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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 releases more of his critically acclaimed docs under his own banner. 

Daniel has made truly extraordinary films, and now he’s put himself in...

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At 21, Jenny Lee-Gilmore was diagnosed with narcolepsy. In her film LITTLE MISS SLEEPY, she explores what it's like to live with a neurological disorder that's misunderstood and often misdiagnosed.

In this conversation, we explore how she made that decision to turn one of her most personal life stories into a documentary and what advice she has for other filmmakers.

The film recently screened at GEMFest 2025 in Vancouver.

In this episode, Jenny and I talk about:

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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 (Bill Murray) has no greater ambition than to sit around the house. When he receives an anonymous letter from a former girlfriend claiming he has...

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Watch The Trailer Of A Nice Indian Boy

Preorder the film, available for streaming on May 6, 2025

I can't give this title out often before it becomes meaningless, but the best film I've seen this year is A NICE INDIAN BOY (2024), by director Roshan Sethi. And with SINNERS (2025), it's the hottest story in film right now. Let's talk about why that is with one of the most intelligent and analytic minds in filmmaking: Roshan Sethi.

In this episode, Roshan and I talk about:

Buy Tickets Now For JIMMY IN SAIGON In NYC Through May 1st

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"Polite persistence" -- that's the story of filmmaker Peter McDowell in so many ways, and it's how he brought the film JIMMY IN SAIGON to movie theaters, through May 1st, 2025 in NYC, and then beyond. He's been at work on the film since 2010, and it throws on its head what you might expect from a Vietnam War documentary.

In this episode, we discuss:

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Every Sunday, I'll post a quick video -- and podcast -- about an indie film from at least a year ago. Today's film: MOBILE HOMES (2017).

Director: Vladimir de Fontenay

Written By: Vladimir de Fontenay; Danielle Lessovitz

Cast: Imogen Poots; Callum Turner; Frank Oulton

SYNOPSIS

A young mother drifts from one motel to the next with her dangerously intoxicating boyfriend and her 8-year-old son. When a crisis tears them apart, the mother finds a mobile home community that provides the possibility of a...

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One of the things that fascinates me about filmmaking is the concept of authenticity. That is, the filmmakers either have to put in the time to do research for a particular film genre (veterans, ethnic films, etc) or they have to live it. For the new film BROTHERS AFTER WAR, my guest Jake Rademacher lived it. It's in his blood -- literally, as many of his siblings serve in the military -- and he's spent significant time overseas with our deployed soldiers. I felt honored to talk with a director who tells...

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Go and listen to THE CORONER'S ASSISTANT, a new show on Tubi by filmmaker Angeline Walsh, and I'll bet you have the theme music caught in your head for the rest of the day (week, month, etc.) Kudos to Angeline for putting music first.

The episodic model might look scary, but my guest is here to convince you otherwise -- for her, it was a way to follow her heart.

In this episode, we discuss:

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In the beating heart of the most successful independent filmmakers you can find one thing for certain: a belief in oneself. I've hardly ever heard a more powerful defense of one's vision than from filmmaker Rachel Suissa, who is here to talk about her debut indie film, GREEK MOTHERS NEVER DIE (2025).

If you want to be inspired by a woman and her vision, this is the episode for you.

And don't forget -- preorder her film! Rachel lets us in on...

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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 they begin to adjust to life in the city and seek ways to heal their wounds...

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It takes a really special filmmaker to write, act, direct, produce their debut feature film. Well, let's go to Western Canada to find out in Caitlyn Sponheimer, the dynamo behind the film WILD GOAT SURF (2023), which had its US premiere in the beginning of April.

If it was my dream world, it would open in a thousand theaters, but look for it on streaming on May 20th.

In this episode, Caitlyn and I discuss:

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My guest, Chelsea Christer, is being modest but you can't be just dream adjacent while turning out brilliant, touching, and culturally relevant films like OUT FOR DELIVERY (2025).

By premiering the film both at Sundance and SXSW Film Festival this year, it's clear Chelsea is at the top of her game...and closer to dream actualized than ever before.

In this episode, we discuss:

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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 their family vacation home with wildly different expectations for how their birthday weekend will play out.

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There's not a person alive who won't be moved by STANDOUT: THE BEN KJAR STORY (2025) -- it's a story of overcoming expectations and spreading kindness into the world. It's also an extraordinary achievement of documentary filmmaking. We get into that and more with director Tanner Christensen.

In this episode, Tanner and I discuss:

I don't say this lightly: you've never seen a film like PROJECT DAD. It's a Slamdance original from an artist that is making waves throughout Europe and now looking forward to a North American run: Camilla Jämting.

What a film. What a story. PROJECT DAD is a film you have to see to believe, and keep up with Camilla so you can see it just as soon as it screening near you.

In this episode, Camilla and I talk about:

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Every Sunday, I'll post a quick video -- and podcast -- about an indie film from at least a year ago. Today's film: HANK AND ASHA (2013).

Director: James E. Duff

Written By: Julia Morrison; James E. Duff

Cast: Mahira Kakkar; Andrew Pastides; Bianca Butti; Brian Sloan

SYNOPSIS

An Indian woman studying in Prague corresponds with a young filmmaker in New York. As their relationship intensifies, they must choose whether to meet.

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One of one. One of one. One of one. It kept coming back to me that every significant avenue filmmaker Alex Dvorak went into, she was the only one with that path.

And that kind of trailblazing requires bravery, vulnerability, and as you see in her film BAD SURVIVOR, a fair bit of snark.

Special Slamdance coverage continues with Alex Dvorak.

In this episode, we discuss:

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Every Sunday, I'll post a quick video -- and podcast -- about an indie film from at least a year ago. Today's film: BROKEN ENGLISH (2007).

Director: Zoe Cassavetes

Written By: Zoe Cassavetes

Cast: Parker Posey; Melvil Poupaud; Drea de Matteo; Justin Theroux; Peter Bogdanovich; Gena Rowlands

SYNOPSIS

Nora Wilder (Parker Posey), a single woman, is heading deep into the doldrums as a result of disappointments in her professional and personal lives. A series of disastrous dates convinces her that love will always...

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 stunning documentary about a unique subject, and we get into how he's sustained a career in music, punk rock, and documentary. The film had its world premiere at Slamdance 2025.<...

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 in a troubled childhood crush.

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Case Jernigan wins at so many things -- animation, gamemaking, filmmaking, and having without a doubt the best setting for recording a podcast episode. Normally, I edit out all background noise but with the birds chirping, I just could. not. do. it. His sound is such a mood.

And I created special podcast animation art to celebrate such a fantastic artist.

Case is a true Renaissance man who, not surprisingly, has found himself in Italy, and our discussion demonstrates the sheer breadth of talents that he brings to...

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Jump into the mosh pit with filmmaker Portlynn Tagavi. We talk about her stunning filmmaking career, animation, Film Independent’s Project Involve, and her brilliant short film, MOSH, which screened at Slamdance this year. 

In this episode, we talk about:

Every Sunday, I'll post a quick video -- and podcast -- about an indie film from at least a year ago. Today's film: CASHBACK (2006).

Director: Sean Ellis

Written By: Sean Ellis

Cast: Sean Biggerstaff; Emilia Fox; Michelle Ryan

SYNOPSIS

Sophia's comfortable life turns upside down the day she meets Sylvain, and she leaves everything for a new, burning passion.

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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, we discuss:

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I couldn't have loved CONTOURS (2025) more, Aisha Amin's film which screened at Slamdance, and that bled through into the conversation. The story is brilliantly written, wonderfully acted, and gorgeously shot, so it's no surprise Aisha is such a fascinating guest for the podcast.

She comes to filmmaking from the perspective of a Pakistani-American filmmaker and it is clear she will continue to push boundaries of what's possible in independent filmmaking.

In this episode, we talk about:

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The needle-threading to make a great political documentary, a brilliant social commentary about a Midwestern city, and a deeply personal story is truly breathtaking. But Nick Beaulieu delivers with MY OMAHA (2025), a film about a father, a son, and a city in Nebraska that will be viewed as a bellwether of our times for years to follow.

In this episode, we discuss:

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This is as close as I've ever been to going Joe Rogan style, four hour interview.

I've never talked with someone so willing to discuss the history of cinema (in this case, Taiwanese) than my guest today, Birdy Wei-Ting Hung. She directed the brilliant film, A BRIGHTER SUMMER DAY FOR THE LADY AVENGERS (2024), which screened at Slamdance.

In order to make the film, she drew on years of reading history and watching cinema. If you loved school, or even if you didn't, prepare for the best class ever...

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My guest, Woody Bess, makes it sound happenstance, but don't kid yourself: Keith David and Richard Kind aren't signing up for just any independent film. But if you've extremely talented and put your heart and soul into a film -- and the script is great -- well, they will, and you've got PORTAL TO HELL (2025), which debuted at Slamdance. Glad Woody didn't go in the portal, and he joined me to discuss this riveting horror comedy feature.

In this episode, we discuss:

Hello, Slamdance!

Be on the lookout for episodes coming out every day for the next few weeks. with 2025 Slamdance directors.

It is one of the most diverse lineups with often debut filmmakers so of course the pod will be highlighting the creators.

Thanks for helping filmmakers get their first time go.

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Every Sunday, I'll post a quick video -- and podcast -- about an indie film from at least a year ago. Today's film: THE NATURE OF LOVE (2023).

Director: Monia Chokri

Written By: Monia Chokri

Cast: Magalie Lépine Blondeau; Pierre-Yves Cardinal; Francis-William Rheaume; Steve Laplante

SYNOPSIS

Sophia's comfortable life turns upside down the day she meets Sylvain, and she leaves everything for a new, burning passion.

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What do you get by matching "a former Marine Corps drill instructor and an elementary arts educator"? A fantastic filmmaker in Kyle Henry. Kyle teaches film production at Northwestern University and has made both narrative and docs films to the acclaim of the Independent Spirit Awards and other film festivals. He's back with his newest film, TIME PASSAGES, which is one of the most unique documentaries you'll ever see.

In this episode, we discuss:

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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 he personifies. To make matters worse, her best friend, a talented but not particularly telegenic news reporter, is secretly in love with her.

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Stream INHABITANTS (2025) Now

There's no more fertile ground for indie filmmakers than horror, and for a few extremely talented directors like my guest Matt McClung, you can even exceed expectations of the genre with a film like INHABITANTS (2025). The film tells the tale of a young woman who moves in with her lapsed Catholic boyfriend, only to discover...uh oh.

In this episode, we discuss:

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Attend A Screening Of PAPER MARRIAGE in Washington, DC

To paraphrase Walt Whitman, Jeff Man is a man that contains multitudes. He often plays a character, like in PAPER MARRIAGE (2024) and SANTA CLAUS (2017), that is reserved and unsure of himself, and the stories, at least partially, revolve around how he -- and the outside world -- reacts to those personality traits. During our conversation, he talks about how he grapples with these questions in his own life and utilizes his art to get to a greater truth.

And...

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 her luck in London. She is back home now, to bury her grandmother. Walking the streets of what was her home with th...

Music is one of the most important parts of filmmaking and yet it's often left to the last minute or shortchanged; the dynamic Lauren Denemark and her company, Triple Threat Music Supervision, is aiming to change that for indie filmmakers.

In this episode, we talk about:

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 girlfriend hire a mysterious and liberated babysitter to help shake things up, everything seems too good to be true.

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Every Sunday, I'll post a quick video -- and podcast -- about an indie film from at least a year ago. Today's film: AFTER EVERYTHING (2018).

Director: Joey Power; Hannah Marks

Screenplay: Joey Power; Hannah Marks

Cast: Jeremy Allen White; Maika Monroe

SYNOPSIS

Elliot is a young and carefree New Yorker whose world gets turned upside down when he finds out that he has cancer. He soon finds comfort and happiness when he falls in love with Mia, a woman who sticks with him through the hard times.

The motto of the podcast is the future of filmmaking -- well, this is it. I'm joined by Marc Iserlis, head of film at Republic.

When you find out about Marc Iserlis' job in finance and film, you might make certain initial assumptions. Those would be wrong -- about nearly everything. Globally knowledgable, intellectually curious, Marc turns on its head what you might expect, and maybe that's why his work as Head of Film @ Republic is so innovative.

In this episode, we talk about:

"Let's make a market for independent and student films" -- it sounds like an impossible dream, doesn't it? Not for the founders of Rise Flix. In this episode, I talk with Edouard Larouche, Ahmad Baqer, and Ralph Calle-Schulz about their new company, Rise Flix. Over the past year, it's burst on the indie film scene, hosting events in both New York and Los Angeles, and streaming dozens of films, all in the hopes of achieving the impossible dream: monetizing truly independent films and filmmakers.

In this episode, we discuss: