The BraveMaker Podcast

Is it time to quit?

Mailbag topic conversation with Tony Gapastione   / tonygapastione  

Film & TV icon: Loretta Devine

Tony Gapastione is a SAG-AFTRA actor, speaker, and the founder and executive director of BraveMaker, a California-based nonprofit that uses film to educate, entertain, and create community through conversations about mental health, justice, diversity, and belonging. Since founding BraveMaker in 2018, he has built a year-round organization that produces a film festival, filmmaker grants, educationa...

🎙️ Episode 333 of the BraveMaker PodcastTwo remarkable women filmmakers. Two deeply personal stories. This episode features Colette Ghunim, director of the feature documentary Traces of Home, and Paige Morrow Kimball, director of the short film WAIT. Together, we explore identity, belonging, family, resilience, and the power of storytelling to spark empathy and meaningful conversation. If you love...

🎙️ Episode 332 of the BraveMaker Podcast! 🎬As we count down to the 8th Annual BraveMaker Film Festival, we're kicking off a special series of festival preview episodes featuring filmmakers, honorees, industry leaders, and special guests who will be joining us in Redwood City July 8–12.www. BraveMakerFilmFest.comIn this episode, you'll hear from our Maverick Honoree, Keith Powell—best know...

Our BraveMakers @thejacobgunter, @gabriellelorein & @belgica.rodriguez.professional had the opportunity to attend and do red carpet interviews for The Los Angeles Latino International Film Festival (LALIFF) last week! 🤩🎬💫LALIFF is an international event dedicated to excellence in filmmaking. Through film, television, music, and education, LALIFF offers a vibrant stage to celebrate the richn...

It's time to film. You've worked hard, prepared well, he problems... t? You continue to lead well, elevate creativity, and protect the story and value each person's contributions.

Everything can and DOES go wrong. What do you do?

Originally from Orlando, Florida, Tony Robinette moved to Los Angeles after performing sketch comedy and improv at the Walt Disney World Resort, while also working steadily in local film, television, and commercials. He made his feature film debut in Spring Breakers, directed by Harmony Korine, acting opposite Vanessa Hudgens. Since then, he has built an extensive list of credits across network, s...

As we prep for our 1st ever Multi-Hyphenate summit--an all day conference on Saturday April 11th for film/TV makers--we'll talk about what indie actors and creators could be doing to achieve their creative dreams.

The Vanishing of Dolores Wulff had its Northern California premiere at the Cinequest Film Festival and won! Dolores Wulff disappeared on July 31, 1979, during the height of California’s serial killer era. Early suspicions in the case even pointed toward the Zodiac Killer, yet no body was ever found and the truth remained hidden for decades. The film revisits this haunting Northern California myste...

Joseph Marconi is a writer and director from the Hudson Valley, New York. He began his career in advertising, working with global companies like BBDO and Showtime. After a brief stint as a New York City nightlife photographer, he transitioned to writing and directing short films, music videos, and branded content. His short film, Baby Love, won Best Short Film and Best Made in Montana Film at the...

Get the Acting Career You Want with Jodie Bentely● Build Your Actor Brand● Create, Build, and Maintain Your Industry Relationships...Faster.● Stop the Excuses and the Self-Sabotage● Prep the Agent Interview to Land Your Dream TeamSocial Media Actor Insider:Instagram:   / actorinsider   FB Group:   / theactorsworkspace   YouTube:    / @actorinsider   Social Media Jodie Bentley (Personal):IMDb: http...

When Taylor can't get her party store shift covered after her dad dies, she makes a deadly mistake that sparks a downward spiral of red, white and blue-collared chaos. PREMIERES @ Cinequest 2026Sunday March 15th @12:25pm Tuesday March 17th @ 4pm

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Melanie Loren is a multi-faceted performing artist with a diverse body of work and many credits as an actor and singer. Notably, she played a supporting role in The Shitheads, a film starring Dave Franco and O’Shea Jackson, Jr., which premiered recently at Sundance Film Festival. She also portrayed the fearless “Unattainable Sister” in Undercover Brother 2, a sequel to the popular, original film a...

Ray Maiello is an award-winning film producer and former Netflix and Paramount Pictures executive. He founded Moontower Productions to champion independent voices and produce bold films. In just three years, Ray has produced five films, including My Dead Friend Zoe, winner of the 2024 SXSW Audience Award and Chasing Summer, which is premiering at the 2026 Sundance Film Festival. Other recent proje...

Nicholas Bruckman is an Emmy-nominated director and founder of People’s Television, a NYC- and DC-based storytelling studio producing award-winning independent films as well as creative campaigns for the world's leading brands, foundations, and social movements. His feature documentary Not Going Quietly, about healthcare activist Ady Barkan, won both the Audience and Jury Awards at SXSW and wa...

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🎬 BRAVEMAKER PODCAST — 2026 SELECTED PILOT SPOTLIGHTWe’re excited to feature Freelance, a 2026 selected pilot, on the BraveMaker Podcast! Joining us is cinematographer Tyler Clark, who brings a grounded, cinematic eye to the project and shares what it takes to visually shape a pilot from concept to screen. Hosted by Tony Gapastione (@tonygapastione) and Priscilla Lam (@mspriscillalam)In this epis...

Join Tony Gapastione in conversation with 2026 Sundance selected film: TAKE ME HOME. Written/directed by Liz Sargent. https://takemehomefilm.com/ Liz Sargent is a Korean-American adoptee and award-winning filmmaker whose work delves into adoption, disability, and family dynamics. With a background in choreography, she brings emotional depth to her storytelling, shaped by her experience as the midd...

Go with us for the LAST TIME in Park City Utah---with filmmaker Tony Gapastione who has been attending for 14 years and Naee Anderson who volunteers at the Library theater and has been for 7 years! Tony Gapastione is a writer/director/actor and the founder of BraveMaker. With three feature films he's written and produced, 2 he's directed and many more to come, Tony is passionate about comm...

Join BraveMaker founder, Tony Gapastione--   / tonygapastione   a filmmaker who has produced three feature films and founded a film festival--in conversation with actress/Youtuber Belgica Rodriguez---an actress and Youtube content creator based in Los Angeles and San Francisco. She is known for her many commercials and short films such as Land of Opportunity which premiered at the SF Latino Film F...

Start the year with filmmaker Tony Gapastione and grab some strategies for a fulfilling creative year!