Best in Fest

In this episode of Best in Fest , host Leslie LaPage sits down with Kash Hovey — actor, producer, and host of On Air with Kash — to explore how the entertainment industry has evolved from traditional Hollywood systems to today’s creator-driven economy. Raised in a legacy entertainment family and with experience both in front of the camera and behind the scenes at William Morris Endeavor (WME) , Ka...

In this episode of Best in Fest , host Leslie LaPage sits down with Patti Negri , psychic medium, author, and host of The Witching Hour podcast, to explore how niche creators can build powerful personal brands and loyal audiences in today’s digital landscape. Patti shares how she has expanded her career across television, podcasting, and social media—creating a recognizable presence in the paranor...

In this episode of Best in Fest , host Leslie LaPage sits down with actress, filmmaker, and producer Julia Morizawa to break down her evolution from working actor to multi-hyphenate storyteller creating impactful, culturally rooted films. With over 20 years in film, television, and voice acting, Julia shares how she transitioned into writing and producing—using animation, short films, and emerging...

In this episode of Best in Fest , host Leslie LaPage speaks with Kevin Nicklaus , Head of Production and Partner at Sandstone Artists, a company focused on talent management, literary development, and film/TV production. With a background in studio development and experience working on major projects, Kevin shares how the entertainment industry is evolving—and what it really takes to finance, pack...

In this episode of Best in Fest , host Leslie LaPage sits down with Theresa Demarest , an independent documentary filmmaker whose unconventional path to filmmaking includes life as a musician, critical care nurse, and activist storyteller. Theresa shares how she transitioned into documentary filmmaking while telling the powerful story of Keiko—the orca made famous in Free Willy —and how that proje...

In this episode of Best in Fest , host Leslie LaPage speaks with Amanda Hendon , owner and president of Entertainment 333, a full-service talent management company representing actors in film and television. With decades of experience working with major agencies, casting offices, and production companies, Amanda shares an insider perspective on how actors build sustainable careers in Hollywood—and...

In this episode of Best in Fest , host Leslie LaPage speaks with Laura Sydell , an award-winning journalist, audio producer, and storyteller best known for her work covering digital culture and technology for NPR programs including Planet Money , This American Life , and more. After two decades reporting from the front lines of Silicon Valley, Laura now brings that insider perspective to narrative...

In this episode of Best in Fest , host Leslie LaPage speaks with Shawn Bailey , entrepreneur, social media strategist, and founder of the WanderPreneur Agency. Shawn specializes in helping creators, filmmakers, and entrepreneurs understand the TikTok ecosystem and turn their content into a growing digital brand. As filmmakers increasingly rely on social media to build audiences before distribution...

In this episode of Best in Fest , host Leslie LaPage sits down with Maegan La’Trese Fillmore — director, producer, activist, and founder of Hudson Fillmore — for a no-nonsense conversation about the real economics of independent filmmaking today . Maegan shares her journey from overseeing productions at Comedy Central, VH1, MTV, the NFL, YouTube Originals, and Paramount to directing award-winning...

In this episode of Best in Fest , host Leslie LaPage sits down with Sandhya Hermon — an award-winning screenwriter and former research psychologist — to explore how a second career in storytelling can emerge from lived experience, global identity, and persistence. Sandhya shares her journey from earning a doctorate in psychology to pursuing an MFA in screenwriting at UT Austin, and how her scripts...

In this episode of Best in Fest , host Leslie LaPage sits down with Arden Theresa Lewis — Emmy-winning documentary filmmaker, playwright, and former educator — for a powerful conversation about creative reinvention, historical storytelling, and why it’s never too late to make meaningful work . Arden shares the eight-year journey behind her Daytime Emmy Award–winning documentary Leveling Lincoln ,...

In this episode of Best in Fest , host Leslie LaPage sits down with Linda Arroz — lifestyle writer, speaker, advisor, former plus-size spokesmodel, and media strategist — for a wide-ranging conversation on reinvention, branding, and storytelling in today’s entertainment landscape . Linda shares her unconventional journey from working at General Motors to becoming a nationally recognized fashion an...

In this episode of Best in Fest , host Leslie LaPage sits down with Debra Gilels — a veteran film PR strategist, producer’s rep, and distribution consultant who has helped launch award-winning documentaries and indie features into global release. With over 20 years of experience guiding films from festivals to streaming platforms, Debra breaks down how distribution really works today , why most fi...

In this episode of Best in Fest , host Leslie LaPage sits down with Emilio Hughes Martinez — award-winning filmmaker, writer, and former Vice President of Development at Eclectic Pictures (Olympus Has Fallen, The Hitman’s Wife’s Bodyguard, Lovelace). Emilio shares his journey from studio development executive to independent filmmaker, revealing what production companies really look for in scripts,...

In this episode of Best in Fest , host Leslie LaPage welcomes Rabbi Noam Raucher — educator, divorce coach, and Executive Director of FJMC International (Friendship, Judaism, Mentorship & Community) — to explore an unexpected but urgent topic: how media, masculinity, and meaning intersect in today’s culture . Noam shares his personal journey through divorce, career loss, and men’s support grou...

In this episode of Best in Fest , host Leslie LaPage sits down with Lauren Reins — director, producer, choreographer, and Enneagram coach — to explore how self-awareness fuels creativity and why understanding your inner motivations may be the key to creating meaningful, sustainable work. Lauren shares her journey from professional dancer to educator and filmmaker, and how a life-altering accident...

In this episode of Best in Fest , host Leslie LaPage sits down with Alan Green , Head of Sales & Acquisitions at 123 Media , to break down how film distribution actually works — and why most indie filmmakers misunderstand it. With decades of experience spanning 20th Century Fox, Pathé, international sales, and producing , Alan offers a brutally honest look at what sells, what doesn’t, and how...

In this episode of Best in Fest , host Leslie LaPage sits down with Jessica Rizk (director, writer, producer, animator) and Soren Anderson (composer and sound designer) to unpack the creation of Cracked — a haunting, hand-drawn 2D animated short exploring mental health, self-neglect, and emotional collapse. Over the course of a two-year DIY production , Cracked was animated frame-by-frame, scored...

What does it really take to build a career as a feature film director — starting at age 15 and continuing across continents, cultures, and film festivals? In this episode of Best in Fest , host Leslie LaPage , Director of the La Femme International Film Festival, sits down with Dominik Sedlar , an award-winning director whose career spans documentaries, narrative features, international co-product...

In this inspiring episode of Best in Fest , host Leslie LaPage sits down with Danielle Hobbs —a true multi-hyphenate creative force whose career spans dance, choreography, acting, education, authorship, and filmmaking .   Danielle Hobbs Full Episode Danielle shares her remarkable journey from concert dance and global tours to choreographing for Beyoncé , performing on Michael Jackson’s Immortal Wo...

In this powerful episode of Best in Fest , Leslie LaPage sits down with Marcia S. Ross —Emmy-nominated documentary producer and former SVP of Casting at Walt Disney Pictures—to reveal the real Hollywood career path that led her from discovering breakout stars to producing globally recognized documentaries like Terrence McNally: Every Act of Life , Nazarene , and The Savoy King . Marcia opens up ab...

In this inspiring Best in Fest episode, host Leslie LaPage sits down with award-winning writer, director, and musician Paula Tiberius — one of the very first La Femme Film Festival winners — to explore her incredible evolution from indie rocker and filmmaker to in-demand screenwriter for Hallmark , Lifetime , and Netflix . Paula opens up about her early days making the cult rock-and-roll movie Gol...

In this powerful Best in Fest episode, host Leslie LaPage sits down with award-winning actress, producer, and entrepreneur Jacqueline Fleming — known for Love Jones , Losing Isaiah , and collaborations with stars like Halle Berry, Morgan Freeman, and Mark Wahlberg. Jacqueline shares her remarkable journey from Denmark to Hollywood, revealing how she turned frustration into fuel — building a multi-...

In this inspiring Best in Fest episode, host Leslie LaPage spotlights the award-winning filmmakers of the 2025 LaFemme International Film Festival . From a Ukrainian refugee’s moving documentary Mama’s Voice , to the hilarious and heartfelt short The Whole Truth about motherhood and hemorrhoids, to the genre-bending Nepo Baby exploring identity and fame, to the chilling psychological thriller Don’...

In this inspiring Best in Fest episode, host Leslie LaPage spotlights the award-winning filmmakers of the 2025 LaFemme International Film Festival . From a Ukrainian refugee’s moving documentary Mama’s Voice , to the hilarious and heartfelt short The Whole Truth about motherhood and hemorrhoids, to the genre-bending Nepo Baby exploring identity and fame, to the chilling psychological thriller Don’...