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I wouldn’t be surprised if people thought this was a director-only podcast; it’s usually who I host. My guest today, Rachel Noll James, has directed films, of course, but she didn’t direct her last one, INHERITANCE (2024), which is the subject of a lot of discussion in this episode. 

What I’m really getting at is finding guests who make films happen, whose force of personality in a variety of different disciplines — acting, producing, writing, directing — brought the images at your theater or on your screen to life. Rachel is doing all those things, for her own projects, with the production company she co-founded, and also grants for early career female filmmakers. 

What a dynamo and the perfect podcast guest. I’m so thrilled to talk acting, writing — filmmaking — with Rachel Noll James. 

INHERITANCE (2024): “Estranged sisters Lucy and Paige reunite to bury their father, becoming entangled in the complicated web of their past as they realize that they have inherited more from their father than just money.”

In this episode, Rachel and I discuss: 

• How she got started in filmmaking as an actor and how she wasn’t good at waiting around; 
• The art and science of acting — how much is taught and how much is naturally-given talent;
• The roles of “filmmaker, actor, entrepreneur” and how they are intertwined for indie filmmakers;
• How she produced and wrote her first film, DON’T PASS ME BY (), but didn’t direct it — was that challenging?
• The process of directing yourself and what means as both an actor and director;
• Writing and whether you write for your own role and the challenges of switching roles as an actor;
• What she’s learned as an actor;
• How her production company, Emergence Films, whose goal is to “shift the mindset around the way women conceptualize, make, distribute, and market independent media” influences her work;
• If she feels like it’s getting better for female filmmakers;
• How she wants someone to feel when they watch INHERITANCE;
• Why there aren’t more films like this;
• The incredibly deeper meaning behind a plot point that stands out in the film (no spoilers but you’ll know it when you see it);
• If she’s a proponent of reading her reviews;
• How Emergence Films is creating a more direct connection with their audience;
• What’s next for her and her company.
• Her thoughts on film school and the short v. feature debate.

Rachel's Indie Film Highlight: ADULT CHILDREN (2025) dir. by Rich Newey

Memorable Quotes:

“ I learned very quickly that it requires a lot of waiting around for other people to give you opportunities, which I was not very good at doing.”

“I think it requires a tremendous amount of access to your own emotional body, which a lot of people don’t have.”

“ I spent seven years working at a marketing company which is something I never planned to do. And at the time I was like, ah, stupid day job. I don't wanna be doing this. But I'm so grateful I did because there's just certain life skills and like business skills that are so helpful.”

“ I think there's a lot of self-consciousness to being an actor on a set, especially when you're starting out.”

“Something that was really important to both Sienna and I, my co-founder, is having both come up through LA and through Hollywood as women on predominantly male sets where, again, no shade to male sets, and there's a lot of wonderful men doing amazing films, and it's just, it's a different energy and I think it can feel very unsafe in a lot of ways, to ask questions, to learn, to not feel objectified, to not feel like you're one woman in a sea of all men.”

“I think it’s because Hollywood still has this mindset that female content is niche or doesn’t sell, which is proven more and more is not true.”

“ Hey, mom and dad, how about instead of a thousand dollars on film school, you give me that same hundred thousand dollars and I'm gonna go make up my first feature.” 

Links:

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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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Watch BIG ROCK BURNING Now

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Every Sunday, I'll post a quick video -- and podcast -- about an indie film from at least a year ago. Today's film: FRAY (2012)

Director: Geoff Ryan

Writer: Geoff Ryan

Cast: Bryan Kaplan; Marisa Costa; Catherine Johnson

SYNOPSIS

Just back from combat, a young Marine veteran faces a new battle to find purpose in the mundane existence of civilian life while struggling through a shattered economy while burdened by the physical and emotional scars of war.

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It takes a brilliant insight to get a question added to the podcast, but my guest, South African filmmaker Tristan Holmes, achieved that. Do you actually like your movie? It stunned me when he said he wonders if his debut feature was better off as an idea and we got to the real truth of it in the podcast.

What exists on screen of THE FRAGILE KING (2023) is award-winning — it tells the story of a 15 year old sent to live with his grandfather who he doesn’t know after his mom dies — but what Tristan knows is what was left out and the brilliance that wasn’t made. And he, not the audience, is left with that feeling. Wow. Just wow. I tried to just get out of his way on so many topics — AI, film school, mentorship, and more — that I think you’ll really love his takes.

And if you hear me ask the Tristan Holmes question, well, here’s where it came from. 

In this episode, Tristan and I talk about:

• How he’s the designated bank commercial guy — watch this ad and you’ll believe it;
• How he got his start in filmmaking and the long journey of THE FRAGILE KING;
• Going into film school thinking he’d do one thing and come out doing something else — is that the point of film school?
• The importance of mentorship and the surprising places you can find them;
• Coming back to THE FRAGILE KING ten years after losing the rights to it;
• Why he still isn’t sure whether he should have made his first feature;
• What does it mean to have a South African film?
• How you should approach watching THE FRAGILE KING;
• The unique ending, how he wasn’t able to shoot what he wanted, and the new Tristan Holmes question;
• Whether his advertising background helped him;
• The wild story of casting for the film;
• What’s next for him.

Tristan’s Indie Film/filmmaker Highlights: LEVIATHAN (2014) dir. by Andrey Zvyagintsez; LOVELESS (2017) dir. by Andrey Zvyagintsez; Abbas Kiarostami; Nuri Bilge Ceylan; THE GIRL WITH THE NEEDLE (2024) dir. by Magnus Von Horn; Joachim Trier; Aki Kaurismäki; SONGS FROM THE SECOND FLOOR (2000) dir. by Roy Andersson; Abderrahmane Sissako

Memorable Quotes:

“[THE FRAGILE KING] was the only one that actually made it through the gauntlet of finance, which is what film is now more than ever.”

“You realize that through those stories that actually they've had the ultimate apprenticeship, which is the mentors, the parents.”

“It’s the challenge of today because now with. Instagram, social media and ai. You get this immediate feedback, but it's not the feed, the quiet feedback of experience.” 

“AI is never going to mentor you.”

“Even now that it is made and it is out there and it's done well, there's still a part of me that wonders whether it would've been better if it remained as an idea.” 

“It seems like an audacious thing to try and birth a film into existence.”

“You have to be making something all time because that moment where you are confronted with the weight of your limitation, your lack of resources, the unavailability of time.”

“If your idea is always remaining theoretical or never getting to that point of confronting reality, having the audacity to give them birth into something real and tangible, then the artist will never cultivate. The artist will actually sit and instead return to the comfort of being an academic or being a critic or being a theorist.”

“There's a feeling of outsideness in your own country that is unresolvable.” 

“We all know that campaigns and making films, it’s a money business. This is a producer first medium. Directors, we are not gonna arrive on set without our script and then it’s gonna get made.”

“The South African government, as much as they put forward and do support film, I don’t think they do enough once the film has been made.”

“For me, the process of discovery always happens with the actors.”

Links:

Follow Tristan On Instagram

Tristan's Website (Watch the "Hard Work" ad -- trust me)

If you could highlight one person standing at the intersection of journalism and filmmaking, it would be my guest today, Diana Schemo. 11 years ago, she founded the Double Exposure Film Festival as a way to reach people, alongside journalism, and it’s been extraordinarily successful, in both the quality of films and its importance in the larger filmmaking and journalistic communities.

This year’s edition takes place October 30th - November 2nd, in Washington, DC, and it not only includes films but fantastic panels and a matchmaking platform for you to find funding and for funders to find you. Whether you’re a documentary filmmaker or you just care about making the world a little brighter place, Diana is here today endeavoring to do both. 

In this episode, Diana and I talk about:

• What’s changed in the 11th edition of the Double Exposure Film Festival since its start;
• How she started the film festival and why it is so vital for today’s world;
• What the process looks like each year for the festival in terms of accepting submissions;
• What kind of films *don’t* get selected;
• The difference between journalism and documentary filmmaking;
• Her thoughts on hybrid documentaries and new forms of docs;
• The saga of RETROGRADE (you can read more about it in the linked Washington Post article);
• How to balance corporate interests with the plight of working documentary filmmakers;
• How she feels about Washington, DC as the home for this festival;
• The amazing things the film festival offers beyond screenings

Diana's Indie Film/Show Highlight: THE SIX BILLION DOLLAR MAN (2025) dir. by Eugene Jarecki; TRADE SECRET (2025) dir. by Abraham Joffe; RIVER (2015)

Memorable Quotes:

“The universe in which these films operate has changed tremendously because at that time it was considered like a golden age for documentaries.”

“You are allowed to eavesdrop.”

I don't know what madness seized me to think that I would ever make money for the organization doing film festivals. Totally not the case. Do not do this at home, kids. It'll not get you there.”

“I saw it as like a great way to build awareness of investigative journalism as a driver of culture.”

“My feeling at that time was we think that we stand on such a solid foundation that we have the First Amendment, that we have libel laws, we have this, we have that. We don't. It's as only as strong as people who support it and believe in it.”

“And if they're not reading our 5,000 word takeouts on deficiencies in hospital inspections, maybe they'll watch a film about it.” 

“We used to just do by invitation only when we were starting out because that was the only way it was manageable. But I wanted to open it up because I thought we wanna see if there's new work.” 

"Filmmaking is very different from journalism.”

“No, I actually like weird. I like people who are creative, who are pushing the envelope.”

“We actually check out who’s funded the pieces.”

“ Sometimes with questions [regarding] representation, oh, is somebody on the film team actually from the community that you're telling their story?”

Links:

Double Exposure Film Festival

Follow Double Exposure Film Festival On Instagram

Watch This Episode On YouTube

Every Sunday, I'll post a quick video -- and podcast -- about an indie film from at least a year ago. Today's film: INHERITANCE (2024).

Director: Emily Moss Wilson

Writer: Rachel Noll James; Austin Highsmith Garces

Cast: Austin Highsmith Garces; Rachel Noll James; Wes Brown

SYNOPSIS

Estranged sisters Lucy and Paige reunite to bury their father, becoming entangled in the complicated web of their past as they realize that they have inherited more from their father than just money.

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My guest, writer, director, and actor Guillaume Campanacci made a film, THE SILENT SINNER (2025), for $2000 and then released it at his favorite film festival, the Oldenburg Film Festival. That topic alone would make for a great podcast. But then add in his rich sense of humor and ability to critique everything -- including himself -- and you've got an all-time episode.

It'll help if you read this Hollywood Reporter article before listening.

In this episode, Guillaume and I talk about:

• What does he mean when he says he wants to “fuck with the audience”;
• How he got started in filmmaking;
• If most actors want to direct;
• How he honored French New Wave in his debut feature, WHENEVER I’M ALONE WITH YOU (2023);
• Why he thinks Oldenburg is the best film festival in the world and what can other film festivals take away from it;
• The state of independent filmmaking in France;
• What’s next for him;
• What to expect when you watch THE SILENT SINNER;
• He starred in the film with his real-life partner. What is his advice on doing that?;
• Distributing such a unique film — he loves Filmhub;
• His advice for filmmakers just starting out. 

Guillaume's Indie Film Highlights: SUMMER HIT MACHINE (2025) dir. by Jérôme Vandewattyne; HARAKIRI, I MISS YOU (2025) dir. by Alejandro Castro Arias

Memorable Quotes:

“It was very selfish to make this one because I made it for nothing. So I could do whatever I want.”

“I started as a French man.”

“I think Sundance used to be like that back in the day, and now it’s this big machine like an independent film is a $25 million film with Ben Affleck. No, it’s not independent film.”

“If you’re a festival and the only thing you do is take films from other festivals, are you really a festival?”

“I don’t think there is really independent filmmaking in France.”

“We spoke about French New Wave before and it’s gone because these films would not get made today.”

“Right now, I’m going to be writing the miniseries, and I love it. It’s just me with my notepad and the universe of possibilities that’s around me.”

Links:

Follow Guillaume On Instagram

Watch This Episode On YouTube

At the end of each episode, I ask my guest if they’d like to highlight someone else, given how hard indie filmmaking is. It’s called the indie film highlight. And of course they do. My guest today, Ömer Sami, is the only person who was nominated on two separate occasions and that speaks to both how well respected he is amongst his peers but how groundbreaking his filmmaking is. 

In this conversation, I get to find out why that is, and I think it’s partially due to his interest in psychology. His background gives him the skillset to better understand the human condition and then portray it on film. Or maybe he’s just a fantastic guy who supports his fellow filmmakers. Why can’t it be both? 

In this episode, Ömer and I discuss:

• How does he feel about the respect he’s garnered amongst his peers;
• His unique educational background — he went to LA to study psychology and Denmark for film school;
• How to become a filmmaker in Denmark (important note: neither of us are providing immigration advice!);
• What made him decide to head into documentary?
• His film, ETERNAL FATHER (2023), and how he views the burgeoning “don’t die” movement;
• How he built trust to be able to film such a personal documentary;
• Why is he working on a feature now and the role of short docs vs. short narratives;
• What’s next for him — a feature length doc on the “Indiana Jones of Scotland”;
• What it’s like taking short films to festivals;
• Festivals and filmmaking in Denmark. 

Ömer ’s Indie Film Highlight: BALOMANIA (2024) dir. by Sissel Dargis Morell

Memorable Quotes:

“The question that I was always interested in was what it’s like to be someone in a specific situation. I studied psychology because I was interested in consciousness of what it’s like to be another being. And then I found out that film was actually a much better way of conveying that emotionally.”

“Generally I love working with kids because they have an unfiltered, immediate way of seeing the world.”

“In the case of the kids, my experience is that they have to get bored of it. And when the novelty wears off, that’s when the interesting things start happening. And in the case of adults, I think a lot of documentary is about performance, how intentional that is.”

“Short documentaries are often tied to news outlets, so people are used to consuming shorter form content. And I’m not a snob at all about length. I think it’s ridiculous this idea that the feature is a kind of holy grail of filmmaking.”

“I think often you leave feeling that film could be shorter. It’s very rare that it could have been longer.”

“The shorts that work best for me are the ones that embrace the limits and the constraints of this sort form instead of trying to be a mini feature.”

“The curation is just really important in terms of what is the emotional journey that you go on. [Film festivals] are like having a birthday party and a funeral in the same room.”

Links:

Follow Ömer On Instagram

Watch ETERNAL FATHER Now

Ömer 's Vimeo

Watch This Episode On YouTube

Every Sunday, I'll post a quick video -- and podcast -- about an indie film from at least a year ago. Today's film: BLACKBIRD (2020).

Director: Roger Michell

Writer: Christian Torpe

Cast: Sam Neill; Susan Sarandon; Anson Boon

SYNOPSIS

A terminally ill mother arranges to bring her family together one last time before she dies. A remake of the 2014 Danish film 'Silent Heart'.

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You expect a first feature to show its stripes a bit. And be a little bit excusable. As in, well, this is my guest, Zoe Eisenberg’s first feature, so give her a little credit for just getting it done. Zoe said hell no — let’s just jump to fantastic filmmaking. The best way I’d describe CHAPERONE (2024) is a slow burn that builds into a bonfire. The film’s logline: “Alienated by friends and family for her lack of ambition, 29 year old Misha finds a dangerous acceptance in a bright 18 year old athlete who mistakes her for a fellow student.”

And the ending will shock you. This is an assured debut for a new talent. 

In this conversation, Zoe and I talk about:

• All her various art forms and what she considers herself — filmmaker, writer, producer?;
• How she got involved in filmmaking;
• What constitutes a “bad” film — is it the writing?;
• How did CHAPERONE come about and what does she want people to think about when they watch it;
• Her insane casting story of just sliding into the lead’s DMs — and making it work through an insane level of preparation;
• What it was like making a feature film in Hawaii and its protective nature;
• Whether she’d do anything different in the rollout of the film since Slamdance 2024;
• The ending — it will shock you (no spoilers);
• What’s next for her.

Zoe’s Indie Filmmaker Highlight: Alika Tengan

Memorable Quotes:

“I got into filmmaking because I fell in love with a filmmaker.”

“Sometimes I’ll think they had to take a lot of notes. CHAPERONE is a completely independent film…very scrappy and that posed a ton of challenges.”

“I want [viewers] to trust me because the first 15 minutes, the first 20 minutes can even feel like a cheesy rom-com, which is intentional because then we go somewhere else.”

“Hawaii’s relationship with the world has been so extractive in the last 200 years.”

“Once MAY DECEMBER (2023) came out, we were like, okay, we’re Hawaii’s MAY DECEMBER or Hawaii’s BABYGIRL (2024).”

“Without giving anything away, the film is a tragedy.”

Links:

Watch CHAPERONE Now

Follow Zoe On Instagram