Sifter

This week features two shows about film and books. NOVEL FILM has 2 writers, Bridé Baker & her partner in Copenhagen, Moyna Soderstrand, who discuss a movie and the book that inspired it. LIGHTS, CAMERA, AUTHOR! ia a long-running podcast that features the authors of books about movies. Creator Jim Junot will talk about interviews that include Olivia Newton-John, Billy Dee Williams and Burt War...

Adam “Tex” has had a successful career writing comedy for movies and TV shows. As a matter of fact, he had so much good stuff that there will be a Part 2 (and he’ll give us the goods on his new Oscars podcast with Bruce Vilanch). In this part we discuss: – His Virginia connection with Pharrell Williams – Working with Jimmy Fallon while casting “Just Friends&#822...

Alan Scott Neal is a Virginia native, who’s worked for many years in casting. His first directorial feature “Last Straw” is now on AMC and Shudder. Our discussion includes: – How has work in casting affected his work as a director – Consulting experts on the opening crime scene – Shooting in the diner, which was floated up the river to New York – The light...

This week is a double feature with three interesting women talking about their involvement in a special aspect of the biz. First is Connie St John, president of Women in Film and Video (Washington, DC), which is celebrating it’s 45 th year. We’ll discuss: – The origins of WIFV – The Richmond connection – Highlights from more than 200 seminars – The membership ca...

To mark the beginning of the 4 th year of SIFTER FOR THE EAR, I went for a meta gimmick. Local cinematographer Bunt Young is known for his voice impressions of people in the production community, including yours truly. So, Jerry (aka Bunt) will be interviewing Jerry about: – Where TVJerry came from – When you started directing – How you got into video – The creation of The...

Steven Pressman was featured on this show for his previous film at the Israeli and Jewish Film Festival presented by the Weinstein Jewish Community Center. That film was “The Levys of Monticello” and he’s followed it up with a new documentary about a Richmond-born artist who became a world reknown sculptor. “Moses Ezekiel: Portrait of a Lost Artist” looks at this Jewi...

Local filmmaker Carter Amos wrote and directed Death Of A Child Star , about a young woman who’s haunted by her past TV show. The film will have a free premiere screening at the Byrd Theatre on January 11. Carter is joined by Sophia Anthony, his co-producer and star of the film, as they discuss: – Their cinematic influences – This “friends” production – The insp...

Kahil Dotay has been involved in more than 200 film and TV projects, many of them as an actor. He has stories about some of the fun things that he’s encountered on sets, including: – Playing “Creepy Guy #1” in Wonder Woman – Almost getting a good part on The Wire – Meeting Aaron Sorkin – Watching Steven Speilberg work – Career advice from Martin Shee...

Krystal Lowe graduated from VCUarts Theatre and has gone on to act on stage and in films. Her latest is Out of Spite , where she plays a New York Police Department Commander leading the search for a killer. We discuss: – How her experience at VCU helped her – How she fits acting into her full time job as an assistant principal – Dinner at Sylvia’s in Harlem – Working...

David Noble has made his career in the Army, but he’s also been writing and directing shorts and feature films. His latest feature is THE SECRET WITHIN THE SPHERE, a steampunk sci-fi advebture, but the distributor changed the name to FUTURE WAR. We’ll talk about: – The inspiration for movie – Visual effects from around the world – Shooting on unique locations in Phila...

After spending time at John Tyler Community College and Savannah College of Art and Design, Lindsey found herself in VCU’s cinema program, where she graduated in August 2022. One month later, she directed her first feature-length film, THE TRIP, which follows a group of friends with some relationship issues on a weekend getaway. The upcoming screening is part of the “First Features&#82...

After almost two years playing festivals, Northern Virginia director Joe Carabeo is releasing his “genre-bending cyberpunk noir revenge film” called Kira Vs Everyone . There will be a live YouTube watch party on November 18 at 7pm. Joe will be joined by gaffer Brian Sarvis and actor Ulysses Campbell and they discuss: – Why the thugs have color names – How Ulysses got cast &...

Longtime Richmond actor/filmmaker Kahil Dotay wrote, directed and starred in his long-awaited film VAMPIRES IN VIRGINIA. Our discussion includes: – My name in the credits – What inspired him to set it in Virginia – Why it took almost 10 years to complete – How Tim Russ almost ended up directing – Challenges to directing yourself – Gun safety on set – Shoot...

This is the first major documentary on artist Georgia O’Keeffe since the 70s. Charlottesville filmmaker Paul Wagner directed the film and we have an interesting discussion about this fascinating woman, including: – Why the film started in Basel, Switzerlan – The meaning of the titl – O’Keefe lived in Williamsburg and Charlottesvill – 25,000 pages of letters betw...

In Your Ear is Richmond’s premiere sound facility. In addition to all manner of music and commercials, they regularly work on films and TV shows, often with stars who are visiting/working in Richmond. President and co-founder Carlos Chafin is joined by Chief Engineer Paul Bruski to talk about their work on some of these shows: – How IYE sprang from Alpha Audio – Using ADR & f...

Songs From The Hole was the inspiration of JJ’88, who at 15 took a life. While serving a double-life prison sentence, he wrote the songs that become the genesis of this unique documentary visual album . It’s part of the InThrive Festival, which celebrates the voices and talents of incarceration survivors, and runs Oct 18 – 19 at First Baptist Church. The discussion with JJ’88 and...

IATSE is the union that represents more than 168,000 technicians in the entertainment industry. Today’s show features Dave O’Ferrall, the Business Agent for IATSE Local 487. Our discussion includes: – What IATSE is and what the acronym stands for – How are they different from the Teamsters – The financial and other benefits added to the new contract – What&#8217...

SOLITUDE is a horror thriller that revolves around one woman who’s living alone in the wilderness for a survival competition show…with a supernatural twist. The world premiere will be September 21 st at the Byrd Theatre. Today’s show features 3 of the creatives, Jeremy Brown, Mick Strawn and Dalton Pope and we discuss: – Their previous Friday the 13 th fan film – What...

SATURN is a sci-fi drama about a mysterious planet that appears in the sky on a crash course to earth. It follows a young father, who must decide between his family and saving the world. The world premiere is featured at the opening of this year’s Richmond International Film Festival on Tue 9/24 at the Byrd Theatre. Director Eric Esau & producer Douglas Haines talk about: – The ins...

Mary, Her Journey from Pain to Purpose tells the story of Mary Almay, who transititioned at age 58. The documentary features interviews with her and others about the process and the politics of transgender life. It will screen at the 2 nd annual Virginia Queer Film Festival in at Old Dominion University campus in Norfolk from Friday, 9/20 thru Sun 9/22. We discuss: – Why there’s a peri...

TAPAWINGO was shot in Virginia and features Jon Heder, best known as Napoleon Dynamite, in the lead and Amanda Burse as his mom. She’s had an extensive career as an actor and director, most notably as Marcy D’Arcy for 11 seasons on Married With Children . They’re joined by director Dylan K.  Narang to talk about this unique film that’s showing at this year’s Richmond...

This is the first of 3 interviews featuring films at this year’s Richmond International Film Festival (Sep 24 – 29). Nelson Tracey wrote and directed Breakup Season , about a couple whose relationship ends on a Christmas family visit. The boyfriend is played by Chandler Riggs (best known as the son on The Walking Dead ) and his girlfriend was played by Samantha Isler (Teen Molly in Mol...

Alex Martin is founder and CEO of Digital Video Group, an industry leading supplier and system integrator of broadcast and production systems. Our lively discussion includes: – How he ended up in the biz – His band and where they played – What exactly DVG does – How big is the company – Some of the coolest installations in LA, NYC and DC – How tech has changed t...

Mike Taylor started his career as a producer in LA, but ended up back on the East Coast, where he started his own production company. Eventually, he ended up back in Richmond, where he decided to write and direct his first feature, There Is a Monster . We’ll discuss: – Working “swing gang” for a Steven Segal film – What he did for Disney – The award-winning shor...

This two-parter features Brandon and Brandi: Part One: Brandon Adams is the host of the Emmy award-winning series The Life Of A Musician on PBS Appalachia. It features small house concerts and interview with acoustic musicians. We’ll talk about: – Where the idea come from – How he finds artists – Deciding between concerts and interviews – The short history of year-old PBS A...