Woodstock Film Festival LET'S TALK FILM! Podcast

In Episode 34, filmmaker Kyle Thrash and producer Adam Neuhaus speak about the process of creating a documentary independently, without support from the film industry. They share insights into the inspiring journey of filmmakers coming together to support one another through Adam’s The Non-Fiction Hotlist , and how that experience contrasts with working under the influence of industry executives....

In Episode 33, host and WFF shorts programmer Amanda Naseem speaks with director Rashad Frett about the making of his award-winning short film RICKY and how he is currently working on a feature-length version. Rashad also discusses his journey in finding himself as an artist and filmmaker and the process of casting non-actors and family members. Rashad Frett is an award-winning Caribbean-American...

In Episode 32, we talk with Smriti Mundhra and Maya Gnyp, the Director and Producer of the Oscar-nominated short documentary, I AM READY, WARDEN . Mundhra and Gnyp share the importance of establishing trust with the subjects of their documentary in creating an authentic representation of a death row prisoner seeking redemption.  Smriti Mundhra is a DGA Award-winning, Academy Award-nominated and th...

WFF Panel Sponsored by Amazon MGM Studios Carla Gutiérrez is an Emmy-nominated documentary director/editor. Her directorial debut, FRIDA , premiered at Sundance 2024 and she edited the Oscar-nominated films RBG and La Corona. Carla is a member of the Academy of Motion Pictures and the American Cinema Editors. Roger Ross Williams is an Oscar, Emmy, Peabody, and NAACP Image award-winning director, p...

AI has been making its way into many areas of society over the last two years including the creative arts and filmmaking. As a versatile tool, AI is being embraced by many artists, filmmakers, and studios to explore new ideas and bring their visions to life. These tools are already streamlining production processes and lowering budgets, while simultaneously sparking discussions about their impact...

Amidst the softest distribution market in decades, at the peak of its popularity, documentary filmmaking has reached an inflection point. In this wide-ranging conversation with some of the most prolific filmmakers in the industry, we take a “bird's-eye” view of the challenges and opportunities. Addressing audience engagement and career sustainability while contextualizing our current climate...

Today’s women filmmakers are calling the shots, whether with a movie camera on their shoulder, a pen in their hand, an idea in their head, or a computer and a desk at their feet. In this conversation co-presented by New York Women in Film & Television, meet some of today’s most inspiring filmmakers, all current participating filmmakers or alumni of the Woodstock Film Festival, as they discuss...

Academy Award-nominated director and screenwriter Paul Schrader ’s acclaimed films include AMERICAN GIGOLO, MISHIMA: A LIFE IN FOUR CHAPTERS, AFFLICTION, FIRST REFORMED, THE CARD COUNTER and MASTER GARDENER. He also collaborated with Martin Scorsese, writing TAXI DRIVER, RAGING BULL, and THE LAST TEMPTATION OF CHRIST. Academy Award, BAFTA, WGA, and Emmy nominee Ramin Bahrani is the writer, directo...

With Amanda Seyfried and Aya Cash. Moderated by Martha Frankel. A frank and in-depth conversation with actors Amanda Seyfried and Aya Cash, focusing on their storied careers and their acting craftsmanship. As successful actors, the two discuss teamwork (actors with actors, actors with directors), and share anecdotes from some of their more well known films. A not-to-be-missed glimpse into the behi...

In Episode 27, Adam Schartoff talks with WFF features programmer, Amir Bogen, to highlight feature films in this year’s lineup. The two speak on the process of finding and securing these films, including scouting other festival,  to find the most unique and diverse voices they can find.  Amir Bogen is an American-Israeli film journalist. For over 20 years, he has worked as a journalist for Ynet (I...

In Episode 26, we talk with WFF shorts programmers Joy Buran, Noelle Melody and Amanda Naseem about the process of selecting films that align with their creative visions for the festival. The three speak on what it took to choose films through the record number of submissions they received, and the importance of seeking out unique and diverse stories.   This episode also dives into some of this ye...

LET'S TALK FILM! Podcast Episode 25 In Episode 25, we talk to director and author Susan Seidelman about the process of crafting her memoir, Desperately Seeking Something , her experiences as a female filmmaker in the ‘80s, and the lasting legacy of her films, including the 1985 cult classic DESPERATELY SEEKING SUSAN, starring Madonna. A graduate of NYU Grad Film School, Susan Seidelman began...

In episode 24, we chat with Director Phil Bertelsen and Producer Lise Yasui about their documentary  THE PICTURE TAKER , which explores the complicated life of Civil Rights photographer and FBI informant Ernest Withers. The filmmakers discuss in detail the 15-year journey to make the film, Withers’ complicated legacy, and the importance of exposing government surveillance in times of dissent.  “It...

LET'S TALK FILM! Podcast Episode #23 In this episode, we talk with Actor/Producer Djaka Souaré and Actor Anthony Lalor about their new short film CUT ME IF YOU CAN , a satire about the racist and sexist tropes we see in horror films. Djaka and Anthony talk about creating black characters in non-stereotypical roles, meeting dream collaborators, and the festival circuit +  Djaka recommends some...

LET’S TALK FILM! Podcast Episode #22 In this episode, we chat with filmmakers Julie Sharbutt and Anastasia Rykova, whose shorts SCAM and THE TALE OF TWO CRUEL RULERS were featured at the 2023 Woodstock Film Festival.  Julie Sharbutt is a Genre and Comedy filmmaker and writer based in LA. Her 2023 short film SCAM has screened at Woodstock, Fantaspoa and more. The 2021 short CUPIDS she co-wrote prem...

LET’S TALK FILM! Podcast Episode #21 In this episode, we chat with filmmaker and food advocate Oliver English about his recent film, FEEDING TOMORROW. Oliver talks about the impact of his solutions-oriented film, from regenerative farming, growing food on rooftops at Brooklyn Grange, the first farm built inside of a hospital that provides healthy food to patients, and much more!  Oliver English is...

LET’S TALK FILM! Podcast Episode #20 In this episode, we discuss with 2023 WFF filmmaker alumnus Set Hernandez and his close friend, Pedro, the subject of his most recent film, UNSEEN . Together they explore the creative approaches to documentary filmmaking that assist in representing Pedro’s intersectionality as a disabled, immigrant social worker. They simultaneously discuss the social impact fi...

LET’S TALK FILM! Podcast Episode #19 In this episode, writer/director Chelsea Bo and actor Ava Acres talk about making the narrative film NO RIGHT WAY by improvising the script, which brings a totally fresh and new kind of realism to an indie film about single motherhood.  Chelsea Bo is a writer/director with a theater and improv background. She graduated from Loyola Marymount University’s School...

LET’S TALK FILM! Podcast Episode #18 In this episode, we chat with Filmmakers Joe Brewster and Michèle Stephenson about their latest award-winning films GOING TO MARS: THE NIKKI GIOVANNI PROJECT , the short film BLACK GIRLS PLAY: THE STORY OF HAND GAMES , and the importance of communal viewing and how film festivals contribute to that experience. Producer and Director Joe Brewster is a Harvard-tra...

LET’S TALK FILM! Podcast Episode #17 In this episode, we chat with Actor and Director Larry Fessenden about his independent horror films and how they showcase the impending doom of present societal issues. Fessenden is an actor, writer, director, and producer and the head of the NY-based independent production shingle Glass Eye Pix with the mission of supporting individual voices in the arts. Larr...

LET’S TALK FILM! Podcast Episode # 16 In this episode, we chat with Director, Producer, and Screenwriter Yoruba Richen about her work on uncovering never-before-told, or otherwise improperly told, stories through her many films. Yoruba Richen is an Emmy-nominated documentary filmmaker whose work has been featured on multiple outlets, including Netflix, MSNBC, FX/Hulu, HBO, and PBS. One of her most...

LET’S TALK FILM! Podcast Episode #15 In this episode, we chat with Director and Cinematographer Stephen Gerard Kelly about his latest film IN THE SHADOW OF BEIRUT. Stephen Gerard Kelly is an Ireland-raised artist with a sensitivity around post-colonial power structures and a background in development and conflict research. He spent five years living in Beirut, listening, understanding, and filming...

Kim Jackson is a critically acclaimed producer and production manager. Some of her work includes DOWN WITH THE KING (2021), TRUST MACHINE: THE STORY OF BLOCKCHAIN (2018), and BLUE  CAPRICE (2013). She currently serves as the VP of development for New York Women in Film and Television (NYWIFT). Among other things, she is also a co-founder of the creative studio Evotion. Topics discussed: NYWIFT , ...

In the 1990s, original storytelling rose on the back of new technology, as VCR and DVD revenue flowed into the recoupment waterfall. Risking $1 million to make and market a new film became a “why not” – Until streaming platforms eclipsed all distribution. Audiences increased while revenues diminished. Today, the monolithic streaming model has proved unsustainable. When Hollywood studios are stumpe...

More and more actors choose to also work behind the camera as directors, and/or producers of narrative films, television series, and experimental shorts, along with other genres and formats. Hear what compels them to work behind the camera, and how different those experiences are. SPEAKERS: Steve Buscemi -   Steve Buscemi is an actor, writer, director and producer. He starred in HBO's Boardwa...