Ilse Will Say

When your friends don’t just talk about making something… they actually do it—and then keep going? Yeah, that’s the vibe. This week, Ilse sits down with Teresa Martinez Moore and Adam Rebora, the duo behind Film in a Bag and the kind of creative partnership that makes you rethink your group chat. From improv team beginnings (bug bites and backyard shows included) to building a full-on film collect...

When someone can make you laugh, hit a note, and quietly diagnose why your last post flopped… you listen. This week, Ilse sits down with multi-hyphenate menace (compliment) Paige Galdieri — a performer who moves between comedy, music, and acting like it’s nothing, while also helping other artists figure out their digital voice behind the scenes. We get into her musical theater origin story (yes, i...

You know when a film title sounds absolutely ridiculous… and then somehow ends up hitting you right in the chest? Yeah. That’s this episode. Ilse sits down with director Jerry S. Gonzalez, the brain behind The Spaghetti Man , Intergalactic Pizza Boy , and Hamster in My Head —aka films that sound like a joke and then sneak in real human emotion when you’re not looking. They get into where ideas act...

Juan Francisco Villa is one of those artists who makes you want to raise your standards a little. In this episode, Ilse and Juan get into what real leadership looks like on set and in life, from Tom Hanks introducing himself to crew members to Mariska Hargitay knowing exactly how to make guest stars feel seen. They talk about vulnerability, protecting your energy without closing your heart, and th...

This episode starts with princess birthday parties and immediately swerves into a staircase ghost and an army of redheaded porcelain dolls living in Raven Whisnant’s basement. So yes, we are thriving. Raven is an actor-writer-director-editor-producer (casual) and the co-founder of New 32 Productions , a woman and queer-owned indie film company that actually cares about set culture and treats peopl...

Eddie Mujica is the kind of person who makes you want to take a deep breath and also… open fifteen tabs. He’s a Cuban-American actor, writer, director, and Emmy-winning producer who somehow lives in three lanes at once: stepping into the newest Second City Mainstage show with basically one rehearsal (I’m tired for him), premiering his short film LOCO at the San Diego Latino Film Festival , and sti...

Chloe Mikala is the kind of person who can destroy a stand-up set, headline a comedy variety show, play an EMT on Chicago P.D., co-captain a travel flag football team, and still insist she’s “just sending emails.” We talk about what it actually means to be Type A without being unbearable, why doing your “basic” well already puts you ahead of most people, and how to hustle without losing your mind....

A Walgreens parking lot. A father and son. A whole lot of stuff they never say out loud. That’s the kind of quiet, devastating power George Ellzey Jr. brings to filmmaking, and this conversation made my cheeks hurt from laughing and my brain do the full “wait… that’s real” pause. George is a South Side Chicago native and DePaul-trained director whose short film Cottage Grove started as a thesis pr...

This episode starts messy, stays honest, and lands somewhere unexpectedly grounding. Ilse sits down with Erick Juarez , a Guatemala-born, Chicago-raised filmmaker who studied at NIU, trained at the Moscow Art Theatre, spent years in LA, and came back with one clear realization: stop asking for permission and start making the work. They talk about acting vulnerability, learning how to warm down aft...

If you’ve ever finished a film and immediately whispered “cool… but what now?” this one is for you. Ilse sits down with Elizabeth Butler Austin , VP of Sales and Licensing at Echelon Studios , for a real-world look at how movies actually find an audience once the creative part is over. Elizabeth breaks down what distributors are thinking the second they watch a screener, why metadata and deliverab...

Ilse sits down with comedian, writer, filmmaker, and professional vocabulary flexer Mishu Hilmy for a conversation that starts in comedy craft and somehow ends in ghosts, dreams, and the psychology of “enough.” They talk about why timing and silence are the secret sauce of a joke, why making art in 2026 can feel like chasing relevance across seventeen streaming platforms, and how strategy can turn...

Ilse sits down with filmmaker (and beloved casting powerhouse) Brittani Ward for a conversation that feels like a warm pep talk… with teeth. They get into the weird in-between space between “I’m still learning” and “I’m ready,” how casting can sweep you up even when writing and directing was always the dream, and the mind game of feeling like you’re emailing into the void while someone on the othe...

This one feels like a late-December exhale. Cozy, funny, a little tender, and unexpectedly grounding. Ilse sits down with filmmaker, editor, and all-around creative Swiss Army knife Jacob Cagle for a holiday episode that drifts from Santa Claus lore to sibling dynamics to the quiet weight of showing up for your life and your work. Jacob opens up about belief, doubt, gratitude, and what it means to...

Ilse sits down with actor, writer, and director Jessie Komitor , whose debut film Chasing the Party premiered at Tribeca and somehow manages to be nostalgic, stylish, and devastating all at once. They dig into the strange magic of saying your dreams out loud, the moment Jessie finally allowed herself to claim the title of “director,” and the way girlhood imagination still sneaks into her work. Jes...

When an artist has lived ten creative lives and still shows up curious, brilliant, and fully human — you listen. Marissa Lichwick joins Ilse for a conversation that feels like a masterclass, a pep talk, and a cosmic hug all at once. They dive into the summer she spent training at UCLA, what making a film really demands, why stories are crafted three different times, and how being adopted shaped he...

Ilse sits down with actor Gloria Chavez ( Chicago P.D. , national commercials, and your favorite person to whisper-set-gossip with) for a conversation that feels like catching up with your comadre between takes. Gloria shares how she left a draining 9–5 in the dental world, trusted her instincts, and rebuilt her life around acting, joy, and community. They talk about the real work behind commercia...

Ilse sits down with Chicago photographer Joel Maisonet , whose headshots have quietly become the city’s best-kept secret... BUT IT'S TIME EVERYONE KNEW! They talk about intention, identity, and why a good photo is less about posing and more about letting yourself be seen. Joel shares how dance taught him to read bodies, how ADHD turned him into a Renaissance man, and why actors should stop thinkin...

Ilse sits down with filmmaker and multi-hyphenate Ben Bishop ( Dogwood , Hold Your Horses , Hamster in My Head ) for a conversation that’s equal parts filmmaking pep talk and comedy hour. They talk about growing up in Arkansas, writing without film school, and why creative people need to stop waiting for permission and just make the weird thing. Between talk of cowboy hats, HGTV obsessions, and th...

Ilse sits down with Chicago actor Abby Gilster ( Chicago Fire , Single Car Crash , Theatre Above the Law*) for a conversation that swings from haunted babies and bad anesthesia stories to imposter syndrome and the art of taking up space. They talk about perfectionism, football rage, Twilight monologues, and why actors need the discipline of athletes but the wonder of kids. Abby opens up about lear...

Ilse sits down with Chicago legend Sadieh Rifai ( Patriot , Shining Girls , The Humans , Grey House ) for a raw and joyful conversation about success, identity, and the quiet power of gratitude. They talk immigrant parents, audition anxiety, the lie of constant productivity, and why sometimes doing nothing is the most creative thing you can do. From family names that carry generations of strength...

Ilse sits down with editor and former musician Patrick Burke of Method & Madness for a conversation that somehow covers 48-hour film projects, oyster shucking, and the terrifying beauty of a well-timed dissolve. Patrick shares what he’s learned about rhythm—both in editing and in life—and how collaboration, caffeine, and chaos (the good kind) fuel creative work. They talk about the power of pa...

Ilse sits down with arts programmer, community builder, and fellow South Texan Tony Bondoc , whose resume runs from the Neo-Futurists to the League of Chicago Theaters. They talk about growing up on the Texas border, why “football for theater” (the UIL one-act competitions) shapes unstoppable creatives, and how gratitude and intention fuel his work behind the scenes. Between debates over corn vs p...

Ilse sits down with actor, comedian, and podcaster Steve Berg , whose resume spans The Good Place , Bob’s Burgers , Tag , and his own podcast Hi, Strangeness . They dive into the joy of folklore, the spirituality of UFOs, and why curiosity might be the most creative muscle an artist can have. Between burrata rants, Midwest nostalgia, and Bigfoot theories, Steve shares how chasing the “weird” keeps...

Ilse sits down with comedian, producer, and festival founder Janice V. Rodriguez , the woman who turned a New Year’s resolution into one of Chicago’s most vital comedy movements. Janice shares the origin of Las Locas Comedy, how the Latina Comedy Festival grew from a “one-show festival” into a multi-day powerhouse, and why comedy is equal parts spreadsheets and late-night punchlines. They dive int...

Ilse sits down with film programmer and Chicago Screen Gem Raul Benitez , a man who’s been shaping the city’s film culture for over a decade without ever setting foot in film school. From curating cult Czech fantasy films at midnight to launching a Chicago–Mexico City filmmaker exchange, Raul has proven that programming is equal parts taste, hustle, and knowing which audience actually wants the we...