Sifter

Ricardo Preve is an Argentine filmmaker, photographer and activist, who immigrated to Charlottesville in his youth. He has produced more than 30 films for film and television. His latest doc is personal, because it looks at the continuing struggles of Latinx immigrants in his Virginia hometown. Our interview covers: – Opening the doc with a Gerry and the Pacemakers song from 1965 – How...

In October 2020, Cadence commissioned 5 writers to create screenplays for their Sitelines BLM program. Three of them were selected to be produced by local cast and crews. They’ll be presented at a mini-film fest called ACTION at 1:00pm on Saturday, 10/14 at the Virginia Museum of History and Culture . Admission is free. Omi Green, Professor of Theatre & Africana Studies at William and Ma...

Shawn O. Utsey is a Professor in the Department of Psychology at VCU, but his passion is the documentaries he produces on Richmond’s African American history. We discuss: – How he got into filmmaking – Making Until the Well Runs Dry: Medicine and the Exploitation of Black Bodies – Getting an interview Dick Gregory for the movie – The history of Central Lunatic Asylum...

Dennis Madigan has made his career working in the Art Department for numerous movies and TV series. Since many of them were shot in Philadelphia where he lives, it includes almost all of the shows by M. Night Shyamalan. He talks about the brass prop that he slips into their sets and more fun stories about working in the industry, including: – Being a drummer in Single Bullet Theory – W...

This is a double featuring 2 entries at this year’s Richmond International Film Festival (9/26 – 10/1). Rick Wallace was a producer on L.A. Law & Hill Street Blues and EP on The Closer & Major Crimes . He talks about the new film DOUBLE DOWN SOUTH, which he produced with writer/director Tom Schulman (Oscar winner for Dead Poet’s Society ). We cover: – How he started on Hi...

BK Fulton is Founding Chairman and CEO of Souldifly Productions right here in Richmond. The company specializes in uplifting stories for film, stage and books. Bk talks about: – What famous actor he’s named after – Transitioning  from Verizon to producing – Upcoming THE KILL ROOM with Uma Thurman & Samuel L. Jackson – Tony-nominated revival of THE PIANO LESSON &#8...

Joel Haberli was a working actor in Norfolk before moving to New York, where his career in movies and TV took off. We discuss: – His ad lib on And Just Like That – Working with Ice-T on Law & Order – His experience with Anthony Edwards as a director – What John Slattery said to him Adam Rosenberg is an editor and graphics motion artist whose work is genuinely quirky, un...

One of the featured documentaries at this year’s Richmond International Film Festival is The Business of Birth Control , an examination of the relationship between hormonal birth control and women’s health. The film’s Executive Producer Ricki Lake & Associate Producer and Richmond Doctor of Acupuncture and Chinese Medicine, Keith Bell join director Abby Epstein to talk about:...

Daphne Maxwell Reid is an actor best known for playing Aunt Vivian on The Fresh Prince of Bel Air , but she’s been in numerous other films and TV shows, including several with her husband Tim Reid. They’ve been living in Virginia for many years, continuing to act and produce. Just recently, Daphne started sharing hosting duties on Virginia This Morning on CBS-6. We discuss: – Wit...

Cocoa Brown is a Newport News native whose career as a stand-up comic has blossomed into numerous outstanding roles in movies and TV series. This includes working for such iconic directors as Tyler Perry. John Singleton & Ryan Murphy. She can currently be seen in Peacock’s hit The Big Door Prize. We talk about: – Where she got her real first name Farah – How she got into come...

David Glen Russell is a composer and orchestrator for film, TV and video games. He spent a few years in Richmond before moving to LA to work on such projects as Spiderman 3 , Dr. Strange , Wednesday and numerous Star Wars series. We discuss: – What classic guitar solo changed his life – The movie that got him interested in composing – The difference between a composer and an orch...

The Ashland Theatre opened on August 10, 1948. They’re celebrating the 75 th anniversary with 75 cent screenings and lots more fun. Courtney Caldwell, the General Manager, and Hugh Joyce, the VP of their board, talk about: – When the theatre was first opened – The lost years – Why renovate? – How it’s changed Ashland since reopening – Special screenings an...

Swagger is the AppleTV+ series that was shot in Richmond and based on basketball legend Kevin Durant’s life. Creator/showrunner Reggie Rock Bythewood talks about the first season and what we can expect in Season 2, including: – Pivoting from a theatre to screen – How acting in The Brother From Another Planet inspired him – Getting involved with Swagger – Why are episo...

Tim Reid is probably best known as Venus Flytrap on the hit sitcom WKRP in Cincinatti , but he and his wife Daphne Maxwell Reid have lived in Virginia for many years. In the 60s, Tim and Tom Dreesen formed America’s first Black/white comedy duo, Tim and Tom. After they split up, Tom went on to a career that included more than 500 TV appearances and numerous tours, including 13 years as the o...

Sergei Troubetzkoy, who’s currently President of Main Street Petersburg, has worked as a film liaison for localities around Virginia, including Petersburg, Lynchburg, Staunton and Bedford. During that time, he’s amassed some great stories about the business and the stars, including: – Working on one of 7 Lincoln films shot in Petersburg – Meeting Sam Waterston…twice &...

FREEDOM HOUSE AMBULANCE – THE FIRST RESPONDERS is the story of the country’s first trained paramedics, a small group of Black men and women from Pittsburgh’s inner city Hill District. The producer for WQED, Annette Banks, will discuss: – How she started at WQED (the home of Mr. Rogers) – Discovering Freedom House – The biggest challenge – A surprise from P...

Erc Hause, Director of the Virginia Queer Film Festival, will fill us in on this new event in Norfolk. Then, we’ll look at OCEAN INVADERS, a documentary about the harm that the invasive Lionfish cause in our waters (It shows free tonite at Maymont). Writer/producer/director Jeff Boedeker and Director of Photography Nicholas Donnelly talk about: – Orange Frame Productions – Discov...

Betty Bodine was a radio character created by Rita Bentley. Her Southern accent and countrified manner made her popular for 20 years on Q94’s morning shows in Richmond. Her character’s bits were also syndicated in Norfolk, DC, Dallas, Mobile, Charleston, West Virginia, AND Charleston, South Carolina. Now she’s written BODINE, THE EARLY YEARS OF RADIO’S BETTY BODINE, a ficti...

Kevin Kravitz has spent his life gathering photos and autographs from all manner of famous people. In our interview we cover: – Meeting a famous drummer in high school – Spotting a famous comic in Finland – Happening upon Backdraft in Chicago, getting cast & meeting Ron Howard – Meeting Jerry Hall & Rupert Murdoch – Acting in To Kill a Mockingbird with Mary Ba...

Andrea Detwiler has been involved with puppets since graduating from VCU. She’s worked on projects for Sesame Street, Jim Henson Studios and two new Star Wars series. In contrast, there’s a GWAR connection. We cover: – Working at Kings Dominion with the “walkarounds” – Starting at Sesame Street Live – The “skins” department for Walking with Din...

Terry Rea was the first manager of Richmond’s iconic repertory cinema, The Biograph from 1972 to 1987, bringing all manner of foreign and art film to its Grace St location near VCU (see foto below of the location). Terry joins me to reminisce about: – Developing the concept of repertory shows – Creating the iconic calendars – Launching midnight movies, including The Rocky H...

In August 2009, John Heidel and his wife, Kristina, opened The Goochland Drive-In Theater. It’s been going strong since then, propelled by their love of movies and a modernized movie-going experience. John takes for a tour that includes: – How and why they wanted to open a drive-in – Defying the nay sayers, including the banks and realtors – What’s different about the...

Anahita fled Afghanistan in August 2021 with her 5 children. This documentary features her interview as she explains her plight, then follows her as she creates a new life in the US. Director Martin Montgomery and Belltower Films producer David Power discuss: – What inspired this story – How they found Anahita – Matt Lively’s illustrations helped tell the story – Work...

The 29 th annual James River Film Fest runs from April 20 – 23. This week’s show is another triple feature with: – Ben Cronly, new Executive Director of the Byrd Theatre Foundation talking about the changes and the future of the Byrd – Susan Donnelly (director) & Ted Salins (DP/co-editor) of ALLIANCE a doc about a farming community in New Jersey founded by immigrant Russian J...

This week’s show is a triple feature. 1. Jasmine Elmore from Oakwood Arts talks about their documentary workshops and monthly film society 2. Director Dave Hobbs and actor Chris Korkalo discuss their new indie film THE MARDI GRAS MAN, which was just at Movieland last weekend (and has upcoming viewings in other areas of the state) 3. VPM’s new docuseries is called LIFE IN THE HEARTLAND...