Film Roundtable is thrilled to welcome Cinematographer, Phedon Papamichael ( Ford v Ferrari, Nebraska ) and 1st Assistant Director, and Film Roundtable Co-Founder, Doug Torres (Mr.+ Mrs. Smith, 12 Years a Slave). Together, they discuss their collaboration on James Mangold’s upcoming film, A Complete Unknown , the highly anticipated project exploring a pivotal era in Bob Dylan’s life. Phedon and Doug share their experience working alongside Mangold, diving into the intricate dynamic between a Cin...
Feb 18, 2025•53 min•Ep. 78
On our latest roundtable, we host a conversation between Nosferatu director Robert Eggers and the film's cinematographer, Jarin Blaschke. Moderated by one of our fav's, Rodrigo Prieto. The three begin by discussing their approach to visual storytelling, focusing on blocking, shot design, and the level of precision required to craft Nosferatu’s haunting imagery. Rodrigo leads a thoughtful exploration of Robert and Jarin’s long-standing creative partnership, tracing its evolution from their early ...
Feb 07, 2025•55 min•Ep. 77
Film Roundtable is thrilled to welcome Co-Directors Angela Patton and Natalie Rae ( Daughters ). Their poignant Netflix documentary, which premiered at Sundance last year, won the Audience Award in the Documentary Competition and was named the festival’s overall Festival Favorite. Daughters is also nominated for a BAFTA and is currently on the shortlist for an Oscar nomination in the Best Documentary Feature category. The conversation is insightfully hosted by Filmmaker and Producer Mishka Brown...
Jan 17, 2025•1 hr 4 min•Ep. 76
Happy New Year!! Film Roundtable is thrilled to welcome Cinematographer, Jomo Fray ( The Nickel Boys , All Dirt Roads Taste of Salt ). Jomo’s latest film, The Nickel Boys , directed by RaMell Ross, is an adaptation of Colson Whitehead’s Pulitzer Prize-winning novel and recently won the New York Film Critics Award for Best Cinematography. He is also nominated for an Independent Spirit Award for Best Cinematography for his work on this film. The conversation is thoughtfully moderated by Cinematogr...
Jan 05, 2025•1 hr 21 min•Ep. 75
Film Roundtable is thrilled to welcome Cinematographer Jason McCormick (Olivia Wilde’s Book Smart , and Ryan Murphy’s Dahmer ) + Assistant Director Francisco Ortiz (Ryan Murphy’s American Horror Story , and Martin Scorcese’s The Wolf of Wall Street ) Jason + Francisco recently teamed up on the Ryan Murphy anthology drama Feud; Capote vs. the Swans . This project was directed by the inimitable Gus Van Sant. The conversation is thoughtfully moderated by Cinematographer Maceo Bishop. Jason and Fran...
Jul 05, 2024•1 hr 16 min•Ep. 74
Film Roundtable is thrilled to be joined this week by Roshan Sethi, a screenwriter, director, and physician, to discuss his most recent film, A Nice Indian Boy. Alongside Roshan, we’re joined by the incomparable Amy Vincent, who lensed the film which had its SXSW premiere this year. Led by Maria Prieto, this conversation dives deep into their collaboration on the film. We discuss the ways in which Roshan’s medical experience has shaped his directing work, the importance of preparation, Amy’s exp...
Apr 05, 2024•58 min•Ep. 73
Film Roundtable is happy to welcome back Creative Director + Production Designer, Ethan Tobman. He is hosted and interviewed by Film Roundtable co-founder, Erin Wile. Ethan shares the story of his journey from NYU to indie films in the 90s' golden age to helping shape the visual landscapes of global icons like Beyoncé and Taylor Swift. Explore the trajectory of his career, including designing a restaurant after working as the production designer on the film, The Menu . Ethan shares the secrets o...
Dec 13, 2023•1 hr 2 min•Ep. 72
Film Roundtable is welcoming for the first time, Cinematographer James Friend. James is the 2023 recipient of the Academy Award + the BAFTA for Best Cinematography on Edward Berger's All Quiet on the Western Front. He is hosted and interviewed by Visual Artist + Cinematographer Bradford Young. James shares the story of his path to success, marked by relentless hard work, a passion for learning everything about lighting, and a determination to shoot every opportunity that came his way. He also em...
Sep 28, 2023•1 hr 24 min•Ep. 71
In our latest episode we are joined by two acclaimed artists, multidisciplinary visual artist, filmmaker Arthur Jafa and director of design, Akin McKenzie. The emotive and intuitive cinematographer Shawn Peters hosts this discussion where we explore a design process intent on channeling ancestral vibrations. In this fascinating conversation they discuss the human pattern through history, the relationship of continuity, praising the shadows, the art behind The Woman King and the moving image as a...
Jul 28, 2023•1 hr 25 min•Ep. 70
Film Roundtable is very excited to welcome, for the first time, Director + Writer Savanah Leaf along with one of our most favorite guests (and recent Emmy nominee for Dead Ringers!! ) Cinematographer Jody Lee Lipes, ASC. In this episode we get to talk in depth about their latest partnership on the newly released film, Earth Mama. We hear about how they originally connected and what continuously inspires them to keep working together. They share their experience collaborating on this incredibly t...
Jul 13, 2023•1 hr 22 min•Ep. 69
Film Roundtable is welcoming back to the show two of our most favorite guests and all around just magical and inspiring artists; Director/Cinematographer Rachel Morrison, ASC and Cinematographer Rina Yang, BSC. In this episode we discuss Rachel + Rina's most recent collaboration on the upcoming film, Flint Strong. We talk about Morrison’s first outing as a feature director, Yang’s transition into long form and the burning question in everyone’s mind - what it is like for a DP to shoot for a DP? ...
Apr 08, 2023•1 hr 8 min•Ep. 68
Film Roundtable is very excited to welcome back to the show, Mandy Walker, ASC ACS, Natasha Braier ACS ADF, and Polly Morgan ASC, BSC. In this insightful and in-depth conversation, all 3 talented and trailblazing female cinematographers engage in a personal, collaborative, and honest discussion. Amongst the many great topics discussed, they reveal how they have learned to navigate the challenges of getting the job done maintaining respect, and creating a positive team spirit. Breaking down aspec...
Mar 07, 2023•1 hr 3 min•Ep. 67
Film Roundtable is welcoming back two pioneering instigators and our dear friends who we love to have on the show; Artist Terence Nance and Producer, Artist, and founder of Populace, Tamir Muhammad. In this episode we talk about Terence + Tamir's years of partnership. Most recently, the second season of Random Acts of Flyness, now on HBO. We chat about the expansiveness of season 2 as well as the deep level of collaboration and devotion being held by all involved in the project. Tamir share's wi...
Feb 10, 2023•1 hr 30 min•Ep. 66
Film Roundtable is thrilled to welcome acclaimed cinematographers Jamie D. Ramsay SASC and Larkin Seiple. In this in-depth conversation with Matthew Woolf they talk about their careers, ambitions, and sacrifices and their approach to color, tone, and camera tests on their recent respective movies, Living, and Everything Everywhere All At Once. One of the great takeaways from this rich conversation is how cinematography can help art become more compelling and hopefully leaving the audience with a...
Jan 04, 2023•1 hr 38 min•Ep. 65
Film Roundtable is thrilled to be joined this week by Elizabeth Woodward and Sean Glass, Producer and Executive Producer of the newly released (self distributed!) You Resemble Me , and Kyle Greenberg, Head of Marketing and Distribution for Utopia. You Resemble Me , the debut feature by filmmaker Dina Amer, tells the story of Hasna Ait Boulahcen, a women who was falsely accused of being Europe’s first female suicide bomber. In this candid conversation moderated by Kyle, Elizabeth and Sean discuss...
Nov 20, 2022•1 hr 11 min•Ep. 64
Film Roundtable is thrilled to be joined this week by Filmmaker Dina Amer, the writer / director / producer of the newly released debut feature, You Resemble Me and Actress May Calamawy, co-star of Hulu’s Ramy and Disney+Marvel’s Moon Knight . You Resemble Me tells the story of Hasna Ait Boulahcen, a women who was falsely accused of being Europe’s first female suicide bomber. In this candid conversation with You Resemble Me executive producer Sean Glass, Dina + May discuss telling stories that f...
Nov 04, 2022•1 hr 18 min•Ep. 63
In our latest Film Roundtable, we are joined by Cinematographers Gavin Kelly and Nico Aguilar, AMC. Gavin's recent work includes the acclaimed Apple TV+ anthology series LITTLE AMERICA, and the Emmy Award winning series WU-TANG: AN AMERICAN SAGA. Nico’s work focuses on a wide range of long form projects in both television and film. He recently finished the Netflix film CHUPA, directed by Jonas Cuaron and produced by Chris Columbus. Led by Maria Prieto, this conversations dives into several theme...
Oct 27, 2022•1 hr 17 min•Ep. 62
Film Roundtable is excited to welcome Polly Morgan ASC BSC as its guest this week, moderated by Matthew Woolf. In this episode, they discuss some of the many films and the career path that helped Polly transition from a commercial production runner in London to the only woman that has so far been invited to join both the ASC and BSC. As well as uncovering some insightful cinematography tips we also discuss the challenges Polly faced juggling motherhood with 2 young infants while filming Where th...
Oct 13, 2022•1 hr 21 min•Ep. 61
Film Roundtable is welcoming back this week two of our dear friends and two of our most favorite guests to have on the show; Filmmaker + Cinematographer Shawn Peters and Visual Artist + Cinematographer Bradford Young. This conversation is moderated by the inimitable Maori Karmael Holmes, Founder of BlackStar Projects. In this episode these close friends talk about life and where they find their joy and inspiration. They discuss how to uplift and support the next generation of image makers. Those...
Sep 29, 2022•1 hr 9 min•Ep. 60
Film Roundtable is thrilled to be joined this week by Director Hiro Murai and Cinematographer Christian Sprenger, both of whom are double Emmy nominees in their respective categories for, “Atlanta”, and “Station Eleven.” In this candid conversation with Doug Torres, Hiro + Christian discuss how they started collaborating together and what has become their process as their work has evolved over the years. Tune in for a wonderful discussion about the essence of collaboration and developing a creat...
Sep 08, 2022•45 min•Ep. 59
In our latest Film Roundtable, we are joined by part of the team behind the web series “Rabbit.” "Rabbit" follows an antisocial freelance criminal as he bounces around Los Angeles doing jobs that are too “embarrassing or dangerous” for Taskrabbit. However, as he makes moral compromise after moral compromise, he must ask himself if he’s really connecting with his clients, or just doing their dirty work. Maria Prieto leads a conversation between writer and star, Kyle Prue, and director, Max Michal...
May 23, 2022•1 hr 5 min•Ep. 58
In our latest Film Roundtable, we are joined by celebrated horror director, writer, and actor, Larry Fessenden, and independent film producer, Peter Phok. As the team behind the fiercely independent New York production company, Glass Eye Pix, they have fostered a creative playground for horror auteurs. This conversation, moderated brilliantly by Sean Glass, covers a range of topics: first-hand accounts of the making of several Glass Eye Pix productions, including Ti West’s feature directorial de...
Apr 01, 2022•1 hr 23 min•Ep. 57
Our latest Roundtable features the Director, Actors, and Writers of the meta psychological thriller/documentary film Ayar. Floyd Russ decided to approach the film Ayar by inviting the two lead actors, Ariana Ron Pedrique and Vilma Vega to co-write the movie with him, bringing a rich and multi-faceted perspective to the movie. The Roundtable features various topics, including the challenges of making one’s first feature film, getting it funded, and finally distributing it. Most importantly we dis...
Mar 14, 2022•1 hr 24 min•Ep. 56
In our latest Film Roundtable, we welcome Academy Award Winning Producer Adele Romanski and Academy Award Nominated Producer Nicolás Celis. Led by Maria Prieto, the conversation covers a range of topics, including the support system and friendship they’ve found in one another, their early days navigating the industry, and a brief discussion of their latest projects: The Underground Railroad, which Romanski served as producer on, and Prayers for The Stolen, Mexico’s submission to compete for the ...
Jan 24, 2022•1 hr 10 min•Ep. 55
In our latest Roundtable, we are pleased to welcome Production Designer Kasra Farahani and Cinematographer Autumn Durald Arkapaw. Matthew Woolf leads a conversation discussing their experience on the Marvel Series Loki. The conversation covers a range of topics including; the pressure and expectations of making a Marvel show, how much one is able to bring stylistically to the Marvel Universe, the importance of having the right collaborators in key positions to accomplish the right look, and how ...
Dec 09, 2021•1 hr 26 min
In this Roundtable, we welcome Writer, Creator, and Director Danny Strong, Cinematographer Checco Varese and Director of episodes 5 & 6 Patricia Riggen of the Hulu Series Dopesick. The conversation focuses on the responsibility of creating an episodic series covering the national opioid crisis, and how such a series helps expose the architects of this crisis, making evident the roots of such a convoluted and complicated situation. Among other topics, the group delves into the process buildin...
Nov 09, 2021•1 hr 17 min
In this Film Roundtable, we welcome back two friends, Director/DP Reed Morano and Director/DP Bradford Young for a therapeutic conversation in the wake of the potential IATSE strike. The two go straight into the quality of life concerns that exist in our business, as well as the general culture of self-care practice being neglected or treated as an afterthought. The two discuss how the stress to deliver in an unattainable time frame puts our mental health at risk and delve into the deep inequiti...
Oct 20, 2021•1 hr 4 min
On our latest film roundtable, we host a conversation between Isabel Sandoval, Hari Nef, and moderator Ximena Prieto. The three start with a discussion regarding setting, introspection, and reflection, and Isabel points to the impact of nature well as the importance of sunlight on creative input. Hari delves into her response to prompts as a writer, and the interaction with New York as a source and force to contend with, reflecting one’s place in the constellation communally and individually. Is...
Sep 05, 2021•1 hr 21 min
We are thrilled to present our second Roundtable recorded in Spanish. In our latest episode, we are joined by Cinematographers Gonzalo Amat and Alexandra Bas. Gonzalo has shot four seasons of “The Man in the High Castle,” produced by Ridley Scott and Amazon Studios. He’s a member of the International Cinematographers Guild, the DGA, and the ASC. In 2018, Gonzalo ventured into the world of directing and has since directed four episodes of SEAL Team. Alexandra Bas is a Mexico City based cinematogr...
Jul 30, 2021•59 min
In this episode, we host discussion between Cinematographer Larry Fong and Doug Torres. Larry relives the early part of his career and how he got started working with visionary Directors Zack Snyder and Tarsem Singh, also sharing a great story about his friendship with JJ Abrams when they were teenagers, and how that carried over into a professional relationship later in their careers. Through the conversation, we also get to understand how Larry sees his skills as a magician correlating to the ...
Jul 12, 2021•55 min
