Discover Indie Film

Happy Monday, Listeners! Selina Ringel and Dan Levy Dagerman brought their feature film “You, Me & Her” to Sherman Oaks Film Festival in 2023, taking home three awards!                                                                                        Those would be the Grand Jury Awards for Best Feature Film – Comedy, Best Performance by a Cast – Feature Film – Comedy, a...

What are the 4Qs? (1) Three favorite films. (2) An underrated film. (3) An overrated film. (4) A lesser-known film people should seek out. Matt Mazany wrote and directed the short film “Big Brothers,” taking home the Filmmakers Award for Outstanding Writing – Comedy at the Sherman Oaks Film Festival in 2024. After you listen to Matt’s 4 Questions I highly recommend watching “Big Brothe...

Happy Humpday, Friends! Matt Mazany wrote and directed the short film “Big Brothers,” taking home the Filmmakers Award for Outstanding Writing – Comedy at the Sherman Oaks Film Festival in 2024.                                                           He was also one of the titular brothers, having fun with his performance by handling the main stunt in the film himself.                    ...

What are the 4Qs? (1) Three favorite films. (2) An underrated film. (3) An overrated film. (4) A lesser-known film people should seek out. Ryan Barton Grimley returns to the podcast for the THIRD time! This time, to discuss “Listen Carefully,” the winner for Best Feature Film – Action/Thriller at Sherman Oaks FIlm Festival in 2024. It’s fair to say Ryan has been a favorite guest over the yea...

Happy Friday, Everyone! I’m supposed to focus on Ryan Barton Grimley’s film career, right? But here’s the thing.                                                                                                                                                                                              We met in 2017 when he brought the feature film “Repatriation” the second ever Film Invasion Los A...

What are the 4Qs? (1) Three favorite films. (2) An underrated film. (3) An overrated film. (4) A lesser-known film people should seek out. Ren Olivieri brought his film “The Trade” to the Sherman Oaks Film Festival in 2024, and took home the Programmer’s Prize for Exceptional Filmmaking. As you may have learned if you listened to Ren’s interview posted Monday, he’s the type of filmmake...

Happy Monday, Film Friends! Ren Olivieri brought his film “The Trade” to the Sherman Oaks Film Festival in 2024, coming down from Canada to represent the film he wrote, produced, and starred in. This smart, funny, wonderfully produced short also took home the Programmer’s Prize for Exceptional Filmmaking. I also have to mention that Ren is one of those most excellent people who makes the most of t...

What are the 4Qs? (1) Three favorite films. (2) An underrated film. (3) An overrated film. (4) A lesser-known film people should seek out. Tal Anderson is a talented actor, writer, director and producer, whose short film “Breaking Normal” took home a Programmer’s Prize for Exceptional Filmmaking at the Sherman Oaks Film Festival in 2024. I was so glad for the chance to interview Tal and extremely...

Welcome back, Listeners! Tal Anderson is a talented actor, writer, director and producer, whose short film “Breaking Normal” took home a Programmer’s Prize for Exceptional Filmmaking at the Sherman Oaks Film Festival in 2024.         Tal acted in and produced the film, but a quick look at Tal’s IMDb page will show you what a genuine multi- hyphenate she is. Actually… I did this math before t...

What are the 4Qs? (1) Three favorite films. (2) An underrated film. (3) An overrated film. (4) A lesser-known film people should seek out. Ethan Shaftel brought his Immersive film “Ajax All Powerful” to the Sherman Oaks Film Festival in 2024 and took one the Grand Jury Award for Outstanding Immersive Short. If you listened to Friday’s full interview with Ethan its no secret that “Ajax All Po...

Happy Independence Day, Everyone. And what better way to celebrate independence thank listened to a podcast about Independent film! Ethan Shaftel brought his Immersive film “Ajax All Powerful” to the Sherman Oaks Film Festival in 2024 and took one the Grand Jury Award for Outstanding Immersive Short.                                                      Do I need to explain what an immersive short...

What are the 4Qs? (1) Three favorite films. (2) An underrated film. (3) An overrated film. (4) A lesser-known film people should seek out. Rob Neilson’s film “The Word” was an official selection at both Film Invasion Los Angeles as well as Sherman Oaks Film Festival in 2024, which you might know is a rare feat. I should also mention that at FI- LA “The Word” took home the Grand Jury Awards for Bes...

Welcome back and thank you for starting your week with a new installment of Discover Indie Film! Rob Neilson’s film “The Word” was an official selection at both Film Invasion Los Angeles as well as Sherman Oaks Film Festival in 2024, which you might know is a rare feat.                                                        I should also mention that at FI- LA “The Word” took home the Grand Jury A...

What are the 4Qs? (1) Three favorite films. (2) An underrated film. (3) An overrated film. (4) A lesser-known film people should seek out. Nicholas Burns wrote and directed the short film “Intertitle” that took home both the Grand Jury Award for Best Sound Design and the Filmmakers Award for Outstanding Originality – Drama at Film Invasion Los Angeles 2024. He ALSO brought it to Sherman Oaks...

Welcome back listeners and a special thank you to anyone who came out to Film Invasion Los Angeles this past weekend! There are many things I love and adore about the two festivals I run, but one of them is having an exciting new crop of filmmakers to invite onto the podcast. Nicholas Burns wrote and directed the short film “Intertitle” that took home both the Grand Jury Award for Best Sound Desig...

What are the 4Qs? (1) Three favorite films. (2) An underrated film. (3) An overrated film. (4) A lesser-known film people should seek out. Vernon Davidson brought the feature length documentary “SEGAL” for a World Premiere at the Sherman Oaks Film Festival in 2024 and took home the Grand Jury Award – Best Feature Film – Documentary. Apparently I’m not the first to find Vernon an absolute bla...

TGIFF (Filmmakers Friday!) Today is not just any Friday– it’s also opening night of Film Invasion Los Angeles, one of the two festivals I run! To browse the films & screenings just click here . But back to today’s episode! Vernon Davidson brought the feature length documentary “SEGAL” for a World Premiere at the Sherman Oaks Film Festival in 2024 and took home the Grand Jury...

What are the 4Qs? (1) Three favorite films. (2) An underrated film. (3) An overrated film. (4) A lesser-known film people should seek out. David Lazaro, or Kuya Quatro to some, showed his Immersive music video “V. – Freaky Friday” at the Sherman Oaks Film Festival’s VR Pavillion and took home the Grand Jury Award – Outstanding Immersive Short. It doesn’t take long meeting and/or listen...

Happy Monday, Everyone! David Lazaro, or Kuya Quatro to some, showed his Immersive music video “V. – Freaky Friday” at the Sherman Oaks Film Festival’s VR Pavillion and took home the Grand Jury Award – Outstanding Immersive Short. If you need any of this explained, you’re not alone. The term “Immersive” basically means that instead of watching the music video on your TV oron a movie screen,...

What are the 4Qs? (1) Three favorite films. (2) An underrated film. (3) An overrated film. (4) A lesser-known film people should seek out. Chicago filmmaker Michael Glover Smith came on to the DIF podcast to chat about his career and specially his excellent  film Handle with Care that was an Official Selection: Short Film – Drama at Sherman Oaks Film Festival 2024 and took home the Programmer’s Pr...

Welcome back, Listeners! Chicago filmmaker Michael Glover Smith’s superb film Handle with Care was an Official Selection: Short Film – Drama at Sherman Oaks Film Festival 2024 and took home the Programmer’s Prize – Exceptional Filmmaking. I was thrilled to moderate Michael’s Q & A at the festival, and even more so, to dive back in to deeper with this talented and genuinely nice guy...

What are the 4Qs? (1) Three favorite films. (2) An underrated film. (3) An overrated film. (4) A lesser-known film people should seek out. On the last episode I throughly enjoyed chatting with Donato De Luca, who I learned actually goes by Joe! Joe and his team brought their short film “Grand Romantic Gestures” to the Sherman Oaks Film Festival in 2024 and took home the Filmmakers Award for Outsta...

Happy Friday, Listeners! Donato De Luca and his team brought their short film “Grand Romantic Gestures” to the Sherman Oaks Film Festival in 2024 and took home the Filmmakers Award for Outstanding Creativity – Drama. Amusingly, the young gentleman who I thought of as “Donato” for the entire run of the festival hopped onto this podcast and told me that he goes by Joe!                        ...

What are the 4Qs? (1) Three favorite films. (2) An underrated film. (3) An overrated film. (4) A lesser-known film people should seek out. Monday Director Daniel DelPurgatorio and producer Todd Friedman chatted with me about their feature film “Marshmallow,” a feature length horror movie that gets its VOD release on June 6! “Marshmallow” has managed the impossible, an above 90% rating on Rotten To...

Happy Monday, Film Lovers! I can’t believe we are already in June which means we are just weeks away from the 2025 Film Invasion Los Angeles Film Festival. This episode is for all of you horror fans out there. Director Daniel DelPurgatorio and producer Todd Friedman collaborated on the feature film “Marshmallow,” a feature length horror movie that gets its VOD release on June 6! “Marshmallow...