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Jump into the mosh pit with filmmaker Portlynn Tagavi. We talk about her stunning filmmaking career, animation, Film Independent’s Project Involve, and her brilliant short film, MOSH, which screened at Slamdance this year. 

In this episode, we talk about:

• how she got started in filmmaking through animation;
• the difference in directing animation vs. life action ("the whole concept of talking to actors still freaks me out");
• what the AFI Conservatory MFA Directing program is like;
• the importance of going into a room and acknowledging that you are still learning a particular craft;
• how MOSH got made through Film Independent's Project Involve;
• leadership advice in directing;
• what's the creative executive track like;
• the story of MOSH and what people should expect to see ("what does masculine emotional release look like?";
• why Slamdance? what is she expecting going into the screenings;
• the role of short films especially in a premiere film festival like Slamdance;
• the benefits of a larger social media following;
• the challenges of finding distribution for films at even the premiere film festivals;
• how Oscars don't exactly help careers -- "even with Oscars, you probably still have to prove yourself";
• what's next for her.

Portlynn's Indie Film Highlight: STOLEN KINGDOM (2025) dir. by Joshua Bailey

Links:

Follow Portlynn On Instagram

Portlynn Tagavi's Website

Every Sunday, I'll post a quick video -- and podcast -- about an indie film from at least a year ago. Today's film: CASHBACK (2006).

Director: Sean Ellis

Written By: Sean Ellis

Cast: Sean Biggerstaff; Emilia Fox; Michelle Ryan

SYNOPSIS

Sophia's comfortable life turns upside down the day she meets Sylvain, and she leaves everything for a new, burning passion.

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Ntare Guma Mbaho Mwine is an accomplished actor, director, and documentary filmmaker, and so it's no surprise that his film, MEMORIES OF LOVE RETURNED (2024), is a love letter to the arts. It's also a love letter about Uganda, and offers a deeply personal look at his experience in the country and that of photographer Kibaate Aloysius Ssalongo.

In this episode, we discuss:

• how he got started in filmmaking and if he has a preference between acting and directing;
• how his knowledge of directing affected his acting "for years";
• what he learned in his decades of documentary filmmaking;
• the role of LGBTQ films going forward;
• the challenge of making films in an occasional hostile social and political environment;
• why Slamdance?;
• when can people see MEMORIES OF LOVE RETURNED;
• what's next for him?
• does he ever feel typecast as an actor or as a director -- because of his name, he was getting "certain African roles"; he told his reps, it would be great to get something where he isn't speaking an African accent;
• being told he "wasn't African enough."

Ntare's Indie Film Highlight: WHEN THE SMOKE CLEARS (2024) dir. by Misha Kapany Schwarz, Maarya Zafa.

Links:

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I couldn't have loved CONTOURS (2025) more, Aisha Amin's film which screened at Slamdance, and that bled through into the conversation. The story is brilliantly written, wonderfully acted, and gorgeously shot, so it's no surprise Aisha is such a fascinating guest for the podcast.

She comes to filmmaking from the perspective of a Pakistani-American filmmaker and it is clear she will continue to push boundaries of what's possible in independent filmmaking.

In this episode, we talk about:

• how you decide to put a twist into a short film;
• how she got involved in filmmaking (and she made me feel better about asking a similar question every time) -- hat tip to the Straight 8 competition;
• her thoughts on film v. digital and why more people aren't funding short films;
• how CONTOURS, a deeply rich film about a couple fighting, came to be;
• what the process is like directing something you haven't written -- "you have to be really collaborative";
• how she feels about diversity initiatives, especially in this political climate;
• why Slamdance for her film;
• how she responds to questions about her first feature;
• the challenge of being pigeonholed as a young director;
• what's next for her -- she drops info about her first feature!
• the problems with screeners only viewable on laptops and publicists utilizing Zoom for their press days with filmmakers.

Aisha's Indie Film Highlight: FOUL EVIL DEEDS (2024) dir. by Richard Hunter; NO OTHER LAND (2024) dir. by Rachel Szor; Yuval Abraham; Basel Adra; Hamdan Ballal; Pastel Productions

Links:

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The needle-threading to make a great political documentary, a brilliant social commentary about a Midwestern city, and a deeply personal story is truly breathtaking. But Nick Beaulieu delivers with MY OMAHA (2025), a film about a father, a son, and a city in Nebraska that will be viewed as a bellwether of our times for years to follow.

In this episode, we discuss:

• how he got started as a filmmaker -- he went out to LA to "do anything" but came back to Omaha as a documentarian;
• what people should expect to see when they turn on MY OMAHA;
• how he took the topic of political disagreements and gave it a tremendous amount of depth -- the film isn't what you might expect;
• how he shot such a personal story -- shout out to James Zanders and what advice he has for people embarking on such a project;
• the importance of building trust in making a documentary and how he sees the state of the industry;
• how specifically he made a political documentary without bringing the disagreements to a forefront;
• why Slamdance?
• what's next for him?

Nick's Indie Film Highlight: PROJECT DAD (2024) dir. by Camilla Jämting

Links:

Follow MY OMAHA On Instagram

Follow Nick Beaulieu On Instagram

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This is as close as I've ever been to going Joe Rogan style, four hour interview.

I've never talked with someone so willing to discuss the history of cinema (in this case, Taiwanese) than my guest today, Birdy Wei-Ting Hung. She directed the brilliant film, A BRIGHTER SUMMER DAY FOR THE LADY AVENGERS (2024), which screened at Slamdance.

In order to make the film, she drew on years of reading history and watching cinema. If you loved school, or even if you didn't, prepare for the best class ever with Birdy.

In this episode, we discuss:

• how she became a subject matter expert on Taiwanese cinema and learned to love horror films;
• how Edward Young and other filmmakers influenced her film;
• if a critic can take their own biases out of their judgment on a particular film and whether students of film can see that in others' works;
• Sean Baker's influence on her type of filmmaking and the bravery to take on subjects like sexual awakening, which is a theme of her film;
• who she thinks are female directors taking similar steps and her thoughts on labels;
• what her first screening at Fantastic Fest and in Taiwan was like;
• why Slamdance? it's her first time at the festival;
• does she consider herself a California filmmmaker?
• her work on music videos and what her first feature looks like -- "I'm not one of those people that has to be working on a feature"

Birdy's Indie Film Highlights: MAULED BY A DOG (2024) dir. by Sion Owens; THE STAG (2023) dir. by An Chu

Links:

Follow Birdy Wei-Ting Hung On Instagram

Video Essay For A BRIGHTER SUMMER DAY FOR THE LADY AVENGERS (2024)

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My guest, Woody Bess, makes it sound happenstance, but don't kid yourself: Keith David and Richard Kind aren't signing up for just any independent film. But if you've extremely talented and put your heart and soul into a film -- and the script is great -- well, they will, and you've got PORTAL TO HELL (2025), which debuted at Slamdance. Glad Woody didn't go in the portal, and he joined me to discuss this riveting horror comedy feature.

In this episode, we discuss:

• how he took so many jobs on PORTAL TO HELL;
• a pitch-perfect film between campy and serious to make one of the best horror comedy films of the year;
• how he wrote the script and "held for talent", betting on himself and his team to land great talent like Keith David and Richard Kind, separating the film from a lot of other independent projects;
• his thoughts on the horror genre;
• why Slamdance and what his thoughts are on its role in marketing and distribution;
• when PORTAL will be available to see (especially in theaters);
• his approach to limited social media in an age where directors almost have to have a presence;
• what's next for him -- a scary horror -- and how he feels about comedy as a genre to write for;
• "actors want to act" -- how to land fantastic actors in your indie project, even without a casting director;
• Woody's Indie Film Highlights: LOCKJAW (2025) dir. by Sabrina Greco; FOUL EVIL DEEDS (2024) dir. by Richard Hunter; MadS (2024) dir. by David Moreau

Links:

Follow PORTAL TO HELL On Instagram

Hello, Slamdance!

Be on the lookout for episodes coming out every day for the next few weeks. with 2025 Slamdance directors.

It is one of the most diverse lineups with often debut filmmakers so of course the pod will be highlighting the creators.

Thanks for helping filmmakers get their first time go.

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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: THE NATURE OF LOVE (2023).

Director: Monia Chokri

Written By: Monia Chokri

Cast: Magalie Lépine Blondeau; Pierre-Yves Cardinal; Francis-William Rheaume; Steve Laplante

SYNOPSIS

Sophia's comfortable life turns upside down the day she meets Sylvain, and she leaves everything for a new, burning passion.

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What do you get by matching "a former Marine Corps drill instructor and an elementary arts educator"? A fantastic filmmaker in Kyle Henry. Kyle teaches film production at Northwestern University and has made both narrative and docs films to the acclaim of the Independent Spirit Awards and other film festivals. He's back with his newest film, TIME PASSAGES, which is one of the most unique documentaries you'll ever see.

In this episode, we discuss:

• how TIME PASSAGES is graduate level doc filmmaking -- how was he able to pull that off?
• a bunch of awards for his debut feature, ROOM (2005) -- how? he credits it to being an observer of his community and engaging with this world;
• is that challenging for students nowadays, who may be perpetually online? and he flips the script to that question by saying "you can't make films based on the past";
• "you have stories within you", Kyle points out;
• the film TIME PASSAGES and how he came up with the unique tools of telling the story -- it's about the "struggle of putting the pieces together and then the process of letting go" with his family;
• if this film could have been made 20 years ago?
• how long he has been working with this project and what lessons he can take up from the experience-- "shut up and listen more";
• the state of film school from the lens of a film professor;
• what's next for a filmmaker who switches from documentary to narrative and how he makes that happen -- his next film (a narrative) sounds wild.

Kyle's Indie Film Highlight: CROOKEDFINGER (2023) dir. by Jason Cortlund and Julia Halperin

Links:

Follow TIME PASSAGES On Instagram

Visit TIME PASSAGES' website

Follow Kyle Henry on Instagram