Our conversation with 'Audrey's Children' director Ami Canaan Mann takes us on a journey that explores not just the film itself, but the essence of storytelling, particularly the responsibility inherent in portraying real lives. The film, rooted in the historical context of 1969, serves as a mirror reflecting contemporary societal issues, especiall…

Diving straight into the heart of indie filmmaking, this episode features a captivating conversation with Petersen Vargas, the visionary writer-director of 'Some Nights I Feel Like Walking', and Miguel Odron, the film's breakout star in his debut role. The film, which has taken festivals by storm from Tallinn to Glasgow, explores the intricacies of…

This week on the show, Scott Siracusano, cinematographer of 'Control Freak,' takes us behind the scenes of the nuanced process of bringing a feature film to life, especially one that builds on the eerie undercurrents of its short film predecessor. Scott shares his approach to lighting and camera movement, revealing how he crafted scenes to create a…

Bebe Dierken's journey through the cinematic landscape is a tapestry woven with passion, perseverance, and a dash of serendipity. From her early days as a painter, where the still life of pumpkins nearly sent her to a creative grave, to the bustling film sets where she became a revered cinematographer, Bebe's tale is as vibrant as the frames she ca…

As we dive into the creative universe of Peter Craig, the mastermind behind the gripping series 'Dope Thief', we explore the intricacies of storytelling and character development that make this show a must-watch. Peter shares his passion for writing, revealing that the thrill of crafting a narrative comes from fully immersing himself in his charact…

Family dynamics can be tricky to manoeuvre, but they’re absolutely worth the struggle! Julia Max's debut feature, 'The Surrender' really highlights this. The horror drama features the amazing Colby Minifie alongside the legendary Kate Burton as a mother-daughter duo, delivering a tough but captivating story for those who can handle it. As we sit do…

As we kick off our coverage of this year's edition of SXSW, we welcome first-time director Cam Banfield on the show, whose short film 'How Was Your Weekend' premieres in the fest's Narrative Competition. The 9-minute film stars James Morosini stuck in the loop of dreadful Monday mornings, alongside the amazing Rachael Harris. Cam walks us through t…

Dito Montiel, the director of memorable films like 'Boulevard' and 'A Guide to Recognizing Your Saints', joins us for a riveting chat about his newest project, 'Riff Raff'. The film features a star-studded line-up, including Jennifer Coolidge, Ed Harris, Bill Murray, and many more, which only adds to the intrigue of this film that delves into the c…

Slamdance is one of those festivals where the voices of the future become the voices of the present! One of the buzziest titles in this year’s lineup is Sabrina Greco’s directorial debut, ‘Lockjaw,’ starring Blu Hunt as Rayna, the main character wearing braces that are the physical manifestation of the titular situation one and a half months after …

With the final voting for this year's Academy Awards underway, we bring you a short film that's thematically as timely as it gets. 'A Lien' chronicles a far too common and unjust tearing apart of a family in the midst of the father's immigration process. The 15-minute short is directed by brothers David and Sam Cutler-Kreutz, and today we are joine…

The unsurprising surprise hit of late 2024 - early 2025 was undoubtedly Robert Eggers’ gothic horror retelling of Nosferatu. The familiar story of Count Orlok, portrayed by Bill Skarsgård, is captured from a fresh perspective, through the eyes and nightmarish life of Ellen, played by Lily-Rose Depp. The two are accompanied in their gory ventures by…

Bulgarian actress Maria Bakalova took Hollywood and the world by storm as Tutar in 2020's Borat Subsequent Moviefilm, and her choices ever since have lived up to that. Whether playing a vital role in Halina Reijn and A24's first venture, Bodies Bodies Bodies, voicing Cosmo in Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3, or just last year playing Ivana Trump alo…

Festival season is in full swing, and this time, we had the pleasure of speaking with Miriam Shor and Josh Stamberg, the stars of Magic Hour, Jacqueline Christy's directorial debut, which premieres at this year's Santa Barbara International Film Festival. Miriam, who you might know from Younger, and Josh, who starred in Fleishman Is in Trouble and …

We're not used to seeing refreshing, high-quality movies (other than intended Oscar palyers) hit theatres in January, or as some like to call it, Dumpuary. Of course, there are always exceptions, like Paddington 1 and 2, Split, or Cloverfield. This January, on the brink of February, writer-director Drew Hancock’s feature debut, Companion, joins tha…

As we rapidly approach the 40th Independent Spirit Awards, you'll hear a few conversations with this year's nominees. One of them is comedian, writer, director, and star of her own feature debut: Vera Drew! In our conversation with her, she shares the ups and downs of bringing The People's Joker to life—a film that defies not only genre but all exp…

One of the few things the pandemic couldn’t put a stop to was creativity. Our next guest is a perfect example: first-time director Gala del Sol, who began developing her debut feature during a time of great uncertainty. Gala’s incredibly ambitious Rains Over Babel premieres at Sundance in the NEXT section, offering something fresh and new while wor…

Three worlds, three dimensions? Not necessarily... However, director Flora Lau’s interpretation of the search for something both on a physical and spiritual level is exactly what we get to witness in Flora’s second feature LUZ. To up the ante, we haven’t been joined by this many guests before, as this time, in writer-director Flora Lau, producer Yv…

We could write endlessly about why you should look out for Amanda Kramer's By Design, but we’ll let the film’s synopsis speak for itself: “A woman swaps bodies with a chair, and everyone likes her better as a chair.” Honestly, what more do you need to strap in and watch this hour and a half long film starring Juliette Lewis, Mamoudou Athie, and nar…

Even though this year’s edition of the Sundance Film Festival has just kicked off, today marks the release of one of the buzziest titles from last year’s festival. We’re talking about none other than one of the two Steven Soderbergh movies to see the light of day (well, actually the silver screen), the technically ingenious, thematically spooky Pre…

As far as the art of cinematography goes, few are as accomplished or, dare I say, as revered as Edward Lachman. A frequent collaborator with Todd Haynes and a former partner to Paul Schrader and Steven Soderbergh, Ed has left an indelible mark on the craft. Today, we’re discussing Maria, the Angelina Jolie-led drama that marks Ed’s second collabora…

It’s one thing to make a film about tragic historical events, but it’s another to depict them gracefully and objectively. This is exactly what director Tim Fehlbaum, his crew, and the stellar ensemble of Peter Sarsgaard, John Magaro, Ben Chaplin, and Leonie Benesch set out to do in the movie September 5. During our sit-down with Tim, he shared what…

Very few actors possess the level of versatility and underappreciation as Shea Whigham. From starring in indie gems like Wristcutters: A Love Story and Take Shelter to blockbuster franchises such as Mission: Impossible and acclaimed TV shows like Boardwalk Empire, Shea’s range is undeniable. Last June marked the Tribeca premiere of his team-up with…

You probably know by now that we wouldn’t even risk not talking about the unexpected yet glorious return of VistaVision, with none other than The Brutalist cinematographer Lol Crawley! Brady Corbet’s third feature’s been the talk of the town ever since it’s buzzy Venice premiere and Silver Lion win. Lol tells us not only about his approach to photo…

Our coverage of one of 2024's most masterfully crafted films wouldn’t be complete without the mind responsible for executing its extraordinary visual language. So, with that, we present our breakdown of Nickel Boys, featuring cinematographer Jomo Fray. Among other things, Jomo tells us about how he is choosing projects, the evolution of the film’s …

2024's final episode features cinematographer Rina Yang, who joins us to discuss her work on The Fire Inside, the debut feature from cinematographer-turned-director Rachel Morrison. In our chat, we dig into the challenges of capturing the inspiring yet painfully real story of boxer Claressa Shields, from adapting to the Flint, Michigan setting to i…