Podcasts about Wisconsin Film Festival

Eric, Robert, and the Minister discuss a couple sci fi films on this edition of the show.  They start with John Frankenheimer's 1966 classic SECONDS starring Rock Hudson, then on to Matthew Rankin's latest film UNIVERSAL LANGUAGE.  Eric and Ian briefly discuss their trip to the Wisconsin Film Festival before the films THE ASSESSMENT and OPUS are mentioned in The Quick Fix.   SECONDS.......(4:30) UNIVERSAL LANGUAGE.......1:00:29 The Quick Fix.......1:31:00   Email:  FlicksationPodcast@gmail.com Follow us on Facebook, Instagram, and Bluesky Call or text the voicemail line:  (608) 535-9302   2025 Flicksation Podcast Network

Mel and Mr. Smarty Pants celebrate the 2025 Wisconsin Film Festival by speaking with a dizzying array of filmmakers and more. The post Mel & Floyd's Wisconsin Film Festival Spectacular appeared first on WORT-FM 89.9.

On today's show, host Esty Dinur previews the Wisconsin Film Festival with four directors and the Festival's senior programmer Mike King. The post Wisconsin Film Fest Preview Extravaganza appeared first on WORT-FM 89.9.

Here's your local news for Thursday, April 3, 2025:We meet the newcomer elected to Madison's school board on Tuesday,Check in with Metro Transit's general manager after yesterday's announcement that he's leaving the job,Look forward to the Wisconsin Film Festival - and this weekend's screening of “Art Speigelman: Disaster is My Muse!”,Sit down with an alder who wants safer streets in Madison,Share a story of redemption,Talk countertop options,Remember the Long Hot Summer of 1967,And much more.

Operating in direct opposition to the never ending barrage of anonymous content being foisted on us by algorithmic goose-steppers — the film programmers of today are cultural rebels and excavationists entrusted with the sacred duty of helping you find your new favorite movie. The best ones even manage to turn it into an art. And Jim Healy —director of programming for the Cinematheque at the University of Madison-Wisconsin— is definitely one of the best. On this episode we talk to Jim about the upcoming 2025 Wisconsin Film Festival, 16mm, The Clash on “Fridays”, Argentinean noir, David Koepp and “Apartment Zero”, George & Linda Eastman, Steve Buscemi, Richard Widmark, working with Ben, Jim's brother Pat, “Conan The Barbarian”, the filthy mouth of Groucho Marx, and we pick the best movies about movies. Oh, yeah. It's about to get real nerdy up in here. Gabe's gonna have to wait.

The Wisconsin Film Festival brings eight days of cinematic wonders to screens across Madison starting next week. Tickets for the 100+ movies are on sale now. But with a lineup that spans genres, languages, and decades, it can be hard to know where to start. To get the scoop on what to watch at this year's fest, we caught up with the fest's Operations Director Ben Reiser. Plus, we hear festival diehard fans talk about their favorite memories and what makes the fest so special. Wanna talk to us about an episode? Leave us a voicemail at 608-318-3367 or email madison@citycast.fm. We're also on Instagram!  You can get more Madison news delivered right to your inbox by subscribing to the Madison Minutes morning newsletter.  Looking to advertise on City Cast Madison? Check out our options for podcast and newsletter ads.  Learn more about the sponsors of this March 25th episode: Special Olympics Wisconsin UW-Madison Science Expeditions Wisconsin Chamber Orchestra Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Ben Reiser of the Wisconsin Film Festival talks with Jonathan and Kitty about some of the films coming this year and how to get tickets.

Rianjali is an award-winning, NYC-born, Los Angeles-based singer-songwriter/composer.  Rianjali was a former domestic violence caseworker until she found her “pinch me moment” when Oscar award-winning musician A.R. Rahman invited her to work with him. From that moment, she never looked back, composing music for hit shows on Amazon Prime and Netflix. As a musician, she has collaborated with U2, Bishop Briggs, and Shawn Mendes.Rianjali's production company is Mild Mannered &Timid whose short films include Seeing God, which won Best Documentary at the South Asian Film Festival of America, and Saltwater, which was officially selected for the Wisconsin Film Festival and Chicago South Asian Film Festival of America. With the Mild Mannered and Timid Podcast, which Rianjali co-hosts and produces, she shares her no-holds-barred views on the society,  music, and culture of the South Asian diaspora.  Rianjali's big mission in life is to change the perspectives of South Asian musicians' perspective in the diaspora and to encourage women to explore careers within music and film  And, as we'll see, this drive to break barriers and defy traditional expectations and stereotypes defines every aspect of her life from to her marriage to her music to her films. She is a true trailblazer and soul sister. Humor, heart, and talent: she has it all. In this episode, Rinajali shares her fantastic story. She lets us into her darkest moments, the sickness and parental expectations that nearly ruined her singing, and her decision to follow AR Rahman to Chennai. She reveals how AR Rahman became her personal Mr Miyagi and what he's like up close and personal. We talk about how her marriage to Kunal by a queer Hindu priestess inspired her first doc; how her latest short film, Saltwater, explores communication in South Asian families; and how her film work helped her connect with her own family. Rianjali pays tribute to the love and support she gets from her husband Kunal, a trailblazer in his own right. And at all times there is that tension between meeting South Asian expectations, the guilt and obligations of being a good Indian girl and supporting your community, and the need to speak your mind and follow your dream. The Mild Mannered and Timid Podcast:  Challenging the stereotype of South Asian women  + using humor to deal with pain +wanting to support South Asian community + the  freedom to be honest about South Asian culture + fear of being shamed five years from now (04:48)Breaking the Film Barrier:  Making debut movie with $800 + getting married + the tattooed, weed-smoking queer Hindu priestess + Saltwater and how Indian fathers communicate + having your film used in film classes (12:42)Rianjali and Kunal - How the Crazies Found Each Other:  Rianjali details her husband's talents as an attorney and musical creative + how she and Kunal connected through music + how their parents thought they were crazy + how Kunal supports and complements her.  (20:11)Rianjali's Dark Journey:  Rianjali's early love of singing and how her teacher pushed her to musical high school + Giving up singing for college and being diagnosed with depression + Getting polyps on vocal cords and fighting back + Getting a “realistic” job and the stress of helping battered women. (24:44)Enter AR Rahman:  Rianjali tells how a singing clip on Facebook led to her meeting AR + how she had to care for her sick parents + Singing for AR while he videoed her like a dad + the offer of a lifetime to go to India + Deciding to go and the guilt of  “abandoning” her parents. (30:12)   Rianjali's Journey Begins: Joining AR Rahman in Chennai as a purple-haired girl in a traditional Indian community + the intensity of being mentored by AR and learning on the fly + how AR took care of her like a father + her first triumphs with Amazon and Netflix and Bollywood (41:34)Returning to Earth: Rianjali talks about finding her musical voice, being South Asian but wanting to do her own thing + the joy she took in becoming a full-time teacher + how the pandemic forced her to switch from gigging to writing music + advising people on the hard realities of the music business +  the South Asian impulse to be realistic about career choices and how it clashes with following your dream. (50:32)Rianjali and U2: Rianjali recalls her jamming session with Bono, the Edge, and AR Rahman. (59:01)Current and Future Projects: The excitement of making documentaries with Academy Award-Winning Vanessa Roth + plans to showcase traditional South Asian recipes and moving beyond South Asian food + having her dad star in a pilot episode, how he shared his life story with her on camera, and her love-hate relationship with him + the clash of generational attitudes towards family and ambition in South Asian culture (01:01:16) What Now for Rianjali?  Rianjali reflects on her changing goals in life and work + her desire to be known as just a female composer + the importance of getting more women into making music and film + the pleasure of helping people on their own music journeys.Connect with Rianjali:Rianjali's Official WebsiteInstagramMild Mannered and Timid Podcast Let's talk Connect:InstagramThis podcast is produced by Ginni Media

Katharine Coldiron joins Joshua and Andrew for a showdown with Andrew Dominik's "Imagined West" in The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford. Before discussing Andrew's Brad Pitt-starring pick for the My Favorite Movie Year program and the cinematic year that was 2007, Sasquatch Sunset and The People's Joker are Now Showing. Finally, they'll visit the Wisconsin Film Festival, Marleen Gorris on the Criterion Channel, and a movie YouTube channel that doesn't suck. On the next episode, film critic Alex McPherson argues that 2019 is supreme with his pick, Jim Jarmusch's The Dead Don't Die. Until then, please share, subscribe, and review! Read on at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠TheTake-Up.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ and follow us @thetakeupstl on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, ⁠Twitter, ⁠⁠Letterboxd⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, and ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Facebook⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠. Special thanks to editor Jessica Pierce and Social Media Manager Kayla McCulloch. Theme music by AMP.

If you are a fan of cinema you may have spent last weekend at the Wisconsin Film Festival, taking in films on a variety of different themes. Many festivals are like […] The post Advocate Max Blaska Launches Mental Health Warrior Film Festival appeared first on WORT-FM 89.9.

Around here at the LIFERS Podcast — we kinda HATE April Fool's Day. And now you people are gonna hear about it! PLUS: Taco Bell, “Rampage”, a mini-round of WHAT'S THE BEST: Lemonheads, Japanese “Alias” bootlegs, Un-punk Gabe, River vs. Rivers, Joe Flaherty, The Wisconsin Film Festival, “Tuff Turf” vs. Tuff TERFs, dumbbells, and we may or may not be waiting around for Kevin Tihista again.

On this year's Mel & Floyd Film Fest Special, Smarty Pants ditches us for a smarty conference so Mel calls in Floyd and they set up shop in the lobby […] The post Mel & Floyd's 2024 Wisconsin Film Festival Extravaganza: Li... appeared first on WORT-FM 89.9.

Here's your local news for Thursday, April 4, 2024:We get the backstory behind Wisconsin's new "pre-disaster flood resilience" grant program,Hear what advocates are saying during this year's Autism Acceptance Month,Share some safety tips - ahead of Monday's partial solar eclipse,Broadcast a Milwaukee rapper's backstory,Explain some house-hunting red flags,Interview a director ahead of the Wisconsin Film Festival,And much more.

Richard Davis was widely regarded as one of the world's best bass players. He recorded with Sarah Vaughan, Bruce Springsteen, Van Morrison, Frank Sinatra, Barbra Streisand, and Miles Davis, just to name a few. And for much of his life, until he passed away last year at age 93, he lived, worked and played in Madison. Richard Davis taught bass at UW-Madison for nearly 40 years and created the Richard Davis Foundation for Young Bassists to inspire more people to learn the instrument.  A new film chronicling his life and impact premieres at the Wisconsin Film Festival this week. It's called String Theory: The Richard Davis Method. Bianca Martin catches up with director Michael Neelsen to learn more. Wanna talk to us about an episode? Leave us a voicemail at 608-318-3367 or email madison@citycast.fm. We're also on Instagram!  Want more Madison news delivered right to your inbox? Subscribe to the Madison Minutes morning newsletter.  Looking to advertise on City Cast Madison? Check out our options for podcast ads. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Spring has sprung and Madison is bursting with life! The City Cast Madison team is here to round up a few of our favorite things. Bianca Martin, Hayley Sperling and Molly Stentz share some of our picks for getting out and about in April. 

The Wisconsin Film Festival is April 4 through 11 at theaters across Madison.  Bianca Martin catches up with Ben Reiser, Operations Director of the Wisconsin Film Festival to learn what's changing in the wake of the AMC closing at Hilldale (RIP Sundance) and what surprises they've got in store.  Wanna get the sneak peek of what's at the festival? First Look at the Fest is tonight, March 6 at 7pm at Flix Brewhouse. Tickets go on sale this Saturday, March 9.   Wanna talk to us about an episode? Leave us a voicemail at 608-318-3367 or email madison@citycast.fm. We're also on Instagram!  Want more Madison news delivered right to your inbox? Subscribe to the Madison Minutes morning newsletter.  Looking to advertise on City Cast Madison? Check out our options for podcast ads. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

There's a new french bakery in Madison, tucked away in the old New Orleans Take-out spot on Fordem Ave by the railroad tracks. It's a non-descript spot on Madison's northside. A small sandwich board stands outside. The old jazz mural is still there.  But inside, the flavors explode. Handmade asparagus quiche with buttery, flaky dough. Kouign-amann, the cake that seems to be half butter by weight. Fresh baked croissants. Savory tarts. Spice buns.  It's called Far Breton Bakery. And their grand opening is tomorrow.  Owner Marie-Arzel Young shares some of her baking secrets with us… and let's just say... they involve butter. 

Filmmaker Michael Neelsen joins Adam today to talk about what makes a good story, what he's learned about telling stories through his production company Story First Media, and why the Tom Monfils case caught his eye for his new documentary, "Beyond Human Nature," premiering this week at the Wisconsin Film Festival. Links: Beyond Human Nature Pre-Order Wisconsin Film Festival Screening Story First Media: Instagram   TikTok    Facebook   Website Michael: Instagram   TikTok Madison Story Slam: Instagram    TikTok   Facebook Story Slam: Boldly

On the podcast today: Park Bank in Madison has a new assistant vice president for branch banking, Wisconsin Film Festival is this weekend, and an update on the Tennessee Three.

Spring is just a few weeks away and in Madison, that always means…. the Wisconsin Film Festival! Each April, one of the largest campus film festivals in the country takes over theaters across Madison. This year, they're showing more than a hundred films in five theaters from April 13 to 20.  The Wisconsin Film Festival guide hits newsstands on Thursday; find it in the March issue of Isthmus. Tickets go on sale Saturday, March 11th, at noon.  Operations Director Ben Reiser gives us the sneak peek about what's coming up.  Wanna talk to us about an episode? Leave us a voicemail at 608-318-3367 or email madison@citycast.fm. We're also on Twitter and Instagram!  Want more Madison news delivered right to your inbox? Sign up for the Madison Minutes morning newsletter. Looking to advertise on City Cast Madison? Check out our options for podcast ads at citycast.fm/advertise. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

It isn't every day your city's flag gets voted one of the best in the country. But that's what happened when the North American Vexillological Association got together to rate the designs of a whopping 312 flags. Ted Kaye, the nation's foremost authority on flag design and author of the NAVA booklet “‘Good' Flag, ‘Bad' Flag,” talks with host Bianca Martin about what makes a well-designed flag, why Madison's flag is so strong (but our state flag … not so much), and how we would go about designing a City Cast Madison flag. Check out NAVA's 2022 survey results to see which flags got an A grade, and which ones got an F. And here's Roman Mars' 2015 TED Talk about “why city flags may be the worst-designed thing you've never noticed.” Find out more about the Wisconsin Film Festival, including the First Look at the Fest event on March 8, here. Wanna talk to us about an episode? Leave us a voicemail at 608-318-3367 or email madison@citycast.fm. We're also on Twitter and Instagram!  Want more Madison news delivered right to your inbox? Sign up for the Madison Minutes morning newsletter.  Interested in advertising with City Cast? Find more info HERE Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

I say this with _every_ episode, but truly this is one not to miss! We take a bit of a turn in our conversation with today's guest because we are talking to a scholar who's research and scholarship is in the creative area--documentary film to be exact. If you thought all professors did was boring stuff, today's guest--John Haley--will break that notion. John tells us about how he grew up watching films with his family, and how those early experiences started him down a path of discovery with film and documentary storytelling. John worked with Americorps immediately after graduation, and it was his experiences there that led him to identify some of the first stories he began to tell in film. John tells character-driven stories that center on the intersection of personal identity and societal structures. As he explains in today's episode, his films grapple with contentious issues such as the death penalty and electoral politics through the lens of specific characters, contextualizing these social structures through distinct perspectives in pursuit of nuance and a more truthful, holistic understanding of reality. His award-winning films have screened at Wisconsin Film Festival, Minneapolis-St. Paul International Film Festival, Tallgrass, Reeling, Sidewalk, CUFF.Docs, Melbourne Documentary Film Festival, Nevada City, and EarthxFilm, among others. You can follow John on Twitter @johnhaley_ You can follow the ICIR on Twitter @ICIRAlabama

Ben Reiser talks with Nick Libbey and Zach Tomasovic, the filmmakers behind Sawyer County, 2020, which screened at the 2022 Wisconsin Film Festival. This survey of a cross-section of Sawyer County, Wisconsin residents in the immediate runup to the 2020 presidential election reveals a lot about the state of the state and the ever-increasing divide between neighbors.

On this episode of Cinematalk, Mike King welcomes filmmaker and film teacher Brandon Colvin, whose first two features screened at UW - Madison's annual Wisconsin Film Festival. A Dim Valley is the writer/director's first foray into comedy. Mystical, sexy, and funny, this dreamlike indie casts you under its spell. Deep in the Appalachian wilderness, a pair of ecology grad students are collecting flora and fauna samples and getting high—anything to avoid spending more time in the cramped cabin with their grouchy, hard-drinking advisor. Out in the forest, they encounter a trio of nymph-like backpackers looking to “fulfill their purpose” who lure the men into a trance-like state of magical awakening and desire, with a pansexual charge between seemingly every character. The sextet's enigmatic bond is deepened over a late night that encompasses teary tarot readings and half-assed Scrabble games. Drawing inspiration from Twin Peaks and Hayao Miyazaki, UW PhD Brandon Colvin's third feature cultivates a surreal, sylvan atmosphere that still makes room for perfectly timed gags.

It's about time we spent an episode discussing what's going to feature in future episodes! We drop all sorts of hints about what we think episode 200 might bring, but we also find time to explain the past as well. Brianne comes back to the show to tell us about her experiences doing live theater during a pandemic, Charlie watches films online by himself (but not in a creepy way), and Adam outlines his perfect utopian community -- soon to be a minor network sitcom hit!

It's about time we spent an episode discussing what's going to feature in future episodes! We drop all sorts of hints about what we think episode 200 might bring, but we also find time to explain the past as well. Brianne comes back to the show to tell us about her experiences doing live theater during a pandemic, Charlie watches films online by himself (but not in a creepy way), and Adam outlines his perfect utopian community -- soon to be a minor network sitcom hit!

Ben Reiser talks to Jonny Zeller and Tim Frazier about SCARS. In a world where every lie a person tells leaves a permanent mark on their body, the new boot camp instructor without a single scar is an anomaly… until one cadet discovers a single, massive sore across his back, leaving everyone on base to wonder what terrible lie could create something so gruesome. (JF)

Here's your WORT Local News for Monday, May 17th, 2021: State lawmakers gear up for a redistricting battle, The U.S. Supreme Court is taking up a challenge to Roe v. Wade, and in the second half, we get the week ahead in local government and check out some new movies from the Wisconsin Film Festival.

WORT 89.9FM Madison · Annual Film Festival Special Goes Virtual This week on Mel & Floyd: The Funny Boys Interview the Dark Lord of The Wisconsin Film Festival and the Shining Angel of Four Star Video Heaven; A False Alarm in Hawaii; Wolf Hunting In Wisconsin; Ugly Children in the Netherlands; A Crumbling Ruin at […] The post Wisconsin Film Festival Special Goes Virtual appeared first on WORT 89.9 FM.

Louis Valray was born in 1896 and died in 1972. Beyond that, little is known of the man except what we can glean from his two marvelous feature films, La belle de nuit (1934) and Escale (aka Thirteen Days of Love, 1935), works that combine the visual invention of Jean Vigo and the humanism of Marcel Pagnol. Both movies, each clocking in at a neat 84 minutes, display a confident and expressive style that seems to take particular inspiration exploring the differences between the soulful rank and file of Marseilles and their more coldly urbane Parisian counterparts. Valray was, above all, a personal filmmaker and these two features evidence an enormous compassion for women, the underprivileged, and society’s outcasts. It seems likely that Valray considered himself a real outsider too, as there was very little printed about him in France when his movies were originally released to disappointing box office returns. Thanks to the heroic film preservation efforts of Serge Bromberg and his distribution company Lobster Films, Escale and La belle de nuit have been made available for the first time in nearly 80 years. The films are also being championed by some of America’s finest film critics like Imogen Sara Smith, who writes in Film Comment that “stylistically the films are startlingly original and rather odd, blending exhilaratingly fresh location shooting, lyrical images, heavy-handed melodrama, and idiosyncratic composition and editing.” Now you can discover these Louis Valray masterpieces for yourself in this special double feature program that allows you to see both Escale and La belle de nuit for one ticket price. (JH)

Ben Reiser talks to Drew Durepos about FORMER SINNERS OF THE FUTURE. Static images, Super-8 footage, and director Drew Durepos’ singularly matter-of-fact voiceover narration combine to tell a circuitous narrative that touches on themes of impostorism, aging, and addiction. (BR)

Terry Kerr and Ben Reiser talk to Johanne Helgeland about THE CROSSING. Ten-year-old Norwegian Gerda wants to be a musketeer, much to the dismay of her older brother Otto. He really hates her apron cape and her wooden dagger. After the sudden arrest of their parents, right before Christmas of 1942, the siblings discover two Jewish children, Sarah and Daniel, hidden in their basement and realize that their parents are part of the resistance movement. With the parents imprisoned, Gerda rises to the occasion and vows to defy the Nazis and help Sarah and Daniel escape into unoccupied Sweden. Otto sympathizes with the Nazis and only reluctantly joins his sister on her quest. The group begins a dangerous and suspenseful journey across the snowy Norwegian wilderness, frantically trying to stay ahead of the Germans who seem to have supporters everywhere. Johanne Helgeland’s feature film debut is an incredible story of friendship, courage, and doing what is right. The stunning cinematography and its talented young cast, makes The Crossing a compelling film for the whole family. Norway Amanda Award for Best Children’s Film winner. Atlanta Jewish Film Festival Emerging Filmmaker Jury Prize. (KK)

Mike King talks with Albert Birney and Kentucker Audley about STRAWBERRY MANSION. t’s 2035, and the government is taxing our dreams. Dream about a buffalo last night? That’ll run you 25 cents. Plus 17 cents for the violin. And that’s on top of all the ads and product placement interrupting your REM. James Preble is a mild-mannered government lackey, assigned to audit the dreams of an eccentric artist who’s been dodging her payments. The elderly Bella welcomes James into her remote farmhouse, where he sets about combing through decades of her recorded dreams, prepared to nickel and dime her. But as he wades into her unconscious, he meets and falls for her younger self. As James pursues the young Bella through a mind-melting fantasia of dreamscapes, he uncovers some unsettling conspiracies infiltrating our subconscious. A true psychedelic charmer, Strawberry Mansion boasts a dazzling handcrafted aesthetic, conjuring its unique universe through colorful props and costumes rather than lifeless CGI. The thrift-shop look is a supreme asset, creating a cinematic experience with more visual imagination and wit per frame than any generic blockbuster. 2021 Sundance Film Festival. “Enchanting, mind-bending and heartwarming… feels like walking through another’s dream. Simply put, Strawberry Mansion is sensational, strange, and sophisticatedly sweet” (Kristy Puchko, rogerebert.com). (MK)

Ben Reiser and Brody Coning talk to Lori Felker. Spontaneous Filmmaker Lori Felker employs a mixture of cinematic tools to convey her physical and emotional turmoil in this alternately humorous and harrowing first-person recounting of the time she had a miscarriage while attending the Slamdance Film Festival. Come for the well observed personal memoir, stay for the surprising celebrity cameos. (PL) Not You Lori Felker follows-up her essayistic short Spontaneous with this wonderfully discomforting examination of life with a toddler. Starting with a chronological series of vignettes before focus- ing on an awkward encounter with a neighbor babysitter, Not You is Felker’s funniest/eeriest short since Discontinuity (WFF 2014). (BR)

Ben Reiser and Terry Kerr talk to Elijah Edwards and Ben Fritz about MAKE A WISH High-Schooler Elijah Edwards’ fresh variation on the classic “genie in a bottle” story is remarkably self-assured, filled with charming performances and pleasingly cheesy special effects. (BR)

Ben Reiser talks to Yael Even Or and Sam Klein about SWING COUNTRY In this endearingly homespun documentary focusing on the run-up to the 2020 National Election, filmmakers follow Wisconsinites from the Fox Valley area who work to swing Wisconsin back to blue: Lee Snodgrass, a candidate for state assembly fights for her election as well as the top of the ticket. Brandon Yellow Bird Stevens, Vice Chairman of the Oneida Nation, pushes his community to vote in record numbers to showcase the power of the Native vote. Keith McGillivray hears that the local Democratic office is short on signs and launches his own sign making operation. (BC)

Ben Reiser and Pauline Lampert talk to Edith Rodriguez about ASHES. A tragic summer romance set against the backdrop of the beautiful Texas countryside, Ashes is a bittersweet meditation on how grief and regret can intertwine and how we can choose to move past these feelings, or live alongside them. (JF)

Ben Reiser talks to Gracie K Wallner and Espere Eckard-Lee about BLOOD RUNS OUT. UW-Madison student Wallner’s vampire story features a woman surviving off the menstrual blood of her friends who realizes her supply is dwindling. This is a surprisingly charming tale of selflessness that tackles its extreme subject with a light touch. (JF)

Jim Healy talks to Achal Mishra about THE VILLAGE HOUSE. The astonishing debut feature from 23-year-old writer/director Achal Mishra, The Village House gently and lovingly captures a large extended Indian family over several decades as they gather at the matriarch’s rural home. As the movie follows the inevitable rhythms of change, such as children growing older and moving away to the city, it is the village house itself that emerges as the central character in this tale of the inexorable decay of traditional village life. Mishra keeps the film continually captivating on a visual level through gorgeous fixed-camera long takes and he has split this generational story into three separate chapters that take place years apart, employing a different screen aspect ratio for each segment. The narrative mostly avoids moments of tension to favor a flowing series of warm, nostalgic images: food cooking, old men playing (and cheating) at cards, a family gathered around a small television to watch a movie. As time slips away, and the house falls slowly into disrepair, Mishra’s storytelling technique builds to its devastating final moments, resulting in an intimate mini-epic that traces the intertwining of family and nature through the cycle of birth, death, and rebirth. The Village House provides a resounding emotional experience through quiet observation of the human condition. “Like master filmmakers Edward Yang and Hou Hsiao-hsien, Mishra understands how cinematic aesthetics can beautifully mirror the invisible momentum of time” (Glenn Heath Jr., The Film Stage). (JH)

Terry Kerr and Ben Reiser talk to Pawo Choyning Dorji about LUNANA: A YAK IN THE CLASSROOM. Ugyen, a young teacher in the capitol of Bhutan, dreams of moving to Australia and launching his career as a singer. In order to earn money for the move, he reluctantly agrees to teach at the world’s most remote school in the Himalayas. The villagers treat him with respect, gratitude and love. Filmed at an actual Himalayan school at 5,000 meters altitude, the production used solar-powered batteries to shoot the film. Stunning scenery, traditional songs and customs, and a sweet-natured yak are among the many pleasures of this calm and beautiful film. Audience Award for Best narrative Feature at the Palm Springs International Film Festival. (TK)

Ben Reiser talks to Emma Chang about THE MESSENGER. A woman wanders through a variety of striking locations, seeking her inner identity while confronted with different versions of herself in this unique short film. Director Emma Chang combines a Maya Deren-influenced dreamlike narrative with notable architecture and an experimental use of calligraphy to create a unique cinematic world. (JF)

Jim Healy talks to Evgeny Ruman about GOLDEN VOICES. In 1990, Victor and Raya Frankel arrive in Israel along with a mass of other Jewish immigrants from the crumbling Soviet Union. Back in the USSR, the couple were the most in-demand dubbers of international cinema, sometimes providing their voices to dozens of characters in a single movie. Now, the sixty-somethings are struggling to learn Hebrew and having equal difficulty in finding suitable work in their new homeland. While Victor secures them a low-paying gig dubbing bootleg videos for the exploding Russian-speaking immigrant market, Raya gets a more lucrative job using her native tongue as a phone sex worker, a job she keeps secret from her husband to protect their increasingly rocky marriage. Golden Voices is a rare find: a romantic comedy that finds a rich, warm supply of often absurd situational humor in the lives of two film workers who are not superstar performers or directors. Victor and Raya eventually use clout from their association with Federico Fellini to bring the maestro’s little-seen final feature, The Voice of the Moon, to Israeli audiences. The cinephile couple’s success in importing Fellini is shown to be more a personal triumph than a professional or financial one, reminding us that Golden Voices is an affectionate salute to the uplifting power of cinema and the countless number of working-class heroes who make the magic possible. (JH)

Ben Reiser talks to Kate Corby about WEST. Kate Corby masterfully fuses dance and film once again in this short piece that loosely plays off of the Western genre, offering a gendered perspective on the rugged individualism, archetypes, and violence of the “American West”. (BR)

Ben Reiser talks to Caleb Peavy about ORIN & KEPA. An animal trainer forms an unusual bond with a wolf. A unique story told through an eclectic array of home movies and other archival materials. (PL)

Ben Reiser talks to Bernard Friedman about N OF 1. An appliance repairman from Canada, an immunologist from Israel, and a transplant surgeon from England meet in a hospital in India. This might sound like the start of an elaborate joke, but it is actually a remarkable real-life collaboration established in an effort to save the life of 26-year-old Kayte, a young Florida woman dying of liver cancer. As this unlikely team invent and then carry out an experimental procedure, the stakes could not possibly be higher, both for Kayte, as well as the broad implications for currently untreatable cancers. An emotionally charged documentary equally notable for its vivid, unforgettable characters and for its thought-provoking twists and turns, Bernard Friedman’s Golden Badger-winning directorial debut takes the viewer on a journey that spans five countries, and elicits the widest possible gamut of emotions. A riveting tale and an eye-opening exploration on the front lines of western medicine, N of 1 is a potent inquiry into the nature of innovation. (BR) Winner of a 2020 Golden Badger Award

Kelley Conway talks to Jean Laurenz about DESCENDED. An abstract ghost story, based on the life and work of 19th century writer, Lafcadio Hearn, Descended is notable both for the uniquely committed lead performance by co-director Jean Laurenz as well as the intricate, trumpet-inflected score written by Maria Finkelmeier and performed in part by Laurenz, who is also a descendent of Hearns. (BR)

Mike King talks to James Vaughan about FRIENDS AND STRANGERS. A fresh and entrancing take on the timeless subject of young adulthood, Friends and Strangers introduces a clique of Australian twentysomethings who are looking for their direction, but keep getting distracted along the way. Ray and Alice are on an impromptu camping trip in the Australian countryside, ensconced in their tent but not really connecting with each other. Back home in Sydney, these rudderless millennials are on no more solid ground, particularly as wedding videographer James’s meeting with a wealthy client takes a series of increasingly surreal turns. Writer/director James Vaughan’s debut feature is brilliantly composed all around, from its crisp, lovely cinematography and precisely calibrated atmosphere to the striking paintings and vintage Jon Gibson music that serve as a counterpoint to its characters’ careful hesitancy. “What a saga!” one character exclaims towards the end of this beguiling series of casual detours and drifts, a quip that well sums up the film’s self-aware humor. “The funniest, best movie from Oz in several years. Movie audiences (whether they know it or not) seek fresh voices, attitudes. This is it, the real deal. Ten years from now, this’ll still be fresh” (Robert Koehler). “Masterful. There is great depth in these characters, and ultimately the paradoxical nature of their existence pays off superbly” (Flickering Myth). 2021 Rotterdam Film Festival. (MK)

Ben Reiser talks to Marissa & Sean Bode about YOU'RE ADORABLE. Marissa Bode stars in and directs this comedic short featuring an obsessive young woman who employs increasingly extreme methods to win over the man of her dreams. (BS)

I had the privilege of speaking with the experimental filmmaker, author, and installation artist, Mark Street. In this podcast, Mark and I discuss his films from his Tales of Urban Fascination (Selected Films V2) collection. Mark's work has been screened at the world's most prestigious film festivals and museums including Museum of Modern Art, NY, Whitney Museum, Toronto Film Festival, New York Film Festival, Sundance Film Festival, London Film Festival, Festival du Cinema Nouveau, Montreal, Oberhausen Film Festival, Viennale International Film Festival, Vienna, VIPER Film Festival, Zurich, European Media Arts Festival, Pacific Film Archive, SF Cinematheque, San Francisco International Film Festival, NY Underground Film Festival, Reel NY, CH 13 WNET NY, Ann Arbor Film Festival, Black Maria Film Festival, Wisconsin Film Festival. In this podcast, we focused mainly on his films: Happy?, Brooklyn Promenade, and A Year. We discussed some of his other works too. Frankly, his body of work is too large to cover in a single short-form podcast. You can view some of his work on his YouTube channel. If you're a fan of experimental film, your repertoire isn't complete without knowing Mark Street's work. --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/experimentalfilmpodcast/support

Just in time for Easter the gang weigh in on their top 5 religious movies. In addition, Rob share his thoughts on the 2016 blockbuster Suicide Squad, Carrie catches her book club book on the big screen with A Man Called Ove and Tim brings a Wisconsin Film Festival pick to the table with The Gold of Naples.