As part of the "Celebration of Pride" interview series, we talk to Wes Hurley, a filmmaker who tells his life story of being born and raised in Russia during the waning days of the Soviet Union and his adjustment to life in America as well as finding his identity as a openly gay man. He brings his story to life in the new film "Potato Dreams of America", starring Tyler Bocock and Hersh Powers as the young Hurley with Marya Sea Kaminski and Sera Barbieri as the younger version of his mother, Lena. The film co-stars Dan Lauria, Lea DeLaria, and Jonathan Bennett. The film is now available on DVD and Digital with a special edition Blu-Ray set for a June 21 release by Dark Star Pictures and Vinegar Syndrome. 

We continue our "Celebration of Pride" interview series with actor/musician Pano Tsaklas, whose collaborations with Diamond in the Rough Films include a performance in "Crisis Hotline". In DITR's latest film "Broterly Lies", Tsaklas takes the lead role of Lex, an openly gay man who comes at odds with his brother over a past traumatic event and how it has affected him more than his brother. The film will be released on June 17 on the fearless streaming channel. 

KateLynn E. Newberry is known for her work as a supporting actor in many indie films. However, she has propelled into a lead role as a woman trapped in a room in the new film "Isolated", which is now available on DVD and Digital from Uncork'd Entertainment. This could be the steppingstone for more lead roles for Newberry. Enjoy the interview. 

In the second installment of our "Celebration of Pride" interview series, I interview Roger Conners, an actor and director of indie horror films whose work in front of the cameras include "Teacher Shortage", "Mother Krampus 2: Slay Ride", and "American Poltergeist: The Curse of Lilith Ratchet". He made his directorial debut on "Rebirth", an LGBTQ+ horror film inspired by his childhood idol, the late George A. Romero. Roger is also the co-host of "Dark Night of the Podcast", where he and fellow LGBTQ+ filmmaker Troy Escambia talk horror films from a LGTBQ+ perspective. 

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You can listen to Dark Night of the Podcast on all major streaming music platforms and here:

We're kicking off this month's "Celebration of Pride" interview series with Mark Schwab, co-founder of Diamond in the Rough Films, as we talk about his latest film "Brotherly Lies", which will premiere on June 17 on the fearless Network and some news about his previous film "Crisis Hotline", currently on DVD from High Octane Pictures.   

Get your 14-day free trail to fearless, the all-inclusive streaming network featuring LGBTQ+ movies and shows. https://fearless.li/ 

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Paul Dale has loved movies all of his life and loved making them with his friends for the sheer fun of entertainment. His latest film is a fun and wild homage to B-movie creature features, titled "Sewer Gators", which will be premiering on June 3 on his exclusive YouTube Channel at the following times: 5:30 PM PST/6:30 PM MST/7:30 PM CST/8:30 PM EST. Paul and I had an exciting chat not only about the movie, but our mutual love of B-movie madness!!! 

Thanks to the team at October Coast and Paul Dale for making this interview possible! 

Known for her work primarily as an assistant director on many films, Christine Chen takes her lifelong passion of mermaids, research a Haitian voodoo goddess, and pays homages to great Hollywood filmmakers via visuals and lines in her new horror film "Erzulie". The story of four friends who during a reunion meet the titular water goddess, who decides to help the girls in exchange for her protection. The film will be getting a one-week engagement at the Laemmle Theater in Glendale, California beginning on May 27. 

Special Thanks to October Coast and Christine Chen for making this interview possible. 

Canadian-born filmmaker Rick Dugdale has achieved something amazing. During the pandemic with a script by Cam Cannon, he took an ensemble cast, shot in 17 countries including principal shooting via Zoom and post-production and came up with the cyber thriller "Zero Contact". The film stars the legendary Anthony Hopkins along with Chris Brochu, Aleks Paunovic, and Veronica Ferres. The film will be released this Friday in select theaters, VOD, and Digital from Lionsgate. 

When it comes to DTV action films from the mid-2000s to just the past few years, Keoni Waxman is a name that will pop up thanks in part to his collaborations with Steven Seagal and Michael Jai White to name a few. He goes a different route with his latest film "The Ravine", based on the novel by Robert Pascuzzi, which Waxman adapted the screenplay. The murder-suicide mystery stars Eric Dane and Teri Polo as a couple determined to discover the truth about their family friend, who killed his family before committing suicide. The film will be released on May 6 in select theaters, On Demand, and Digital from Cinedigm. 

On the final "Movies That Need More Love" episode of April, I decided to go into a more recent film. The film is the 2019 comedy "Kathryn Upside Down", written, produced, edited, directed by, and starring Allie Loukas. The story of a young woman who meets her biological father in the strangest of situations is a fun comedy that draws inspiration from Loukas' idol, the late John Hughes. I break the film down, give some trivia, and explain why those who love Hughes' work especially will see that "Kathryn Upside Down" is a film that needs more love.