This week on Ilse Will Say, Ilse sits down with actor, musician, wine guy, and casual full-calendar haver Jake Ferree. You’ve seen Jake on The Baxters, True Detective, and more, but this episode gets into the stuff that does not fit neatly on an IMDb page: touring with his Irish punk band Hounds of Belfast, turning pandemic drinking into actual wine knowledge, why grocery store wine might be personally attacking you, and what happens when Jude Law gently asks to pass by you on Broadway.

They also get into the weirdness of being a working actor when your footage is stuck in release limbo, the joy of refusing to be just one thing, and a truly terrifying haunted stay at the Lemp Mansion that may ruin bathrooms for everyone.

Follow Jake on Instagram @jakeferree, check out his band Hounds of Belfast at @houndsofbelfast, and go watch their music video “Bar Maid” on YouTube. If you’re in LA, you can also catch Hounds of Belfast live on June 19th at The Mint.

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Thank you to our sponsor, Joel Maisonet Photography: maisonetphotography.com

This week on Ilse Will Say, Ilse is joined by sisters Sonya and Wendy Madrigal, two Chicago artists who somehow make multi-hyphenating look genetic. Sonya is an actor, director, choreographer, and educator, while Wendy is a multidisciplinary artist, producer, puppeteer, and voiceover agent, which is exactly the kind of résumé that makes you ask, “Wait, so what exactly do you do?” in the best way.

They get into growing up as the Madrigal sisters before Disney caught up, ugly crying during Coco and Encanto, folklórico as a family love language, community college theater magic, saying yes to unexpected career pivots, and why Wendy may or may not have manifested both her boyfriend and a dinosaur puppet. Plus, Hot Cakes brings tacos, Rocky, stinky breath, and a truly unwell Subway answer.

Go see Sonya’s choreography in Goodnight Moon at Chicago Children’s Theatre through June 7, and follow Wendy @itswendymadrigal and Sonya @soniamadrigal.

Hosted by Ilse Zacharias Rivera. Say hi / follow along here: @ilsezacharias

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Thank you to our sponsor, Joel Maisonet Photography: maisonetphotography.com

This week on Ilse Will Say, Ilse sits down with Giselle De La Rosa, associate director at Cine Las Americas and a SXSW film festival screener, for a behind-the-scenes conversation about film festival programming, short film submissions, festival curation, and what makes a film stand out fast. Giselle shares what it’s like to watch hundreds of documentary shorts, why the first 30 seconds of a short film can reveal so much, and how screeners balance instinct, taste, community, and the brutal math of limited festival slots.

Ilse and Giselle also get into Latine storytelling, Latin American cinema, Indigenous stories, Austin film culture, The Artist’s Way, morning pages, creative burnout, community building, coffee withdrawal, and being “always late, but worth the wait.” Giselle also shares more about Cine Las Americas Film Festival, its mission to showcase films centered on Latinidad and Indigenous life, and the importance of creating spaces for underrepresented filmmakers.

Follow Giselle @cosasdelarosa and support Cine Las Americas @cinelasamericasiff, especially if you’re in Austin and love film festivals, independent cinema, community screenings, and the people doing the real work behind the scenes.

Hosted by Ilse Zacharias Rivera. Say hi / follow along here: @ilsezacharias

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Thank you to our sponsor, Joel Maisonet Photography: maisonetphotography.com

You know when a scene just hits and you can’t explain why? That’s editing.

Ilse sits down with editor and assistant editor Alexander Gonzalez to talk about the invisible craft that shapes everything we feel on screen.

From working on Sender with Jamie Lee Curtis and Britt Lower to navigating SXSW like a pro, Alex breaks down how pacing, instinct, and collaboration turn raw footage into something unforgettable.

They get into improv as accidental life training, networking without the weird pressure, and why being honest about where you’re at is actually the best strategy.

Also discussed: coffee as a personality trait, animation dreams, and a sleep paralysis story that might make you rethink staying over at anyone’s house.

Follow Alex @alexgedit (and his projects @toincossfilm & @stophittingyoursister_film) and keep up with his upcoming projects if you like your storytelling sharp, thoughtful, and just a little unhinged.

Hosted by Ilse Zacharias Rivera. Say hi / follow along here: @ilsezacharias

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Thank you to our sponsor, Joel Maisonet Photography: maisonetphotography.com

When your friends don’t just talk about making something… they actually do it—and then keep going? Yeah, that’s the vibe.

This week, Ilse sits down with Teresa Martinez Moore and Adam Rebora, the duo behind Film in a Bag and the kind of creative partnership that makes you rethink your group chat. From improv team beginnings (bug bites and backyard shows included) to building a full-on film collective, these two get into what it really looks like to grow something over time. We’re talking ten years of collaboration, learning the Chicago indie scene, and figuring it out as they go.

They break down their “12 films in 12 months” experiment (yes, truly), why the 48 Hour Film Project rewires your brain, and how just starting—before you feel ready—is kind of the whole point.

Also: mythical creatures, whale blessings, and putting salad dressing on pizza. Obviously.

Follow Film in a Bag on IG and catch their work on YouTube—then go make something with your friends.

Hosted by Ilse Zacharias Rivera. Say hi / follow along here: @ilsezacharias

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Thank you to our sponsor, Joel Maisonet Photography: maisonetphotography.com

When someone can make you laugh, hit a note, and quietly diagnose why your last post flopped… you listen.

This week, Ilse sits down with multi-hyphenate menace (compliment) Paige Galdieri — a performer who moves between comedy, music, and acting like it’s nothing, while also helping other artists figure out their digital voice behind the scenes. We get into her musical theater origin story (yes, it involves jazz hands at birth), the very real fear that keeps creatives stuck, and what it actually means to find your way back to joy when performing starts to feel like pressure instead of play.

There’s also a haunted dorm situation, a possibly vengeful ghost cat, and a family movie test that determines whether you’re allowed to stay. Naturally.

Plus, Paige teases her new single Trigger Happy and the very specific kind of crush that inspired it.

Follow Paige on IG @paigegaldieri and keep an eye out for Trigger Happy dropping April 15.

Hosted by Ilse Zacharias Rivera. Say hi / follow along here: @ilsezacharias

Mentioned in this episode:

Thank you to our sponsor, Joel Maisonet Photography: maisonetphotography.com

You know when a film title sounds absolutely ridiculous… and then somehow ends up hitting you right in the chest? Yeah. That’s this episode.

Ilse sits down with director Jerry S. Gonzalez, the brain behind The Spaghetti Man, Intergalactic Pizza Boy, and Hamster in My Head—aka films that sound like a joke and then sneak in real human emotion when you’re not looking. They get into where ideas actually come from (hint: not your laptop), why some of the best concepts start off sounding a little dumb, and how to make genre-bending work without losing the heart.

There’s also talk of Robocop as a perfect film, the struggle of waiting for inspiration vs. chasing it, and why being a genuinely kind director might be the real secret weapon on set. Plus: a brief but important detour into astral projection, Sasquatch sightings, and pitching what might be the first-ever girlypop Bigfoot movie.

It’s weird, it’s thoughtful, it’s very “wait… why do I feel seen right now?”

Follow Jerry on IG @jerrysgonz and keep an eye out for Big Spooky House—we’ll be seated.

Hosted by Ilse Zacharias Rivera. Say hi / follow along here: @ilsezacharias

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Thank you to our sponsor, Mezcla Media Collective. Please follow them on Instagram @mezclamediacollective and join the community at mezclamediacollective.org

Juan Francisco Villa is one of those artists who makes you want to raise your standards a little. In this episode, Ilse and Juan get into what real leadership looks like on set and in life, from Tom Hanks introducing himself to crew members to Mariska Hargitay knowing exactly how to make guest stars feel seen.

They talk about vulnerability, protecting your energy without closing your heart, and the difference between confidence and just finally deciding to stop shrinking yourself.

There’s also a perfect little detour into aliens, zombie dreams, sleep paralysis, Hot Cakes, and whether Bigfoot could take the Loch Ness Monster in a fight.

Basically, this one is about what it means to move through the world with warmth, presence, and self-respect, while still keeping your sense of humor intact. A grounded, funny, unexpectedly emotional conversation with an actor whose work and spirit really stick with you.

Follow Juan Francisco Villa @juanempanadavilla and keep up with his work on stage and screen.

Hosted by Ilse Zacharias Rivera. Say hi / follow along here: @ilsezacharias

Mentioned in this episode:

Thank you to our sponsor, Mezcla Media Collective. Please follow them on Instagram @mezclamediacollective and join the community at mezclamediacollective.org

This episode starts with princess birthday parties and immediately swerves into a staircase ghost and an army of redheaded porcelain dolls living in Raven Whisnant’s basement. So yes, we are thriving.

Raven is an actor-writer-director-editor-producer (casual) and the co-founder of New 32 Productions, a woman and queer-owned indie film company that actually cares about set culture and treats people like humans. We talk Sundance buzz, vintage sci-fi, why bad sci-fi can be perfect, and how she accidentally became a horror girl after getting emotionally scarred by The Ring on a middle-school double date.

Then we get into Indie Empire, Raven’s new film education app built to give filmmakers what she didn’t have in 2016: mentorship, community, and a “big sister in film” you can actually call.

Follow Raven at @new32indiefilms and @indieempireofficial, and check out the Indie Empire app.

Hosted by Ilse Zacharias Rivera. Say hi / follow along here: @ilsezacharias

Mentioned in this episode:

Thank you to our sponsor, Mezcla Media Collective. Please follow them on Instagram @mezclamediacollective and join the community at mezclamediacollective.org

Eddie Mujica is the kind of person who makes you want to take a deep breath and also… open fifteen tabs. He’s a Cuban-American actor, writer, director, and Emmy-winning producer who somehow lives in three lanes at once: stepping into the newest Second City Mainstage show with basically one rehearsal (I’m tired for him), premiering his short film LOCO at the San Diego Latino Film Festival, and still finding time to talk mental health, masculinity, identity, and what it means to keep showing up when the countdown gets delayed.

We get into the “best timeline” theory, co-regulating disguised as pickup basketball, audition culture and “neutral Spanish,” and why Latino language is absolutely a superpower (also: chapopote supremacy). Plus, a very serious debate about Taco Bell.

Follow Eddie on IG @mooheekah and follow the film @locoshortfilm for LOCO updates.

Hosted by Ilse Zacharias Rivera. Say hi / follow along here: @ilsezacharias

Mentioned in this episode:

Thank you to our sponsor, Mezcla Media Collective. Please follow them on Instagram @mezclamediacollective and join the community at mezclamediacollective.org