C. Marie Taylor is the founder and president of Equity Through Action , a consulting company that helps organizations create equitable practices, policies, and mind shifts. In this episode, host Tara Jabbari talks with C. Marie about inclusion and diversity, films that have caused controversy, and the practice of examining the diversity in your own life. They discuss how people - from behind the scenes to the audience - need to see the humanity of each character, regardless of how they look, in ...
Jan 29, 2023•30 min•Season 2Ep. 22
Clothes can make or break a scene without a character saying a word. In this episode, host Sandra Abrams chats with Screenwriter and Costume Designer, Alexandra Olivia Engelson . She shares her approach to putting together a wardrobe for independent films with small budgets, and what it means to be a wardrobe coordinate on big budget television shows such as Quantico and The Equalizer. To learn more about Alexandra and her work, visit https://www.aoengelson.com/ (Episode originally released on 1...
Jan 22, 2023•18 min•Season 2Ep. 21
While simply making a film is a passion project and can take years of work, getting your finished movie into a film festival can be nothing short of a miracle. In this episode, host Sandra Abrams takes a deep dive into film festivals and how to navigate the festival circuit for maximum exposure and a possible ticket to Hollywood. She speaks with Heather Waters , who is the founder and producer of the Richmond International Film Festival (RIFF) and runs the RIFF Arts Institute. In 2022, RIFF runs...
Jan 15, 2023•53 min•Season 2Ep. 20
Ken Zemke is an Emmy-award winning film and television editor whose career spans over 50 years, working all over the world. In this episode, host Tara Jabbari sits down with him to talk about his career - from his mentor, Michael Kahn (the editor that Steven Spielberg works with), to his work as supervising editor overseeing a young Martin Scorsese’s edit for an Elvis music documentary, to why he left the States for New Zealand. They discuss the differences between editing films versus documenta...
Jan 08, 2023•30 min•Season 2Ep. 19
Just inside the Beltway is the historic Avalon Theatre, a rare gem in the movie theater world. Built in 1922 for silent movies, it is still operating today, showcasing hard-to-find independent films and documentaries. Host Sandra Abrams speaks to Executive Director Bill Oberdorfer about its survival, and how film directors and movie goers can support this landmark film center. To learn more, visit www.theavalon.org (Episode originally released on 10/9/22) --- Subscribe to learn more about filmma...
Jan 01, 2023•24 min•Season 2Ep. 18
In this episode, host Candice Bloch talks with Thomas Verdi , the founder and CEO of The Film Fund , a simple and unique funding platform that grants money to filmmakers based on a single sentence pitch. And beyond the money, The Film Fund is also a community bursting with valuable resources for creators. Learn more at: https://www.thefilmfund.co/ https://www.instagram.com/thefilmfund/ https://www.facebook.com/filmfundco https://twitter.com/simplyfilmfund https://www.linkedin.com/company/the-fil...
Dec 25, 2022•21 min•Season 2Ep. 17
Season two wraps up with this Holiday Special , where all three hosts – Candice Bloch, Sandra Abrams, and Tara Jabbari – discuss the mega genre of Christmas and holiday movies. The trio share fun facts, their personal opinions, and go over the results of Media & Monuments’ own holiday survey, which centered on movies related to “the most wonderful time of the year.” Here are a few highlights from the survey to get you into the holiday mood: Love Actually was voted favorite holiday rom-com, M...
Dec 18, 2022•35 min•Season 2Ep. 16
Multi-faceted multi-hyphenate Nasreen Alkhateeb sits down with host Candice Bloch to discuss disability inclusion in media - both in front of and behind the camera. Nasreen pulls from her personal and professional experiences to help shine a light on those that are too often under-represented. As a filmmaker who loves to focus on projects that help shift our culture, Nasreen points out many of the advantages of disability inclusion, the vastness of the disabled community, and talks about some pr...
Dec 11, 2022•28 min•Season 2Ep. 15
In this episode, host Sandra Abrams chats with first time director, Tamana Ayazi , about her film, “In Her Hands.” The film captures Afghanistan at a critical juncture: before, during, and after western forces leave, all through the eyes of the country’s youngest female mayor, the tough-minded Zarfia Ghafari. The documentary won the Audience Award at the Camden International Film Festival in September 2022. It is the first non-fiction release from former secretary of state Hillary Clinton and da...
Dec 04, 2022•27 min•Season 2Ep. 14
Saralisa Volm is a German actress and filmmaker. In this episode, host Tara Jabbari speaks with Saralisa about her start in the film industry and how different countries have reacted and could relate to her new film, “The Silent Forest.” They also discuss the importance of diversity in writers rooms and on-sets, as well as how to be respectful of those who wish not to be the focal point. To learn more and connect: Saralisa’s production company, Poison: https://poison-berlin.com/en/ Connect with ...
Nov 27, 2022•26 min•Season 2Ep. 13
Best Short at The American Pavilion of Emerging Filmmakers at the 2022 Cannes Film Festival was awarded to a sweet ten-minute short called Noisy. In this episode, host Candice Bloch sits down with Cedric Hill , Noisy’s writer and director. They talk about the short film’s journey from concept to Cannes, as well as Cedric’s experience at the renowned festival and what winning there means. To learn more about Cedric and connect: https://www.cedrichill.us/ Instagram: @chill2772 IMDB: https://www.im...
Nov 20, 2022•24 min•Season 2Ep. 12
C. Marie Taylor is the founder and president of Equity Through Action , a consulting company that helps organizations create equitable practices, policies, and mind shifts. In this episode, host Tara Jabbari talks with C. Marie about inclusion and diversity, films that have caused controversy, and the practice of examining the diversity in your own life. They discuss how people - from behind the scenes to the audience - need to see the humanity of each character, regardless of how they look, in ...
Nov 13, 2022•30 min•Season 2Ep. 11
Bringing a book to the big screen takes patience. In this episode, host Sandra Abrams chats with WIFV member and film producer, Catherine Hand about her new memoir, “Becoming a Warrior, My Journey to Bring A Wrinkle in Time to the Screen.” In their conversation, Hand discusses highlights from her book and how her personal journey helped her navigate all the twists and turns the film project took to finally become a Disney film in 2018, directed by Ava DuVernay. To learn more about Catherine and ...
Nov 06, 2022•37 min•Season 2Ep. 10
In this special episode, all three of our hosts, Sandra Abrams, Candice Bloch, and Tara Jabbari sit down together to discuss films that are all horror and Halloween! Listen as they share personal stories of watching horror films, their thoughts on some of the most notable horror films, and results from our survey. At the end of the episode, we give shout-outs to those who took the survey. These are the lists that we referred to in our discussion: The Best Horror Movies Of The Last Decade https:/...
Oct 30, 2022•56 min•Season 2Ep. 9
Clothes can make or break a scene without a character saying a word. In this episode, host Sandra Abrams chats with Screenwriter and Costume Designer, Alexandra Olivia Engelson . She shares her approach to putting together a wardrobe for independent films with small budgets, and what it means to be a wardrobe coordinate on big budget television shows such as Quantico and The Equalizer. To learn more about Alexandra and her work, visit https://www.aoengelson.com/ --- Subscribe to learn more about...
Oct 23, 2022•18 min•Season 2Ep. 8
While so much of the effects we see on screen can be CGI, there will always be a home for the physical, tangible art of special effects. In this episode, host Candice Bloch sits down with Ben Eadie , an experienced special effects designer, prop maker, fabricator, and multi-talented inventor and creator. Ben has worked on such projects as Star Trek Beyond, Arrow, The Predator, Ghostbusters: Afterlife, Prey, and Fraggle Rock. In their conversation, Ben chats about inventing solutions to problems,...
Oct 16, 2022•37 min•Season 2Ep. 7
Just inside the Beltway is the historic Avalon Theatre, a rare gem in the movie theater world. Built in 1922 for silent movies, it is still operating today, showcasing hard-to-find independent films and documentaries. Host Sandra Abrams speaks to Executive Director Bill Oberdorfer about its survival, and how film directors and movie goers can support this landmark film center. To learn more, visit www.theavalon.org --- Subscribe to learn more about filmmaking, production, media makers, creator r...
Oct 09, 2022•23 min•Season 2Ep. 6
In this episode, host Candice Bloch sits down with filmmaker Erica Silverman to delve into the world of creating music videos. With many years of experience in short-form media, including directing dozens of music videos in a variety of genres and styles, Erica knows a thing or two about this world. She’s worked with artists such as Lizzo, Leon Bridges, and Avril Lavigne, to name a few, and combined, Erica's work has racked up over 500 million views. She shares some of her journey, gives gr...
Oct 02, 2022•28 min•Season 2Ep. 5
Ken Zemke is an Emmy-award winning film and television editor whose career spans over 50 years, working all over the world. In this episode, host Tara Jabbari sits down with him to talk about his career - from his mentor, Michael Kahn (the editor that Steven Spielberg works with), to his work as supervising editor overseeing a young Martin Scorsese’s edit for an Elvis music documentary, to why he left the States for New Zealand. They discuss the differences between editing films versus documenta...
Sep 25, 2022•30 min•Season 2Ep. 4
In this episode, host Candice Bloch talks with Thomas Verdi , the founder and CEO of The Film Fund , a simple and unique funding platform that grants money to filmmakers based on a single sentence pitch. And beyond the money, The Film Fund is also a community bursting with valuable resources for creators. Learn more at: https://www.thefilmfund.co/ https://www.instagram.com/thefilmfund/ https://www.facebook.com/filmfundco https://twitter.com/simplyfilmfund https://www.linkedin.com/company/the-fil...
Sep 18, 2022•21 min•Season 2Ep. 3
The DC-metro area may be known for politics, so it makes sense that it’s also an intense proving ground for the filmmakers who create political ads. In this episode, host Candice Bloch chats with freelance editor, motion graphics designer, and colorist, Nicole Haddock , who has been in the trenches of the political ad seasons for nearly a decade. We learn more about the skills and temperament needed to take on this lucrative but exhausting industry that requires more talents and stamina than one...
Sep 11, 2022•31 min•Season 2Ep. 2
In this first episode of season two, host Tara Jabbari speaks with Dylan Graves Barbeta-Comstock , a WIFV Board Member and the Founder and Chair of the WIFV DC Mentorship Program . Dylan and Tara (also a member of the Mentorship Committee) talk about the creation of the program’s curriculum, its application process, how mentors impacted Dylan’s career, the true value of mentorship, and more. To learn more or apply to WIFV’s Mentorship Program, contact [email protected] or visit: https://www.wi...
Sep 04, 2022•21 min•Season 2Ep. 1
In the break between seasons, show producers recommend a past episode to check out. This week, Sandra Abrams recommends Episode #11 all about Film Commissioners of DC, MD, & VA. Full episode: https://www.buzzsprout.com/1928222/10617648 Show page: https://www.wifv.org/podcast/ Released on May 15, 2022, the original show notes are: Film Commissioners in different states and cities play a vital role in helping to get a film made, but who are these mystery people? In this episode, host Sandra Ab...
Jul 31, 2022•6 min•Season 1Ep. 21
In the break between seasons, show producers recommend a past episode to check out. This week, our audio producer Steve Lack recommends Episode #16 - New to Netflix: Martha, Watergate, and the "G" Word - which highlighted two Netflix projects, including The Martha Mitchell Effect. Full episode: https://www.buzzsprout.com/1928222/10854359 Show page: https://www.wifv.org/podcast/ Released on June 26, 2022, the original show notes are: In this episode, we get the scoop on two new document...
Jul 24, 2022•4 min•Season 1Ep. 20
In the break between seasons, show producers recommend a past episode to check out. This week, Tara Jabbari recommends Episode #3 which was about Oscar's History with the Ladies . Full episode: https://www.buzzsprout.com/1928222/10279682 Show page: https://www.wifv.org/podcast/ Released on March 20, 2022, the original show notes are: Ahead of the 94th Academy Awards on March 27, 2022, host Sandra Abrams sits down with two amazing women to discuss Oscar’s history on nominations of women in n...
Jul 17, 2022•4 min•Season 1Ep. 19
In the break between seasons, show producers recommend a past episode to check out. This week, Candice Bloch recommends Episode #5 all about Remote Production - A Versatile Model for Modern Times . Full episode: https://www.buzzsprout.com/1928222/10366413 Show page: https://www.wifv.org/podcast/ Released on April 3, 2022, the original show notes are: In today's world, remote production is becoming more and more utilized as a tool for creating projects. In this episode, host Candice Bloch fo...
Jul 10, 2022•6 min•Season 1Ep. 18
In the break between seasons, show producers recommend a past episode to check out. This week, Sandra Abrams recommends Episode #10 all about Navigating Film Festivals . Full episode: https://www.buzzsprout.com/1928222/10574257 Show page: https://www.wifv.org/podcast/ Released on May 8, 2022, the original show notes are: While simply making a film is a passion project and can take years of work, getting your finished movie into a film festival can be nothing short of a miracle. In this episode, ...
Jul 03, 2022•4 min•Season 1Ep. 17
In this episode, we get the scoop on two new documentaries on Netflix. In part one, host Sandra Abrams chats with the two filmmakers behind “ The Martha Mitchell Effect .” Using archival footage and interviews, it shows how Martha Mitchell paid a personal price for calling the press as her husband helped President Nixon cover-up a political crime, known as the Watergate Scandal. In part two, host Tara Jabbari speaks with Adam Conover about another Netflix documentary, “ The G Word .” His six-par...
Jun 26, 2022•35 min•Season 1Ep. 16
In this recurring series, host Candice Bloch takes you inside the world of how a project gets made. Through discussions with creators about their individual journey on a particular completed production, we gain insights about what it takes to bring a vision to fruition. Whether hearing about process or logistics, lessons or advice, these success stories of bringing a project to life can be informative and inspiring. On this month’s episode, the focus is on impactful documentaries. Maggie Burnett...
Jun 19, 2022•1 hr 3 min•Season 1Ep. 15
Thumbs up, thumbs down? Five stars (or are four stars the highest number?)! In this episode, host Tara Jabbari speaks with film critics to discuss how viewing films has changed over the last few years. When is it worth going to the movie theater? Where should we look to know what’s worth seeing? What’s the difference between Rotten Tomatoes versus Meta Critic? They dive into these topics as well as what goes into being a film critic. Our guests are: Ann Hornaday , who has been film critic at The...
Jun 12, 2022•57 min•Season 1Ep. 14
