Podcasts about film independent

Welcome to Media in the Mix, the only podcast produced and hosted by the School of Communication at American University. Join us as we create a safe space to explore topics and communication at the intersection of social justice, tech, innovation & pop culture. This week on Media in the Mix, we're joined by none other than, Jamie Sisley! Jamie Sisley is an Emmy Award-winning filmmaker who recently wrote and directed "Stay Awake," a narrative feature film that premiered at the 2022 Berlin Film Festival, where it won the AG Kino Gilde Auteur Award and was Honorable Mention for the Crystal Bear. Starring Chrissy Metz ("This Is Us"), Wyatt Oleff (“IT," Netflix's “I Am Not Okay With This," Apple's “City on Fire”), and Fin Argus (Max's “Queer As Folk,” “The Other Two”), "Stay Awake" is a personal exploration of the roller coaster ride that families go on while trying to help their loved ones battle addiction. The feature is based off a short film of the same name that Jamie also wrote and directed. The short film premiered at the 2015 Berlin Film Festival, won both the National Board of Review Film Prize and Slamdance Grand Jury Prize, and played over 120 film festivals around the world.In addition, Jamie received an Emmy Nomination for his feature documentary, "Farewell Ferris Wheel." Shot over the course of six years, "Farewell Ferris Wheel" explores how the U.S. Carnival industry fights to keep itself alive by legally employing Mexican migrant workers with the controversial H-2B guestworker visa. The film won the Creative Promise Award from the Tribeca Film Institute, received an Imagen Award Nomination for the positive portrayal of Latinos in entertainment, and was nationally broadcast on PBS and Netflix.Jamie's work has been supported by the Sundance Institute, SFFILM, Tribeca Film Institute, Film Independent, ITVS, and The Smithsonian Institute. Prior to film, Jamie was an artist manager in the music industry at Red Light Management.Learn more about SOC in the links below. Graduate Admissions:http://www.american.edu/soc/admissions/index.cfmUndergraduate Admission:https://www.american.edu/admissions/ Follow us on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ausoc/Follow us on Twitter: https://twitter.com/au_socFollow us on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ausoc/?hl=en

Watch This Episode On YouTubeJump into the mosh pit with filmmaker Portlynn Tagavi. We talk about her stunning filmmaking career, animation, Film Independent's Project Involve, and her brilliant short film, MOSH, which screened at Slamdance this year. In this episode, we talk about:how she got started in filmmaking through animation;the difference in directing animation vs. life action ("the whole concept of talking to actors still freaks me out");what the AFI Conservatory MFA Directing program is like;the importance of going into a room and acknowledging that you are still learning a particular craft;how MOSH got made through Film Independent's Project Involve;leadership advice in directing;what's the creative executive track like;the story of MOSH and what people should expect to see ("what does masculine emotional release look like?";why Slamdance? what is she expecting going into the screenings;the role of short films especially in a premiere film festival like Slamdance;the benefits of a larger social media following;the challenges of finding distribution for films at even the premiere film festivals;how Oscars don't exactly help careers -- "even with Oscars, you probably still have to prove yourself";what's next for her.Portlynn's Indie Film Highlight: STOLEN KINGDOM (2025) dir. by Joshua BaileyLinks:Follow Portlynn On InstagramPortlynn Tagavi's WebsiteSupport this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/first-time-go/exclusive-content

Karina Dandashi is a Syrian-American Muslim filmmaker born and raised in Pittsburgh, PA. Her work has been featured in numerous Oscar-Qualifying festivals around the U.S. and programs at The Museum of Modern Art and The American Cinematheque. Karina was a 2020 Creative Culture Fellow at The Jacob Burns Film Center and a 2021 Sundance Ignite Fellow. She was featured in Marie Claire's inaugural Creators Issue as one of the “Top 21 Creators to Watch” in 2022. Her feature script OUT OF WATER was selected by Film Independent for their 2023 Screenwriting Lab and was awarded three grants from MPAC, The Heinz Endowments, and The Jerome Foundation. Her short film COUSINS is available on The New Yorker and is a Vimeo Staff Pick.Connect with Karina:➡️ Instagram: @KarinaDandashiwww.karinadandashi.comAbout The Lot1 Podcast ✨The Lot1 Podcast is designed for anyone who is interested in or working in filmmaking. Whether you're just starting out or a seasoned veteran, we hope you gain the knowledge you need to improve your craft, achieve your filmmaking goals, or simply get an understanding and appreciation for the roles and duties of your peers and colleagues.☕Tourist Hat Coffee Companyhttps://touristhatcoffeecompany.com/

I am so pleased to be joined by groundbreaking filmmaker Mira Shaib, director of Arzé, a brilliant first feature comedy-drama about the relationship of a family in Lebanon. (In North America, it should be released early next year.)Mira Shaib is an alumnus of prestigious film development labs and residencies, including Robert Bosch Stiftung, where she attended the Film Academy Baden-Württemberg, Film Independent's Global Media Makers LA Residency, the Red Sea Lodge, and the Torino Film Lab. Her first feature film was among the first recipients of the Red Sea Film Festival Foundation Production Fund. Mira is the cofounder of Cinema For All, an arts initiative with a mission to make cinema accessible in rural Lebanon. The initiative was launched in 2019 in Ain Ebel with film-making workshops and outdoor screenings of Sophie Boutros' Mahbas and Cyril Aris's documentary feature The Swing.In this episode, we talk about:how she got started and the amazing sense of place for this film -- did she ever feel pressure to downplay the Lebanese aspect?what they should expect to see when they watch the film;how she made a first feature without writing the script and the importance of making it as team with the writers;what it's like being a female director with a Lebanese film and the inspiration of other female directors like Nadine Labaki being nominated for the Oscars;the strength of her female characters in the film;the importance of the sense of place in Arzé and how she showed the colors of Lebanon;how she wouldn't feel comfortable making a film in a place she didn't know intimately;her thoughts on production grants, Arab film, and the Red Sea Film Festival;what the process was like for Arzé to be Lebanon's selection to the Oscars;how she feels about where she lives -- Montreal -- and its role in independent film;and what her next film will be -- "set in Lebanon...about sisters fighting over a house"Mira's Indie Film Highlight: TO A LAND UNKNOWN (2024) dir. by Mahdi Fleifel Links:Follow Mira On InstagramFollow Arzé On InstagramArzé On LetterboxdArzé On WikipediaSupport this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/first-time-go/exclusive-content

In this episode, we delve into the globalization of basketball and its impact on South Asian athletes with Gautam Kapur, CEO and Founder of Brown Ballers, Sarju Patel, former Cornell basketball captain, and Varun Ram, former University of Maryland guard. We explore the NBA's global reach and discuss India's potential to embrace the sport (12:33). The conversation shifts to Name, Image, and Likeness (NIL) deals, analyzing the underrepresentation of South Asian athletes in this arena (30:43). We also highlight the India Rising team and their upcoming documentary, which features personalities like Jeremy Lin and NAV, aiming to showcase the underdog journey of South Asian athletes. Support the Documentary: You can support the India Rising documentary, a project that tells an important underdog story of South Asian athletes and features individuals like Jeremy Lin and NAV. Donations are fully tax-deductible and processed through Film Independent, the official donation platform for films and documentaries. To contribute, please visit: https://www.filmindependent.org/sponsored-projects/india-rising/ Note: All donations are fully tax-deductible and processed through Film Independent, the official donation platform for films and documentaries.

Join us for a conversation with Chelsea Bo, an award-winning writer/director with a background in theater and improv. Chelsea graduated from Loyola Marymount University's School of Film & Television and was selected for Film Independent's Incubator Lab and Village Roadshow's Emerging Talent Program. She co-founded the production company Paxeros with her husband, and together, they've produced several feature films, including Fully Realized Humans (Tribeca 2020) and The Drop (Tribeca 2022).Chelsea's directorial debut, No Right Way , is a heartwarming drama, filled with comedy, about Georgie, a bold tween, and her half-sister Harper, who's grappling with guardianship. At the same time, they both confront the scars of their shared childhood. It's a film that will open your heart and inspire you to see the potential for hope and healing.No Right Way has already won 16 awards across 19 festivals, and during the podcast, we'll dive deep into Chelsea's creative process and journey in filmmaking.  Watch the weekly LIVE stream on ⁠⁠BraveMaker ⁠YouTube⁠⁠⁠. Follow BraveMaker on social media: ⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠ ⁠⁠TikTok⁠⁠ ⁠⁠Facebook⁠ --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/bravemaker/support

Send us a textDisney's Out of My Mind will be released on Disney+ tomorrow, and I had the opportunity to interview the director, Amber Sealey, on today's podcast. The film is about a sixth grader, Melody Brooks, who has cerebral palsy, is nonverbal, and uses a wheelchair. As Melody navigates the ups and downs of being in the classroom, she eventually shows that what she has to say is more important than how she says it.Amber Sealey is an award-winning filmmaker whose most recent film, Out of My Mind (Disney/ Participant/Big Beach), premiered at Sundance 2024 to multiple standing ovations. Based on the best-selling YA novel of the same name, it stars Rosemarie DeWitt, Luke Kirby, and Judith Light, with Jennifer Aniston voicing the lead's inner life.Projects she has in development include two of her original scripts — the comedy feature COMING OF AGE and the romantic comedy BODICE RIPPER. Her feature NO MAN OF GOD (SpectreVision/Company X/XYZ Films/RLJ Entertainment), starring Elijah Wood and Luke Kirby, was theatrically released in 2021 to rave reviews.She has been supported by Sundance, Film Independent, and Women in Film. She is a fellow of the AFI Directing Workshop for Women and has written scripts for Duplass Brothers/Donut Productions. She was selected for Ryan Murphy's Half Initiative, the NBCUniversal Directors Initiative, the WeForShe DirectHer program, Film Independent's Directing Lab, and their Fast Track program.Her short film, HOW DOES IT START, world premiered at Sundance and (among other awards) won Best Narrative Short at Sarasota FF, and is being turned into a feature film. Her feature NO LIGHT & NO LAND ANYWHERE was theatrically released by Factory 25 and won a Special Jury Award at the LA Film Festival. Her second feature, HOW TO CHEAT, won Best Performance at LAFF, and won both Best Narrative and Best Acting at BendFilm. Her first film, A PLUS D, was released by IndiePix.Sealey has a BA in Theatre Arts and Modern Dance from the University of California, Santa Cruz, and an MA from The Central School of Speech and Drama in London. She studied Shakespeare at The Royal Academy of Dramatic Art in London.She was born in England and lives in Los Angeles with her family.Be sure to check out the movie Friday!Follow me on social media at @offthecrutch, or e-mail me at offthecrutch@gmail.com

Yolonda Ross will next be seen on the big screen in the feature film ABSOLUTION, starring opposite Liam Neeson. She is currently in production on her 7th season as a series regular, Jada Washington, on Lena Waithe's THE CHI for Paramount Plus with Showtime. She has also had recurring roles in several well known series, such as HOW TO GET AWAY WITH MURDER, THE GET DOWN and the Showtime series AMERICAN GIGOLO, opposite Jon Bernthal. Yolonda recently finished the world premiere run of HOW BLOOD GO at Steppenwolf Theatre, produced by Congo Square in Chicago. She's a company member of LAByrinth Theater Company in New York, and has a strong working relationship with David Mamet, in both television and theater, with featured roles in THE UNIT and PHIL SPECTOR. She performed in his production, FOUR AMERICAN WOMEN, and participated in an all-female table reading of GLENGARRY GLEN ROSS in New York, destined for Broadway. As a writer-director, Yolonda pulled double-duty on AMERICAN GIGOLO, both acting and writing on the series. Her short music film BREAKING NIGHT earned her awards and caught the eye of a VH1 executive, which helped get it on both VH1 and MTV's Classic Rock blocks. She is currently in development on her first feature film, which is Fiscally Sponsored by Film Independent. ABSOLUTION, IN THEATERS An aging gangster attempts to reconnect with his children and rectify the mistakes in his past, but the criminal underworld won't loosen their grip willingly. Here's the trailer: ⁠Https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dQizVHKL5T0⁠ Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/arroe-collins-unplugged-totally-uncut--994165/support.

Filmmaking isn't just about making a great film—it's about getting that film seen. With traditional distribution models crumbling, independent filmmakers are finding new ways to connect directly with audiences. This episode explores how the indie film landscape is shifting, with filmmakers taking control of their own distribution, marketing, and audience-building strategies. Whether you're a first-time filmmaker or a seasoned pro, this episode will inspire you to think outside the box and embrace a more grassroots approach to getting your work into the world. Jon Reiss is a filmmaker, author of the book Think Outside the Box Office, and a media strategist who runs 8 Above, a company that creates custom distribution strategies for indie films. He has consulted with filmmakers and organizations worldwide including The Gotham, IDA, and Film Independent, and has led workshops on distribution and marketing through his 8 Above Distribution Lab. Reiss is currently producing a documentary on robotic performance artist Mark Pauline, and is producing the second season of a podcast, Plantscendence, about people's psychedelic experiences. He has recently launched a Substack focused on indie film distribution and marketing. Annamaria Sofillas, a development executive and producer, is the Director of Content at Kino Lorber's MHz SVOD. She is the lead producer of the documentary "I'm “George Lucas": A Connor Ratliff Story, which premiered at Slamdance '24 and received theatrical exhibition nationwide through Alamo Drafthouse Cinemas, with digital distribution by Grasshopper Film. Annamaria was instrumental in building NBCUniversal's Seeso and Gimlet Media's scripted division, where she led over 25 long-form television series and 30 stand-up specials, including the GLAAD Award-nominated Take My Wife and BAFTA Award-nominated Flowers. Scott Monahan, the filmmaker behind Anchorage, has been candid about his experience with self-distribution, highlighting the challenges and successes of taking control of a film's release. Glen Reynolds, founder of Circus Road Films, is a producer rep and festival advocate who helps indie filmmakers navigate distribution and find the right partners to bring their projects to audiences. In this roundtable discussion, No Film School's GG Hawkins speaks with Jon Reiss, Annamaria Sofillas, Scott Monahan, and Glen Reynolds to discuss: Why hybrid distribution is essential for indie filmmakers today How film festivals and events can help grow your audience Why setting clear release goals is crucial for your film's success How building your audience starts long before your film's release Real-world examples of filmmakers using grassroots promotion and festival tours Why filmmakers are taking control of their own marketing and outreach strategies How indie filmmakers are embracing a punk rock mentality to bypass traditional distribution models Links: Learn more about Scott Monahan Learn more about Glen Reynolds Follow Annamaria Sofillas on Instagram Buy or rent I'm “George Lucas”: A Connor Ratliff Story on Amazon/Apple I'm "George Lucas": A Connor Ratliff Story Website Follow I'm “George Lucas” on Instagram Follow I'm “George Lucas” on Facebook Follow I'm “George Lucas” on X 8 Above with Jon Reiss Substack 8 Above website Find No Film School everywhere: On the Web https://nofilmschool.com/ Facebook  https://www.facebook.com/nofilmschool Twitter  https://twitter.com/nofilmschool YouTube  https://www.youtube.com/user/nofilmschool Instagram https://www.instagram.com/nofilmschool Send us an email with questions or feedback: podcast@nofilmschool.com! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Dave Hondel sat down with Award Winning Writer, George Perez, whose work has garnered praise and honors from the likes of The Sundance Institute, Film Independent and Humanitas for his work on projects highlighting social justice and issues facing the Latin community. This interview discusses topics related to human trafficking. Listener discretion is advised.

I'm re-releasing one of my favorite episodes of the pod, my conversation with Scott Monahan, director of ANCHORAGE.Until July 18th, you can vote for ANCHORAGE on Decentralized Pictures — here's the link — and their team can win $2500 for their next project.Given that this is one of my favorite episodes, and one of my favorite dudes, how could I not re-release to support?So go vote for ANCHORAGE now. (This is assuming you've seen this great indie film. If you haven't, what are you waiting for?)Scott is a phenomenal actor, sure, but I feel like the kindness is genuine.Enjoy this episode, it's one of my absolute favorites, and see you in Anchorage.In this episode, we talk about Scott growing up with his U.S. Marine-turned middle school guidance counselor family in Japan to crowdfunding for ANCHORAGE at the beginning of the pandemic. We talk about his journey through the film festival circuit and distribution; Film Independent's role in independent film, the multi-hatting necessary for so many independent filmmakers, Scott's larger philosophy in what projects he chooses to be a part of, and what he wants to do next.Go vote on Decentralized Pictures, and I hope you enjoy revisiting my conversation with one of indie film's good guys: Scott Monahan.Scott's Indie Filmmaker Highlight: Pete Ohs Support the Podcast Through MembershipLinks:Vote now for ANCHORAGEWatch ANCHORAGEANCHORAGE Movie InstagramScott Monahan's InstagramDakota Loesch's InstagramSupport this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/first-time-go/exclusive-content

Mary Dauterman is a writer-director. She is a Film Independent Screenwriting and Fast Track Fellow. Her debut feature, a body horror comedy called Booger, premiered at Fantasia Film Festival in 2023 and was supported by Tribeca Creators Market and Film Independent. She has written and directed projects for Adult Swim, published kids books that aren't for kids, directed some decent commercials, and co-invented a viral beach accessory, The Tortilla Towel (TM). A creative alum from Wieden + Kennedy, Droga5, and CP+B, she was recognized as an ADC Young Gun for her body of work. For more information about Mary, visit her website and go watch Booger in theaters soon! https://www.marydauterman.com/

Nate returns to talk about his gig this past weekend at Tex Mex Connection and his recent appearance on the Your Next Favorite Band podcast before sitting down to chat with singer/songwriter/filmmaker Paige Stark. They start things off bonding over a mutual love of Harry Nilsson and David Bowie before diving in to growing up in Laguna Beach, how MTV was a gateway to a love of music and film, finding inspiration in Lisa Simpson, songwriting and her first solo show, Stone Darling, singing with Taylor Goldsmith and Alex Greenwald, singing harmony, Tashaki Miyaki, Takashi Miike, genre films, her upcoming Film Independent backed short, The Other Side, keeping "office hours," the Love LA compilation, collaborating with Marc Maron, cover songs, the Tashaki Miyaki cover of "The Beautiful Ones" by Prince, working with Jon Brion on the Good At Love EP and the plan for the new record. Then, Paige braves The Jawntlet! Paige Stark websitePaige Stark BandcampTashaki Miyaki BandcampPaige Stark InstagramPaige Stark Instagram (film)Paige Stark YouTubePaige Stark TikTokPaige Stark Facebook Subscribe to the Y!TMJ Newsletter! --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/ytmj/message Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/ytmj/support

Avril Z. Speaks Producer/Director https://www.instagram.com/azuspeak/ Avril Speaks has been carving out her path as a bold, innovative storyteller for years, not only as a Producer and Director but also as a film educator through Film Independent, the Sundance Institute, and Distribution Advocates, and formerly as a professor at Howard University. Avril has produced several award-winning films including Jinn, which premiered at SXSW and won Special Jury Recognition for Writing, and the South African film African America, which was nominated for an NAACP Image Award and four African Movie Academy Awards. She also produced the documentary Black America Is..., which premiered at the Afrikana Film Festival and won Best Feature Documentary at various film festivals. As a director and showrunner, Avril has worked with companies such as Now This and Vox Media Studios on docu-series such as Uprooted: The Untold Keith Warren Story, Keep This Between Us, and Files of the Unexplained, which recently debuted as the #1 show on Netflix. Avril is a recipient of the inaugural Dear Producer Award, the Sundance Momentum Fellowship, and is a recent recipient of the Film Independent Amplifier Fellowship. She is one of the founding members of Distribution Advocates, where she hosts the podcast Distribution advocates Presents, and is a board member for the Black TV and Film Collective. Hosted by actor/filmmaker Tony Gapastione --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/bravemaker/message Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/bravemaker/support

Don't be ashamed of your authenticity. Jana N. Nagase is a film critic, columnist, and podcaster originally from Sao Paulo, Brazil. She is a member of the Critics Choice Association & Film Independent, and Brazilian International Press Association.Since 2012 she has supported the community with the columns she writes for Gazeta News, the biggest Brazilian newspaper in the US based in Florida. This year, her YouTube channel “Jana on Camera” celebrates its 10th anniversary. Jana on Camera provides behind-the-scenes interviews with artists from big studios, independent studios, and Latino newcomers in the entertainment industry.Jana shares her success and how she overcame many of the hardships that immigrant women face in trying to navigate the entertainment industry. She reveals her process of securing red carpet interviews from celebrities and addresses the level of preparation that's required. Jana created a business from what she loves doing the most, despite many people telling her she didn't have the right ‘look' for this field of work. Naysayers can say what they want, but this tough lady proves that love, authenticity, and following the principles of good journalism can truly make miracles happen. The most important thing is to trust yourself and not let anybody else tell you who you are! Jana's advice is to hold on to who you are in your heart and don't change your essence or your accent - for anyone!!Notes

This week on the Here's What We Know Podcast, our host Gary Scott Thomas welcomes back our special guest, Darren Haruo Rae, the brilliant director and creative force behind the short film “Nisei,” which won the grand jury prize for ‘Best Dramatic Short Film' at the Cinequest International Film Festival, making it an Academy Award-qualified film. Darren shares the behind-the-scenes journey of how the film was created despite having a limited budget and producing on their own.This episode is not just about the professional wisdom of creating a magnificent film but highlights personal connection as it is based on Darren's family history, specifically his grandfather's experience and the Japanese-American community during World War II. Tune in now!In this Episode:Darren shares exciting news about "Nisei" winning the grand jury prize for best dramatic short at the Cinequest International Film Festival in San Jose. This win has made the "Nisei" Academy Award qualified and a chance to get nominated.Darren shares about the process of becoming Academy Award-nominated, including academy voting members' involvement and 'For Your Consideration' events planned in Los Angeles and San Francisco.Insight into how Darren found out about winning: a mix of confusion, excitement, and disbelief while watching an Instagram livestream from home.Discover Darren's connection to "Nisei" as it tells a story close to Darren's family history—his grandfather's experience fighting for the US in WWII while his family was in internment camps.Hear serendipitous aspects of filmmaking emerge through stories like finding a period-correct bus just after restoration or connecting with costume designers who had authentic resources linked to their heritage.This episode is sponsored by:Winchester Western Wear (Be sure to tell them Gary sent you so you can save 20%!)Dignity Memorial (Mention Gary & receive a Thank You Gift)GymGuyz (#1 In-Home Personal Training)Bio:Darren Haruo Rae is a Japanese-American producer/director based in Los Angeles who co-founded the boutique production company Roann Films. He has directed high-profile commercials and branded content for clients such as Western Digital, Airbnb, and Cisco. Rae's directorial debut, Park Arcadia, garnered Best Screenplay at the 2014 International Film Festival Cinematic Arts in Los Angeles. His latest film, Nisei, inspired by his Japanese-American grandfather's WWII experiences in the 442nd Regimental Combat Team, earned Best Drama and Audience Choice at the 2023 Poppy Jasper Film Festival and continues its festival circuit, screening at Indy Shorts by Heartland Film, LA Shorts International Film Festival, HollyShorts Film Festival, and Cinequest Film Festival. Currently, Rae is the series producer for the MasterClass G.O.A.T. Original Series and is producing the feature film Surrender, starring Andrea Bang. Surrender was selected as one of Film Independent's Fast Track fellowship program's top 10 narrative fiction features and is slated for production in 2023.Website: https://www.dhrae.com/Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/darrenhrae/Nisei Film Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/niseithefilm/Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/RoannFilmwww.GaryScottThomas.com

Jennifer Brown is the founder of Brown Investment Management. Brown Investment Management was designed to be a small boutique firm to cater to her client's needs and goals. The company has fiduciary responsibilities to each individual client.  Although Brown Investment Management is bound by rules and regulations, they are more agile when it comes to investing with each individual in mind rather than an age-based design, so commonly seen.Jennifer is happy to say that joining Prosperitas Financial, allows her to have the same boutique style firm. We share the same core goals, which is to help clients understand their full financial picture.  We lead them down a path that is designed to reach their goals and uncover new ones along the way. Her motto is in-line with Prosperitas Financial, which is making sure we reach as many people as possible and teach them to pay themselves first and remove the financial stress from their shoulders.In her time away from the office, Jennifer enjoys spending time with her family and friends. Some of her favorite outdoor activities include hiking and biking. Whether it is in her RV or crossing the globe, traveling is a passion of hers. She enjoys taking agility classes with her dog, Murphy. Her prior work experience in the entertainment industry lends to her love of movies and therefore, she is a member of Film Independent. Jennifer is proud to be a member and friend of the LGBT community. Connect with Jennifer (818)436-2196JBrown@prosperitasfin.comProsperitas Financial 661.255.9555 info@prosperitasfin.com www.prosperitasfin.com 25060 Avenue Stanford, Suite 100 Valencia, CA 91355Looking for more content?  Check out our Social Media pages. Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/Prosperitasfin LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/company/prosperitasfin Podcast - https://advicefirst.buzzsprout.com/Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/prosperitas_financial/

This week, the Best in Show crew is full of Indie Spirit as they mingle on the carpet and out the back of the Film Independent Spirit Awards, where Zoe Lister-Jones, Jordan Firstman and the teams from Kokomo City and The Zone of Interest all stop by for chats about Cassavetes versus Altman, the secrets to a great director-producer relationship and epic movie dog moments. Brian meets his sporting hero Marshawn Lynch, and Mia settles in for a conversation with International Feature Spirit winner Justine Triet about the multiple languages of Anatomy of a Fall. Finally, Neil Hamburger himself (On Cinema's Gregg Turkington, cast member in the John Cassavetes Award-winning Fremont) tells Mia and Gemma about the first award he ever won (and seems to keep on winning). Chapters: Opening credits (00:00:00) News (00:03:06) Justine Triet interview (00:33:34) Winner Winner Turkington Dinner (00:49:48) Closing credits (00:54:40) Credits: Recorded in Los Angeles. Edited by Slim, production manager Sophie Shin, editorial producer Brian Formo. Theme: ‘Hyperlight' by Letterboxd member Trent Walton (AKA Echo Wolf). Artwork by Danny Haas. Best in Show is a TAPEDECK production. Title courtesy of Christopher Guest. Lists & Links: Best in Show's HQ Page, Film Independent's HQ Page

Welcome to a re-cap of the 2024 Film Independent Spirit Awards! We here are Geek Girl Soup are members of Film Independent, so we get screeners and vote every year. Always so much fun!Happening more and more each year, we are seeing some Spirit Award nominees also nominated for an Oscar (and other awards). This year we've got overlap with “American Fiction,” “Past Lives,” “Anatomy of a Fall,” and “The Zone of Interest.”What makes the Spirit Awards so different from the usual suspects in the film and TV awards arena is that Film Independent focuses smaller, lower-budget films that highlight “uniqueness of vision, original[ity], and provocative subject matter.” Spirit Award films represent a diversity of people, cultures, and ideas, the likes of which you just don't find in the other major awards shows.We always find some amazing gems amongst the nominees. Listen in to hear our reactions to and opinions of this year's winners.SPOILER ALERT for “True Detective: Night Country.” Toward the end of this episode, we discuss season of “True Detective,” that just recently ended. We do share spoilers. Next week: “Spaceman” on Netflix. Directed by Johan Renck (director of “Chernobyl.” Starring Adam Sandler and Carey Mulligan. Not a comedy!-Original music by Garrett ThompsonFollow us on Instagram @GeekGirlSoupContinue the conversation on FacebookListen to Cort's podcast with Brad at PureFandom.comCheck out Susan's movie stats on Letterboxd Email your questions and comments to GeekGirlSoup@gmail.comGeek on!

Spirit Awards Predictions today! Almost Sideways reaction & movie review Film Independent! Past Lives! American Fiction!SUBSCRIBE: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCfEoLqGyjn9M5Mr8umWiktATodd and Adam reveal who they voted for as well!Spirit Awards 2024 Predictions today! Almost Sideways host Todd & Adam Daly's reaction & prediction of the 2024 Spirit Awards from Film Independent streaming on Youtube! Behind the Scenes thoughts! Should you see the full movie in theaters? Enjoy the Film Independent Spirit Awards in 2024 and be sure to make Almost Sideways your first stop for movie and entertainment news here on YouTube today!(00:00) - Intro(01:25) - Best Supporting Performance(07:55) - Best Documentary(11:50) - Best Editing(16:00) - Best Breakthrough Performance(21:55) - Best International Film(25:30) - Best Cinematography(30:23) - Best First Screenplay(35:42) - Best Screenplay(40:14) - Best Lead Performance(46:07) - Best Director(49:33) - Best First Feature(51:28) - John Cassavetes Award (The Unknown Country Lily Gladstone)(53:54) - Best FeatureBest Supporting Performance:Erica Alexander - American FictionSterling K. Brown - American FictionNoah Galvin - Theater CampAnne Hathaway - EileenGlenn Howerton - BlackberryMarin Ireland - EileenCharles Melton - May DecemeberDa'Vine Joy Randolph - The HoldoversCatalina Saaverda - Rotting in the SunBen Whishaw - PassagesBest Breakthrough Performance:Marshawn Lynch - Bottoms (BEAST MODE)Atibon Nazaire - MountainsTia Nomore - Earth MamaDominic Sessa - The HoldoversAnaita Walizada - FremontBest International Film:Anatomy of a FallGodlandMami WataTotemThe Zone of InterestBest Lead Performance:Jessica Chastain - MemoryGreta Lee - Past LivesTrace Lysette - MonicaNatalie Portman - May DecemberJudy Reyes - Birth/RebirthFranz Rogowski - PassagesAndrew Scott - All of Us StrangersTeyana Taylor - A Thousand and OneJeffrey Wright - American FictionTeo Yoo - Past LivesBest Director:Andrew Haigh - All of Us StrangersTodd Haynes - May DecemberWilliam Oldroyd - EileenIra Sachs - PassagesCeline Song - Past LivesBest First Feature:All Dirt Roads Taste of SaltChronicles of a Wandering SaintEarth MamaA Thousand and OneUpon EntryBest Feature:All of Us StrangersAmerican FictionMay DecemberPassagesPast LivesWe Grown Now Follow Adam on Letterboxd - ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://letterboxd.com/almostsideways/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Daly Notes is hosted by Adam Daly and is a part of the AlmostSideways family. Find AlmostSideways everywhere! ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Website⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠almostsideways.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Facebook⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.facebook.com/AlmostSidewayscom-130953353614569/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠AlmostSideways Twitter⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠: @almostsideways ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Terry's Twitter⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠: @almostsideterry ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Zach's Twitter⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠: @pro_zach36 Todd: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Too Cool for Twitter⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Adam's Twitter⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠: @adamsideways ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Apple Podcasts⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/almostsideways-podcast/id1270959022⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Spotify⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://open.spotify.com/show/7oVcx7Y9U2Bj2dhTECzZ4m⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Stitcher⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.stitcher.com/podcast/almost-sideways-movie-podcast⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠YouTube⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCfEoLqGyjn9M5Mr8umWiktA/featured?view_as=subscriber

On episode 219 of The AwardsWatch Podcast, Executive Editor Ryan McQuade is joined by AwardsWatch Editor-In-Chief Erik Anderson and AwardsWatch contributor Dan Bayer to give their reactions to the 2024 BAFTA Awards, and give out their predictions for the upcoming 2024 PGA, SAG, and Independent Spirit Awards, As discussed on last week's show, the 2024 BAFTA awards were this past Sunday, with Christopher Nolan's Oppenheimer taking home seven awards including Best Film, Best Director and Best Actor for Cillian Murphy. With the film's other wins in Supporting Actor, Cinematography, Editing and Score, it has solidified itself not only as the frontrunner for Best Picture at the Oscars, but it is the forgone conclusion that it will be our winner this year. But with three weeks to go, can any other film set forward as a challenger and take Best Picture right at the last second? Poor Things looked to be the latest challenger to Oppenheimer as made its case by winning five BAFTA's including Best Actress for Emma Stone. But it lost Best British Film in a upset to Jonathan Glazer's The Zone of Interest, thus making it clear which film the BAFTA voting membership was going to reward its top prize to. Anatomy of a Fall, The Holdovers, and American Fiction also took home prizes, while films like Barbie. Saltburn, All of Us Strangers, Maestro, and Killers of the Flower Moon went home empty handed. The gang discuss the impact of these results and how much they will factor them in going into the final stage of season. After discussing the BAFTAs, Ryan, Erik, and Dan gave their full predictions for the PGA, SAG, and Independent Spirit Awards, which included plenty of talk about Oppenheimer another big step towards it's Best Picture win, discuss how the four acting races will conclude, how SAG will vote in their television categories, and what they think the unpredictable Film Independent voters will vote on for its winners. All in all, it was a fun predictions portion segment filled with tons of possibilities for various winners to walk away with the top prizes at each show. You can listen to The AwardsWatch Podcast wherever you stream podcasts, from iTunes, iHeartRadio, Soundcloud, Stitcher, Spotify, Audible, Amazon Music and more. This podcast runs 1h46m. On our next episode, we will be giving our reactions to the SAG Awards, as well as doing a review of the latest sci-fi epic, Dune: Part Two. Till then, let's get into it. Music: “Modern Fashion” from AShamaleuvmusic (intro), “B-3” from BoxCat Games Nameless: The Hackers RPG Soundtrack (outro).

National Geographic, Netflix, History Channel, BBC, HGTV, Lifetime, TLC, OWN, Discovery +, Disney +, E!, FOX, ABC, and NBC have worked with Ms. MacIntosh,  a Detroit Homecoming Hollywood boomerang entrepreneur.Join our high-energy guest Katie Macintosh, Founder of Mac Worldwide, as she explains to Ed her fascinating career in Hollywood, and around the world in the genre of true docuseries and reality television shows. As a highly sought-after development partner, she has teamed up with several renown producers and production companies to deliver original concepts and stimulating casts. She has served on several industry panels and is an active member of The Television Academy, The Academy Museum and Film Independent.

In this episode, Hilliard and guest co-host, emerging filmmaker Jade Hunter Alexandriia, sat down for an in-depth conversation with writer/filmmaker KRISTINA THOMAS -- a rising talent in the documentary world, made her mark by winning a contest for $50,000 to direct a compelling TV pilot in New Orleans for MTV/Endemol. Transitioning through roles like script coordinator on acclaimed shows such as “Greenleaf,” “Lovecraft Country,” and “The Haunting of Bly Manor” (S2), Kristina's journey reached a pivotal moment when her feature script, "WORTH IT," garnered well-deserved recognition as a semi-finalist in prestigious competitions like Women in Film/The Black List and BET's Project Cre8 Feature.She has lent her expertise to scripted comedy podcasts like "YES WE CANNABIS" and "STRANDED" for Broadway Video. A former mentee in Women in Film Mentorship Program for directors and Amy Aniobe's TRIBE, Kristina recently finished Film Independent's Project Involve fellowship as a directing fellow. She has been staffed on JJ Abrams HBO show ‘Demimonde” and Dick Wolf's CBS drama, “FBI: INTERNATIONAL.We talk about producing network tv, knowing who you are as a writer, surviving hollywood as a black woman and so much more!Kristina's actively developing her feature, "Worth It!" Follow us on Social: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Hilliard Guess on X and all Social Media @HilliardGuess⁠ Kristina Thomas on Instagram @ItsKristinaThomas Jade Hunter Alexandriia on Instagram @Jade.Alexandriia BTS Photos: @IamJerryJerome SPONSORSHIPS:⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠WooHoo Apparel:⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Use 10 % off code: WOOHOOsrr The Success Principles Workbook: An Action Plan for Getting from Where You Are to Where You Want to Be: Canfield, Jack, Hall, Dr. Brandon, Switzer, Janet: 9780062912893: Amazon.com: Books: ⁠https://www.amazon.com/Success-Principles-Workbook-Jack-Canfield/dp/0062912895/ref=asc_df_0062912895/⁠?tag=hyprod-20&linkCode=df0&hvadid=509191820350&hvpos=&hvnetw=g&hvrand=2619144404713780133&hvpone=&hvptwo=&hvqmt=&hvdev=m&hvdvcmdl=&hvlocint=&hvlocphy=9030973&hvtargid=pla-904372160156&psc=1&mcid=4ee058bebc973979a415361b74fe9246&gclid=EAIaIQobChMI27juxMOShAMVtNLCBB2wYA7pEAQYASABEgLMefD_BwE ScreenWriterRantRoom website at www.screenwritersrantroom.com COMING SOON - for information, merch (t-shirts/hoodies), or our Patreon! We invest countless hours per week to deliver the actionable content that goes into this podcast. We appreciate your support! Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/screenwriters-rant-room/messageSupport this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/screenwriters-rant-room/support ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠PODCASTS WE SUPPORT: 2 Writers Talkin Shit: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/2-writers-talking-shit/id1671253747 Hollywood Confessional: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/hollywood-confessional/id1628848064?i=1000630276175 Queer News: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/queer-news/id1595777135 Women of Color Unite Podcast: https://spotify.link/vzYIMtWQJDb A Conversation With Floyd Marshall Jr: Theme Song by: Jack Spade Website & Logo Design:"COMING SOON" Abigail Bloom & Laura Huie --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/screenwriters-rant-room/message Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/screenwriters-rant-room/support

In this episode, we sit down with Andrea Ashton, a filmmaker whose journey from the Bay Area to the bustling streets of New York has been as captivating as her films. With a knack for transforming personal experiences into cinematic masterpieces, Andrea's work compels audiences to engage deeply with the complexities of human emotion. We'll explore the milestones of her career, from her festival-winning short 'Pick a Color' to her groundbreaking screenplay 'When Joy Fell', and discuss how her life's intermissions have shaped her craft.Show Notes:Introduction to Andrea Ashton, an award-winning filmmaker with a unique flair for storytelling that resonates on a profound level.A look back at Andrea's early days in film, starting with her acclaimed short 'Pick a Color' and its significant inclusion in the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences archives.Celebrating the success of 'When Joy Fell', a screenplay that garnered attention and praise from The Oaxaca FilmFest, The Creative World Awards, and PAGE International Screenwriting Awards.Insights into Andrea's life behind the scenes, balancing motherhood and filmmaking, while also excelling in corporate video production.Discussion on the skills Andrea developed over the years—organization, conflict resolution, and emotional acuity—that propelled her to become a finalist for prestigious programs like Sundance's Feature Film Creative Producing Lab & Fellowship and Film Independent's Screenwriting Lab.Shadowing veteran TV directors and active participation in women's filmmaker groups.Andrea's commitment to amplifying female voices in the industry and how this passion fuels her ongoing projects.Closing thoughts on Andrea Ashton's impact on the film industry and the importance of authenticity and heart in storytelling.Join us for an inspiring conversation with Andrea Ashton, where we uncover the layers of her creative process and celebrate her contributions to the world of film. Don't miss this episode filled with lessons on resilience, creativity, and the power of a compelling story.Remember to subscribe to our podcast for more stories behind the screen, and leave us a review if you loved today's episode. Your support helps us bring more voices like Andrea's to the forefront of cinema.Here are some links regarding what you heard on today's episode:https://andreaashton.nethttps://www.nywift.org/https://panonetwork.org/https://cinefemme.net/''Love'' and "Rockaway" are available to watch.Andrea is working on a new film now called, "Margo for Real" which has an Instagram page that will be updated once the film is finished: margo_for_real_filmYou can follow Andrea via Instagram at: sugarandspiceprodsAlso, you can check out my documentary The People of Brixton, on Kwelitv here: The People of Brixton Damien Swaby Social Media Links:Instagram:InstagramTwitter:twitterWebsite: http://filmmakingconversations.com/If you enjoy listening to Filmmaking Conversations with Damien Swaby, I would love a coffee. Podcasting is thirsty work: Buy me a coffee!

A handful of movies are making recent leaps ahead in the 2024 Oscars race including Killers of the Flower Moon — along with its director, Martin Scorsese, and star Lily Gladstone — as well as May December supporting star Charles Melton, The Holdovers supporting star Da'Vine Joy Randolph, and All of Us Strangers. We analyze their latest wins and honors. Plus, American Fiction, May December, and Past Lives lead Film Independent's Spirit Awards nominations — we discuss how those could influence Oscar voters. And we sit down with Poor Things director Yorgos Lanthimos for an in-depth conversation about his latest movie, starring Emma Stone, Mark Ruffalo, and Willem Dafoe. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This week on the Here's What We Know Podcast, host Gary Scott Thomas had a fascinating conversation with our guest, Darren Haruo Rae, a Japanese-American producer and director based in Los Angeles. Darren shares his journey from being a movie enthusiast to becoming an accomplished filmmaker.Darren's love for film was sparked by his father's passion for movies and his extensive laserdisc collection. Tune into this insightful episode where they also talked about assessing one's own work, learning by doing, understanding commercial filming vs. authentic performances, and much more!Filmmaking isn't just about what you see on screen; it's also about those behind-the-scenes heroes who make magic happen every day.In this Episode:The Genesis of a FilmmakerThe Academic Pursuit A Nostalgic Affair with PhysicalityInfluences Inspirations Behind-the-Scenes IntricaciesSelf-assessment and Growth The Art Of Compromise In Filmmaking    Directorial Philosophy  Casting Decisions And Actor Inputs   Persistence, Patience, and Timing Physical Fitness In CinemaRepresentation And Diversity  Respect For Personal Stories   The Importance Of Storytelling   Historical Events As Source Material  Remembering History Through FilmCultural Expectations And Screenwriting  Superhero Movies And Corporate Control Balancing Commercial Work With Personal Projects Dream Collaborations This episode is sponsored by:Reed Animal HospitalSterling Oak CabinetryAbout Darren:Darren Haruo Rae is a Japanese-American producer/director based in Los Angeles who co-founded the boutique production company Roann Films. He has directed high-profile commercials and branded content for clients such as Western Digital, Airbnb, and Cisco. Rae's directorial debut, Park Arcadia, garnered Best Screenplay at the 2014 International Film Festival Cinematic Arts in Los Angeles. His latest film, Nisei, inspired by his Japanese-American grandfather's WWII experiences in the 442nd Regimental Combat Team, earned Best Drama and Audience Choice at the 2023 Poppy Jasper Film Festival and continues its festival circuit, screening at Indy Shorts by Heartland Film, LA Shorts International Film Festival, HollyShorts Film Festival, and Cinequest Film Festival. Currently, Rae is the series producer for the MasterClass G.O.A.T. Original Series and is producing the feature film Surrender, starring Andrea Bang. Surrender was selected as one of Film Independent's Fast Track fellowship program's top 10 narrative fiction features and is slated for production in 2023.Website: https://www.dhrae.com/Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/darrenhrae/Nisei Film Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/niseithefilm/Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/RoannFilms/www.GaryScottThomas.com

How do you answer the dreaded "So, tell me about yourself"? What should you have prepared for your project pitch? How many projects should you have in your back pocket? What materials should you bring in? How do you engage the room, and why are you pitching the room not the project? That and more on this episode with producer Stu Pollard.   (Episode 52) Hosted by Director/Producer⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Jenn Page.⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ If you want to be notified when we open our doors to our green screen virtual production studio dedicated to indie filmmakers (and indie film budgets) fill out the form on our website at ⁠⁠⁠⁠TheWorkingDirector.Pro.⁠⁠⁠⁠ You can also go there to join our private FB group for directors so you can attend these live conversations and get your questions answered; as well as, to learn about The Working Director course that helps emerging filmmakers become working directors faster. More on Stu: Filmmaker Stu Pollard has produced 9 films in his home state of Kentucky, including survival thriller RUST CREEK, powerful high school drama AND THEN I GO, and bowling comedy SPLIT. He has produced more movies outside the Bluegrass as well. These include the uproarious Jack Quaid & Maya Erskine wedding rom-com PLUS ONE, Syrian refugee documentary THIS IS HOME, and docu-drama FREELAND, starring Krisha Fairchild. Stu has also directed two features: romantic comedy NICE GUYS SLEEP ALONE and suspense drama KEEP YOUR DISTANCE, both set against a vibrant Kentucky backdrop. Pollard founded Lunacy Productions in 2015 to expand his storytelling horizons and break free of the “one-at-a-time” indie filmmaking model. This has sparked numerous new collaborations with both emerging talent and established creators. Lunacy's current development slate includes WE'RE HAUNTED, a horror comedy about dysfunctional roommates confronting an evil spirit; THE MAN WHO KNEW BELLE STARR, a riveting Western-infused revenge drama; THE TRESTLE, a supernatural thriller revolving around an infamous Kentucky legend; and ALAS, BABYLON, a post-apocalyptic survival parable based on the classic novel. Also an entrepreneur, Stu has spearheaded a number of other creative endeavors including the event planning app REUNACY, nostalgic web series THE EIGHTIES EMPORIUM, whiskey lifestyle brand BOURBONALITY, content creation collective SMALL BATCH CONTENT, and philanthropic nonprofit organization TRUNACY. In addition to teaching at Film Independent and USC's School of Cinematic Arts, Stu recently founded LunacyU, an online educational platform dedicated to teaching the next generation of independent filmmakers. At LunacyU, he currently teaches classes on Film Financing and Cinematic Music. He holds a BS in business from Georgetown and an MFA in film from USC, is a member of the DGA and PGA, and serves on the boards of the Louisville Film Society, the Horse Farm Workers' Educational Assistance Fund and GU's Alumni Board of Regents. https://lunacyproductions.com/ Stu's course on financing: https://lunacyu.com   Our essential Indie Film Financing course for independent filmmakers is designed to help you think like an entrepreneur, find the right financial partners, and finish what you start. Through video lessons and supplemental documents, this course will guide you on a transformative journey that will infuse you with confidence, empower you with resources, and put you in the best possible position to raise money for your project. Our Film Music Master Class covers the world of film music from licensing to composers and music supervisors. Music is one of the most confusing, challenging, and expensive parts of filmmaking. This course helps you navigate all of it with 9 sections of on-demand videos to go through at your own pace.     --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/theworkingdirector/message

Grant Miller is a Partner and an Executive VFX Supervisor at Ingenuity Studios. Grant brings a deep level of technical and artistic acumen to his role as Executive VFX Supervisor at Ingenuity Studios. He oversees the studio's CG, FX, and Pipeline teams, ensuring that final results meet the exacting demands of sophisticated clients. Working closely with directors and creative decision-makers, Grant provides guidance and methodology during preproduction, supervision on set, and ensures seamless collaboration and high-quality results through post. Over the years, Grant has supervised visual effects for a long list of notable clients, including episodic television shows such as The Night Agent, The Orville, The Boys, and Westworld; films such as Get Out and A Star is Born; music videos for Taylor Swift, Billie Eilish, and Lady Gaga; and Super Bowl commercials for Fox Sports. Grant got his start working in video games in 2007, a background that he pulls from as the industry moves toward real-time VFX. Based in Los Angeles, Grant is a member of the Visual Effects Society and Film Independent. He received an Emmy Award for Outstanding Sports Promotional in 2017, and is frequently called upon to share insights at industry events and conferences. In this Podcast, Allan McKay interviews VFX Supervisor and Partner at Ingenuity Studios Grant Miller about how up-and-coming Artists can launch their career: the importance of following your dreams, how to train your eye in visual effects, why keeping it simple always wins and some job interview red flags. For more show notes, visit www.allanmckay.com/422.  

“Buffy the Vampire Slayer's” Juliet Landau reveals the long-lasting impact of balancing on a “razor's edge” as a child to avoid upsetting her parents: beloved, award-winning actors Martin Landau and Barbara Bain. Watch and Subscribe to our YouTube Channel @NavigatingNarcissismPod Follow me on social:  Instagram - @doctorramani Pod Instagram - @navigatingnarcissismpod Facebook - @doctorramani Twitter - @DoctorRamani YouTube: Dr. Ramani's YT - DoctorRamani I want to hear from you, too. Have a toxic topic you want me to explore? Email me at askdrramani@redtabletalk.com. I just might answer your questions on air Guest Bio: Juliet Landau is an actress, director, producer & writer. As an actress, highlights include Drusilla on BUFFY THE VAMPIRE SLAYER & spin-off ANGEL and co-starring in Tim Burton's ED WOOD as Loretta King. Last season she recurred as Rita Tedesco on Amazon's BOSCH. This season she's recurring as Cordelia on TNT's CLAWS. Juliet just helmed her visionary, multi-award winning, feature directorial debut, A PLACE AMONG THE DEAD. Cast: Gary Oldman, Ron Perlman, Robert Patrick, Lance Henriksen and Anne Rice, appearing for the only time ever in a scripted movie. Further extensive acting, directing, writing credits available. Juliet's a member of The Actors Studio, Women In Film, Film Independent, The Alliance Of Women Directors, BAFTA and an alum of Sundance Collab. Guest Information: Twitter: @julietlandau Instagram: @juliet_landau Website: https://www.julietlandau.com/  This podcast should not be used as a substitute for medical or mental health advice. Individuals are advised to seek independent medical advice, counseling, and/or therapy from a healthcare professional with respect to any medical condition, mental health issue, or health inquiry, including matters discussed on this podcast. EXECUTIVE PRODUCERS Jada Pinkett Smith, Ellen Rakieten, Dr. Ramani Durvasula, Meghan Hoffman, Fallon Jethroe VP PRODUCTION OPERATIONS Martha Chaput CREATIVE DIRECTOR Jason Nguyen LINE PRODUCER Lee Pearce PRODUCER Matthew Jones, Aidan Tanner ASSOCIATE PRODUCER Mara De La Rosa ASSOCIATE CREATIVE PRODUCER Keenon Rush HAIR AND MAKEUP ARTIST Samatha Pack AUDIO ENGINEER Calvin Bailiff EXEC ASST Rachel Miller PRODUCTION OPS ASST Jesse Clayton EDITOR Eugene Gordon POST MEDIA MANAGER Luis E. Ackerman POST PROD ASST Moe Alvarez AUDIO EDITORS & MIXERS Matt Wellentin, Geneva Wellentin, VP, HEAD OF PARTNER STRATEGY Jae Trevits Digital MARKETING DIRECTOR Sophia Hunter VP, POST PRODUCTION Jonathan Goldberg SVP, HEAD OF CONTENT Lukas Kaiser HEAD OF CURRENT Christie Dishner VP, PRODUCTION OPERATIONS Jacob Moncrief EXECUTIVE IN CHARGE OF PRODUCTION Dawn ManningSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

*THIS FILM IS NOT CONNECTED TO ANY STRUCK COMPANY* Meet: Chelsea Bo, the writer/director/actor of NO RIGHT WAY. She has a theater and improv background and graduated from Loyola Marymount University's School of Film & Television and was selected for both Film Independent's Incubator Lab and Village Roadshow's Emerging Talent Program. Chelsea co-founded the production company Paxeros with her husband/producing partner Sean Drummond, and together they have produced three feature films, including Joshua Leonard's Fully Realized Humans (Tribeca, 2020) and Sarah Adina Smith's The Drop (Tribeca, 2022). No Right Way is her feature directorial debut. Meet: Ava Acres star of NO RIGHT WAY. Ava is one of Hollywood's most versatile young actors. She played "Madeline" in AMERICAN HORROR STORY: HOTEL, young "Queen Regina" in ABC's ONCE UPON A TIME, and recurred as young "Rebecca" in CW's award winning musical comedy CRAZY EX GIRLFRIEND. Ava's recent credits include a recurring role on Ryan Murphy's 9-1-1 (Fox), HANDSOME: A NETFLIX MURDER MYSTERY, and WET HOT AMERICAN SUMMER: TEN YEARS LATER. Ava can also be seen as the evil supervillain Katya in MARVEL's AGENTS OF S.H.I.E.L.D., and appeared in season 7 of MAD MEN as Susie. Ava played a young Shailene Woodley in WHITE BIRD IN A BLIZZARD (Gregg Araki, dir.), and Daniel Bruhl's daughter in the feature film FACE OF AN ANGEL (Michael Winterbottom, dir.) She starred in Ron Howard produced short film EVERMORE, played Naya Rivera's daughter in the thriller AT THE DEVIL'S DOOR (Nicholas McCarthy, dir.), and played the lead role in a short directed by Demi Moore for Lifetime's FIVE - an anthology of short films exploring the impact of breast cancer. In one of her earliest film roles, Ava shared the screen with Academy Award winner Anna Paquin in the feature FREE RIDE (Shana Betz, dir.). Other television work includes a TALES FROM THE DARKSIDE pilot for CBS, a series regular role on the Fox comedy pilot OUTNUMBERED, roles on WEEDS, HARRY'S LAW, CRIMINAL MINDS, and more. Ava enjoys singing, piano, ukulele, dance (jazz, hip hop), and is an avid writer. TAGLINE:Different moms, same baggage. LOGLINE:A pair of half-sisters try to make each other whole when calamity strikes. SYNOPSIS:Georgie, a brazen 13-year-old, has her life uprooted when she's thrust into the guardianship of her half-sister Harper and torn away from her life in Vegas. Harper sees this turbulent time as a window of opportunity to pave a brighter future for her half-sister, but Harper's self-righteous attempts to protect Georgie only lead to exposing their paralleled childhood wounds. FILM FESTIVALS:Cinequest Film Festival 2023 (World Premiere)Woodstock Film Festival 2023Richmond Film Festival 2023 (Grand Jury Nominee)Twin Cities Film Festivals 2023

TV writer Kristina Thomas shares the journey of persistence and faith that took her into incredible programs like USC's graduate program, Film Independent's Project Involve and eventually landing a seat in the writers room for 'FBI' on CBS.

Nijla Mu'min is a writer and filmmaker from the East Bay Area. Her work is informed by poetry, photography, fiction, and dance. Named one of 25 New Faces of Independent Film by Filmmaker Magazine in 2017, she tells stories about Black girls and women who find themselves between worlds and identities.  Her short films have screened at festivals across the country. Her filmmaking and screenwriting have been supported by the Sundance Institute, IFP, Film Independent, Women In Film LA, and the Princess Grace Foundation. In 2011, she worked as a Production Assistant on Ava DuVernay's film, Middle of Nowhere. In 2014, she was selected for the Sundance Institute Screenwriters Intensive, and she was the winner of the Grand Jury Prize for Best Screenplay at the 2014 Urbanworld Film Festival, for her script Noor. Nijla attended the 2017 Sundance Institute Sound and Music Design Lab for Jinn. Her short film Dream was acquired by Issa Rae Productions for online streaming in 2017.  Her debut feature film, Jinn, starring Zoe Renee, Kelvin Harrison Jr., and Simone Missick, premiered at the 2018 South By Southwest Film Festival, where she won the Special Jury Recognition Award for Screenwriting. In 2018, she directed an episode of Ava DuVernay's critically-acclaimed series "Queen Sugar.” Jinn, a New York Times Critic's pick, was released in November 2018 by Orion Classics, and is currently streaming on Amazon. In 2021, she directed an episode of “Wu-Tang: An American Saga” for Hulu. She is currently developing her second feature film, Mosswood Park. She is a 2013 graduate of CalArts MFA Film Directing and Creative Writing Programs, and a 2007 graduate of UC Berkeley, where studied in June Jordan's Poetry for the People Program.  

We're joined by podcaster (Maximum Film!), programmer (Bentonville Film Festival, Film Independent), and cinematic juggernaut, DREA CLARK, for her chosen topic, "Frenemies", to discuss the first track of our movie mixtape, 2001's "Ghost World". Then, Drea and I add more tracks until we have a fully curated excuse for you to block off a lazy Sunday and coast on a particular cinematic vibe. To support us on Patreon, visit: www.patreon.com/incineratorpod Follow us on Twitter - @moviemixtpod Please rate and review us on Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/movie-mixtapes/id1547221829?uo=4 --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/moviemixtapes/support

On this episode, we're going to start a miniseries that I've been dreading doing, not because of the films this company produced and/or released during the 1980s, but because it means shining any kind of light on a serial sexual assaulter and his enabling brother. But one cannot do a show like this, talking about the movies of the 1980s, and completely ignore Miramax Films. ----more---- TRANSCRIPT   From Los Angeles, California. The Entertainment Capital of the World. It's the 80s Movie Podcast. I am your host, Edward Havens/ Thank you for listening today.   On this episode, we're going to start a miniseries that I've been dreading doing, not because of the films this company produced and/or released during the 1980s, but because it means shining any kind of light on a serial sexual assaulter and his enabling brother. But one cannot do a show like this, talking about the movies of the 1980s, and completely ignore Miramax Films.   But I am not here to defend Harvey Weinstein. I am not here to make him look good. My focus for this series, however many they end up being, will focus on the films and the filmmakers. Because it's important to note that the Weinsteins did not have a hand in the production of any of the movies Miramax released in the 1980s, and the two that they did have a hand in making, one a horror film, the other a comedy that would be the only film the Weinsteins would ever direct themselves, were distributed by companies other than Miramax.   But before I do begin, I want to disclose my own personal history with the Weinsteins. As you may know, I was a movie theatre manager for Landmark Theatres in the mid 1990s, running their NuWilshire Theatre in Santa Monica. The theatre was acquired by Landmark from Mann Theatres in 1992, and quickly became a hot destination for arthouse films for those who didn't want to deal with the hassle of trying to get to the Laemmle Monica 4 about a mile away, situated in a very busy area right off the beach, full of tourists who don't know how to park properly and making a general nuisance of themselves to the locals. One of the first movies to play at the NuWilshire after Landmark acquired it was Quentin Tarantino's debut film, Reservoir Dogs, which was released by Miramax in the fall of 1992. The NuWilshire quickly became a sort of lucky charm to Harvey Weinstein, which I would learn when I left the Cineplex Beverly Center in June 1993 to take over the NuWilshire from my friend Will, the great-grandson of William Fox, the founder of Fox Films, who was being promoted to district manager and personally recommended me to replace him.   During my two plus years at the NuWilshire, I fielded a number of calls from Harvey Weinstein. Not his secretary. Not his marketing people.    Harvey himself.   Harvey took a great interest in the theatre, and regularly wanted feedback about how his films were performing at my theatre. I don't know if he had heard the stories about Stanley Kubrick doing the same thing years before, but I probably spoke to him at least once a month. I never met the man, and I didn't really enjoy speaking with him, because a phone call from him meant I wasn't doing the work I actually needed to do, but keeping Harvey would mean keeping to get his best films for my theatre, so I indulged him a bit more than I probably should have.   And that indulgence did occasionally have its perks. Although I was not the manager of the NuWilshire when Reservoir Dogs played there, Quentin Tarantino personally hand-delivered one of the first teaser posters for his second movie, Pulp Fiction, to me, asking me if I would put it up in our poster frame, even though we both knew we were never going to play the film with the cast he assembled and the reviews coming out of Cannes. He, like Harvey Weinstein, considered the theatre his lucky charm. I put the poster up, even though we never did play the film, and you probably know how well the film did. Maybe we were his lucky charm.   I also got to meet Kevin Smith and Scott Mosier weeks before their first film, Clerks, opened. We hosted a special screening sponsored by the Independent Feature Project, now known as Film Independent, whose work to help promote independent film goes far deeper than just handing out the Spirit Awards each year. Smith and Mosier were cool cats, and I was able to gift Smith something the following year when he screened Mallrats a few weeks before it opened.   And, thanks to Miramax, I was gifted something that ended up being one of the best nights of my life. An invitation to the Spirit Awards and after-party in 1995, the year Quentin Tarantino and Lawrence Bender won a number of awards for Pulp Fiction. At the after-party, my then-girlfriend and I ended up drinking tequila with Toni Collette, who was just making her mark on American movie screens that very weekend, thanks to Miramax's release of Muriel's Wedding, and then playing pool against Collette and Tarantino, while his Spirit Awards sat on a nearby table.   Twenty feet from stardom, indeed.   I left that job at the end of the summer in 1995, and I would not be involved with the Weinstein Brothers for a number of years, until after I had moved to New York City, started FilmJerk, and had become an established film critic. As a critic, I had been invited to an advance screening of Bad Santa at the AMC Empire 25, and on the way out, Bob Weinstein randomly stopped me in the lobby to ask me a few questions about my reaction to the film. Which was the one and only time I ever interacted with either brother face to face, and would be the last time I ever interacted with either of them in any capacity.   As a journalist, I felt it was necessary to disclose these things, although I don't believe these things have clouded my judgment about them. They were smart enough to acquire some good films early in their careers, built a successful distribution company with some very smart people who most likely knew about their boss's disgusting proclivities and neither said nor did anything about it, and would eventually succumb to the reckoning that was always going to come to them, one way or another. I'm saddened that so many women were hurt by these men, physically and emotionally, and I will not be satisfied that they got what was coming to them until they've answered for everything they did.   Okay, enough with the proselytizing.    I will only briefly go into the history of the Weinstein Brothers, and how they came to found Miramax, and I'm going to get that out of the way right now.   Harvey Weinstein and his younger brother Bob, were born in Queens, New York, and after Harvey went to college in Buffalo, the brothers would start up a rock concert promotion company in the area. After several successful years in the concert business, they would take their profits and start up an independent film distribution company which they named Miramax, after their parents, Miriam and Max. They would symbolically start the company up on December 31st, 1979.   Like the old joke goes, they may have been concert promoters, but they really wanted to be filmmakers. But they would need to build up the company first, and they would use their connections in the music industry to pick up the American distribution rights to Rockshow, the first concert movie featuring Paul McCartney and his post-Beatles band Wings, which had been filmed during their 1976 Wings Over the World tour. And even from the start, Harvey Weinstein would earn the derisive nickname many people would give him over the years, Harvey Scissorhands, as he would cut down what was originally a 125min movie down to 102mins.   Miramax would open Rockshow on nine screens in the New York City area on Wednesday, November 26th, 1980, including the prestigious Ziegfeld Theatre, for what was billed as a one-week only run. But the film would end up exceeding their wildest expectations, grossing $113k from those nine screens, including nearly $46k just from the Ziegfeld. The film would get its run extended a second week, the absolute final week, threatened the ads, but the film would continue to play, at least at the Ziegfeld, until Saturday December 13th, when the theatre was closed for five days to prepare for what the theatre expected to be their big hit of the Christmas season, Neil Diamond's first movie, The Jazz Singer. It would be a sad coincidence that Rockstar's run at the Ziegfeld had been extended, and was still playing the night McCartney's friend and former bandmate John Lennon was assassinated barely a mile away from the theatre.   But, strangely, instead of exploiting the death of Lennon and capitalize on the sudden, unexpected, tragic reemergence of Beatlemania, Miramax seems to have let the picture go. I cannot find any playdates for the film in any other city outside of The Big Apple after December 1980, and the film would be unseen in any form outside a brief home video release in 1982 until June 2013, when the restored 125min cut was released on DVD and Blu-Ray, after a one-night theatrical showing in cinemas worldwide.   As the Brothers Weinstein were in the process of gearing up Miramax, they would try their hand at writing and producing a movie themselves. Seeing that movies like Halloween and Friday the 13th were becoming hits, Harvey would write up a five-page treatment for a horror movie, based on an upstate New York boogeyman called Cropsey, which Harvey had first heard about during his school days at camp. Bob Weinstein would write the script for The Burning with steampunk author Peter Lawrence in six weeks, hire a British music documentary filmmaker, Tony Maylam, the brothers knew through their concert promoting days, and they would have the film in production in Buffalo, New York, in the summer of 1980, with makeup effects by Tom Savini.   Once the film was complete, they accepted a purchase deal from Filmways Pictures, covering most of the cost of the $1.5m production, which they would funnel right back into their fledgling distribution company. But when The Burning opened in and around the Florida area on May 15th, 1981, the market was already overloaded with horror films, from Oliver Stone's The Hand and Edward Bianchi's The Fan, to Lewis Teague's Alligator and J. Lee Thompson's Happy Birthday to Me, to Joe Dante's The Howling and the second installment of the Friday the 13th series. Outside of Buffalo, where the movie was shot, the film did not perform well, no matter how many times Filmways tried to sell it. After several months, The Burning would only gross about $300k, which would help drive Filmways into bankruptcy. As we talked about a couple years ago on our series about Orion Pictures, Orion would buy all the assets from Filmways, including The Burning, which they would re-release into theatres with new artwork, into the New York City metropolitan region on November 5th, 1982, to help promote the upcoming home video release of the film. In just seven days in 78 theatres, the film would gross $401k, more than it had earned over its entire run during the previous year. But the film would be gone from theatres the following week, as many exhibitors do not like playing movies that were also playing on cable and/or available on videotape. It is estimated the film's final gross was about $750k in the US, but the film would become a minor success on home video and repeated cable screenings.   Now, some sources on the inter webs will tell you the first movie Miramax released was Goodbye, Emmanuelle, based in part on a profile of the brothers and their company in a March 2000 issue of Fortune Magazine, in which writer Tim Carvell makes this claim. Whether this info nugget came from bad research, or a bad memory on the part of one or both of the brothers, it simply is not true. Goodbye, Emmanuelle, as released by Miramax in an edited and dubbed version, would be released more than a year after Rockshow, on December 5th, 1981. It would gross a cool $241k in 50 theatres in New York City, but lose 80% of its screens in its second week, mostly for Miramax's next film, a low budget, British-made sci-fi sex comedy called Spaced Out.   Or, at least, that's what the brothers thought would be a better title for a movie called Outer Touch in the UK.   Which I can't necessarily argue. Outer Touch is a pretty dumb title for a movie. Even the film's director, Normal Warren, agreed. But that's all he would agree with the brothers on. He hated everything else they did to his film to prepare it for American release. Harvey would edit the film down to just 77mins in length, had a new dub created to de-emphasize the British accents of the original actors, and changed the music score and the ending. And for his efforts, Weinstein would see some success when the film was released into 41 theatres in New York on December 11th, 1981. But whether or not it was because of the film itself, which was very poorly reviewed, or because it was paired with the first re-issue of The Groove Tube since Chevy Chase, one of the actors in that film, became a star, remains to be seen.   Miramax would only release one movie for all of 1982, but it would end up being their first relative hit film.   Between 1976 and 1981, there were four live shows of music and comedy in the United Kingdom for the benefit of Amnesty International. Inspired by former Monty Python star John Cleese, these shows would raise millions for the international non-governmental organization focused on human rights issues around the world. The third show, in 1979, was called The Secret Policeman's Ball, and would not only feature Cleese, who also directed the live show, performing with his fellow Pythons Terry Jones and Michael Palin, but would also be a major launching pad for two of the most iconic comedians of the 1980s, English comedian Rowan Atkinson and Scottish comedian Billy Connelly. But unlike the first two Amnesty benefit shows, Cleese decided to add some musical acts to the bill, including Pete Townshend of The Who.   The shows would be a big success in the United Kingdom, and the Weinsteins, once again using their connections in the music scene, would buy the American film rights to the show before they actually incorporated Miramax Films. That purchase would be the impetus for creating the company.   One slight problem, though.   The show was, naturally, very British. One bit from the show, featuring the legendary British comedian and actor Peter Cook, was a nine-minute bit summing up a recent bit of British history, the leader of the British Labour Party being tried on charges of conspiracy and incitement to murder his ex-boyfriend, would not make any sense to anyone who wasn't following the trial. All in all, even with the musical segments featuring Townshend, the Weinsteins felt there was only about forty minutes worth of material that could be used for a movie.   It also didn't help that the show was shot with 16mm film, which would be extremely grainy when blown up to 35mm.   But while they hemmed and hawed through trying to shape the film. Cleese and his show partners at Amnesty decided to do another set of benefit shows in 1981, this time called The Secret Policeman's Other Ball. Knowing that there might be interest in a film version of this show, the team would decide to shoot this show in 35mm. Cleese would co-direct the live show, while music video director Julien Temple would be in charge of filming. And judging from the success of an EP released in 1980 featuring Townshend's performance at the previous show, Cleese would arrange for more musical artists to perform, including Jeff Beck, Eric Clapton, Phil Collins, Donovan, Bob Geldof, Sting, and Midge Ure of Ultraviolet. In fact, it would be because of their participation in these shows that would lead Geldof and Ure to form Band Aid in 1984, which would raise $24m for famine relief in Ethiopia in just three months, and the subsequent Live Aid shows in July 1985 would raise another $126m worldwide.   The 1981 Amnesty benefit shows were a success, especially the one-time-only performance of a supergroup called The Secret Police, comprising of Beck, Clapton, Geldof and Sting performing Bob Dylan's I Shall Be Released at the show's closing, and the Weinsteins would make another deal to buy the American movie rights to these shows. While Temple's version of the 1981 shows would show as intended for UK audiences in 1982, the co-creator of the series, British producer Martin Lewis, would spend three months in New York City with Harvey Weinstein at the end of 1981 and start of 1982, working to turn the 1979 and 1981 shows into one cohesive movie geared towards American audiences. After premiering at the Los Angeles International Film Exposition in March 1982, The Secret Policeman's Other Ball would open on nine screens in the greater New York City metropolitan area on May 21st, but only on one screen in all of Manhattan. And in its first three days, the movie would gross an amazing $116k, including $36,750 at the Sutton theatre in the Midtown East part of New York City. Even more astounding is that, in its second weekend at the same nine theaters, the film would actually increase its gross to $121k, when most movies in their second week were seeing their grosses drop 30-50% because of the opening of Rocky III. And after just four weeks in just New York City, on just nine or ten screens each week, The Secret Policeman's Other Ball would gross more than $400k. The film would already be profitable for Miramax.   But the Weinsteins were still cautious. It wouldn't be until July 16th when they'd start to send the film out to other markets like Los Angeles, where they could only get five theatres to show the film, including the brand new Cineplex Beverly Center, itself opening the same day, which, as the first Cineplex in America, was as desperate to show any movie it could as Miramax was to show the movie at any theatre it could.   When all was said and done, The Secret Policeman's Other Ball would gross nearly $4m in American theatres.   So, you'd think now they had a hit film under their belts, Miramax would gear up and start acquiring more films and establishing themselves as a true up and coming independent distributor.   Right?   You'd think.   Now, I already said The Secret Policeman's Other Ball was their only release in 1982.   So, naturally, you'd think their first of like ten or twelve releases for 1983 would come in January.   Right?   You'd think.   In fact, Miramax's next theatrical release, the first theatrical release of D.A. Pennebaker's Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars concert film from the legendary final Ziggy show at the Hammersmith Odeon in London on July 3, 1973, would not come until December 23rd, 1983. And, for the third time in three years, it would be their music connections that would help the Weinsteins acquire a film.   Although the Ziggy Stardust movie had been kicking around for years, mostly one-night-only 16mm screenings on college campuses and a heavily edited 44min version that aired once on American television network ABC in October 1974, this would be the first time a full-length 90min version of the movie would be seen. And the timing for it couldn't have come at a better time. 1983 had been a banner year for the musician and occasional actor. His album Let's Dance had sold more than five million copies worldwide and spawned three hit singles. His Serious Moonlight tour, his first concert tour in five years, was the biggest tour of the year. And he won critical praise for his role as  a British prisoner of war in Nagisa Ōshima's powerful Japanese World War II film Merry Christmas, Mr. Lawrence.   The Weinsteins would enlist the help of 20th Century Fox to get the film into theatres during a very competitive Christmas moviegoing season. But despite their best efforts, Fox and Miramax could only nab one theatre in all of New York City, the 8th Street Playhouse in lower Manhattan, and five in Los Angeles, including two screens at the Cineplex Beverly Center. And for the weekend, its $58,500 gross would be quite decent, with a per screen average above such films as Scarface, Sudden Impact and Yentl. But in its second weekend, the all-important Christmas week, the gross would fall nearly 50% when the vast majority of movies improve their grosses with kids out of school and wage earners getting time off for the holidays. Fox and Miramax would stay committed to the film through the early part of 1984, but they'd keep costs down by rotating the six prints made for New York and Los Angeles to other cities as those playdates wound down, and only buying eighth-page display ads in local newspapers' entertainment section when it arrived in a new city. The final gross would fall short of half a million dollars, but the film would find its audience on home video later in the year. And while the Weinsteins are no longer involved with the handling of the film, Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars will be getting a theatrical release across the planet the first week of July 2023, to coincide with the 50th anniversary of the concert.   So, here were are, four years into the formation of Miramax Films, and they only released five films into theatres, plus wrote and produced another released by Filmways. One minor hit, four disappointments, and we're still four years away from them becoming the distributor they'd become. But we're going to stop here today because I like to keep these episodes short.   Thank you for joining us. We'll talk again next week, when we continue with story of Miramax Films, from 1984 to 1987.   Remember to visit this episode's page on our website, The80sMoviePodcast.com, for extra materials about the movies we covered this episode.   The 80s Movies Podcast has been researched, written, narrated and edited by Edward Havens for Idiosyncratic Entertainment.   Thank you again.   Good night.

This week's guest is Johnson Cheng, a Chinese American writer/director from the San Gabriel Valley of Los Angeles. A member of the Directors Guild of America (DGA), his films have screened in competition at international festivals such as Tribeca, AFI FEST, and Toronto.  Johnson is a recipient of the HBO APA Visionaries Award, the Princess Grace Award (Cary Grant Film Award), and fellowships such as Film Independent's Project Involve (Writer/Director Fellow). Johnson is also one of the directors chosen for the very first class of Indeed's Rising Voices and “Only the Moon Stands Still' is an incredibly moving film about the complexities of intergenerational families and work. It's a slice-of-life tale of three generations of Chinese women confronting the realities of having to shut down their family's ballroom dance studio and bid farewell to a life that has defined them for so long. This episode discusses tradition, community, work and the power of story to create opportunity for people. 

This week, Leonora is so thrilled to be joined by filmmaker, documentarian, and activist Kristin Fairweather. Kristin has directed five features after pivoting from a successful career in politics, and we discuss how Kristin uses her feminist bona fides to navigate the film industry, how she was able to kickstart her career and maintain it, and how small our margins of error are as women filmmakers. Kristin's latest feature, Breaking Girl Code, premiered on Lifetime this week and is now streaming! For more info on Kristin, please visit https://www.fairweatherpictures.com/ Kristin Fairweather is an award-winning, independent filmmaker whose experience in politics, advocacy, and women's empowerment creates a unique lens for her critically-acclaimed work. Kristin holds a Master's degree in Politics from the University of Pennsylvania and served as a senior campaign strategist and Gubernatorial appointee.  She is an avid supporter of the nationally recognized Girls on the Run program and other initiatives promoting equity and inclusivity. This background informs Kristin's cinematic perspective as an accomplished director, writer, and producer of successful film, television, and commercial work. Kristin is currently in development on a documentary feature, “Breathing Underwater: America's Invisible Women”, which was a finalist for the ScreenCraft Film Fellowship.  She has also directed three features, most recently MOST WANTED SANTA, which was released in December 2021 on TUBI. In addition to her directing work, Kristin produced three critically-acclaimed independent films.  Kristin was selected by Sony Pictures as one of the first filmmakers in their Sony Alpha Female Creative Residency. She was also a shadowing director on Fox's “911” during her fellowship in Ryan Murphy's HALF directing program. Additionally, Kristin has directed several short films and high-profile commercials. Kristin's award-winning short film “Grace” premiered at HollyShorts and went on to play at film festivals across the country. Her work has been supported by Tribeca, Film Independent, IFP, Sony, and Netflix Find Your Voice.

On this episode of Made in Hollywood Mark and William interview filmmaker, Matt Warren. You may also hear irrelevant things on this episode about Delicate Arch, Brazil, Repo Man, Mad Max: Fury Road, Under the Skin, Scarlett Johansson, Film Independent, Spirit Awards, Duck Amuck, Sundance Film Festival, Autry Museum, Chad Peter, Cohen Brothers, Quentin Tarantino, Trent Harris, Echo People, Patrick Cohen, Beaver Trilogy, and Bill Hader. 

April Wright is an award-winning filmmaker who fell in love with movies going to drive-ins and movie palaces in the Chicago area where she grew up. She brings a fresh and creative approach to her narrative projects and documentaries, and is drawn to material inspired by real people and events, especially stories with an underdog point of view. April's doc “Going Attractions: The Definitive Story of the American Drive-in Movie” enjoyed a theatrical release in 2013. Having visited over 500 open, abandoned, and former sites of drive-ins in 49 states, April has been recognized as a historian and supporter of drive-ins, appearing in media like Time, USA Today, Parade, BBC World News, WGN Radio, The Chicago Tribune, CNN online, CBC. April loved directing the critically acclaimed “Stuntwomen:The Untold Hollywood Story” executive produced by Michelle Rodriguez, which was awarded Best Documentary of 2020 from the national Women Film Critics Circle and Best Sports Doc of 2020 by Film Threat's Award This. She visited some of the best stuntwomen in the business on the Marvel set in Atlanta, and it's not often in a doc that you get to direct a drift car racing sequence with Michelle Rodriguez and her amazing stunt driver from the Fast series. Her doc “Going Attractions: The Definitive Story of the Movie Palace” enjoyed a theatrical release and won numerous Best Documentary and Grand Prize awards at film festivals prior to its broadcast premiere on TCM Turner Classic Movies. Leonard Maltin appears in the doc and Forbes, called it “a richly crafted look at our passion for movie theaters.” She's in post-production on two new documentaries: “Back to the Drive-in” goes behind the headlines of the drive-in resurgence to show the truth that families are struggling to keep them alive, and “Carnival” a finalist for Tribeca's IF/THEN at Big Sky Film Festival, is about a family that forms within a traveling carnival in the northwest.April worked as a narrative programmer for the Sundance Film Festival and AFI Fest for over 15 years, which was a wonderful film education. She has an MBA from the Kellogg School at Northwestern University and is an alumni of the Sundance Institute, member of Women in Film, Film Fatales, Film Independent, the Documentary Association and the Alliance of Women Directors. http://goingattractions.comThe Douglas Coleman Show now offers audio and video promotional packages for music artists as well as video promotional packages for authors. We also offer advertising.Please see our website for complete details.http://douglascolemanshow.comIf you have a comment about this episode or any other, please click the link below.https://ratethispodcast.com/douglascolemanshow

On this episode of Made in Hollywood Mark and William try to predict this years Oscar winners. You may also hear irrelevant things in this episode about Empire of Light, Bardo: False Chronicle of a Handful of Truths, Tár, Elvis, Top Gun, Catherine Martin, Bad Luhrmann, All Quiet on the Western Front, Everything Everywhere All at Once, The Fabelmans, Babylon, Avatar 2,  Banshees of Inisherin, John Williams, Triangle of Sadness, The Wallis, Film Independent, Fred Armisen, Marcel the Shell with Shoes On, Puss n' Boots, Pinnocchio, Guillermo Del Toro, Glass Onion, Living, Women Talking, Stephanie Hsu, Kerry Condon, Hung Chao, Angela Bassett, Jamie Lee Curtis, The Whale, Ke Huy Quan, Austin Butler, Brendan Fraser, Colin Farrell, After Sun, Bill Nighy, Cate Blanchett, Michelle Williams, Michelle Yeoh, Andrea Riseborough, To Leslie, Todd Field, Three Billboards, Steven Spielberg, Moonlight, and Moulin Rouge. 

Geek Girl Soup is your source for the latest news on the Spirit Awards and the Oscars! Join hosts Susan, Kelly, and Cort as we recap the Spirit Awards and make predictions for next week's Academy Awards. We discuss all-things-“Everything Everywhere All at Once” and celebrate Stephanie Hsu's first individual win! We're thrilled that “Women Talking” won the Robert Altman Award and are disappointed that Jeremy Pope and “The Inspection” went away empty-handed. We ponder how shows such as “Severance,” “Station Eleven,” and “Abbott Elementary” were considered “independent” when they seemed to be back by bid studios. What do we know?For the Oscars, we share our opinions on why “The Fablemans” and Spielberg may take Best Picture and Best Director awards, and why we're hoping “Women Talking” will win Adapted Screenplay. Quotes:“If anyone else had won that award, that would have been my Denzel versus Al Pacino moment.” “It's like, ‘You'll be working soon.' ‘But I need the insurance now just in case. That's the point of it.'”A few highlights:The Bullitt Frontier Whiskey Producer's Award/AdWhat makes a film or TV show “independent” and the voting guidelines of Film Independent (we're all voting members)Best Actor speculation for the Oscars (Brenden vs Colin)Ke Huy Quan's incredible comeback story and his year without health insuranceThe New Scripted and Non-Scripted Series at the Spirit AwardsAward Recognition for Everything and Stephanie Hsu's Performance-Original music by Garrett ThompsonFollow us on Instagram @GeekGirlSoupContinue the conversation on FacebookListen to Cort's podcast with Brad at PureFandom.comCheck out Susan's movie stats on Letterboxd Email your questions and comments to GeekGirlSoup@gmail.comGeek on!

Film Independent Spirit Awards 2023 WINNER Predictions SUBSCRIBE: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCfEoLqGyjn9M5Mr8umWiktA?sub_confirmation=1 This is our Final 2023 Film Independent Spirit Awards Predictions. We both - Adam and Todd - are members of Film Independent, so we are able to VOTE on this award show!. Today, in March, we lock in our predictions for the winners of each category! Let us know what you all think about movies like Tar, Aftersun, Everything Everywhere all at Once, Return to Seoul, Women. Talking and more. Todd's review of Return to Seoul - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3BfiLCWDplo&t=21s CHECK OUT OUR LIVE ALMOST SIDEWAYS AWARD SHOW - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kn_9RRrCjeg Follow Adam on Letterboxd - https://letterboxd.com/almostsideways/ Daly Notes is hosted by Adam Daly and is a part of the AlmostSideways family. Find AlmostSideways everywhere! Website almostsideways.com Facebook https://www.facebook.com/AlmostSidewayscom-130953353614569/ AlmostSideways Twitter: @almostsideways Terry's Twitter: @almostsideterry Zach's Twitter: @pro_zach36 Adam's Twitter: @adamsideways Todd: Too Cool for Twitter iTunes https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/almostsideways-podcast/id1270959022 Spotify https://open.spotify.com/show/7oVcx7Y9U2Bj2dhTECzZ4m Stitcher https://www.stitcher.com/podcast/almost-sideways-movie-podcast YouTube https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCfEoLqGyjn9M5Mr8umWiktA/featured?view_as=subscriber

In this conversation filmmakers Avril Speaks & Loria King speak about how they discovered their passion to tell stories and how their journey together has become a lifelong friendship and creative partnership and the obstacles and aha moments they discovered along the way.  Their recent project Black America Is... is a gallery exhibit that highlights the complexity of the Black experience, allowing audiences to engage with the uniqueness that comes with our shared yet individual experience. Loria King is an independent documentary filmmaker and photographer who focuses on nuanced stories involving race, gender, culture, and ethnicity. She began her filmmaking journey as an intern with Spike Lee's Forty Acres and a Mule Filmworks and her passion for her craft has led her to share her real-world experience with students as a film professor in the classroom. Her project, "Black America Is…," , was selected as part of the 2020 Film Independent/CNN Docuseries.  Executive Producer. Showrunner. Producer. Director. Avril Speaks has been carving out her path as a bold, innovative content creator for years, not only as a Producer and Director but also during her days as a professor at Howard University and as a film educator through Film Independent, the Sundance Institute, and Distribution Advocates. Avril produced the award-winning film Jinn, which premiered at SXSW and won Special Jury Recognition for Writing. She also produced several films including African America, which was nominated for an NAACP Image Award and is streaming on Netflix. Avril produced the “Black America Is... project”, which premiered at the Afrikana Film Festival a couple of weeks ago in October.http://www.azuspeak.com/https://www.instagram.com/azuspeak/?hl=enhttps://www.instagram.com/aboutloria/?hl=enhttps://www.linkedin.com/in/azuspeak/Support the showInterested in finding out more about working with Lisa Hopkins? Visit www.wideopenstages.com

Codie Elaine Oliver has had many meaningful pivots within her impressive career journey. One in particular where Oprah Winfrey, HERSELF told her where to pivot next…and when Oprah tells you to do something, you do it! Today, Codie is the CEO and co-founder of Black Love, Inc., a fast-growing media company comprised of the Black Love+ app, BlackLove.com, Black Love's social and digital platforms, and live and virtual events, including the annual Black Love Summit.  Codie is also the director and co-creator of the ground-breaking, four-time NAACP Image Awards-nominated docuseries, Black Love, which premiered as the most-viewed unscripted series in OWN's history and is set to return for its fifth season in 2021.  Her other projects include being a partner at Confluential Content, a company she shares with her husband Tommy Oliver, and the production company behind the recent HBO Documentary 40 Years A Prisoners and the upcoming Netflix film, The Perfect Find, starring Gabrielle Union. Prior to Black Love, Codie had stints at Film Independent, Fox Searchlight, and Creative Artists Agency.  Codie also hosts a bi-weekly podcast where she holds candid conversations with celebrities and influencers centered around who they are beyond the public persona.  Listen to Codie's podcast My New BFF with Codie Elaine Oliver: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/my-new-bff-with-codie-elaine-oliver/id1556161112 Mama's Den Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-mamas-den/id1616159115 Connect with Codie on Instagram Connect with Codie on Twitter Connect with Codie on LinkedIn Connect with Black Love on ALL Platforms

How do you get your first feature film? How do you nurture relationships to get the first (and the second...and third...and fourth...)? How does social media come in to play for all of it? And so much more! Filmmaker Kristin Fairweather is fresh off her 5th feature and we are going to share how she got her films so you can start getting yours! (Episode 32) Hosted by Director/Producer Jenn Page. To join our private FB group for directors, or to learn about The Working Director accelerator that helps emerging filmmakers become working directors faster, visit TheWorkingDirector.Pro. More on Kristin: Kristin Fairweather is an award-winning, independent filmmaker whose experience in politics, advocacy, and women's empowerment creates a unique lens for her critically-acclaimed work. Kristin holds a Master's degree in Politics from University of Pennsylvania and served as a senior campaign strategist and Gubernatorial appointee. She is an avid supporter of the nationally recognized Girls on the Run program and other initiatives promoting equity and inclusivity. This background informs Kristin's cinematic perspective as an accomplished director, writer, and producer of successful film, television, and commercial work. Kristin is currently in development on a documentary feature “Breathing Underwater: America's Invisible Women”, which was a finalist for the ScreenCraft Film Fellowship. She has directed five features, most recently “Infamously in Love”, now playing on UPtv. In addition to her directing work, Kristin produced three critically-acclaimed independent films. Kristin was selected by Sony Pictures as one of the first filmmakers in their Sony Alpha Female Creative Residency. She was also a shadowing director on Fox's “911” during her fellowship in Ryan Murphy's HALF directing program. Additionally, Kristin has directed several short films and high-profile commercials. Kristin's award-winning short film “Grace” premiered at HollyShorts and went on to play at film festivals across the country. Her work has been supported by Tribeca, Film Independent, IFP, Sony and Netflix Find Your Voice. Instagram --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/theworkingdirector/message

Yen Tan is an Austin-based, Malaysian-born writer, director, and graphic artist. He premiered the critically-acclaimed "Pit Stop" at the Sundance Film Festival in 2013. His NYT Critic's Pick feature, "1985," premiered at SXSW 2018. This month we hear from him on how the intersectionality of his Asian American and queer identities inspire his film work and storytelling projects. Yen also co-directed "Until We Could" (2014) with David Lowery, an Addy-winning PSA for Freedom to Marry that was narrated by Robin Wright and Ben Foster. He's been a fellow of Austin Film Society's Artist Intensive, IFP's Film Week, and Film Independent's Fast Track. He was named one of Out Magazine's OUT100 of 2018.Referenced Materials in the Episode- Yen's Website

Why is film such an important medium for creating access? How can we use empathy to expand vision? Hosts Jason and Yvonne Lee share a moment with Spirit Award nominated producer (Songs My Brothers Taught Me), Angela C. Lee who also is the Associtate Director of Artist Development at Film Independent. By examining the ecosystem of filmmaking and producing, these three discuss the larger notion that access to “Hollywood” doesn't come just because we deserve it. They explore how we can find (or even create) traction within a film system by showing myopic gatekeepers the capability of success from projects that have stories, actors and production teams with whom these power-holders may not associate with viability. As a solution, these three discuss one real truth: diverse producers get diverse projects made. How do we nurture empathy to gain equity? How do we create a pathway to ownership so that we can control and expand vision? Listen and be inspired by Angela's determined passion. LA based and a native Chicagoan, she understands that producing is about seeing and supporting a filmmaker's vision, and sticking with them for the long haul to create space where they can shine. Along with Jason and Yvonne, who are on a mission to provide opportunities for stories that may not otherwise be told, they ask, how can we explain that discovery is infinite? For more spirited discussions, make sure to subscribe to the podcast. And if you've enjoyed thinking and mocktailing along with us, we'd love for you to leave us a review. Cheers … and Please Drink Responsibly!   Links: Guests: Angela C. Lee https://www.filmindependent.org/talent/angela-c-lee/ Project Involve https://www.filmindependent.org/blog/project-involve-is-back-meet-the-30-new-fellows-joining-us-in-2022-2/ Philiane Phang https://www.filmindependent.org/talent/philiane-phang/ Chloe' Zhao (Songs My Brother Taught Me, Nomadland) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chlo%C3%A9_Zhao Original source of NPR episode about the ABA: https://freakonomics.com/podcast/dont-worry-be-tacky/ Kurtis Blow - “Basketball” song https://youtu.be/_shxzlTRK44 Death & Company https://www.deathandcompany.com/ Array Now https://arraynow.com/ Byron Allen https://entertainmentstudios.com/founder/ Robert Townsend https://www.roberttownsend.com/ Shonda Rhimes https://www.shondaland.com/ Sundance Institute https://apply.sundance.org/ Ruth Ann Harnisch https://thehf.org/about/   Additional Links + Special thanks to: Podcast Haven - https://thepodcasthaven.com/ Liam E. Allen (original music) - @Liamea97   Drink Recipe: Ep 4 Cocktail- Smoke & Mirrors A daiquiri variation created by bartender Alex Day for Death & Co in NYC, a company who has been a huge inspiration for Jason.  Ingredients: 1oz Islay scotch - Lagavulin  1oz blended scotch - Johnnie Walker red or black 3/4 oz lime juice  3/4 oz simple syrup 4-6 mint leaves  Absinthe spray  Shake ingredients with ice. Finish with absinthe spray.

“TINY MARGARITAVILLE!”Vivian Martinez sits down with Derek and Hilary this week to chat about her weekend filled with kid's birthday parties, prepping for a new job and Monkey Pox. Also, Derek breaks down the Bratz movie and Hilary goes to the Museum of Natural History for the first time. Vivian Martinez is a comedian and tech extraordinaire at Film Independent. Follow her at @vivianizcool on all platforms! This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit cartoonsbyhilary.substack.com/subscribe

Andrew Ahn, Korean American filmmaker, joins Jerry to talk about his latest film, Fire Island, out today on Hulu! Andrew shares about his journey into filmmaking, including how he came out to his parents. Listen in as Andrew and Jerry talk about the importance of sharing the stories that we don't hear often enough and why we do what we do for us and our future generations.Meet Andrew:Andrew Ahn is a Korean-American filmmaker born and raised in Los Angeles. His debut feature film SPA NIGHT will premiere at the 2016 Sundance Film Festival in the US Dramatic Competition. Ahn participated in the Sundance Screenwriters Lab, the Film Independent Screenwriting Lab, and the Film Independent Directing Lab for the project. With his producing team, Ahn raised over $62,000 on Kickstarter to fund production. The project also received a Sundance Institute Cinereach Feature Film Fellow grant, Panavision New Filmmaker grant, and FilmLA grant.Ahn's short film "Dol (First Birthday)" premiered at the 2012 Sundance Film Festival and has screened at numerous other festivals and venues around the world, including the Lincoln Center, REDCAT, and the Los Angeles Film Festival. The film received the Outfest Grand Jury Award for Outstanding Dramatic Short Film and the Austin Gay and Lesbian International Film Festival Jury Award for Best Narrative Short.Ahn is an alum of Film Independent's Project Involve and has promoted diversity in the arts by mentoring youth filmmakers through programs like Pacific Arts Movement's Reel Voices and Outfest's OutSet. He is also a board member of Los Angeles Performance Practice. He graduated from Brown University and received an MFA in Film Directing from the California Institute of the Arts (CalArts).(Source: AndrewAhnFilms.com)Connect with Andrew:Instagram: @andrewahnfilmsWebsite: http://www.andrewahnfilms.com/About Fire IslandSet in the iconic Pines, Andrew Ahn's FIRE ISLAND is an unapologetic, modern day rom-com showcasing a diverse, multicultural examination of queerness and romance. Inspired by the timeless pursuits from Jane Austen's classic Pride and Prejudice, the story centers around two best friends (Joel Kim Booster and Bowen Yang) who set out to have a legendary summer adventure with the help of cheap rosé and their cadre of eclectic friends.This episode of Dear Asian Americans is brought to you by the Quarter Pounder with Cheese from McDonald's. It's QPC time. Did your mouth just water? The QPC is the burger that breaks the norms of etiquette, the burger that napkins were made for, the burger that's saucy, drippy, oozing with flavor, always cooked when you order. So the next time you want a mouthwatering burger, order the QPC from McDonald's!// Support Dear Asian Americans:Merch: https://www.bonfire.com/store/dearasianamericans/Buy Me a Coffee: https://www.buymeacoffee.com/jerrywonLearn more about DAA Creator and Host Jerry Won:LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jerrywon/Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jerryjwon/// Listen to Dear Asian Americans on all major platforms:Transistor.fm: http://www.dearasianamericans.comApple: https://apple.dearasianamericans.comSpotify: https://spotify.dearasianamericans.comStitcher: https://stitcher.dearasianamericans.comGoogle: https://google.dearasianamericans.com  Follow us on Instagram:  http://www.instagram.com/dearasianamericans Like us on Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/dearasianamericans Subscribe to our YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/dearasianamericans // Join the Asian Podcast Network:Web: https://asianpodcastnetwork.com/Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/asianpodcastnetwork/Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/asianpodcastnetwork/Dear Asian Americans is produced by Just Like Media:Web: http://www.justlikemedia.comInstagram.com: http://www.instagram.com/justlikemedia

Jenny Halper is EVP of Film at Maven Screen Media, where her credits include THE KINDERGARTEN TEACHER, DRIVEWAYS, AMERICAN HONEY, SKIN, and A MOUTHFUL OF AIR. As a screenwriter her scripts have placed three times on the Black List, on the Athena List, received grants from Film Independent and the Tribeca Film Institute, and been selected for New York Stage and Film's Workshop (in association with Powerhouse Theater). She is currently developing an anthology series with Freida Pinto and Emily Verellen Strom's Freebird Films and Forest Whitaker and Nina Yang Bongiovi's Significant Productions, a limited series with Michael Dinner's Rooney McP Productions, and adapting a non-fiction book for Social Construct Films (THE MAURITANIAN). In this episode, we talk about: • Her first “real” job at Plum Pictures led her directly to where she is now developing at Mandalay Vision • How working at a small indie production company allowed for her a lot of responsibilities very quickly• Why We Are the best thing she's ever worked on and how she didn't hold back at all • Why she only looked at companies that made movies that she loved • Working on The Kindergarden Teacher with Maggie Gyllenhaal • How often do you need the actors attached • Why you can't have everything in one basket in development because some things never cross the finish line • Maven finds financing for some projects and for some, they provide financing • What advice she would give people to who are attached to making only projects • Taking on A Mouthful of Air with Amanda Seyfried, Paul Giamatti, and Finn Wittrock. Written and directed by Mentor Amy Koppelman and produced by Michael Harrop (Showtime's Billions) • Would you rather have a big director or big actor attached? • Which cds she loves working with • Some things she looks for in deciding to develop projects Guest: IMDb Linkedin Instagram Maven Screen Media Host: Instagram: @MentorsontheMic @MichelleSimoneMiller Twitter: @MentorsontheMic @MichelleSimoneM Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/mentorsonthemic Website: www.michellesimonemiller.com Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/user/24mmichelle Favorite Quotes from the Episode: “To get a movie made, there's a lot of different stumbling blocks along the way. And a lot of it is who you know and who you can get into the hands of that is going to help you reach the next hurdle.” “That's the thing that I think is great about creating is… you can do it and no one has to give you permission.” Resources: To sign up for classes with Jenny, visit (www.stowestorylabs.org) or (www.stowestorylabs.org/writers-room) --- This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app

Have you ever had a deep voice telling you to move cities, change your job or invent something new for the world? But you don't know what to do to get out of your fears and into your heart?Well, you are not alone. My guest today, Trina Wyatt, has been there several times. She is not only our teacher today on Cracking Open about following your inner voice, but she's also mixing it with degrees, experience, and being a bold woman in business.At age 13, Trina left the teachings of the Mormon Church and her devout family to begin pursuing her own spiritual path. For the next thirty years, she explored agnosticism, atheism, meditation, yoga, and Buddhism to develop her own personal spiritual practice.And if this was not enough for one lifetime, after receiving her undergraduate degree from UCLA, followed by an MBA from NYU, Trina forged a successful business career in mainstream film and entertainment. Trina launched the Tribeca Film Festival with Robert De Niro and served as its Founding Director. Besides Tribeca Entertainment, she's also worked as a senior executive at Intrepid Pictures, which co-produced and co-financed genre films such as The Strangers, The Raven, The Cold Light of Day, and Waist Deep. Trina has also held the position of CFO at Prana Studios, and led the team that acquired Rhythm & Hues, the Oscar-winning visual effects company, worked at IMDB and Film Independent, and then relocated to Boulder, Colorado in 2014 to accept a position at Gaia TV as Chief Content Officer. During her tenure there, she and her team set a new standard for the creation and distribution of conscious media. In 2016, Trina's love of inspirational stories, her passion for using business as a force for good, and her commitment to personal growth, inspired her to create Conscious Good, a media streaming service and community platform for those committed to “being the change they wish to see in the world”.Shortly after its launch, Conscious Good established the Humanitarian Film Festival to support the UN's World Humanitarian Day, and then established the highly acclaimed Mindscape Film Festival, celebrating stories of the Mind as integral to Body and Spirit. In addition to her current active role as Founder and CEO of Conscious Good, Trina is producing a feature film with Black Label Media which produced one of my favorite films — Begin Again — that sheds light on the challenges of mental illness facing our society today.She has served on the Advisory Board of Global Alliance for Transformational Entertainment (G.A.T.E.), and as a consultant for the Illuminate Film Festival.And she is here today with us to teach us about being courageous in business, telling the truth for your own life journey,  and knowing that on your toughest days if you can just get yourself to your yoga mat you have accomplished enough. Learn more about Trina Wyatt here: https://consciousgood.com/Learn more about Molly Carroll here: https://molly-carroll.com/Get your free Body Emotion Map: https://mollycarrollprograms.com/mapFree Monthly Training: https://mollycarrollprograms.com/freetrainingFind me on SocialInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/mollycarrollinc/Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Molly-Carroll-Writes-420796934793507/