Festlife Podcast

A deeper dive into the career award-winning filmmaker Jim Cummings and his path to the Grand Jury Prize at South by Southwest, a major cash prize for LGBT filmmakers, and an interview with the writer/director and cast of the Cinequest short "Man With Beard".

Steven Spielberg puts in a festival appearance, multiple acquisitions are closing at South by Southwest, and your host takes you to the other side to hear from the Director of Shorts Programming at the Newport Beach Film Festival in the final days of the selection process.

A closer look with Kevin Resnick and Rebecca Norris Resnick at the making of their award-winning microbudget romantic comedy feature, Cloudy With a Chance of Sunshine; plus a quick look at the Academy Awards through the festival lens, and your host stumbles over some good news while Googling.

The rivalry between festival submission platforms is heating up. How is it going to affect your strategy? Also - part one of my conversation with the makers of the award-winning festival feature "Cloudy With a Chance of Sunshine", Kevin Resnick and Rebecca Norris Resnick.

Looking over the feature lineup at South by Southwest, some news on Amazon's Film Festival Stars program, your host books a much-hoped-for return trip, and a conversation with filmmakers Rollyn Stafford and Lissie Lewis, recorded on-location at the Filmmaker's Lounge at the Dam Short Film Festival.

Your host racks up some travel miles, we break down the festival histories of this year's Oscar nominees for Live Action Short, a famous festival splits in two, and we wrap up our conversation with actor/filmmaker Christine Weatherup.

Your host sneaks in an episode on the eve of directing a new short then traveling to New York. Features Part 1 of a conversation with actress/filmmaker Christine Weatherup ("Mad Men", "Westworld", "Grey's Anatomy").

Part 2 of my interview with actor/filmmaker Mike Peebler, plus a close-up look at the festival journey of some of this year's Academy Award nominees, and a surprise new addition to your host's own lineup of festival films.

News on the first acquisitions out of Sundance, the importance of mapping your festival strategy with an actual map, and, in a conversation with actor/filmmaker Mike Peebler, we stumble on an appropriate cinematic metaphor for the "Sundance Fantasy" every filmmaker imagines.

A visit to the charming Borrego Springs Film Festival in the California desert, and a conversation with the Festival's organizers. Plus - highlights from this year's Sundance lineup and the possibility of a cross-country trip in the future.