Category: Interview / Podcast
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There’s a good reason the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences requires a film festival to have ten consecutive editions before it will even be considered as an Oscar-qualifying festival. It takes that long, or longer for a festival to establish an identity, make smart film selections, and simply prove its long-term viability. Well,…
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The Philadelphia Unnamed Film Festival (better known as Puff) kicks off its 11th annual edition later this week, in an underground theater. The location is fitting as the festival features alternative, DIY, or some would say “underground” films. With a healthy dose of horror (while not exclusively horror by any stretch), the festival creates a…
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Imagine writing and directing your first feature film at 12 years old. Now imagine a documentary film crew following you around as you try to do it, capturing the excruciating details as the project drags on for years. That was the pressure and odd situation Emily Hagins found herself in at the beginning of her…
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When Christopher Johnson started working on a five-part series on The Frugal Gourmet, an influential PBS cooking show hosted by Jeff Smith, it seemed like an easy sell for doc series-hungry streamer. But it wasn’t to be, and so Chris Johnson has turned to self-distribution for his thorough look at rise and fall of the…
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When the citizens of Canton, North Carolina, found out in March 2023 that the paper mill that was the heartbeat of the town for more than a century was closing before the end of May, they were left scrambling to figure out what was next. They weren’t the only ones who started to scramble. Documentarian…
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What does a location manager do during pre-production? What about during production? Where do their duties begin and end, and what do producers get wrong about the role of location managers in a production? We’re discussing all of that with Kiran Rhe Kestenbaum, a Baltimore/DC-area location manager. Kiran started her career in filmmaking as an…
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Just a few years ago the “golden age” of streaming led to a resurgence in appreciation (and funding) for documentary projects. These days many non-profits have exited the market, and documentarians are facing challenges in financing and distribution. In 2020 Sandbox Films was formed with a focus on documentaries with science at their heart, providing…
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Filmmakers aren’t the only ones who frequently have to be “scrappy” to make their dreams a reality. Independent cinema owners face their own challenges, and even more so, owners of drive-in theaters. On the latest podcast, we’re chatting with Matt McClanahan and Lauren McChesney, the owners of Shankweiler’s Drive-In Theatre, which happens to be America’s…
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Sometimes the best stories are practically in your own backyard. Director Billy Miossi has managed to make two shorts based on unique people who happen to live really close to his Cincinnati home. In Goldie, Miossi tells the story of Tim Goldrainer, a cover band star in the Cincinnati area, who also serves a very…
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The extra depth and texture Foley artists can bring can truly elevate a film. Even with all of today’s sound effects libraries, there is still a strong need for the effects and heart that a Foley artist can bring to a film. For independent filmmakers on a budget, Foley can feel like a luxury: A…