Film Talk | Interviews with the brightest minds in the film industry.

Eric Vollweiler is a world-class expert in film festival organization. He is the producer of the Saratoga Springs International Film Festival, the Marketing and Advertising consultant for the Buffalo Niagara International Film Festival, and the Marketing Specialist for the Artemis Woman in Action Film Festival. In his role as the Marketing Director of Festivals for Film Marketing Services he has worked on the Culver City Film Festival, the Marina del Rey Film Festival, the Silicon Beach Film Festival and the Film Trailer Festival. Further past events he has worked on include the Ballston Spa Film Festival, Showbiz Expo LA, FilmColumbia Film Festival, Edwood Film Festival, Ruff Cutz Indie Film Conference, Now Casting Film Festival, The Youth Actors Expo, and International Film Festival Summit.

Marcia Basichis was Senior Vice President of Aaron Spelling Television, during which time she headed development for series, movies and miniseries. She worked with key players in the entertainment industry, selling, developing and putting into production feature films and television series, including “Beverly Hills 90210”, “Melrose Place”, and the Emmy Award winning HBO movie “And the Band Played On”. Marcia took Spelling Television from zero to seven primetime on-air series. And in 1995 Marcia was named one of Hollywood Reporters "Power 50 Women in Entertainment." Early in her career, Marcia gained network television experience as a dramatic series executive at ABC Entertainment, where she was the original executive on “Dynasty” and “Battlestar Galactica”, among others. Today she is the managing partner at Brentwood Search, a boutique executive search firm. Marcia has served on the Executive Committee and Awards Committee of the Academy of Television Arts and Sciences and has been a member of the American Film Institute.

J. Todd Harris has produced 40 films, including five Sundance Film Festival entries, two films that have appeared in the Toronto Film Festival, one that debuted at the Tribeca Film Festival, and another that garnered a Special Mention for the Camera D'Or at the Cannes Film Festival. His most recent productions include “Bottle Shock” starring Golden Globe winner Alan Rickman and Chris Pine, “The Kids Are Alright” starring Oscar winner Julianne Moore, Oscar nominated Annette Bening and Oscar nominated Mark Ruffalo, and “Piranha 3D” from The Weinstein Company. In theatre, he produced “Heathers the Musical” off Broadway and Broadway productions “Doctor Zhivago” and Tony-nominated “American Psycho”. Additionally, Todd is a founding member of the board of the newly created Napa Valley Film Festival. He has been a member of the Producers Branch of the Motion Picture Academy since 1999, the Broadway League since 2015, and the Producers Guild since 2016.

Leanne Pooley is one of New Zealand’s most accomplished documentary filmmakers, having directed over 20 films. Leanne has made documentaries for major broadcasters including the BBC and PBS, and her documentaries have screened in more than 100 countries. Her work includes “Beyond the Edge” a 3D feature film that was a runner-up for the People's Choice Award for Documentary at the Toronto International Film Festival, and “Topp Twins – Untouchable Girls” which won 21 International Awards including Audience Awards at the Toronto International Film Festival, the Melbourne International Film Festival, and the Gothenburg International Film Festival, amongst others. It also won Best Feature at the New Zealand Film & TV Awards, and reached nearly $2 million at the New Zealand box office, making it the most successful New Zealand documentary of all time. In 2011 Leanne’s work was recognized by the New Zealand Arts Foundation, and she was made a New Zealand Arts Laureate. She now serves as a judge for the International Emmy Awards.

Robb Skyler is an actor best known for his work on “Along Came Polly”, "Romy & Michele's High School Reunion", Oscar winning "Forrest Gump" and “Arrested Development”. He will shortly be starring in “Hands of Stone” alongside Oscar winner Robert DeNiro and Golden Globe nominated Edgar Ramirez.

Wendy Blackstone has composed scores for over 130 film and television projects, nine of which have been nominated for or won Oscars. She also holds the distinction of being the first ever female film composer signed by CAA.

Mark Stasenko is the co-founder of WeScreenplay and Coverfly, a script coverage and competition submission service that uses cutting edge proprietary software. As a writer last year he won the ScreenCraft fellowship and Francis Ford Coppola's ZoeTrope Competition, and has been a quarter finalist for the Nicholl Fellowship.

Emmy Award winning cinematographer Sam Henriques is known for his work on “The Farm” which won both the Sundance Grand Jury Prize and an Oscar nomination, and “Riding the Rails” which won the Peabody Award. His camera work includes “The Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt”, “The Michael J. Fox Show”, as well as work for National Geographic, Viacom, HBO, Showtime, Disney, and Martha Stewart.

Award-winning sound designer Nick Palladino has developed an international reputation for excellence, innovation and hard work. During his 25 years as the owner and creative force behind NPALL Audio Nick has worked on faith-based box office successes including “Courageous”, “Fireproof”, and “Facing The Giants”, and the number 1 box office hit “War Room”. His wide-ranging client list includes: HBO, A&E, Sony Pictures, Provident Films, NASCAR, The Walt Disney Company and CBS.