MediaMaker Spotlight

Just inside the Beltway is the historic Avalon Theatre, a rare gem in the movie theater world. Built in 1922 for silent movies, it is still operating today, showcasing hard-to-find independent films and documentaries. Host Sandra Abrams speaks to Executive Director Bill Oberdorfer about its survival, and how film directors and movie goers can support this landmark film center. To learn more, visit...

In this episode, host Candice Bloch talks with Thomas Verdi , the founder and CEO of The Film Fund , a simple and unique funding platform that grants money to filmmakers based on a single sentence pitch. And beyond the money, The Film Fund is also a community bursting with valuable resources for creators. Learn more at: https://www.thefilmfund.co/ https://www.instagram.com/thefilmfund/ https://www...

Season two wraps up with this Holiday Special , where all three hosts – Candice Bloch, Sandra Abrams, and Tara Jabbari – discuss the mega genre of Christmas and holiday movies. The trio share fun facts, their personal opinions, and go over the results of Media & Monuments’ own holiday survey, which centered on movies related to “the most wonderful time of the year.” Here are a few highlights f...

Multi-faceted multi-hyphenate Nasreen Alkhateeb sits down with host Candice Bloch to discuss disability inclusion in media - both in front of and behind the camera. Nasreen pulls from her personal and professional experiences to help shine a light on those that are too often under-represented. As a filmmaker who loves to focus on projects that help shift our culture, Nasreen points out many of the...

In this episode, host Sandra Abrams chats with first time director, Tamana Ayazi , about her film, “In Her Hands.” The film captures Afghanistan at a critical juncture: before, during, and after western forces leave, all through the eyes of the country’s youngest female mayor, the tough-minded Zarfia Ghafari. The documentary won the Audience Award at the Camden International Film Festival in Septe...

Saralisa Volm is a German actress and filmmaker. In this episode, host Tara Jabbari speaks with Saralisa about her start in the film industry and how different countries have reacted and could relate to her new film, “The Silent Forest.” They also discuss the importance of diversity in writers rooms and on-sets, as well as how to be respectful of those who wish not to be the focal point. To learn...

Best Short at The American Pavilion of Emerging Filmmakers at the 2022 Cannes Film Festival was awarded to a sweet ten-minute short called Noisy. In this episode, host Candice Bloch sits down with Cedric Hill , Noisy’s writer and director. They talk about the short film’s journey from concept to Cannes, as well as Cedric’s experience at the renowned festival and what winning there means.   To lear...

C. Marie Taylor is the founder and president of Equity Through Action , a consulting company that helps organizations create equitable practices, policies, and mind shifts. In this episode, host Tara Jabbari talks with C. Marie about inclusion and diversity, films that have caused controversy, and the practice of examining the diversity in your own life. They discuss how people - from behind the s...

Bringing a book to the big screen takes patience. In this episode, host Sandra Abrams chats with WIFV member and film producer, Catherine Hand about her new memoir, “Becoming a Warrior, My Journey to Bring A Wrinkle in Time to the Screen.”   In their conversation, Hand discusses highlights from her book and how her personal journey helped her navigate all the twists and turns the film project took...

In this special episode, all three of our hosts, Sandra Abrams, Candice Bloch, and Tara Jabbari sit down together to discuss films that are all horror and Halloween!  Listen as they share personal stories of watching horror films, their thoughts on some of the most notable horror films, and results from our survey. At the end of the episode, we give shout-outs to those who took the survey.  These...

Clothes can make or break a scene without a character saying a word. In this episode, host Sandra Abrams chats with Screenwriter and Costume Designer, Alexandra Olivia Engelson . She shares her approach to putting together a wardrobe for independent films with small budgets, and what it means to be a wardrobe coordinate on big budget television shows such as Quantico and The Equalizer. To learn mo...

While so much of the effects we see on screen can be CGI, there will always be a home for the physical, tangible art of special effects. In this episode, host Candice Bloch sits down with Ben Eadie , an experienced special effects designer, prop maker, fabricator, and multi-talented inventor and creator. Ben has worked on such projects as Star Trek Beyond, Arrow, The Predator, Ghostbusters: Afterl...

Just inside the Beltway is the historic Avalon Theatre, a rare gem in the movie theater world. Built in 1922 for silent movies, it is still operating today, showcasing hard-to-find independent films and documentaries. Host Sandra Abrams speaks to Executive Director Bill Oberdorfer about its survival, and how film directors and movie goers can support this landmark film center. To learn more, visit...

In this episode, host Candice Bloch sits down with filmmaker Erica Silverman to delve into the world of creating music videos. With many years of experience in short-form media, including directing dozens of music videos in a variety of genres and styles, Erica knows a thing or two about this world. She’s worked with artists such as Lizzo, Leon Bridges, and Avril Lavigne, to name a few, and combin...

Ken Zemke is an Emmy-award winning film and television editor whose career spans over 50 years, working all over the world.  In this episode, host Tara Jabbari sits down with him to talk about his career - from his mentor, Michael Kahn (the editor that Steven Spielberg works with), to his work as supervising editor overseeing a young Martin Scorsese’s edit for an Elvis music documentary, to why he...

In this episode, host Candice Bloch talks with Thomas Verdi , the founder and CEO of The Film Fund , a simple and unique funding platform that grants money to filmmakers based on a single sentence pitch. And beyond the money, The Film Fund is also a community bursting with valuable resources for creators. Learn more at: https://www.thefilmfund.co/ https://www.instagram.com/thefilmfund/ https://www...

The DC-metro area may be known for politics, so it makes sense that it’s also an intense proving ground for the filmmakers who create political ads. In this episode, host Candice Bloch chats with freelance editor, motion graphics designer, and colorist, Nicole Haddock , who has been in the trenches of the political ad seasons for nearly a decade. We learn more about the skills and temperament need...

In this first episode of season two, host Tara Jabbari speaks with Dylan Graves Barbeta-Comstock , a WIFV Board Member and the Founder and Chair of the WIFV DC Mentorship Program . Dylan and Tara (also a member of the Mentorship Committee) talk about the creation of the program’s curriculum, its application process, how mentors impacted Dylan’s career, the true value of mentorship, and more.  To l...

In the break between seasons, show producers recommend a past episode to check out. This week, Sandra Abrams recommends Episode #11 all about Film Commissioners of DC, MD, & VA. Full episode: https://www.buzzsprout.com/1928222/10617648 Show page: https://www.wifv.org/podcast/ Released on May 15, 2022, the original show notes are: Film Commissioners in different states and cities play a vital r...

In the break between seasons, show producers recommend a past episode to check out. This week, our audio producer Steve Lack recommends Episode #16 - New to Netflix: Martha, Watergate, and the "G" Word - which highlighted two Netflix projects, including The Martha Mitchell Effect. Full episode: https://www.buzzsprout.com/1928222/10854359 Show page: https://www.wifv.org/podcast/ Released...

In the break between seasons, show producers recommend a past episode to check out. This week, Tara Jabbari recommends Episode #3 which was about Oscar's History with the Ladies . Full episode: https://www.buzzsprout.com/1928222/10279682 Show page: https://www.wifv.org/podcast/ Released on March 20, 2022, the original show notes are: Ahead of the 94th Academy Awards on March 27, 2022, host Sa...

In the break between seasons, show producers recommend a past episode to check out. This week, Candice Bloch recommends Episode #5 all about Remote Production - A Versatile Model for Modern Times . Full episode: https://www.buzzsprout.com/1928222/10366413 Show page: https://www.wifv.org/podcast/ Released on April 3, 2022, the original show notes are: In today's world, remote production is bec...

In the break between seasons, show producers recommend a past episode to check out. This week, Sandra Abrams recommends Episode #10 all about Navigating Film Festivals . Full episode: https://www.buzzsprout.com/1928222/10574257 Show page: https://www.wifv.org/podcast/ Released on May 8, 2022, the original show notes are: While simply making a film is a passion project and can take years of work, g...

In this episode, we get the scoop on two new documentaries on Netflix.  In part one, host Sandra Abrams chats with the two filmmakers behind “ The Martha Mitchell Effect .” Using archival footage and interviews, it shows how Martha Mitchell paid a personal price for calling the press as her husband helped President Nixon cover-up a political crime, known as the Watergate Scandal.  In part two, hos...

In this recurring series, host Candice Bloch takes you inside the world of how a project gets made. Through discussions with creators about their individual journey on a particular completed production, we gain insights about what it takes to bring a vision to fruition. Whether hearing about process or logistics, lessons or advice, these success stories of bringing a project to life can be informa...