MediaMaker Spotlight

When Tara Jabbari found out there was a documentary about the history of podcasting and it’s impact of audio storytelling, she had to watch it. She also knew, she had to get them on MediaMaker Spotlight. 

She speaks with the director of the doc, Shaun Michael Colón, who spent seven years making it. They go over how he got the idea, the evolution of how he got it made, and how he got some of the biggest names in podcasting involved, including Marc Maron, Kara Swisher, Ira Glass, and Tara’s personal favorites, Kevin Smith and Scott Moiser of Smodcastle. 

Shaun Michael Colón is an award-winning documentary filmmaker and editor, currently known for Age of Audio, a film exploring the rise of podcasting and the balance between creativity and commerce. Based in Dallas, Shaun has spent seven years crafting this project, focusing on independent creators and audio storytelling’s evolution.

To find a screening (or request one) and learn more about the film, visit: https://www.aoamovie.com/

Watch the trailer: https://youtu.be/FW06TjJbWEc?si=Ra-r9BLYFfTLMDQ4 

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Subscribe to learn more about filmmaking, production, media makers, creator resources, visual storytelling, and every aspect that brings film, television, and video projects from concepts to our screens. Check out the MediaMakerSpotlight.com show page to find even more conversations with industry professionals that inspire, educate, and entertain!

We on the Women in Film & Video (WIFV) Podcast Team work hard to make this show a great resource for our listeners, and we thank you for listening!

In this episode, Margo Precht Speciale, granddaughter of Ed Sullivan and producer of the documentary 'Sunday Best,' joins host Candice Bloch to share insights into her film that explores Ed Sullivan's role as a quiet disruptor during the civil rights era. Margo shares her journey of discovering Sullivan’s impact on social justice and about the power of media to shape culture. With a background in archival research and her personal connection to his legacy, Margo brings a unique perspective to the story of her grandfather. The documentary, directed by Sacha Jenkins, is nominated for both an Emmy and Peabody, and highlights the impact of Sulliva’s choices and the cultural significance of his television show. The conversation also explores the process of bringing the documentary to audiences, from assembling the team, to discovering footage gems, to using AI to bring Ed Sullivan’s voice to life in the documentary.

Learn more at: https://www.edsullivan.com/sunday-best-the-untold-story-of-ed-sullivan-streaming-on-netflix/

Watch the documentary on Netflix: https://www.netflix.com/title/82048609

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Subscribe to learn more about filmmaking, production, media makers, creator resources, visual storytelling, and every aspect that brings film, television, and video projects from concepts to our screens. Check out the MediaMakerSpotlight.com show page to find even more conversations with industry professionals that inspire, educate, and entertain!

We on the Women in Film & Video (WIFV) Podcast Team work hard to make this show a great resource for our listeners, and we thank you for listening!

In this episode, discover how award-winning director and producer Mary Darling navigates storytelling that fosters cultural understanding and unity. She speaks with Tara Jabbari about her work, especially her latest film, “Cast Aside The Clouds,” a love story set in Iran. They discuss the importance of cultural authenticity and representation in filmmaking, collaborative directing and diversity in film crews, the universal appeal of small, specific stories, and more. 

Watch the trailer and find out the latest about Cast Aside The Clouds: https://www.castasidetheclouds.com/ 

See Mary’s work here: https://www.westwindpictures.com/ 

Support the show

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Subscribe to learn more about filmmaking, production, media makers, creator resources, visual storytelling, and every aspect that brings film, television, and video projects from concepts to our screens. Check out the MediaMakerSpotlight.com show page to find even more conversations with industry professionals that inspire, educate, and entertain!

We on the Women in Film & Video (WIFV) Podcast Team work hard to make this show a great resource for our listeners, and we thank you for listening!

Did you know that Girl Scout cookies are an $800 million business? In this episode, host Sandra Abrams chats with Alysa Nahmias, the writer and director of "COOKIE QUEENS," a new documentary releasing on August 7 all about the pressure of selling the iconic cookies. The doc, which is winner of the SXSW 2026 Audience Award, spotlights four young Girl Scouts, ages five to 12. It follows Ara, Nikki, Shannon Elizabeth, and Olive, through their highs and lows during the Girl Scout cookie selling season - all while still navigating life and pre-teen fun.

In their conversation, Alysa shares how the concept came to life after her children gave her a directive to make a film they wanted to see and how she went from wearing the "Mom" hat to the "Director" hat. She also explains the process of casting these four charming and ambitious girls, how the Duke and Duchess of Sussex of Archewell Productions joined the project, and the role of Roadside Attractions, an independent film distributor, in getting the film into over 500 theaters.

Learn more and find tickets: https://www.cookiequeensfilm.com/

Watch the Cookie Queens trailer here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nnSQS43Eil8

Support the show

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Subscribe to learn more about filmmaking, production, media makers, creator resources, visual storytelling, and every aspect that brings film, television, and video projects from concepts to our screens. Check out the MediaMakerSpotlight.com show page to find even more conversations with industry professionals that inspire, educate, and entertain!

We on the Women in Film & Video (WIFV) Podcast Team work hard to make this show a great resource for our listeners, and we thank you for listening!

Host Candice Bloch is joined by Kalina Ivanov, an Emmy-winning production designer and storyboard artist with a rich background in both film and television, spanning various genres and styles. She’s known for her work on projects like Little Miss Sunshine, Grey Gardens, Peacemaker, Lovecraft Country, and The Penguin. 

As the first artists brought on board a project, Production Designers are responsible for the overall look and feel of a story. Through collaboration on selecting locations, designing sets, and coordinating with other departments like cinematography and costume design, they establish the visual direction and aesthetics of a piece.

In their conversation, we discover Kalina’s creative process, collaboration tips, and insights into visual storytelling in film and television. Kalina combines her artistic vision with a deep understanding of character and story to produce her impressive body of work. Kalina shares about doing her own research and creating mood boards, and offers first-hand stories about some of her past projects.

For example, for the critically acclaimed HBO show, The Penguin, Kalina emphasizes that she focused on telling a New York story, which required careful consideration of the streets and architecture to achieve the desired atmosphere. And for her work on George Clooney’s period film, Boys in the Boat, her research and the historically accurate boathouse built for the production were crucial in capturing the era’s essence.

To learn more about Kalina and her work, as well the Production Designers Collective: 

https://www.kalinaivanov.com/

https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0412055/

https://www.instagram.com/kalina506/

https://www.productiondesignerscollective.org/

Support the show

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Subscribe to learn more about filmmaking, production, media makers, creator resources, visual storytelling, and every aspect that brings film, television, and video projects from concepts to our screens. Check out the MediaMakerSpotlight.com show page to find even more conversations with industry professionals that inspire, educate, and entertain!

We on the Women in Film & Video (WIFV) Podcast Team work hard to make this show a great resource for our listeners, and we thank you for listening!

Film critic and entertainment journalist, Mara Reinstein joins host Sandra Abrams to talk about the state of the film industry from someone who covers it for a living. The life of an entertainment journalist may look glamorous, but it is not. Between the impossible deadlines when the Emmys run late, followed by an early morning screening for a major studio film, it can be a marathon for various publications. Reinstein also explains why large studios focus on remakes or franchises, fewer movies are in theaters, and the impact it has on the movie-going public. But there are a few breakout categories, and she gives insight into the new Tom Cruise movie, DIGGER, a satirical black comedy from director, Alejandro G. Inarritu, set for release in October 2026. Reinstein also shares more of her recommendations for movies to see this fall, plus she tells us about who her favorite actor was to interview - in a restaurant that was cleared out for their conversation!

Check out Mara's website at maramovies.com   

Support the show

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Subscribe to learn more about filmmaking, production, media makers, creator resources, visual storytelling, and every aspect that brings film, television, and video projects from concepts to our screens. Check out the MediaMakerSpotlight.com show page to find even more conversations with industry professionals that inspire, educate, and entertain!

We on the Women in Film & Video (WIFV) Podcast Team work hard to make this show a great resource for our listeners, and we thank you for listening!

Host Tara Jabbari chats with actress Wendy Braun, who gives us a glimpse behind the scenes of "Jury Duty Presents: Company Retreat.” Learn the fascinating process behind the unique scripted comedy, where real human moments blend with meticulously staged interactions. Wendy shares insights about blending authenticity with improvisation, the human stories that resonate amidst comedy, and how creative resilience can transform careers and lives.

Watch the show streaming on Prime Video, all episodes out now. 

Wendy Braun’s free guided meditation for CREATING SUCCESS WHILE YOU SLEEP 

Support the show

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Subscribe to learn more about filmmaking, production, media makers, creator resources, visual storytelling, and every aspect that brings film, television, and video projects from concepts to our screens. Check out the MediaMakerSpotlight.com show page to find even more conversations with industry professionals that inspire, educate, and entertain!

We on the Women in Film & Video (WIFV) Podcast Team work hard to make this show a great resource for our listeners, and we thank you for listening!

Pack your bags and head to small town Champaign, Illinois with Producer Brandon for one last year of the Roger Ebert Overlooked Film Festival, affectionately known to movie-lovers as Ebertfest. Brought back for a final year, festival organizers Chaz Ebert and Nate Kohn programmed a lineup of modern classics and under-the-radar films audiences may have missed. 

First, Brandon sits down with actress Betty Gabriel following a screening of her film, Get Out (now coming up on its 10-year anniversary). Critically acclaimed for her role as housekeeper-with-a-disturbing-secret Georgina, Betty reflects on being a part of Jordan Peele’s beloved horror-social satire’s legacy. The conversation then pivots to Betty’s current and upcoming projects in television and film. 

Get Out is currently available to stream on HBO Max.

Next, Brandon is joined by writer-director Tracie Laymon & actor French Stewart of the Barbie Ferreira & John Leguizamo dramedy, Bob Trevino Likes It. The film follows a lonely young woman (Ferreira) who strikes up a relationship online with a stranger (Leguizamo) who shares the name of her own narcissistic father (Stewart).

After premiering at the South by Southwest Film Festival, the crowd-pleasing film received both the Narrative Feature Grand Jury Award and the Audience Award for Best Narrative Feature. 

Tapping into her own experience with her own father, Tracie discusses the semiautobiographical nature of her film and how the personal themes and narrative have resonated with audiences from all walks of life. In this joint interview, French Stewart provides insight into his role as an unsupportive father and how he approached playing this antagonistic character with pathos and three-dimensionality.  Tracie then touches on how following the worldwide success of Barbie, Mattel Studios hired her to write and direct a live-action film based on the discontinued 90’s cult toy, Tony The Tattooed Man. 

Bob Trevino Likes It is now streaming on Hulu and Disney+

Watch the trailer

To read more about Ebertfest ‘The Last Dance,’ visit: ‘The Last Dance’ Ends a Beautiful, Impactful Run for the Long-time Roger Ebert Film Festival

In the famous words of Ebertfest founder, Roger Ebert: “the balcony is closed”

Support the show

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Subscribe to learn more about filmmaking, production, media makers, creator resources, visual storytelling, and every aspect that brings film, television, and video projects from concepts to our screens. Check out the MediaMakerSpotlight.com show page to find even more conversations with industry professionals that inspire, educate, and entertain!

We on the Women in Film & Video (WIFV) Podcast Team work hard to make this show a great resource for our listeners, and we thank you for listening!

Would you search for your sperm donor dad? In this episode, host Sandra Abrams interviews the people behind the award winning documentary, DAD GENES. The doc follows Aaron Long, a single guy who was a sperm donor for the money 20 years ago. Fast forward to a few years ago, when several of his “kids” decided to go looking for their biological father. Sandra talks to the film’s director Craig Downing, and its editor, Sara Barger (a past president of WIFV). Sara shares what it was like to make sense of hours of footage sourced from the dad and his new kids, following the story that takes many twists and turns. Dad Genes is the winner of the Best Feature Documentary - Jury Award at the 2026 Atlanta Documentary Film Festival and Best Documentary at the Allentown Film Festival. 

Dad Genes Trailer

Support the show

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Subscribe to learn more about filmmaking, production, media makers, creator resources, visual storytelling, and every aspect that brings film, television, and video projects from concepts to our screens. Check out the MediaMakerSpotlight.com show page to find even more conversations with industry professionals that inspire, educate, and entertain!

We on the Women in Film & Video (WIFV) Podcast Team work hard to make this show a great resource for our listeners, and we thank you for listening!

All of our hosts - Candice, Sandra, and Tara - come together again for another host special. This time they explore the fascinating world of film scores and soundtracks, highlighting the differences between the two, chatting about iconic composers and film scores, and how music shapes our emotional experience of stories on screen. Are there songs that always bring to mind certain movies when you hear them? Which soundtracks struck a chord with our hosts? Tune in to hear more about the music that brings movies to life!

Support the show

---
Subscribe to learn more about filmmaking, production, media makers, creator resources, visual storytelling, and every aspect that brings film, television, and video projects from concepts to our screens. Check out the MediaMakerSpotlight.com show page to find even more conversations with industry professionals that inspire, educate, and entertain!

We on the Women in Film & Video (WIFV) Podcast Team work hard to make this show a great resource for our listeners, and we thank you for listening!