Best in Fest

Joanna Mae Park is a much sought-after costume designer. Her love of storytelling, character and genuine passion for clothing as a form of expression led her to a career as a costume designer. Joanna’s designs are about the human condition, self-expression and the worlds in which a character lives. A keen observer with a very detailed eye for colour and tone, clothing has become her language in which she tells these stories.

• Most recently Joanna designed PIECES OF HER, the upcoming television adaptation of Katherine Slaughter’s novel of the same name, directed by Minkie Spiro for Made Up Stories and Netflix, and starring Toni Collette and Jessica Barden. Joanna also designed Glendyn Ivin’s feature film PENGUIN BLOOM for Made Up Stories, starring Naomi Watts, Jackie Weaver and Andrew Lincoln, the film premiered at the 2020 Toronto Film Festival. For her next project Joanna will collaborate again with Ivin and Made Up Stories on the television adaption of Holly Ringland’s novel THE LOST FLOWERS OF ALICE HART for Amazon, starring Sigourney Weaver.
• Joanna’s other film credits include PALM BEACH for director Rachel Ward, which opened the 2019 Sydney Film Festival; the critically acclaimed film FELONY for Goalpost Pictures, directed by Matthew Saville, which screened at the 2013 Toronto International Film Festival; ADORATION, directed by Anne Fontaine and produced by Hopscotch Features, starring Naomi Watts and Robin Wright, which screened at Sundance in 2013; WISH YOU WERE HERE, directed by. Kieran Darcy Smith for Aquarius Films, starring Joel Edgerton and Teresa Palmer, which opened the 2012 Sundance Film Festival and was nominated for an AACTA Award for Best Film; and AFI nominated THE TREE, directed by Julie Bertuccelli for L’Arbre Films, starring Charlotte Gainsbourg, which premiered at the 2010 Cannes Film Festival.
• Joanna’s other television credits include the children’s series THE UNLISTED, for Aquarius Films and Netflix; and the 2013 NBC/Universal series CAMP produced by Matchbox Pictures.

Are you looking to build a career as a film editor? Maybe you just want to learn a few new tricks of the trade. Well,  today Leslie sits down with film editor Matthew C. Hart to talk about everything from how to be a true partner with your director to how to break into the business.   Don't miss this jam packed episode.

More About Matthew:

Matthew Hart is a British/American feature film editor living in New York.He has worked across genres on intense character studies, comedies, revenge thrillers, non-binary sexual awakenings and cerebral horror,and his films have screened at festivals including Sundance, Cannes, Toronto and Berlin.He also edits documentaries, most recently working with director Andrew Dominik and cinematographer Robbie Ryan on the Nick Cave/Warren Ellis performance film, “This Much  I Know to be True"

So, how do you get your short film nominated for an Oscar? Well, you're in the right place. In this episode Leslie talks with Polish filmmakers Monika Ossowska and Tadeusz Lysiak about their Oscar nominated short film "The Dress", the requirements to get nominated, the event and much more.

Tadeusz Łysiak – born in 1993, graduate of Cultural Studies at the University of Warsaw, student of Directing at the Warsaw Film School. Creator of two award-winning short films in Poland and abroad: "Techno" (starring Leszek Abrahamowicz, Danuta Stenka, Michalina Olszańska) and "The Dress" (Anna Dzieduszycka, Dorota Pomykała, Szymon Piotr Warszawski). For the latter he’s been nominated for an Oscar in Live Action Short category. Participant of the prestigious program FUTURE FRAMES – Generation NEXT of European Cinema within Eastern Promises at the Karlovy Vary Festival. Winner of the "Discovering Eye" award for young talented filmmaker at the Polish Film Festival in Chicago.

Monika Ossowska - born in 1997, a graduate of the Film Art Organization at the Łódź Film School.  Executive producer and production manager of the short film "The Dress" awarded at the Atlanta Film Festival, In the Palace, Rhode Island and Oscar nominated for Best Live Action Short. Recently, she worked on Agnieszka Smoczyńska's English-language debut, "Silent Twins" in a Polish-British co-production, distributed by Focus Features. At the moment she focused on the international series production for the streaming platform.

It's impossible to overstate how important a role audio plays in the film viewing experience. While it’s perfectly natural to be drawn to the visual side of filmmaking, those striking visuals don’t hold the same weight without strong cinematic sound design to back them up. Whereas a painting is purely visual and a song can be purely aural, cinema combines sight and sound for a unified experience where one bolsters and elevates the other. 

In this episode Leslie talks to Craig Nimens, the Vice President of Sound Dogs.com, Inc. a commercial online library of sound effects based in Richmond Hill, Ontario, Canada, with offices in Canada, Argentina, and Uruguay. It is the first and largest online sound effects and production music library on the Internet launched in May 1997.

How do you get a film on Netflix and what the hell do you do when you get there?  In this episode Leslie dives into industry secrets with young filmmaker, Dan Abramovici, who has worked his way in and realized there's way more to it than just that.

Dan Abramovici is an actor, writer, and director. He was one of only 8 actors selected for Canada's prestigious CFC Actors Conservatory program in 2016 and is known for his TV work on shows like The Detail, Man Seeking Woman, and Murdoch Mysteries. After writing, producing, and starring in a series of short films, he graduated to writing/producing features with Ben's At Home for Netflix. The movie picked up numerous awards, including Best Feature at the Canadian Film Festival, a Canadian Comedy Award, Audience Choice at the Gasparilla international Film Festival, and Abramovici picked up Best Actor at the IndieFest Film Awards and Rincon International Film Festival. Ben's At Home is now available on Netflix.  His shorts include "Liminal" and "Play it Again" and the upcoming "Spaceman."

Dave Asling is Creative Director and Owner at Creation Consultants Inc, a visual effects company specializing in the creation of miniature effects and specialty props for film, episodic television and commercial advertising. Backed by over 30 years experience in the industry, Dave continues to explore film and television projects that will challenge and entertain both himself and the audience.

Specialties: Miniature effects and props design, engineering and fabrication, on-set vfx supervision, miniature effects unit film production.

In this episode, Leslie speaks with Author/Director/Educator John Swanbeck about his profound acting techniques laid out in his book " How To Steal The Scene & End Up Playing The Lead". This is truly the last book you will ever need on acting. John also gives some helpful tips on how to work with actors as a director. Do NOT miss this episode.

More About John:

John Swanbeck is an author, columnist, speaker, creator and publisher of CleverActorTips, Chief Creative Officer of BlueSwanFilms, and Producing Director of The Character Factory. He is a renowned director and teacher of actors, directed the existential comedy The Big Kahuna, and is currently writing a series of books for actors and directors on unique and innovative ways to creating cinematic film performances. The first in the series “How To Steal The Scene & End Up Playing The Lead” is available on Amazon & iTunes. The second in the series “How To Direct Actors Like A Pro & Look Like A Genius Doing It” will be released in the fall of 2019. John’s YouTube channel is “Get Cinematic with John Swanbeck”, and he is preparing for the first annual multi-city “Get Cinematic with John Swanbeck Tour” launching summer 2019.

In this episode, Leslie talks with hybrid filmmaker (writer, director, producer, securing distribution, etc.) Sean Michael Beyer about Sean’s personal evolution within the film industry. how he approaches writing a new film, what inspired him to film “Randy’s Canvas,” a positive story about a kid with autism, his comedy podcast, “National Day Riff,” and how it was created.

Sean also shares a few pieces of advice and a ‘dirty little secret’ for new filmmakers just starting out. 

Sean Michael Beyer social media:

Facebook & Instagram: @ SeanMichaelBeyer

Podcast: @ NationalDayRiff

More About Sean:

A JACK-OF-ALL-TRADES, MASTER OF MOST, Beyer has worn many hats throughout his career: filmmaker, producer, writer, editor, graphic artist and even actor & musician. His unique blend of talents are an integral part to any production.

            Currently in the final stages of post production Beyer co-wrote and directed the action-adventure self-ware romantic-comedy, Poor Paul; inspired by the 2008-09 web series of the same name that he co-created and produced. Rhode Island served as the worldly locations for this fun romp. It follows Paul (Adam Carbone), an eccentric college student who lives vicariously through his hero fantasies, as he inherits a great deal of money (and frequent flyer miles) and takes his best friends/roommates Jason (Abhi Sinha) and Clyde (Nick Pasqual) on a trip around the world, only to be held hostage by a delusional Italian man, hell bent on Paul marrying his daughter – or else! Supporting cast includes veteran character actor, Richard Riehle (Office Space, Casino) reprising his role as the lovable curmudgeon Grandpa Paul.

            Also shot in Rhode Island, Beyer co-wrote and directed the award-winning Randy’s Canvas, a touching romantic drama about an aspiring artist with autism who falls in love for the first time. Starring Scout Taylor-Compton (Halloween, The Runaways), Kevin G. Schmidt (Cheaper by the Dozen, Butterfly Effect) and Richard Riehle as Randy’s art professor, Randy’s Canvas was honored with Best Director at the 2018 Glendale International Film festival and Best Actor & Best Picture awards at the 2018 AutFest International Film Festival, presented by the late Ed Asner. In the summer of 2017, he made his way to South Carolina to direct and co-write the dance-centric Another Tango starring Brant Daugherty (Fifty Shades Freed, Days of Our Lives) for Hallmark and MarVista entertainment, currently in release.

      2005 marked his feature film writing & directorial debut, with the intense drama, Down the P.C.H. starring Lin Shaye (Insidious, There’s Something About Mary, Detroit Rock City), Guillermo Diaz (Scandal, Weeds, Half Baked) and Elaine Hendrix (Sex&Drugs&Rock&Roll, The Parent Trap, Joan of Arcadia) who won Best Actress at the 2007 Baja California International Film Festival and picked up worldwide distribution, all while being made for a mere $40,000! His second film, Resurrection Mary starring Golden Globe-Winner Sally Kirkland, is based upon the famous Chicago Urban Legend, and is also available worldwide.

Beyer most recently created and hosts the sketch-comedy podcast, National Day Riff which is available Apple Podcasts and numerous other podcast platforms.

IN DEVELOPMENT: 

Rocky & James

Inspire by Romeo & Juliet, Rocky & James is a contemporary-language, action-packed, romantic drama that follows two teen boys who fall in love under extraordinary circumstances.

Kevin James Barry is a Los Angeles based screenwriter and director.  Originally interested in painting, he attended art school during both his high school and college years and continues to bring his highly focused artistic eye to filmmaking.  His feature films “Serena and the RATTS”, “Among Them”and "Gridlocked" were all acquired for DVD/VOD distribution in North America and several foreign territories.

In this episode, Leslie talks with Kevin about film festivals and How he got his Independent feature distributed. Don't miss it!

Leslie and her guest Gloria Gifford discuss her dynamic career as a woman of color including all of the hard earned lessons she learned working on Broadway and in Hollywood.

Gloria Gifford taught at the American Film Institute for six years in the Masters' Program. She taught Directors, Writers and Producers and among her successful AFI students: Patty Jenkins (Monster (2003), Brian Dannelly (Saved! (2004), Weeds (2005).

In 2007, Gloria opened the prestigious Actors Academy Milano in Milan, Italy, where she taught Italian actors and actresses and International Models - male and female in intensive acting programs. The Academy's president is Edoardo Costa, her former student at the BHP and now starring with Bruce Willis in Live Free or Die Hard (2007).

She is the Founder of the Rebel Planet Short Film Festival of Hollywood, rebelplanet.com, which just had the its very successful second year festival in North Hollywood, California in April 2007.

She starred in a production of the play, "My Cup Ranneth Over" (written by award-winning playwright, Robert Patrick) in London, England to brilliant reviews in 1978. It was a lunchtime production in the West End for Producer Ed Berman and then she recreated her role for PBS in Minneapolis, filmed at the Guthrie. After singing at clubs, on national television, directed by Ralph Waite on "The Mississippi" (1983), and for the Kennedys and, after many years of film and television roles, she got a recording contract with Warner Bros. Records in 1996. Sr. VP of Warner Bros. Records, Carl Scott, discovered Gloria's singing when he heard her doing a song in her acting class. She is a bluesy torch singer and continues to sing at clubs in Los Angeles and in New York.