Best in Fest

With over 40 years of experience in theater, film, television, and prose, Bart’s career began in theater, where he has had eight plays produced around the world. The film rights to his play, RELAY, were bought by Warner Bros., leading him into screenwriting. He has had two feature films and 14 movies for television produced, including the BRIDE trilogy for CBS, LOVE AND SUNSHINE for Hallmark, and most recent TERRY MCMILLAN PRESENTS: FOREVER, starring Taye Diggs and Meagan Good, for Lifetime which Bart was nominated for a 2025 best screenplay for a motion picture in streaming or television by the WGA. Bart has also written for four television series, including DIRT, starring Courtney Cox. 

Bart has written ten novels including HONEYMOON WITH HARRY, the movie rights bought by New Line Cinema. 

Bart has a movie shooting this spring - still untitled - starring Taye Diggs and Lesley Anne Brandt, and it will also be executive produced by Terry McMillan, under her banner. The film will premiere in June  on the Lifetime Network.

In this episode, we sit down with Will Becton, a creative force who’s charted an inspiring path from working with comedy legend Conan O'Brien to launching his own production company, Jett Road Studios. Will shares behind-the-scenes stories from his time in the entertainment industry, the lessons he’s learned along the way, and how he transitioned his passion for storytelling into building a thriving creative business.

Whether you’re an aspiring entrepreneur, a lover of all things media, or just curious about what it takes to bring big ideas to life, this episode is packed with insight, humor, and inspiration. Tune in and discover how Will’s journey can spark your own creative dreams.

🎧 Don’t miss this engaging conversation! Subscribe now and share with your fellow creators.

Hailing from Ukraine, Vadim Govorov is a professional deep sea diver who has plunged into every ocean on the planet. He recently moved from his longtime NYC harbor base to the swamps of Florida, in and around which, he works full-time. His underwater missions have covered the full range of human/maritime interaction. Crime scene search, rescue, and recovery; oil rig exploration and repair; pipeline maintenance; treasure salvage; and boat and car crash investigation are in his wheelhouse. Fun fact: Incredibly, Vadim was on the engine recovery unit for Miracle on the Hudson, whereby (airline) Captain Chesley “Sully” Sullenberger became a household name.

Additionally, Vadim is a clay sculptor, toy maker, and graphic novel author. Vadim’s RUBBER NINJA intellectual property reflects the perfect storm of his combined passions. More on Vadim is encapsulated here: https://globaltoynews.com/2022/11/16/high-diving-hijinks-of-the-rubber-ninja-vadim-govorov/

In this special "Best Of" episode, we’re rolling the credits on some of the most insightful, inspiring, and entertaining moments from past episodes. Whether you're a filmmaker, producer, or just a cinephile at heart, relive expert tips, behind-the-scenes stories, and industry secrets shared by our incredible guests.

From navigating the indie film circuit to mastering blockbuster budgets, this episode is packed with wisdom from directors, screenwriters, cinematographers, and more. Whether you’re new to the podcast or a longtime listener, this highlight reel is the perfect way to catch up on the gems you may have missed.

Grab your popcorn and let’s dive into the magic of the movies! 

Rob Kutner has won 5 Emmys, a Peabody, a TCA, and a Grammy writing for such shows as TBS’ “CONAN” and “The Daily Show with Jon Stewart, and co-created the fact-based comedy TV show “Gander.”

Rob’s other TV writing includes “Teen Titans Go!” “Ben10” “Angry Birds: Summer Madness” and HBO’s “Dennis Miller Live.” He has also written material for the Oscars, Emmys, Writers’ Guild Awards, MTV Movie Awards, Guys’ Choice Awards, and two White House Correspondents’ Dinners. He has developed kids’ and adult animated series for Warner Brothers and SyFy.

Rob is the author of the satirical end-of-times bestseller Apocalypse How: Turn the End Times into the Best of Times! and the Amazon Kindle e-bestseller/Audible audiobook The Future According to Me. He is also the creator of the graphic novel “Shrinkage” for Farrago Comics. He has published humor and feature pieces for the New Yorker, New York Times, Esquire, Huffington Post, McSweeney’s, and the Weekly Forward.

Rob’s new horror-comedy kids’ anthology “Snot Goblins and Other Tasteless Tales” (First Second) is now on sale, as is “Look Out For The Little Guy,” the “in-universe” memoir of Scott “Ant-Man” Lang he ghostwrote. This makes Rob technically part of the MCU.

He has also collaborated with his wife, TV writer/producer Sheryl Zohn (“Penn & Teller: Bullsh*t!”), on the comedy short “The Last Parody,” and the Raw Impressions movie musical “Til Birth Do Us Part.”

Born in Atlanta and educated at Princeton University, Rob has lived in St. Petersburg Russia, Jerusalem, and been deported from Uzbekistan (really). He was named a “SuperJew” by Time Out New York — but is still waiting for his superpowers to kick in.

Rob is represented by Sheri Rosenberg Kelton for TV and movies: [email protected]
and Tanya McKinnon for books: [email protected]

Grace Fraga is an award winning Latina actress, comedian, writer, podcaster and producer was inducted into the National Comedy Hall of Fame in 2020. Grace has appeared on national television on NBC, A&E, CBS, Discovery Channel, Animal Planet, VH-1, Court TV, Univision, Galavision and Telemundo. Some of her guest star roles include, "The Steve Harvey Show", "Gene Simmons Family Jewels," "Comedy Cage Match," "FBI Files," "Mystery ER," "Killer Outbreaks," "The First Time" and "North Mission Road." Spanish language credits include "No Me Hallo," "Accesso Maximo" and "Amor or Mentira." Night club appearances include stops in Los Angeles, New York, Miami, San Francisco, Salt Lake, Chicago, New Orleans, Reno and Las Vegas at top rated venues such as The Comedy Store, The Improv, The Laugh Factory, The Ice House, The Comedy Zone and Harrah's. Grace has performed in colleges all over California including the University of San Diego, Cal State University, West Hills College and East Los Angeles College. She has also toured in the "Las Comadres of Comedy, the Funniest Latinas in America" and "Women Who Kick ComedyButt" troupes and been a guest on National Lampoon and a co-host on Playboy Radio. Rumored to be distant relative of Eva Peron, Grace Fraga arrived in Los Angeles via New Orleans from her home town of Buenos Aires, Argentina. Since taking each city by storm, she has accomplished a lot. One was her win of a Big Easy Entertainment Award for Best Actress in a Comedy for her supporting role in Walt Donk's stage play "Rio Seco." Another was to develop a sitcom, "For the Love of Grace," being mentored by Ellen Sandler (an Emmy Award nominee for her work on "Everybody Loves Raymond".) Her one woman show the Latin American Princess' international search for her Knight in Shining Armor "Sleeping Booty: A Modern Fairy Tale" recently had a one night only sneak peek. As a child growing up in South America, the ever inquisitive over achiever of a civil engineer and concert pianist earned three college degrees - a BA in Art History Education, an MA in Art History with an emphasis in Theatre and Film Analysis and a MBA in Finance, which of course led her to her career in the entertainment field. Recently, with Emmy Award winner Anne Beatts, she co-created, wrote, produced and starred in webisodes of "Dr. Lupe's Love Picante". Grace can now add author to her impressive list of accomplishments. Her book titled, "Love at First Ex", has been getting excellent reviews on amazon. The book teaches how to incorporate your Ex's into your life. She has appeared on "The Steve Harvey Show", launching her career as a relationship coach. She just published her second book, "Love at First Ex, the Self Help Edition", a practical guide on how to deal with the post break up aftermath. Not one to rest on her laurels, Grace got a development deal from PBS to shoot a TV pilot, "The ART of Storytelling" which she created, executive produced and hosted.

David Fuhrer[1] is an American inventor and entrepreneur. David Fuhrer has licensed more than 300 toys, games and household products including toys such as Aqua Doodle, Nerf Vortex Football, and Twisty Petz. He is the recipient of numerous toy industry awards. Brand Week Magazine (February 2009) refers to Fuhrer as "one of the more successful rainmakers in the toy industry" in an article written about his license of Guitar Hero Air Guitar Rocker.[2][3] In January 2020, Fuhrer was named by Mojo Nation as one of the Top 100 Most Influential People in the global toy industry.[4] On November 16, 2018, Fuhrer and his business partners, were honored with a Tagie Award[5] as Innovators Of The Year for Twisty Petz (Spin Master Toys).[6]

Currently, David Fuhrer is the President of The Laugh Factory, a comedy brand with multiple locations in North America. The company has recently expanded into comedy entertainment with television and feature film production.

Discover the ultimate framework for crafting stories that captivate and convert. In this episode, we break down the essential elements of a "bulletproof" storytelling structure, showing you how to engage your audience, build emotional connections, and deliver a message that sticks. Whether you're crafting narratives for a podcast, a business pitch, or a corporate video, this proven structure will help you communicate with clarity and impact. Tune in for actionable tips, real-world examples, and insights to elevate your storytelling game to the next level.

Brian Patacca helps actors get what they want without all the struggle. He’s helped 724 actors find representation and is even known as “The Representation Whisperer”.

Through his wildly popular online courses (Audition Magnet® and #agentgoals®) and entertaining podcast, Brian teaches actors how to market themselves authentically, use gratitude to open doors, and book the roles they were born to play.

His coaching clients include Tony Award-winners, Broadway stars, Series Regulars, filmmakers, writers, and stand-up comedians. He proves that when they follow their purpose instead of playing by a tired set of industry rules (read: limiting beliefs), they can skip the drama, generate momentum, and build excitement around who they are and what they love to do the mostest.