What an incredible honor to be joined by famed cinematographer Akiko Ashizawa, who was honored at the Cannes Film Festival with the 2026 Pierre Angénieux Tribute. We talk about her career, how she thought the tribute was spam!, females in cinematography, and more.

The episode is recorded thanks to a translator.

In this episode, Akiko and I discuss:

• how she found out about the Pierre Angénieux Tribute and thought it was spam!;
• how she got her start;
• what defines Japanese cinema and its visual style;
• her views on technology and cinematography;
• her mentors and her advice for young cinematographers like Nguyễn Phan Linh Đan;
• why there aren't more female cinematographers and whether it's improved since she started.

Akiko's Indie Filmmaker Highlight: Shuichi Okita 沖田 修

Links:

2026 Pierre Angénieux Tribute

Akiko Ashizawa

We've seen the future of indie filmmaking the last few weeks with the theatrical runs of OBSESSION (2025) and BACKROOMS (2026).

Let me argue that sometime in the future, we'll see a Sandbox VR or immersive experience film have that kind of launch. In this Cannes episode, I talk with senior vice president of content for Sandbox VR about what the future looks like for VR + immersive experience films.

Given how many locations they already have, I'm confident Sandbox -- and Michael Hampden -- will be a part of it.

In this episode, Michael and I talk about:

• what is Sandbox VR and his role at the company;
• how did he know he can not only play these games but write + direct them;
• what is the Curators Network and his participation in this year's event;
• his thoughts on the Immersive Experience films at Cannes and how it compares to Sandbox VR;
• the media landscape's coverage (or lack thereof) of these films;
• what unexpected things did he learn as part of the Curators Network;
• directors transitioning to Sandbox VR and what that experience is like;
• what's next for Sandbox VR.

Link:

Curators Network at Cannes

Follow Sandbox VR 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: FIRST GROWTH (2015)

Director: Jérôme Le Gris

Writers: Vanessa Portal; Rémi Bezançon; Jérôme Le Gris

Stars: Gérard Lanvin; Jalil Lespert; Alice Taglioni

SYNOPSIS

Charlie must take over operation of his family's vineyard when it nears bankruptcy. He gambles on the farm's future by using traditional methods that went away with the introduction of new technology.

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Why film in Peru? I stopped by a booth at Le Marche du Film at the Cannes Film Festival to talk about what they have to offer filmmakers. At the Cannes Film Festival, they have a market where most countries around the world are represented.

I talked with Carlos Manuel Arca Hoyle, director of Promperú France, about why people should film in western South America.

In this episode, Carlos and I discuss:

• why film in Peru?;
• what films people know that were filmed in Peru;
• the kind of clients in Peru;
• the most asked question at the festival.

You can reach Carlos at [email protected]

It's a hard question for me to answer because I saw so many wonderful films, but people ask it -- what was your favorite at Cannes?

And I answer it with THE STATION (2026) by Sara Ishaq, her fiction debut at the Cannes Film Festival.

The film tells a story we hardly see in war films: what is happening with the families during a conflict. The characters are richly drawn from the amazing tapestry of Sara's life and she imbues it with such life that it will stay with you long after you walk out of the theater. What a bright star in independent filmmaking: Sara Ishaq.

In this episode, Sarah and I discuss:

• what she'd like people to know about THE STATION;
• the events, especially 9/11, that led a Scottish-Yemeni student into filmmaking;
• how her triple majors at university (!) -- theology, Middle Eastern politics, law -- inform the film;
• what draws her to these tough topics;
• why she chose to focus on how war impacts families in this film.

Links:

Follow Sara On Instagram

Variety's Review Of THE STATION

Today, I'm talking with Irish filmmaker Sophie Power, whose film WHATEVER A SUN WILL ALWAYS SING (2025), which was selected to screen at the Cannes Film Festival Short Film Corner - Cinema De Demain. The film is built entirely around recreations of four anonymous people answering the question: what was the moment you were forced to grow up?

In some random order, I love hybrid documentaries; Irish filmmakers; people screening their films at Cannes and talking about it, which meant that I absolutely loved Sophie's film and talking with her about it.

In this episode, Sophie and I discuss:

• her experimental hybrid documentary and how she blended four stories into a cohesive film;
• what the film says about documentary;
• how she got started in filmmaking;
• what can change systematically to help female directors and inviting more people to "grab coffee" as a way forward;
• her Cannes experience and what kind of advice she'd give a filmmaker attending for the first time.
• what's next for her and what it means to be an Irish filmmaker.

Sophie's Indie Film Highlight: Andrew Thomas Huang

Links:

Follow Sophie On Instagram

The people that filmmaker Ant Roberson inspires are legion: athletes looking to enter filmmaking; film school students heading to Cannes; actors inspired by meaty roles; filmmakers looking to make their feature breakthrough, and so many others.

Add me to the list because I have zero doubt he'll be taking a film here to competition very shortly.

In this episode, Ant and I discuss:

• what it's like having his film premiere at the Emerging Filmmaker Student Showcase at the Cannes Film Festival;
• what does he want people to know about his film;
• how he got his start in filmmaking;
• why there should be more athletes should get into filmmaking;
• the fascinating way he introduced the story and what it says about the horror genre;
• what crowdfunding was like for this film and how he followed his father's advice (which is universally great);
• why having a finished product is so important at the Cannes Film Festival and how he decided to balance his time;
• how he plans on beating a indie film system destined to make life difficult on filmmakers';
• how to follow along on his journey.

Ant's Indie Film Highlight: Christian Kamaal (one of my all-time favorite episodes of the pod); Letia Solomon; Dante Bailey; Peter Horgan

Links:

Follow Ant On Instagram

Former pro footballer turned literature major and outstanding filmmaker, director Rostislav Kirpičenko brings brutal authenticity to his feature film debut, VESNA (2026), which premiered at the Cannes Film Festival.

The film follows a Ukrainian priest who sees his church turned into a morgue in a Russian-occupied city, and he depicts Russians in a way we hardly ever see on screen but is an accurate telling based on dispatches from occupied areas of Ukraine.

He brings a humanity to a conflict that desperate for any sense of warmth, and it is an important -- but difficult -- watch.

In this episode, Rostislav and I talk about:

• how the film portrays the unseen world of occupied Ukraine;
• his amazing background that takes him from Eastern Europe to pro football to filmmaker;
• a particular scene in which he wrote a Russian commander as sober and sneering at soldiers committing war crimes;
• casting for a military film;
• what's next for him.

Rostislav's Indie Filmmaker Highlight:

Links:

Follow Rostislav On Instagram

VESNA (2026) at the Cannes Film Festival

From the opening scene of the brilliant film, GABIN (2026), which premiered at the Cannes Film Festival this year, it was clear you were in the hands of a master of the craft of documentary. And it's no wonder: director Maxence Voiseux and producer Élise Hug worked ten years to make this happen.

How such brilliance wound up on a screen at Cannes is what I wanted to know from the filmmakers, and they were happy to share.

What Maxence and Élise want you to know about the film;

• why it was made indistinguishably from a narrative film (really!) and what that means for the state of docs;
• the long ten year journey of getting GABIN made;
• what makes an "auter-driven" documentary and why GABIN is such a marvelous work from a director with a vision;
• how each got into documentary film;
• "distance is the core of documentary" -- how he made that statement happen for GABIN and advice for documentarians for their own films;
• producing a film for 10 years -- is that easier or harder than a shorter timeframe? -- and the challenges particularly in France;
• the role of the Cannes Film Festival in elevating documentaries and how to expand that ability to other directors;
• their strategy coming into the Cannes Film Festival;
• how people should follow when GABIN will be available.
• weighing how much directors have to participate on social media.

Indie Film Highlight: LA DETENTION (2026) dir. by Guillaume Massart

Links:

Lightdox's GABIN

VARIETY Review of GABIN (2026)

What's it like taking a film that's 70% finished to the Cannes Film Market? Filmmaker Alain Furcajg joins me today to talk about that very question and his insightful, beautiful -- and time-sensitive - documentary RETURN TO BRITTANY, which he is hoping to finish up in the coming year before the story becomes impossible to tell due to the age of the participants.

(With a potential guest appearance by Tilda Swinton on a bicycle. We'll never know.)

In this episode, we discuss:

• the story behind RETURN TO BRITTANY and what he's looking for at Cannes;
• why he's there with a 70% finished documentary and the feedback he's received so far;
• how he got involved in documentary filmmaking;
• what is it like pitching this project at the Cannes Market;
• is it easier to be French here?;
• his contrary view about European filmmaking and the difficulties in getting projects made

Alain's Indie Filmmaker Highlight: Ruben Östlund

Links:

Watch The Trailer For RETURN TO BRITTANY

Follow Alain On Instagram

AF Films Website