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Watch This Episode On YouTube This conversation could have gone on for another few hours. I felt so blessed to chat with a kindred spirit about raising the profile of independent filmmakers, Hope Lawson. Hope founded Takeout LA after finding herself in the filmmaking business. She also works for Gersh so this episode opens up discussions I’ve been dying to have on the podcast.  Takeout LA is a fil...

Every Sunday, I'll post a quick video -- and podcast -- about an indie film from at least a year ago. Today's film: ADAM THE FIRST (2024). Director: Irving Franco Writer: Irving Franco Cast: Oakes Fegley; David Duchovny; T.R. Knight SYNOPSIS After finding a list of names and addresses, 14-year-old Adam sets out across the country to meet a series of men who could be his father. Subscribe t...

My guest, Lee Knight, won Best Director at 2025's HollyShorts for his stunning film, A FRIEND OF DOROTHY (2025) , but you wouldn't know it because as you just heard, his thoughts are with the indie filmmakers still out there struggling. That sounds exactly like my type of filmmaker to host on the podcast. A FRIEND OF DOROTHY could be described as "a lonely widow's quiet life is upe...

Watch This Episode On YouTube Every Sunday, I'll post a quick video -- and podcast -- about an indie film from at least a year ago. Today's film: GOODBYE, HELLO (2024). Director: Jack Cooper Stimpson Writers: Jeremy Ford; Bec Pittard Cast: Steve Guttenberg; Nancy Linari; Hollie Bahar SYNOPSIS Nate Ryan returns home to Bundy Canyon to visit his dying father; Nate opens old wounds in an atte...

Watch This Episode On YouTube That’s my guest, Alex Salam, with one of the most riveting reasons to become a filmmaker I’ve ever heard. Given their significant training, it’s practically impossible to do, but I wish we had more doctor/filmmakers in the world. From those that I’ve seen, they’ve produced work that is equal parts precision and creativity, the perfect combination of soul and mind.  Al...

Watch This Episode On YouTube I haven’t done a how much I love New York City episode in a couple weeks, so the indie smash, OR SOMETHING (2024) , and the film’s director, Jeffrey Scotti Schroeder, makes for the absolute perfect guest. Why is the film being extended at Quad Cinemas? What does it say for indie filmmakers that the Substack crowd got so behind this film? Is it repeatable? Let’s hope s...

Happy 2nd anniversary to the pod, and I can’t think of a more vital filmmaker for our time and for this episode than Nathaniel Lezra. His film ROADS OF FIRE (2025) , winner of the Best Feature Documentary at the 2025 ‪@officialSBIFF‬ interweaves the lives of a human smuggler navigating the treacherous Darién Gap (the only land bridge between North and South America), an asylum seeker rebuilding he...

Every Sunday, I'll post a quick video -- and podcast -- about an indie film from at least a year ago. Today's film: YOU CAN COUNT ON ME (2000). Director: Kenneth Lonergan Screenplay: Kenneth Lonergan Cast: Laura Linney; Kenneth Lonergan; Mark Ruffalo; Matthew Broderick SYNOPSIS Sammy is a single mother who is extremely protective of her 8-year old son. She is satisfied with living in the s...

Watch FORWARD THINKING (2025) Now I’m not sure if the pod has ever gotten a bigger honor than what Antonio Harper & Abby Burton gave it in this episode — sure, they said, listeners can watch our short, currently on its festival run. FORWARD THINKING (2025) is a “surreal short film about a young black man who is attempting to trademark his likeness in the event that he's murdered by the pol...

Watch This Episode On YouTube Every Sunday, I'll post a quick video -- and podcast -- about an indie film from at least a year ago. Today's film: HOW TO MAKE MILLIONS BEFORE GRANDMA DIES (2024) Director: Pat Boonnitipat Writers: Pat Boonnitipat; Thodsapon Thiptinnakorn Cast: Putthipong Assaratanakul; Usha Seamkhum; Sanya Kunakorn SYNOPSIS A man, driven by his desire for a multi-million dol...

Watch The Video On YouTube Every Sunday, I'll post a quick video -- and podcast -- about an indie film from at least a year ago. Today's film: GOD'S POCKET (2014) Director: John Slattery Writers: Peter Dexter; Alex Metcalf; John Slattery Cast: Philip Seymour Hoffman; Richad Jenkins; Christina Hendricks; John Turturro SYNOPSIS A boozy lowlife (Philip Seymour Hoffman) tries to bury the t...

Watch This Episode On YouTube Every Sunday, I'll post a quick video -- and podcast -- about an indie film from at least a year ago. Today's film: BEFORE/DURING/AFTER (2020) Director: Stephen Kunken; Jack Lewars Screenplay: Finnerty Steeves Cast: Finnerty Steeves; Jeremy Davidson; John Pankow; John Ellison Conlee SYNOPSIS This sharp-witted dramedy studies a middle-aged NYC theatre actress s...

Watch This Episode On YouTube Every Sunday, I'll post a quick video -- and podcast -- about an indie film from at least a year ago. Today's film: UNTOGETHER (2018). Director: Emma Forrest Written By: Emma Forrest Cast: Jamie Dornan; Ben Mendelsohn; Jemima Kirke; Lola Kirke; Billy Crystal SYNOPSIS Once considered a teen prodigy, a recovering addict sobers up and tries to get her writing car...

Watch This Episode On YouTube Every Sunday, I'll post a quick video -- and podcast -- about an indie film from at least a year ago. Today's film: TO DUST (2018). Director: Shawn Snyder Written By: Shawn Snyder; Jason Begue Cast: Matthew Broderick; Géza Röhrig SYNOPSIS A Hasidic cantor in upstate New York, distraught by the untimely death of his wife, befriends a local community college bio...

Watch This Episode On YouTube It’s hard to say what’s been the biggest achievement for Daniel over the past few weeks — starting his own studio, Outerboro Films, getting selected as a 2025 Film Independent Documentary Story Lab Fellow , or telling the white supremacist Nick Fuentes that he’s an asshole. Daniel said it’s the latter, but I’m guessing as we look back, it’ll be the first two, as he re...

Watch This Episode On YouTube Every Sunday, I'll post a quick video -- and podcast -- about an indie film from at least a year ago. Today's film: BROKEN FLOWERS (2005). Director: Jim Jarmusch Written By: Jim Jarmusch; Bill Raden; Sara Driver Cast: Bill Murray; Jessica Lange; Sharon Stone SYNOPSIS When his latest girlfriend (Julie Delpy) leaves him, retired computer magnate Don Johnston (Bi...

Watch This Episode On YouTube Every Sunday, I'll post a quick video -- and podcast -- about an indie film from at least a year ago. Today's film: THE BACHELORS (2017). Director: Kurt Voelker Written By: Kurt Voelker Cast: JK Simmons; Josh Wiggins; Odeya Rush SYNOPSIS After the death of his wife, Bill and his 17-year-old son, Wes, move from a small town to a big city for a fresh start. As t...

Watch This Episode On YouTube Every Sunday, I'll post a quick video -- and podcast -- about an indie film from at least a year ago. Today's film: FIVE YEARS APART (2019). Director: Joe Angelo Menconi Written By: Joe Angelo Menconi; Zac Krause Cast: Chloe Bennet; Scott Michael Foster; Ally Maki SYNOPSIS Two estranged brothers born on the same day five years apart run into each other at thei...

I never met or even heard of Bill Bartell before watching this documentary, but darn if filmmaker Dave Markey doesn't bring him to life in his brilliant film, THE SECRET LIVES OF BILL BARTELL . The film is a kaleidoscope of events and people; you'll think it's a mockumentary before realizing that...it's all true. It is a testament to the craft of Dave that he creates such a stunnin...

Every Sunday, I'll post a quick video -- and podcast -- about an indie film from at least a year ago. Today's film: SAY YOU WILL (2017) Director: Nick Naveda Written By: Nick Naveda Cast: Travis Tope; Katherine Hughes; Israel Broussard; Sam Trammell SYNOPSIS After his father's suicide, a promising young musician tries to help his mother survive her grief while he tries to find solace i...

Watch This Episode On YouTube Ntare Guma Mbaho Mwine is an accomplished actor, director, and documentary filmmaker, and so it's no surprise that his film, MEMORIES OF LOVE RETURNED (2024 ), is a love letter to the arts. It's also a love letter about Uganda, and offers a deeply personal look at his experience in the country and that of photographer Kibaate Aloysius Ssalongo. In this episode...

Watch This On YouTube Every Sunday, I'll post a quick video -- and podcast -- about an indie film from at least a year ago. Today's film: BROADCAST NEWS (1987). Director: James L Brooks Screenplay: James L Brooks Cast: Holly Hunter; William Hurt; Albert Brooks SYNOPSIS A highly strung news producer finds herself strangely attracted to a vapid anchorman even through she loathes everything h...

Every Sunday, I'll post a quick video -- and podcast -- about an indie film from at least a year ago. Today's film: ONCE AGAIN (2019). The film is also on streamers as "una vez más." Director: Guillermo Rojas Written By: Guillermo Rojas; Kevin Dániel di Angelo Cast: Silvia Acosta; Teresa Arboi; Beatriz Arjona SYNOPSIS Abril left Daniel behind 5 years ago, when she decided to try he...

Every Sunday, I'll post a quick video -- and podcast -- about an indie film from at least a year ago. Today's film: BABYSITTER (2022). Director: Monia Chokrisd Written By: Catherine Léger Cast: Pierre-Marcel Blanchot; Fabrice Lambot; Catherine Leger; Martin Paul-Hus SYNOPSIS After a sexist joke goes viral, Cédric loses his job and embarks on a therapeutic journey. When he and his girlfrien...

Every Sunday, I'll post a quick video -- and podcast -- about an indie film from at least a year ago. Today's film: LONG DECEMBER (2023). Director: Thomas Torrey Writer: Thomas Torrey Cast: Stephen Williams; Emily Althaus; Charley Koontz SYNOPSIS Nearing the end of another financially difficult year and feeling pressured to finally give up on his dreams, struggling musician Gabe Lovell won...