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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: BEFORE/DURING/AFTER (2020)

Director: Stephen Kunken; Jack Lewars

Screenplay: Finnerty Steeves

Cast: Finnerty Steeves; Jeremy Davidson; John Pankow; John Ellison Conlee

SYNOPSIS

This sharp-witted dramedy studies a middle-aged NYC theatre actress suddenly forced to figure out the kind of person she wants to portray in real life when her marriage comes to an end after she catches her husband cheating.

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As soon as RIVER OF GRASS (2025) starts, the viewer is given an astonishing sense of place, and according to my guest, director Sasha Wortzel, this is most certainly by design. The film -- "an ode to the Florida Everglades past and present" -- is an amazing piece of artwork that elevates its subject to a character all of its own. Wherever you watch the film -- perhaps at DC/DOX on June 14th, 2025 -- you are going to feel like you are in Florida.

I’m not sure you’re transported there during the podcast, but what I can certainly promise is you’ll be hearing from an extraordinarily talented filmmaker. 

In this episode, Sasha and I discuss:

• how did she get the sense of place, the feeling of being in Florida, through sound and visuals, so right?
• how did she get the archival footage that makes up RIVER OF GRASS?
• "the more you know about the place, the louder the whispers become" -- how did she get so many insights from the people she interviewed for the film?
• how she became a filmmaker focused on "attend[ing] to sites and stories systematically erased or ignored from...[New York and Florida's] histories"
• did RIVER OF GRASS, a doc feature, feel like a natural progressive after making shorts?
• her advice for doc filmmakers -- "really hone in what is the story you want to tell and why";
• her film won a jury prize at Hot Docs; how does she approach the festival process?
• the importance of resilience in getting her film made -- "make bold choices with your work creatively";
• her roles as director, producer, and editor -- was editing important to her for this project?
• how she was able to get her voiceovers right -- "what really worked for the voiceovers in this particular film that it's a lot about memory";
• with this film, does she consider herself a climate filmmaker?
• what's next for her and when does she expect RIVER OF GRASS to be available for streaming -- she's "dreaming up a sort of live immersive performance version"

Sasha's Indie Film/Filmmaker Highlight: THE RED SHOES (1948) -- available on Tubi!; THE TUBA THIEVES (2023) dir. by Alison O'Daniel; Ja'Tovia Gary

Links:

Follow RIVER OF GRASS On Instagram

Follow Sasha Wortzel On Instagram

Buy Tickets To See River of Grass At DC/DOX On June 14th, 2025

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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: UNTOGETHER (2018).

Director: Emma Forrest

Written By: Emma Forrest

Cast: Jamie Dornan; Ben Mendelsohn; Jemima Kirke; Lola Kirke; Billy Crystal

SYNOPSIS

Once considered a teen prodigy, a recovering addict sobers up and tries to get her writing career back on track. She begins a relationship with a rising author known for his wartime memoirs.

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As we move further away from the conventional wars in Afghanistan and Iraq, colloquially known as the Global War on Terror, the need for films like AMERICAN SONS (2025) is greater; it informs us, through powerful filmmaking, what we've lost.

AMERICAN SONS follows a brotherhood of Marines a decade after their deployment to Afghanistan, as they struggle to overcome the trauma of combat and the loss of their best friend, Corporal JV Villarreal.

I am joined today by director Andrew James Gonzales and producer Laura Valera for an important -- essential -- discussion for the Memorial Day holiday.

In this episode, we discuss:

• the world premiere at SXSW and how they were able to make such an authentic film about fallen Marines;
• why they were drawn to documentary filmmaking -- "I've always been drawn to documentary because I appreciate the realism. I like real stories. I don't like this. There's a lot of great narrative Hollywood stuff, but I just don't like this fake, happy ending in every movie, right? - Andrew James Gonzales;
• what should viewers expect when they watch AMERICAN SONS -- "They should expect to see a very real veteran story" - Andrew James Gonzales
• how the film was funded and producer Laura Valera brought together a variety of different resources to make it happen -- "If you don't get money from a certain organization and you really feel that they align, make sure you call, get feedback, apply again. The other thing that I tell young filmmakers is offer to be a grant reader" - Laura Valera
• the crucial difference between a director and a filmmaker -- "So a director directs the film versus a filmmaker does anything that they need to do to finish the film, which means you're taking on a role that you've never even done before, but because you have the vision of how to complete it." - Andrew James Gonzales;
• why don't we see more of these authentic veteran films in narrative? And with the release of WARFARE (2025) by another Latino director, is there something specific to the Latino experience in the military, perhaps with the emphasis on community, that highlights these kinds of stories?;
• what was the response to the film at SXSW?
• what's next for this film and the filmmakers?

Laura's Indie Filmmaker Highlight: Tejanas In Film

Links:

AMERICAN SONS Website

Follow Andrew On Instagram

Follow AMERICAN SONS On Instagram

Finally, here are links to five soldiers I served with who died either in action or because of its aftermath, and I think about them often. There is this whole "inside baseball" amongst veterans that you should never wish a veteran Happy Memorial Day because it's a solemn event to honor our fallen, like somehow our friends want all of us to be eternally miserable every last Monday of May in honor of their sacrifice. It's petty when the meaning of the statement is kind and it creates a division between civilian and veteran that shouldn't be there, not on this day.

Sidestep all that noise. If you do encounter a veteran on Memorial Day, say something like this: "I'm sure this is hard for you. If you're able, I'd love to hear a story about someone you've lost, just so I can understand the magnitude of our country's sacrifice."

For me, I could talk about these guys all day. Enjoy the holiday.

Cody Baker

Gil Morales

Michael McGahan

Ryan Sartor

Justin Schmidt

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Natalie Halla, the award winning Austrian filmmaker of THE LAST AMBASSADOR (2025), among other films, found that her way of making the world a better place is making insightful and incisive films. In her latest, she tells the story of Manizha Bakhtari, who is "risking everything in her fight for the rights of girls and women in Afghanistan."

It had its North American premiere at Hot Docs to a standing ovation, and Natalie is here to talk about her journey and her powerful filmmaking.

In this episode, Natalie and I discuss:

• the reception of THE LAST AMBASSADOR (2025) at Hot Docs;
• how did she get the access to make such a film?;
• how did she get involved in filmmaking -- "I'm a total autodidact";
• what drives her to make documentaries -- "I see it as my mission";
• the idea of a "search for the ultimate value of life" -- how that is connected throughout her filmmaking -- "it's not about just staying alive, it's about finding something worth living for";
• how she made a documentary with so much done on the road;
• "let's shoot it; I'll find the funding later" -- how she started filmmaking;
• what advice she would give documentary filmmakers;
• why she goes to festivals like Hot Docs and what her strategy is for attending -- "I really love meeting fellow filmmakers, so film festivals [are] the best chance to do that";
• what is next for her? "I don't have the energy and time to start something new, this film has so much interest it will keep me occupied for awhile";
• what's it like as an indie filmmaker in Austria?

Links:

Follow Natalie On Instagram

Visit Natalie's Website

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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: 12 MONTHS (2022).

Director: Clinton Cornwell

Written By: Clinton Cornwell; Elizabeth Hirsch-Tauber; Michael James Kelly

Cast: Elizabeth Hirsch-Tauber; Michael James Kelly; Christopher Mychael Watson

SYNOPSIS

A hyper-realistic diversion from the usual rom-com, 12 Months candidly portrays moments that are commonly experienced but rarely shown as it follows the story of Ellie and Clark, a millennial couple, navigating the peaks and valleys of new relation.

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Writer, filmmaker, actor...and activist Ben Steinberg joins me to talk about his campaign to save the Cinerama Dome and his filmmaking, most recently HIKIKOMORI, a surreal short film you have to see to believe.

In this episode, Ben and I talk about:

• how he got decided to get into film and acting;
• his campaign to save Cinerama Dome in Los Angeles;
• why should indie filmmakers care about theaters when most films are streamed?;
• how he made the surreal short HIKIKOMORI (inspired by THE LOBSTER, one of my favorite films);
• what's next for him, possibly a documentary on saving the Cinerama Dome ("I just need to stay organized and contact like media outlets and just see if they're willing to report on it because so far, not really, no one's really reporting on it");
• what does it say about the state of filmmaking when even Oscar winners are having trouble getting their projects made.

Ben's Indie Filmmaker Highlight: Vince Di Meglio

Links:

Follow Ben Steinberg On Instagram

Follow Ben Steinberg On Twitter

Follow Save Arclight Cinemas! On Twitter

Are you familiar with the Crazy8s competition in British Columbia?

Thanks to today’s guest, executive director of the Crazy8s Film Society, Grace Chin, you are now.

The event is held in March annually and if you’re able to participate next year, go for it. But as Grace talks about, not everybody gets in. This conversation offers your best roadmap to get crazy in Vancouver next year. 

In this episode, Grace and I discuss:

• what is the Crazy8s? "it's still the eight crazy days -- they shoot for 3 days, the fourth day you deliver your rough cut, fifth day your fine cut, sixth day your locked cut, seventh is editing, and then you deliver on eight";
• how did she get involved as executive director of the festival?;
• how she got involved in filmmaking and running festivals, including the Asian Film Festival, before going over to Crazy8s;
• what does she see as the market for short films? "definitely festivals";
• why does Western Canada get a shorter shrift than the rest of the country in indie filmmaking?;
• how Crazy8s is helping filmmakers in British Columbia;
• what she told the people that got rejected from Crazy8s;
• what does Crazy8s look like in five years? is AI part of the plan?

Grace's Indie Film Highlight: DOUBLE HAPPINESS (1994), dir. by Mina Shum

Links:

Follow Grace On Instagram

Follow Crazy8s On Instagram

Crazy 8s Website

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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: TO DUST (2018).

Director: Shawn Snyder

Written By: Shawn Snyder; Jason Begue

Cast: Matthew Broderick; Géza Röhrig

SYNOPSIS

A Hasidic cantor in upstate New York, distraught by the untimely death of his wife, befriends a local community college biology professor and the two embark on an increasingly literal undertaking into the underworld.

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It’s hard to say what’s been the biggest achievement for Daniel over the past few weeks — starting his own studio, Outerboro Films, getting selected as a 2025 Film Independent Documentary Story Lab Fellow, or telling the white supremacist Nick Fuentes that he’s an asshole.

Daniel said it’s the latter, but I’m guessing as we look back, it’ll be the first two, as he releases more of his critically acclaimed docs under his own banner. 

Daniel has made truly extraordinary films, and now he’s put himself in a position to help others make theirs. 

In this episode, Daniel and I discuss:

• how do you make the jump into embed in alt right hate groups? -- Daniel has the most incredible origin story;
• WHITE NOISE, The Atlantic's first feature documentary, directed by Daniel -- "it was journalistically important; a historical document";
• did The Atlantic know they were going into video when they hired him out of college?
• his founding of Outerboro Films; is he building off his work at The Atlantic and The New Yorker with a strategy to monetize his films?
• how he sees those two venerable magazines moving away to more social videos and leaving a space for companies like Outerboro;
• what Outerboro is -- a production studio? a distributor? both?;
• the unreal story of his upcoming documentary feature film, YOU'LL BE HAPPIER;
• his process of starting the project and then bringing on executive producers;
• the role of festivals in releasing documentaries in ways that they stay relevant;
• the advice "we need to destigmatize working at the coffee shop" for documentary filmmakers -- how does he feel about that advice?
• the name Outerboro Films and what it means; what would his company look like if it was based in Los Angeles?;
• what's next for him and Outerboro -- a sequel to NINA AND IRENA (2023)!;

Daniel's Indie Film Highlight: ETERNAL FATHER (2023) dir. by Omer Sami

Links:

Follow Daniel On Instagram

Outerboro Films Website

Follow Outerboro Films On Linkedin