Some documentaries are too urgent to wait for normal distribution. BIG ROCK BURNING (2025), David Goldblum’s directorial debut, certainly qualifies. The film covers the aftermath of the California wildfires this year in Big Rock from a man who lost his home in the fires.

The film is still embarking on a festival run but because of the immediacy of the story, it is now available for streaming on Vimeo. Alongside this film, David has tackled some of the most pressing topics facing our country today, and he’s been able to do it by making the title executive producer into something more than just a famous wallet. 

How did he do all this, especially after losing his home? What a story writer, director, and producer David Goldblum has to tell. 

In this episode, David and I discuss:

• How bittersweet it must be to talk about a film that is at once your directorial debut and also about people losing their homes, including my guest;
• The festivals’ reaction to releasing the film for streaming during its festival run;
• How he got started in filmmaking (be nice to your college roommate);
• His resume — MFA from UCLA, Telluride Lab Fellow — was it one of these that got him where he is or just the culmination?
• How common the experience of somebody like Paula Wagner looking out for the people who work for her in Hollywood;
• The double edge sword of having well-known executive producers and how he uses the role to his advantage;
• BIG ROCK BURNING as his directorial debut — when did he know the subject was a film? And he’d direct it?
• The political tone of the film and what tone he wanted to set for such a viscerally important topic;
• Why a 30 minute run time?
• The decision to release it for on-demand now rather than waiting for formal distribution;
• Pushing the boundaries for documentaries while also finding funding;
• When he chooses to do a doc v. narrative films;
• What job he prefers — writing, producing, directing?
• What’s next for the film and for David — and what could have been with Village Roadshow.

David's Indie Film Highlight: ALL THE EMPTY ROOMS (2025) dir. by Joshua Seftel

Memorable Quotes:

“I think it’s all kind of learning how to leverage, so you leverage the thing that you have to get the next thing.”

“When you look at the credits of a film, I think executive producer is the one that you never know what they really did.” 

“I had to sneak my camera guys in my trunk every day.”

“Everbody was pointing fingers and I wanted to show that everybody’s to blame in this.”

“ I've seen enough stories that people make long form documentaries about a very important issue. And then by the time it comes out, it's five years later and it's like the next big school shooting has happened or the next big whatever, like we've just become so desensitized.

“I try to look at who cares about these issues that I’m exploring, whether it’s incarceration or the sex industry or fires or whatever And then I look for those types of funders so the funders are really aligned with the topic already.”

“I love producing writing because originally I’m a writer; I think more than anything I’m actually a writer.” 

“So they gave me a three movie producer deal, but I didn’t get to choose my movies.”

Links:

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