Our guest this week was the Grammy-nominated Filmmaker Success Client Deborah Henson-Conant. Deborah Henson-Conant (DHC) is a Grammy-nominated composer, harp innovator, and creative entrepreneur.To obtain the Zoom link for upcoming live interviews, you must register at The Filmmaker's Life webpage at https://www.filmmakersuccess.com/the-filmmakers-life-home

Deborah Henson-Conant (DHC) is a Grammy-nominated composer, harp innovator, and creative entrepreneur who has spent four decades revolutionizing how music, movement, and storytelling intersect. Best known as a trailblazing harpist who literally wears her electric harp on her hip and plays original music in styles from Blues to Flamenco, she's the innovator behind the revolutionary "DHC" electric harp and creator of the world's premiere online academy for harpists, based on the "DHC Method" that combines structured improv, creative freedom while supplanting perfectionism with connection.At heart a musical storyteller, her works range from solo instrumental pieces to symphonic stories, concertos, song cycles, and musicals. Her compositions fall into two camps: trailblazing harp creations that built her international career as a performer, and non-harp works of music theater—including the 2024 film of her musical "The Golden Cage," a project in her ongoing "DHC Legacy Project," which is funded, in part, using strategies from Joanne Butcher's "Filmmaker Success" program._______________________________________________ Learn more about DHC at HipHarp.com_______________________________________________#filmbusinesscoach #filmpodcasts #joannefilm #filmproducer #filmmaking #grammynominated #harpist

Our guest this week was film producer Matthew G. Zamias. His two latest films are in post-production: the action/thriller "Hotel Tehran" starring Liam Neeson about a group of disgraced, war torn ex-CIA operators set out to Tehran to take down a life changing score and the buddy comedy "Going there" about a woman impersonating her sister to chase an ex in Israel, but gets stuck with a tour group and must dodge a suspicious soldier while keeping her cover—and her goal—in sight.

To obtain the Zoom link for upcoming live interviews, you must register at The Filmmaker's Life webpage at https://www.filmmakersuccess.com/the-filmmakers-life-home_______________________________________________Here's Matthew G. Zamias' IMDBhttps://www.imdb.com/name/nm2921472/Here's the trailer for "Boxing Day"https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OZTJcQA9kFEHere's the trailer for "Echo Boomers"https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AfZHwWsTw4E&t=1s_______________________________________________Matthew G Zamias’ career in film began in 2001 in the New Regency mailroom ("12 Years a Slave", "Heat", "Fight Club"). In less than a year, Matthew went from the mailroom to managing Regency’s international theatrical marketing and distribution. While in that role, he gained insight into studio level marketing and distribution through witnessing the machine of Regency's partners Fox and Warner Brother. He also oversaw thetransfer of all of Regency’s catalog from VHS to DVD, including all time classics like “Once Upon a Time in America” and “Brazil,” resulting in tens of millions of dollars in new revenue.After several years at Regency, Matthew chose to segue to a career in producing. He has subsequently completed eight films and has shot in the United Kingdom, Italy, Lithuania, Hungary, Croatia, Serbia, and the United States. Matthew’s films have featured Academy Award nominees Woody Harrelson, Marianne Jean-Baptiste, and Michael Shannon; as well as Demi Moore, Delroy Lindo, Josh Hartnett, Jordi Molla, Kid Cudi, Patrick Schwarzanegger and Adrian Grenier. They have also played film festivals all around the world, including Toronto, Tokyo, Mumbai, Dubai, Hong Kong, and Edinburgh. Matthew produced the first Black British romantic comedy "Boxing Day", starring and directed by Aml Ameen, financed by the British Film Institute and Film4 and distributed globally by Warner Brothers and Sony. His two most recent films are the action thriller "Hotel Tehran" starring Liam Neesan buddy comedy "Going There" set in Israel. Both are in post-production.#filmpodcasts #filminterview #filmproducers #filmbusinesscoach #joannefilm #indiefilmmaker #indiefilmmaking #liamneeson

Our guest this week was documentary writer, producer, director Dudley Alexis. His two latest films are "The Creole Pig: Haiti’s Great Loss", which recounts how important the Creole Pig was to Haiti but an outbreak of African swine flu resulted in the eradication of the Creole Pig population and "Edge of Hope", which highlights how climate threats are leading developers to target Black neighborhoods that are more resilient to sea-level rise. To obtain the Zoom link for upcoming live interviews, you must register at The Filmmaker's Life webpage at https://www.filmmakersuccess.com/the-filmmakers-life-homeHere's Dudley Alexis' IMDBhttps://www.imdb.com/name/nm5483262/Watch "The Creole Pig: Haiti's Great Loss"https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v6btKtJbSrQ Here's the trailer for "Edge of Hope"https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t5thPJs0odQIndependent filmmaker and visual artist Dudley Alexis is both a cultural anthropologist and historian who sees his world through unique multicultural eyes. His mission is to delve into the stories of those often written off by the mainstream and share their tragedy and triumphs through multiple mediums in the creative space.Dudley began studying fine art while attending high school and college in Miami after he immigrated to the US from Haiti. He's created numerous short documentaries, including stories about the First Nation Micousukee Tribe of Florida, made while employed by Micousukee Magazine.

In 2016, he went on to write, produce, direct and edit his first full length documentary, "Liberty in a Soup" which tells the historical significance of Soup Joumou, the national dish of Haiti, which commemorates the island nation’s triumphant independence from France, making it the first independent Black Republic in the Western Hemisphere. His second feature length documentary "When Liberty Burns" won the Knight Made in MIA Award at the Miami Film Festival in 2020. This documentary is an in-depth analysis on the 40th Anniversary of the life and untimely death of Arthur Lee McDuffie at the hands of Miami Dade police officers.He recently produced a film in partnership with the local Miami PBS station called "The Creole Pig", which recounts how important the Creole Pig was to Haiti but an outbreak of African swine flu in 1978 resulted in the eradication of the Creole Pig population. Additionally, he premiered "Edge of Hope" at the 2025 Miami Film Festival. The film highlights how climate threats are leading developers to target Black neighborhoods that are more resilient to sea-level rise.If you'd like to learn more about the podcast host Joanne Butcher, visit https://www.filmmakersuccess.com/ or if you'd like to talk to Joanne about your filmmaking dreams, schedule a 30 minute Filmmaker Success Breakthrough Session at https://www.filmmakersuccess.com/book-a-call#filmpodcasts #filminterview #filmproducers #filmbusinesscoach #joannefilm #blackfilmmaker #blackfilms #documentaryfilmmaker

Our guest this week was queer Miami-based Cuban artist and filmmaker Hansel Porras Garcia.His feature film "Febrero," funded by Oolite Arts won the Made in MIA Award at the 2023 Miami Film Festival.

please register for the Zoom link at ⁠https://www.filmmakersuccess.com/The-Filmmakers-Life-Home⁠

Here's Hansel Porras Garcia's IMDB
https://www.imdb.com/name/nm8683916/

Here's the trailer for "Febrero"https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2tYC6_L36F0

As a member of the Film Collective’s White Elephant Group Short Film Lab, Hansel Porras Garcia produced the short film 23 semanas, and as a founding fellow of the Third Horizon Forward Fellowship, he created "the short film "Ana y la distancia," which is now in the film festival circuit.Hansel’s body of work is rooted in exploring Miami's Hispanic multiculturalism, focusing on the Cuban diaspora, weaving themes of identity, family, and migration into his storytelling.

#cubanfilmmakers #madeinmiami #latinfilmmakers #queerfilmmakers #joannefilm #filmbusinesscoach #filmpodcasts #indiefilmmakers

Our guest this week was film producer, film festival director and youth film program creator Marco (Mall) Molinet. Marco is a visionary producer, creator, and founder of several influential organizations in the film industry, including the Florida Film House (FFH), 1st Take Youth Film Program, Urban Film Festival (UFF), World Wide Urban Distribution (WWUD), and an executive with Urban Digital Streaming (UDS). He recently completed the feature “The Reject” and is currently in post-production on the feature “RealGoons.com”.Florida Film House - https://floridafilmhouse.net/1st Take Youth Film Program - https://1sttakeyouth.com/Urban Film Festival - https://urbanfilmfestivals.com/________________________________________________

To obtain the Zoom link for upcoming live interviews, you must register at The Filmmaker's Life webpage at https://www.filmmakersuccess.com/the-filmmakers-life-home

_______________________________________________Marco (Mall) Molinet has dedicated the past 11 years to mentoring young talent, developing an in-house team of more than 30 filmmakers, and vertically integrating the business at Florida Film House, that has collaborated on over 1,000 productions. The 1st Take Youth Film Program is an after school initiative focused on teaching underprivileged youth career and life skills through hands-on filmmaking experiences.World Wide Urban Distribution is committed to promoting content that traditionally lacks mainstream exposure through traditional and contemporary platforms, including AVOD, TVOD, SVOD, OTT, PPV, communication broadcasters, apps, and live streaming, to monetize and market content directly to consumers. Urban Digital Streaming is an OTT streaming platform that maximizes content exposure and advertising revenue capabilities by offering curated content via multiple devices through AVOD, TVOD, or SVOD—while content creators can select how their content is sold and monetized through a secured wallet. UDS serves as a bridge between film enthusiasts and creators. The Urban Film Festival is a prominent three-day event dedicated to educating, exposing, and providing distribution opportunities for new-generation filmmakers.Marco's dedication and innovative approach have significantly impacted the film industry, providing platforms and opportunities for the next generation of filmmakers to thrive and share their stories with the world.#filmpodcasts #filminterview #filmproducers #filmbusinesscoach #joannefilm #blackfilmmaker #blackfilms #filmfestivaldirector

Our guest this week was filmmaker Melissa Llewellyn. Melissa is an accomplished Producer and Line Producer with over 15 years of experience in the film industry. Her most recent projects are the ALLBLK supernatural drama TV Series "Wicked City" which is in its third season and the BET+ Original thriller "Incision".Watch the trailer for season 3 of "Wicked City" https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A5nlHfJjc_EWatch the trailer for "Incision" https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Der8sQV5WJM____________________________________________________If you haven't joined us for The Filmmaker's Life before, please register for the Zoom link at https://www.filmmakersuccess.com/The-Filmmakers-Life-Home____________________________________________________Melissa Llewellyn-Alston is an accomplished Producer and Line Producer with over 15 years of experience in the film industry. Melissa's journey in the arts and entertainment world began as a professional dancer, touring with the prestigious National Dance Theatre Company of Jamaica.Melissa's film career behind the camera began in 2007, producing music videos for internationally renowned artists such as Rihanna, Drake, Wiz Khalifa, Ricky Martin, CeeLo Green, Chris Brown, and The City Girls.

Since then, she’s been a Line Producer for a wide range of independent feature films and series on platforms like Amazon Prime, BET+, Tubi, and ALLBLK including "King of the Dancehall," Nick Cannon's directorial debut, which premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF) in 2016. Recently, she’s produced the ALLBLK supernatural drama series, now in its third season, “Wicked City” as well as the thriller feature film “Incision” now streaming on BET+.#filmpodcasts #filminterview #filmproducers #filmbusinesscoach #joannefilm #blackfilmmaker #blackfilms #femalefilmmaker #blackfemalefilmmaker

Our guest this week was film producer and former Sony Pictures Acquisitions Executive Daniel de Boulay. Daniel spent 5 years at Sony Pictures Entertainment as the Film Acquisitions Executive, where he was responsible for reviewing submissions of films in all stages of development. He was involved with acquiring films such as the comedy "Back on the Strip" starring Kevin Hart, Tiffany Haddish, Wesley Snipes, "Down with the King" starring Grammy-nominated rapper Freddie Gibbs and the Amazon romantic holiday comedy "Boxing Day" directed by and starring Aml Ameen.Here's the trailer for "Back on the Strip"https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wcKnD6hl2Wc&t=57sHere's the trailer for "Down with the King"https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9ktTyXVG5e0&t=2sHere's the trailer for "Boxing Day"https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d-eEktfg3nw_____________________________________________________To obtain the Zoom link for upcoming live interviews, you must register at The Filmmaker's Life webpage at https://www.filmmakersuccess.com/the-filmmakers-life-home__________________________________________________________Daniel De Boulay began his career when he was selected for the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences' Academy Gold Talent Development and Inclusion program. He also was involved with the Dichotomy Creative Group which was founded by Adam Goodman, and Bold Films, which produced "Whiplash" and "Drive".Since moving on from Sony, Daniel continues to evaluate scripts based on factors like commercial potential, audience appeal, and alignment with a studio’s brand. He works on creative writing, story development, deal structuring and film acquisitions and ensures that studios have a steady pipeline of films to distribute and make available across various platforms worldwide.#blackfilmmaker #blackfilms #filmmaking #filmmaker #joannefilm #filmbusinesscoach

Our guest this week was holiday and horror filmmaker LazRael Lison. LazRael's has found success in polar opposite genres horror/thriller and holiday/romance. His latest film, "Finding Faith," is in post-production. It stars Paula Patton, Loretta Devine, Keith David, Stephen Bishop, Demetrius Grosse and Nadine Velazquez.To obtain the Zoom link for upcoming live interviews, you must register at The Filmmaker's Life webpage at https://www.filmmakersuccess.com/the-filmmakers-life-home________________________________________________________Watch the trailer for LazRael's "Style Me for Christmas" https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=90d6RMpWCk4________________________________________________________LazRael Lison is a Writer/ProducerDirector with 9 feature films under his belt. His hoilday films, like last year's "Style Me for Christmas," can be seen on BET+ and BET+ Prime Video Channels. His latest Horror/Thriller "#Unknown" starring Judd Nelson, Tom Sizemore and Master P can be seen on Tubi, Plex, Roku Channel and Amazon Prime.LazRael's foray into the creative arts began in junior high school writing and directing plays and short films. He now has his own production company Summer House Pictures and has assembled a team of imaginative creators.#filmpodcasts #filminterview #filmproducers #filmbusinesscoach #joannefilm #blackfilmmaker #blackfilms #holidayfilmmaker

Our guest this week was documentary filmmaker Walter Schlomann. Walter tackled the topic of teenage suicide in his film "Ezra: May His Memory Be For a Blessing" and his last film "Hidden Court" was a feature length documentary about a group of 11 men from Northern Westchester, NY who, during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, found a sense of community and camaraderie by playing 'prohibition basketball' on a hidden outdoor court.Here's a link to the page fo "Ezra: May His Memory Be For a Blessing" https://www.ezrasfilm.com/Here's a link to the film website for "Hidden Court" https://thehiddencourt.com

To obtain the Zoom link for upcoming live interviews, you must register at The Filmmaker's Life webpage at https://www.filmmakersuccess.com/the-filmmakers-life-home

Walter Schlomann is documentary filmmaker and founder of Heritage Media Group, a boutique company that produces video biographies depicting the extraordinary lives of ordinary people. His recent documentaries “Ezra: May His Memory Be For A Blessing” (2021), and “The Hidden Court” (2023) received numerous awards at domestic and international film festivals. Walter has worked in film since the 1980s and filmed around the world, extensively in South America and Australia. Rock stars such as Michael Stipe (R.E.M.), Rob Zombie, and Cyndi Lauper have collaborated with him as an editor on long form projects and music videos. In 2024 Walter published a book about his legacy video work:Transmitting Wisdom: The Art of the Video Biography. https://www.amazon.com/Transmitting-Wisdom-Biography-RECORDING-EXTRAORDINARY-ebook/dp/B0DNY331KL/ref=sr_1_1?crid=3UAJVIAUR1XX6&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.ayZeU2Vo8SvJTHJ1hXd4PQ._bEIpwxC9qmM5yHYjizqjiKz6xHe3RxSmqbtS1D5Wvg&dib_tag=se&keywords=Transmitting+Wisdom%3A+The+Art+of+the+Video+Biography.&qid=1741712363&sprefix=%2Caps%2C268&sr=8-1He is just beginning pre-production on his third feature documentary, a film about the history of the Star of David, from mystical origins through contemporary significance.If you'd like to learn more about the podcast host Joanne Butcher, visit https://www.filmmakersuccess.com/ or if you'd like to talk to Joanne about your filmmaking dreams, schedule a 30 minute Breakthrough Session at https://www.filmmakersuccess.com/book-a-call#filmpodcasts #filminterview #filmproducers #filmbusinesscoach #documentaryfilmmakers #joannefilm

Our guest this week was documentary and narrative filmmaker Deborah Richards.Deborah's first feature film, the narrative "Move Me No Mountain" is on Amazon prime and her second feature film, the documentary "Shaken & Stirred - The Story of Flair Bartending" will have its premiere in Las Vegas at the Beverly Theater and is currently available for sale.To obtain the Zoom link for upcoming live interviews, you must register at The Filmmaker's Life webpage at https://www.filmmakersuccess.com/the-filmmakers-life-home________________________________________________________Watch "Move Me No Mountain" on Amazon Primehttps://www.amazon.com/Move-Me-Mountain-Cat-Lellie/dp/B0B6MSMKC5Order "Shaken & Stirred - The Story of Flair Bartending"https://flairdoc.vhx.tv/checkout/shaken-stirred-the-story-of-flair-bartending/purchase________________________________________________________While still in film school in 2015, Deborah Richards won four Southwest Production Emmys® for her science fiction short, "Boy Meets Girl," and has since directed over 200 national TV commercials and promos.In 2022 she was crowned the Nevada Woman Filmmaker of the Year by the prestigious Nevada Women's Film Festival, and in 2023 her debut feature, "Move Me No Mountain," was released on Amazon Prime. In 2025, she completed her second feature, "Shaken & Stirred" and is currently gearing up for its 2025 festival run and release.Deborah Richards owns her own production company, based in Las Vegas, and is also a founding member of 1905 Films, a boutique film studio focused on feature film development and production. Deborah is currently in development of her third feature film - "Scissor Mouth."#filmpodcasts #filminterview #filmproducers #filmbusinesscoach #documentaryfilmmakers #joannefilm #femalefilmmaker #womeninfilm