated to writing television, the advice she got from the female directors she's worked with, and how New York City is a great ex-boyfriend. Listen to the Screen Talk Podcast. Every Friday IndieWire editors Anne Thompson & Ryan Lattanzio break down insider news from Hollywood and debate the latest films and series. https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/indiewire-screen-talk/id893977298 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
We are fortunate to have the legendary Iranian filmmaker Jafar Panahi on the podcast to discuss Palme d'Or winning film. Panahi explains how he shot the movie in secret, and how his personal experience with torture lead him to make a film confronting the nature of revenge. To hear the conversation with Jafar Panahi's full answers in Persian, skip to 22:32. Listen to the Screen Talk Podcast. Every Friday IndieWire editors Anne Thompson & Ryan Lattanzio break down insider news from Hollywood and debate the latest films and series. https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/indiewire-screen-talk/id893977298 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Norwegian-Danish filmmaker Joachim Trier joins the Filmmaker Toolkit to discuss his follow up to Worst Person in the World, the filmmaker family drama Sentimental Value. Trier broke down the details of that incredible house, and dove deep into the personal intricacies of his script. Listen to the Screen Talk Podcast. Every Friday IndieWire editors Anne Thompson & Ryan Lattanzio break down insider news from Hollywood and debate the latest films and series. https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/indiewire-screen-talk/id893977298 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
The writer and director behind the beloved Knives Out mysteries returns to the Filmmaker Toolkit to break down his most personal one yet. Johnson discusses why the central themes of religion proved much harder to work out on the page than the mechanics of the mystery. Listen to the Screen Talk Podcast. Every Friday IndieWire editors Anne Thompson & Ryan Lattanzio break down insider news from Hollywood and debate the latest films and series. https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/indiewire-screen-talk/id893977298 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Documentarian Craig Renaud joins IndieWire's Jim Hemphill to discuss “Armed Only With A Camera: The Life and Death of Brent Renaud.” Renaud talks about both the difficulty and necessity of turning his camera on himself and his family after his brother and filmmaking partner was killed while covering the Russian invasion of Ukraine, and how he found a visual language to convey what his brother meant to him and to the worlds of filmmaking and journalism at large. Listen to the Screen Talk Podcast. Every Friday IndieWire editors Anne Thompson & Ryan Lattanzio break down insider news from Hollywood and debate the latest films and series. https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/indiewire-screen-talk/id893977298 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
When Director Charlie Shackelton returned to his failed documentary about the Zodiac Killer, he realized he could make an even more interesting film about the true crime genre and his own creative process. 'Zodiac Killer Project' is that film, exposing the manipulative craft that makes true crime stories so enthralling and manipulative. Listen to the Screen Talk Podcast. Every Friday IndieWire editors Anne Thompson & Ryan Lattanzio break down insider news from Hollywood and debate the latest films and series. https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/indiewire-screen-talk/id893977298 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
When Director Charlie Shackelton returned to his failed documentary about the Zodiac Killer, he realized he could make an even more interesting film about the true crime genre and his own creative process. 'Zodiac Killer Project' is that film, exposing the manipulative craft that makes true crime stories so enthralling and manipulative. Listen to the Screen Talk Podcast. Every Friday IndieWire editors Anne Thompson & Ryan Lattanzio break down insider news from Hollywood and debate the latest films and series. https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/indiewire-screen-talk/id893977298 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Oscar winning director Chloé Zhao returns to the Filmmaker's Toolkit to break down the devastating emotions and enthralling craft of her new film "Hamnet." You'll wont want to miss Zhao's in-depth breakdown of the ending, and how she achieved such a delicate triumph. Listen to the Screen Talk Podcast. Every Friday IndieWire editors Anne Thompson & Ryan Lattanzio break down insider news from Hollywood and debate the latest films and series. https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/indiewire-screen-talk/id893977298 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Those who know Kahlil Joseph's work have long been hoping he would make a feature film. The master of short form filmmaking, including collaborations with Kendrick Lamar and Beyonce, has turned his innovative YouTube remix news show "BLKNWS" into one of the most interesting films of the year. Kahlil shares how he made the transition to a feature, and discusses the rocky relationship the film had with A24, which ended up in Steven Soderberg stepping in to save the day. Listen to the Screen Talk Podcast. Every Friday IndieWire editors Anne Thompson & Ryan Lattanzio break down insider news from Hollywood and debate the latest films and series. https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/indiewire-screen-talk/id893977298 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
With his two 'Wicked' films, director Jon M. Chu had the rare experience of orchestrating and unifying a massive musical to his vision. Chu was excited to dig into all the details he can finally discuss about the making of this two part phenomenon. Listen to the Screen Talk Podcast. Every Friday IndieWire editors Anne Thompson & Ryan Lattanzio break down insider news from Hollywood and debate the latest films and series. https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/indiewire-screen-talk/id893977298 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Director Hikari joined IndieWire's Jim Hemphill to discuss her new comedic drama, staring Brendan Frasier as an actor hired to be a friend and companion to a family in Japan. Hikari explains the fascinating real phenomenon behind the film, and how she achieved her exquisitely subtle emotional storytelling. Listen to the Screen Talk Podcast. Every Friday IndieWire editors Anne Thompson & Ryan Lattanzio break down insider news from Hollywood and debate the latest films and series. https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/indiewire-screen-talk/id893977298 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Kevin Macdonald knows John Lennon and Yoko Ono are one of the most scrutinized relationships pop culture history. So he took a new approach to these icons: exploring how the TV they were watching from their Manhattan apartment shaped, and reflected, their views of America. IndieWire Doc Toolkit is sponsored by HBO Max. Listen to the Screen Talk Podcast. Every Friday IndieWire editors Anne Thompson & Ryan Lattanzio break down insider news from Hollywood and debate the latest films and series. https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/indiewire-screen-talk/id893977298 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Director Edgar Wright sat down with the Filmmaker Toolkit to dig into his high-octane adaptation of Steven King's The Running Man. We dive into the world building, working with Glen Powell, and of course the craft behind Wright's action filmmaking. Listen to the Screen Talk Podcast. Every Friday IndieWire editors Anne Thompson & Ryan Lattanzio break down insider news from Hollywood and debate the latest films and series. https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/indiewire-screen-talk/id893977298 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Richard Linklater returns to the Filmmaker Toolkit to discuss his loving recreation of the French New Wave. Linklater shares why the movies of that period meant so much to his filmmaking journey, and reflects on how much easier they had it making 'Breathless' than 'Nouvelle Vague' today. Listen to the Screen Talk Podcast. Every Friday IndieWire editors Anne Thompson & Ryan Lattanzio break down insider news from Hollywood and debate the latest films and series. https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/indiewire-screen-talk/id893977298 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Documentary filmmakers Andrew Jarecki & Charlotte Kaufman spent one fateful day filming a barbecue at an Alabama state prison, a day filled with inmates telling them the pleasant day they were witnessing was a lie created by the prison. The duo began to speak with the men behind the prison's back, using contraband cell phones to uncover what is really going on in our prison system. IndieWire's Doc Toolkit is sponsored by HBO Max Listen to the Screen Talk Podcast. Every Friday IndieWire editors Anne Thompson & Ryan Lattanzio break down the latest insider news from Hollywood and debate the latest films and series. https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/indiewire-screen-talk/id893977298 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Beloved Director Guillermo del Toro sits down with the Filmmaker Toolkit to talk about making his dream film, and how 'Frankenstein' has been a part of each of his prior films. Then del Toro opens up about an end to his era of monster movies, and how achieving this lifelong goal may be the start of a new chapter in his filmmaking style. Listen to the Screen Talk Podcast. Every Friday IndieWire editors Anne Thompson & Ryan Lattanzio break down the latest insider news from Hollywood and debate the latest films and series. https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/indiewire-screen-talk/id893977298 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
A new Yorgos Lanthimos film is always an event at IndieWire, and 'Bugonia' might be his most topical and direct one yet. Yorgos digs into the key decisions that make this tense character piece feel so large in scope (including shooting in a small basement in VistaVision), and how his collaborations with Emma Stone and Jesse Plemons deepened even further. Listen to the Screen Talk Podcast. Every Friday IndieWire editors Anne Thompson & Ryan Lattanzio break down the latest insider news from Hollywood and debate the latest films and series. https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/indiewire-screen-talk/id893977298 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Writer and director Nia DaCosta joins IndieWire's Sarah Shachat to dive deep into her 1950s-set adaptation of Hedda Gabler. DaCosta explains how the film's lush look and sound came from years of building her team, and how the brilliance of the lead performances from Tessa Thompson and Nina Hoss allowed for incredibly layered character studies. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Director Scott Cooper sat down for a revealing and personal conversation about helming this anticipated and highly scrutinized biopic. Cooper talks about Bruce Springsteen's intense involvement in the film, making a movie that felt as raw as Nebraska sounds, and how telling this story from The Boss's life helped him process his own. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
An IndieWire favorite, director Kelly Reichardt returns to Toolkit with her new film The Mastermind. Reichardt told us about working with Josh O'Connor, putting her own spin on the heist genre, and the cast-and-crew road trip it took to get the movie made. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
The creator of one of the hottest shows of the Fall joined IndieWire's Chris O'Falt for a spoiler-packed deep dive deep into the psychology of the characters and how he constructed the perfect seven episode arc. He also shares how Mark Ruffalo and Tom Pelphrey helped shape the complex men they play. This is a must listen for fans of the hit crime drama, and for those interested in Brad's career following 'Mare of Easttown.' Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
The creator of 'Reservation Dogs' is back with a new series staring Ethan Hawke as a man investigating crimes and corruption in Oklahoma. Sterlin shared some of the noir stories that inspired him, and explains why he never wants to leave Oklahoma for Hollywood. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Director Derek Cianfrance joins IndieWire's Jim Hemphill to talk about his latest film, “Roofman.” A true story about an escaped criminal who hides out in an abandoned toy store, “Roofman” is a comedy — and thus a departure for the typically serious Cianfrance. He talks about how and why he wanted to make this movie at this moment, and explains the many benefits of shooting on film. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Who's a good boy? Indy, the star of this new horror film told entirely from his point of view. Director Ben Leonberg brought Indy into the office for a fun chat about filming a movie in his own home for 3 years, usually about 17 inches off the ground. Listen for how Ben used clever filmmaking to craft a great performance from of a dog who doesn't know he's an actor. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
In his solo directorial debut after making 'Good Time' and 'Uncut Gems' with his brother Josh, Benny Safdie pushed his signature chaotic style to a deeper, more personal place. From his rigorous authenticity in the ring, shooting the relationship with the same style as the fights, and convincing The Rock of all people to gain muscle, you'll want to hear how Benny went all out for this larger than life true story. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
The master of recreating real crisis is back. Director Paul Greengrass joins IndieWire's Chris O'Falt to discuss his newest survival thriller based on a true story from the 2018 California Wildfires. Greengrass explains why he changed his approach to filming the fires after the tragedies earlier this year, and how his background as a journalist lead to the creation of his signature style. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Writer-director Shane Black joins IndieWire's Jim Hemphill to talk about his latest film, the action-comedy “Play Dirty.” They discuss Black's approach to adapting author Donald Westlake, why he likes to set action movies at Christmas, and how he finds the right balance between violence, humor, and poignancy. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Filmmaker's Toolkit Podcast with Chris O'Falt (IndieWire) Welcome to the Filmmaker's Toolkit Podcast, hosted by IndieWire's Chris O'Falt. This week we dive into one of the most urgent conversations in nonfiction filmmaking: the role of artificial intelligence. Like many in the film community, Chris is deeply wary of what AI means for the art form we love—but ignoring it isn't the answer. In this episode, Chris speaks with Stephanie Jenkins, longtime producer with Ken Burns and cofounder of the Archival Producers Alliance (APA). Jenkins has been at the forefront of setting industry guardrails for AI in documentary filmmaking, spearheading the APA's Best Practices for the Use of Generative AI in Documentaries and helping launch the AI Toolkit for Nonfiction Filmmakers. Together, they explore the promises, pitfalls, and pressing ethical questions surrounding AI in documentaries—drawing from surveys, real-world examples, and the lived experience of filmmakers working with archival materials. If storytellers and film lovers don't engage in this conversation, Silicon Valley will shape the future of nonfiction for us. Tune in to hear an eye-opening discussion and join the dialogue on how documentary filmmakers can protect creativity, history, and truth in the age of AI. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Director and co-writer Justin Tipping joins Toolkit to talk with IndieWire's Jim Hemphill about his surreal new horror film from Jordan Peele's Monkeypaw Productions. Tipping explains how he found his visual language at the intersection between horror and sports, how working with Peele liberated and protected him, and why he cast comic Marlon Wayans in a terrifying role. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Rob Reiner returns to Filmmaker Toolkit to talk with IndieWire's Jim Hemphill about “Spinal Tap II: The End Continues.” Reiner discusses returning to the characters who launched his career, working as an actor for Martin Scorsese and Ron Howard, and how digital capture made his job easier than on “This is Spinal Tap” in 1984. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
On this week's IndieWire's Filmmakers Toolkit, Chris O'Falt talks with writer-director Andrew DeYoung about his dark comedy Friendship—now streaming on HBO Max. He reveals how he shaped Tim Robinson's offbeat energy, uncovered a vulnerable side of Paul Rudd, and crafted a breakup story that's as funny as it is unsettling—proving comedy hits harder when rooted in truth. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Mario Van Peebles joins IndieWire's Jim Hemphill for a live version of Filmmaker Toolkit to talk about his directorial debut, “New Jack City.” In a conversation that followed a 35mm screening of the 1991 gangster classic, Van Peebles discusses casting the film, finding its visual language, and the influence of his father Melvin Van Peebles on his approach. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Director Josh Greenbaum took IndieWire behind the scenes of the planning, shooting, and editing of his Emmy nominated documentary. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Emmy-winning director Jon Cassar joins IndieWire features writer Jim Hemphill for a special episode on Jon's 31 rules for television directors. These are things he's learned over the course of 30-plus years and over 200 episodes of TV that range from the technical to the political — all of them vital to sustaining a career. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
"Sly Lives! (aka The Burden of Black Genius)" is a documentary that knows to tell the story of Sly Stone's life and music, you need exceptional craft and storytelling discipline. From depicting music with experimental visuals, to convincing some of music's biggest names to talk on camera, listen to these two filmmakers, musicians, and friends explain how the story was told mattered as much as what they included. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Brennan Lee Mulligan, executive producer and GM of "Dimension 20," offers IndieWire a peak inside the dimensional dome and discusses how cinematic tools, from editing and art design to sound effects and physical props, can help enhance Actual Play storytelling. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
This episode is a real treat for animation fans, a deep dive into the art and process with the beloved creator of Samurai Jack, Dexter's Lab, Primal, and now the new Netflix movie Fixed. Genndy explained why he fought for 2D animation to keep the dogs less gross, walks us through his process with voice actors, and reveals how Fixed was almost the latest Warner Bros. movie shelved for a tax break. PLUS fans of Primal should stick around to the end for an update on Season 3. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Legendary TV creator R. Scott Gemmill joins the Toolkit to breakdown one of this years biggest shows: 'The Pitt.' Gemmill lifts the curtain on the show's medical accuracy, revealing how doctors consulted from script to set to screen. We think you'll enjoy hearing this master of television discussing what it took to launch yet another hit. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Paul Rubens, the man who created and became Pee-Wee Herman, has eluded a documentary about his life for a long time. While Matt Wolf was finally able to make a film exploring this complicated artist, it came at a price. Listen to Matt recount his artistic battle with Rubens as they shot the doc, and the shocking personal details he uncovered that bound them together. You have to hear this one to believe it! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
First time director Michael Shanks joined us on Toolkit for a fascinating discussion about the crazy intimacy of directing a real life couple, his roots as an Aussie kid binging After Effects tutorials, and why his particular brand of body horror needed to be very dry. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
As one of the writers behind Lonely Island, and the director of hits like 'Popstar and 'Hot Rod', director Akiva Schaffer was a brilliant choice to helm a revival of one of cinema's most iconic comedy franchises. We dig into the craft behind the comedy, from casting serious actors to going for broke on a particular snowman sequence. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
On Toolkit we want to explore the challenges facing filmmakers today, and a growing concern is A.I. But we find for all the promises and fears of what A.I.will do, there are few conversations about what A.I. is actually able to do right now. Writer and director Scott Z. Burns has the perfect case study for us: trying to write a sequel to his and Steven Soderbergh's 'Contagion' using A.I. screenwriters and film critics. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Kenneth Lonergan, one of our host's favorite filmmakers, joins Toolkit to reflect on his first film as a director, 'You Can Count On Me.' He walks us through his transition from writer to the director's chair, and shares stories of working with Mark Ruffalo and Laura Linney on the film that would be their Sundance breakthrough. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Jennifer Kaytin Robinson joins IndieWire features writer Jim Hemphill to talk about rebooting the 1997 slasher classic. Robinson discusses integrating the original cast members into the story (warning: spoilers!), balancing horror and comedy, and the influence of Steven Spielberg's “Jaws” on her summer thriller. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Ari Aster returns to the toolkit for the fourth time with his fourth film, a paranoid social thriller about the summer of 2020 told in a way only this filmmaker can. Ari explores the origins of the film's politics, how he made a western so modern the guns are phones, and unpacks the incredible final act. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Toolkit is taking an ongoing look into the current state of independent filmmaking, and today we have some rare good news to report; indie collectives are on the rise! Two of the filmmakers behind Omnes, which produced this year's 'Eephus' and the new release 'No Sleep Till' join us to discuss how these artists share the burdens of indie filmmaking from financing through production and release. For more on the Omnes Collective, listen to our episode with 'Eephus' director Carson Lund Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
One of our favorite insights into David Lynch's filmmaking comes from Dean Hurley, Lynch's all around sound guy and one of the master's closest collaborators for decades. Hurley reveals that to create one of a kind art, one must have a one of a kind creative process. Listen to our deep dive into Lynch's approach to sound, his process itself was a piece of art. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Director Rob Reiner returns to Filmmaker Toolkit to talk with IndieWire features writer Jim Hemphill about “This is Spinal Tap.” Released in 1984 to widespread acclaim, Reiner's debut feature created a new form of comedy that inspired countless hours of “mockumentary” TV episodes and films in the decades to follow. On the occasion of the film's theatrical re-release in a new 4K restoration, Reiner reflects on its making and the challenges he faced getting the movie out into the world. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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The writer, director, and star of the Sundance hit and new A24 release joins IndieWire's Chris O'Falt to break down their directorial debut. Eva was forthright about the challenges of learning how to direct (including a graduate level film class of sorts supervised by Barry Jenkins) and also explored how she balanced a gentle tonal approach to a tough subject. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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