MediaMaker Spotlight

Media directly impacts how people see themselves in the world. In this episode, host Candice Bloch has a conversation with Madeline Di Nonno , the president and CEO of the Geena Davis Institute on Gender in Media . They chat about the Institute’s mission, the valuable research and data they collect, and how that data is used to help reveal bias and create more equality. While it began with a focus...

In our season 3 premiere episode, host Tara Jabbari speaks with Sandi Harding , the General Manager of the very last Blockbuster in the world located in Bend, Oregon. They talk about the history of Blockbuster, its influence, and how the community of Bend as well as fans have helped keep this Blockbuster open. Enjoy listening to the memories, the business side of managing Blockbuster, and Tara gee...

Ahead of the 94th Academy Awards on March 27, 2022, board member Sandra Abrams sits down with two amazing women to discuss Oscar’s history on nominations of women in non-actor categories. Our guests are Dr. Rosanne Welch , Executive Director of the MFA in TV and Screenwriting Program at Stephens College, and Leslie Combemale, a syndicated film critic known as Cinema Siren, and the creator and host...

While so much of the effects we see on screen can be CGI, there will always be a home for the physical, tangible art of special effects. In this episode, host Candice Bloch sits down with Ben Eadie , an experienced special effects designer, prop maker, fabricator, and multi-talented inventor and creator. Ben has worked on such projects as Star Trek Beyond, Arrow, The Predator, Ghostbusters: Afterl...

C. Marie Taylor is the founder and president of Equity Through Action , a consulting company that helps organizations create equitable practices, policies, and mind shifts. In this episode, host Tara Jabbari talks with C. Marie about inclusion and diversity, films that have caused controversy, and the practice of examining the diversity in your own life. They discuss how people - from behind the s...

Clothes can make or break a scene without a character saying a word. In this episode, host Sandra Abrams chats with Screenwriter and Costume Designer, Alexandra Olivia Engelson . She shares her approach to putting together a wardrobe for independent films with small budgets, and what it means to be a wardrobe coordinate on big budget television shows such as Quantico and The Equalizer. To learn mo...

While simply making a film is a passion project and can take years of work, getting your finished movie into a film festival can be nothing short of a miracle. In this episode, host Sandra Abrams takes a deep dive into film festivals and how to navigate the festival circuit for maximum exposure and a possible ticket to Hollywood. She  speaks with Heather Waters , who is the founder and producer of...

Ken Zemke is an Emmy-award winning film and television editor whose career spans over 50 years, working all over the world.  In this episode, host Tara Jabbari sits down with him to talk about his career - from his mentor, Michael Kahn (the editor that Steven Spielberg works with), to his work as supervising editor overseeing a young Martin Scorsese’s edit for an Elvis music documentary, to why he...

Just inside the Beltway is the historic Avalon Theatre, a rare gem in the movie theater world. Built in 1922 for silent movies, it is still operating today, showcasing hard-to-find independent films and documentaries. Host Sandra Abrams speaks to Executive Director Bill Oberdorfer about its survival, and how film directors and movie goers can support this landmark film center. To learn more, visit...

In this episode, host Candice Bloch talks with Thomas Verdi , the founder and CEO of The Film Fund , a simple and unique funding platform that grants money to filmmakers based on a single sentence pitch. And beyond the money, The Film Fund is also a community bursting with valuable resources for creators. Learn more at: https://www.thefilmfund.co/ https://www.instagram.com/thefilmfund/ https://www...

Season two wraps up with this Holiday Special , where all three hosts – Candice Bloch, Sandra Abrams, and Tara Jabbari – discuss the mega genre of Christmas and holiday movies. The trio share fun facts, their personal opinions, and go over the results of Media & Monuments’ own holiday survey, which centered on movies related to “the most wonderful time of the year.” Here are a few highlights f...

Multi-faceted multi-hyphenate Nasreen Alkhateeb sits down with host Candice Bloch to discuss disability inclusion in media - both in front of and behind the camera. Nasreen pulls from her personal and professional experiences to help shine a light on those that are too often under-represented. As a filmmaker who loves to focus on projects that help shift our culture, Nasreen points out many of the...

In this episode, host Sandra Abrams chats with first time director, Tamana Ayazi , about her film, “In Her Hands.” The film captures Afghanistan at a critical juncture: before, during, and after western forces leave, all through the eyes of the country’s youngest female mayor, the tough-minded Zarfia Ghafari. The documentary won the Audience Award at the Camden International Film Festival in Septe...

Saralisa Volm is a German actress and filmmaker. In this episode, host Tara Jabbari speaks with Saralisa about her start in the film industry and how different countries have reacted and could relate to her new film, “The Silent Forest.” They also discuss the importance of diversity in writers rooms and on-sets, as well as how to be respectful of those who wish not to be the focal point. To learn...

Best Short at The American Pavilion of Emerging Filmmakers at the 2022 Cannes Film Festival was awarded to a sweet ten-minute short called Noisy. In this episode, host Candice Bloch sits down with Cedric Hill , Noisy’s writer and director. They talk about the short film’s journey from concept to Cannes, as well as Cedric’s experience at the renowned festival and what winning there means.   To lear...

C. Marie Taylor is the founder and president of Equity Through Action , a consulting company that helps organizations create equitable practices, policies, and mind shifts. In this episode, host Tara Jabbari talks with C. Marie about inclusion and diversity, films that have caused controversy, and the practice of examining the diversity in your own life. They discuss how people - from behind the s...

Bringing a book to the big screen takes patience. In this episode, host Sandra Abrams chats with WIFV member and film producer, Catherine Hand about her new memoir, “Becoming a Warrior, My Journey to Bring A Wrinkle in Time to the Screen.”   In their conversation, Hand discusses highlights from her book and how her personal journey helped her navigate all the twists and turns the film project took...

In this special episode, all three of our hosts, Sandra Abrams, Candice Bloch, and Tara Jabbari sit down together to discuss films that are all horror and Halloween!  Listen as they share personal stories of watching horror films, their thoughts on some of the most notable horror films, and results from our survey. At the end of the episode, we give shout-outs to those who took the survey.  These...

Clothes can make or break a scene without a character saying a word. In this episode, host Sandra Abrams chats with Screenwriter and Costume Designer, Alexandra Olivia Engelson . She shares her approach to putting together a wardrobe for independent films with small budgets, and what it means to be a wardrobe coordinate on big budget television shows such as Quantico and The Equalizer. To learn mo...

While so much of the effects we see on screen can be CGI, there will always be a home for the physical, tangible art of special effects. In this episode, host Candice Bloch sits down with Ben Eadie , an experienced special effects designer, prop maker, fabricator, and multi-talented inventor and creator. Ben has worked on such projects as Star Trek Beyond, Arrow, The Predator, Ghostbusters: Afterl...

Just inside the Beltway is the historic Avalon Theatre, a rare gem in the movie theater world. Built in 1922 for silent movies, it is still operating today, showcasing hard-to-find independent films and documentaries. Host Sandra Abrams speaks to Executive Director Bill Oberdorfer about its survival, and how film directors and movie goers can support this landmark film center. To learn more, visit...

In this episode, host Candice Bloch sits down with filmmaker Erica Silverman to delve into the world of creating music videos. With many years of experience in short-form media, including directing dozens of music videos in a variety of genres and styles, Erica knows a thing or two about this world. She’s worked with artists such as Lizzo, Leon Bridges, and Avril Lavigne, to name a few, and combin...

Ken Zemke is an Emmy-award winning film and television editor whose career spans over 50 years, working all over the world.  In this episode, host Tara Jabbari sits down with him to talk about his career - from his mentor, Michael Kahn (the editor that Steven Spielberg works with), to his work as supervising editor overseeing a young Martin Scorsese’s edit for an Elvis music documentary, to why he...

In this episode, host Candice Bloch talks with Thomas Verdi , the founder and CEO of The Film Fund , a simple and unique funding platform that grants money to filmmakers based on a single sentence pitch. And beyond the money, The Film Fund is also a community bursting with valuable resources for creators. Learn more at: https://www.thefilmfund.co/ https://www.instagram.com/thefilmfund/ https://www...

The DC-metro area may be known for politics, so it makes sense that it’s also an intense proving ground for the filmmakers who create political ads. In this episode, host Candice Bloch chats with freelance editor, motion graphics designer, and colorist, Nicole Haddock , who has been in the trenches of the political ad seasons for nearly a decade. We learn more about the skills and temperament need...