Center Stage

On this episode of Center Stage, I had the privilege of sitting down with filmmakers Jared Drake and Steven Siig to talk about their gripping documentary, BURIED: The 1982 Alpine Meadows Avalanche. Their film revisits the devastating events of March 31, 1982, when a colossal avalanche—unleashing millions of pounds of snow—swept through the Alpine Meadows Ski Resort in Northern California, tragical...

On this powerful episode of Center Stage, I speak with filmmaker and human rights activist Leslee Udwin about her searing documentary India’s Daughter. The film tells the harrowing story of the 2012 gang rape and murder of Jyoti Singh, a 23-year-old medical student in Delhi—a crime so brutal it ignited global outrage and sparked a nationwide movement for justice in India. Through interviews with J...

Inside the Mind Behind Taxi to the Dark Side: An Interview with Alex Gibney Few filmmakers have the courage—or the tenacity—to peel back the layers of power and expose what lies beneath. Alex Gibney is one of them. In this candid interview, the Oscar-winning documentarian opens up about the making of Taxi to the Dark Side, his searing exposé on the U.S. government's use of torture during the war i...

In this episode of Center Stage, Mark Gordon talks with acclaimed playwright and filmmaker Neil LaBute about his latest provocative thriller, House of Darkness. Known for his sharp dialogue and unsettling explorations of human behavior, LaBute once again leads us into murky psychological territory—this time through a creepy, sexy, and sinister story about what happens when a man meets a mysterious...

On this episode of Center Stage, I speak with award-winning filmmaker Bernardo Ruiz about his powerful and sobering documentary Kingdom of Shadows. With unflinching honesty, the film dives deep into the human cost of the U.S.-Mexico drug war through the eyes of three individuals whose lives have been forever shaped by violence, corruption, and loss. From a former Texas drug enforcement agent to a...

On this episode of Center Stage, Mark Gordon talks with Scott Alexander and Larry Karaszewski, the dynamic screenwriting duo, masters of the offbeat biopic, and the minds behind some of Hollywood’s most fascinating true-life stories. From Ed Wood to The People vs. Larry Flynt to Man on the Moon, their work has consistently blended sharp wit, deep empathy, and a passion for characters living on the...

On this episode of Center Stage, I’m joined by director Justin Dyck and writer Keith Cooper to talk about their chilling and unexpectedly emotional film Anything for Jackson. Known for their work in lighter genres, the duo takes a bold leap into horror with this unique story—a grieving elderly couple, desperate to bring back their deceased grandson, turn to dark forces in a ritual gone terribly wr...

On this episode of Center Stage, I sit down with writer-director Ryan Spindell to explore the eerie and exquisitely crafted horror anthology The Mortuary Collection. Set in the fog-shrouded town of Raven’s End, the film follows a curious young drifter who stumbles into a crumbling mortuary and meets Montgomery Dark—an enigmatic undertaker with a knack for spinning grim tales. As he recounts the to...

On this episode of Center Stage, I speak with filmmakers Alan Adelson and Kate Taverna about their urgent and eye-opening documentary The People vs. Agent Orange. While many believe the devastation of Agent Orange ended with the Vietnam War, this powerful film reveals a chilling truth: the toxic legacy lives on. Across the globe, a primary chemical used in Agent Orange continues to be sprayed in a...

On this episode of Center Stage, I sit down with director Svetlana Cvetko and co-writer/producer David Scott to discuss their visually poetic and emotionally daring film, Show Me What You Got. Blending the intimacy of a love story with the raw energy of youthful rebellion, the film follows three twentysomethings who form a passionate and unconventional ménage à trois. As they navigate art, activis...

Ben Hozie talks about his latest film PVT CHAT on Center Stage with Mark Gordon. Hozie states, "PVT CHAT is an attempt to understand this epoch's stimulation addiction and the philosophical ramifications of this stimulation transaction economy. It is also an attempt to bring film eroticism into the 21st century ----> I wanted to film masturbation and fantasy in a way that I've never seen at the ci...

Marijnke de Jong and Robin Lutz discuss their latest documentary M.C.ESCHER: JOURNEY TO INFINITY M.C. Escher: Journey To Infinity is the story of world famous Dutch graphic artist M.C Escher (1898-1972). Equal parts history, psychology, and psychedelia, Robin Lutz’s entertaining, eye-opening portrait gives us the man through his own words and images: diary musings, excerpts from lectures, correspo...

Braden R. Duemmler came Center Stage with Mark Gordon to talk about his first feature film, WHAT LIES BELOW, an eerie tale of family, love, and trust. The film follows Liberty, a socially awkward 16-year-old, who returns home from two months at camp to find her mother living with John Smith, a charming and intelligent man with perfect teeth and a chiseled body. His good looks captivate Liberty, bu...

Seth Savoy is a Cajun American film director and screenwriter from Little Rock, Arkansas. He studied filmmaking at Columbia College Chicago. There he made multiple award-winning short films that screened at more than 65 film festivals around the world. In 2015, Seth took his script “The Echo Boomers” to the Sundance Film Festival and won an independent pitch competition that caught the industry's...

Jacob Chase came Center Stage with Mark Gordon to talk about his latest film about a boy and his scary friend Larry.

Darren Lynn Bousman has been terrorizing audiences ever since he directed SAWII. His current film, DEATH OF ME, follows a couple whose beautiful island vacation turns into a nightmare when discovering a mysterious video of one of them killing the other. DEATH OF ME is currently streaming on Prime Video.

Malcolm Goodwin & Victor Hawks talk about their inspiring new film BE THE LIGHT, a musical/family drama about the power of love, faith, and redemption, follows a down and out girl who tries to make amends with her dying father. For more information about the film visit www.bethelightmovie.com

Mark Johnston and Mark Ryan discuss WINE AND WAR, a documentary about the history of winemaking in Lebanon and the resilience of the Lebanese entrepreneurial spirit seen through the lens of war and instability. The film will have its virtual theatrical release at Laemmle Theaters on October 9th and available at www.wineandwar.com. All proceeds from the film's release will be donated to CAP-HO www....

James Keach talks about his latest film, TURNING POINT: A GUEST FOR A CURE, which follows a group of scientists searching for a cure for Alzheimer’s disease. For more information about the film and where you can watch it visit www.turningpointmovie.com

Sherrida Woodley talks about her award-winning novel Quick Fall of Light. Set during a bird flu epidemic, a woman vows to protect a passenger pigeon whose secret existence will determine humankind's future. The book's inspiration came from her experience working in a pathology lab in the mid-1990s. She saw how environmental destruction and extinction of endangered species could lead to the release...

Award-winning documentary filmmaker and journalist Eric Merola talks about his latest film, THE ANDORRA HUSTLE, a documentary about a private bank closure in Andorra, meant to destroy the Catalonian Independence Movement. THE ANDORRA HUSTLE left dozens facing prison time for money laundering crimes that never existed and scores of innocent families losing their life savings. For more about the fil...

Brandon Christensen talks about his latest film, Z, which follows a family who finds themselves terrorized by their eight-year-old son's imaginary friend. Z is streaming on www.shudder.com and available on VOD, Digital HD, DVD, and Blu-ray on September 1, 2020. Be sure to lock the doors, look under the bed, and check the closet to make sure an unwelcomed guest isn’t watching with you.

Chris Foggin talks about making the heartwarming film Fisherman’s Friends. Based on a true story the film follows a group of singing fishermen who get discovered by a music producer and he takes them from a small Cornish village to international fame.

Few actors have had a career as quietly powerful and enduring as Scott Wilson. From his breakout performance in 1967’s Oscar-winning In the Heat of the Night to his chilling portrayal of real-life murderer Dick Hickock in the classic In Cold Blood later that same year, Wilson built a career defined by depth, authenticity, and unforgettable characters. In 2017, I had the honor of sitting down with...

Tony Dean Smith talks about his first feature film, the science-fiction thriller, VOLITION. It all began while he was in film school. He had developed a story about a scientist experimenting with a drug that would allow him to see 50 seconds into the future. Written as a short film, but it never got made. He wasn’t satisfied, so he put the project on hold. As the years passed, he kept coming back...