Film Roundtable

In this Roundtable we are joined by Award-winning documentary filmmaker Yoruba Richen to discuss her powerful film “How It Feels to be Free,” which is streaming on PBS through February 16th. This documentary follows the inspiring stories of six iconic Black female entertainers – Lena Horne, Abbey Lincoln, Nina Simone, Diahann Carroll, Cicely Tyson and Pam Grier – and the ways their actions defied the standards of the entertainment in a time when they were expected to conform into roles that perpetuated racist stereotypes. Their influence is felt to this day and is touched upon in interviews with Halle Berry, Lena Waithe, Samuel L Jackson, and other trailblazers. The film explores how each of them used their art and influence to further advance the civil rights movement. 

Producer Mishka Brown leads this engaging conversation, covering Yoruba’s early days where fellowships helped her travel around the world creating documentaries, mentorship, and Black representation in Hollywood, and the making of Yoruba’s other film, “The Killing of Breonna Taylor,” which is currently streaming on Hulu. 

Director Erin Vassilopoulos, Producer Benjamin Cohen, and Producer Alex Orlovsky discuss independent filmmaking now and "then", how these passion projects actually get made and what happens when your film gets into Sundance during a global pandemic. 

Vassilopoulos' film "Superior," produced by Cohen, is her Sundance feature debut. It is based on a short film that premiered at Sundance in 2015. The film follows Marian, a woman on the run, as she returns to her hometown in upstate New York to hide out with her estranged identical twin sister, Vivian. Struggling to put the past behind her, Marian lies about the reason for her return, leaving her sister in the dark until their two worlds begin to collide.

Orlovsky, a 10+ film veteran of Sundance, produced "John and the Hole," a nontraditional coming-of-age story, set in the unsettling reality of John, a kid who holds his family captive in a hole in the ground. 

In our latest Film Roundtable we’re joined by Cinematographer Dariusz Wolski, ASC and editor William Goldenberg, who both recently collaborated on Paul Greengrass’ News of the World. 

William has led an incredibly prolific career editing films for directors such as Michael Bay, Kathryn Bigelow, Angelina Jolie, and Ben Affleck. He’s been nominated 5 times for the academy award and won for Argo.

Dariusz Wolski is one of the world’s leading cinematographers and has helmed projects alongside Ridley Scott, Rob Marshall, Tim Burton to name a few. He has shot notable franchises such as Pirates of the Caribbean, and films such as the Martian and Prometheus.

In this conversation, moderated by cinematographer Nico Aguilar, we dive deep into their roles as editor and cinematographer, the risks they’ve taken and innovations they’ve accomplished. 

Recommended watching: News of the World

In this intimate conversation, Samantha and Maceo discuss their working relationship as director / DP and their transitions into their respective roles.

In this conversation Cinematographer Jody Lee Lipes and Production Designer Inbal Weinberg talk about their 20+ year friendship, which began at NYU Film School, how they chose their specific crafts, and their dreams for the future.

In this conversation, we dive into Rodrigo and Nico's roles in Julie Taymor's film "The Glorias," as Cinematographer and 2nd Unit DP respectively. We also hear some intimate stories from their respective careers. 

Tami Reiker and her crew behind “One Night In Miami” talk about the process when you have established a shorthand with your crew. Watch “One Night In Miami” on Amazon Prime today!

These cinematographers discuss their craft and recent work.

In this mostly one on one conversation, Oren and Julia discuss their path into cinematography, their experience at film school, and the goals that they have for their future.

In this captivating conversation we discuss the importance of trust on a set, the relationship between director / DP, and the way a director perceives their body of work.