We are wrapping up the season with our 35th episode and some of our biggest and most favorite takeaways of episodes past. We're also talking to the lovely writer and director, Tara Miele. We jump right in to learn about her process and how Miele has been navigating the industry since her early days in school and screening her first ever short film at Slamdance. We talk about the moment she started to feel seen as a female filmmaker, where she met her husband, and the balance she strikes between ...
Dec 09, 2020•1 hr 4 min
The Co-Founders of our very own Mammoth Film Festival™ make a special visit to the studio for episode 34 to discuss how we all got here in the first place! Tanner Beard and Tomik Mansoori are a dynamic duo to say the least, and in this conversation we learn about how their pasts have brought them together to converge at a uniquely complementary center point. Mansoori's past in experiential marketing coupled with Beard's success as a filmmaker on the festival scene around the world has provided t...
Dec 02, 2020•56 min
Episode 33 brings us the very gifted writer, producer, and showrunner Meaghan Oppenheimer (Queen America, Fear the Walking Dead). She's a true original when it comes to her voice and her work, and isn't afraid to explore and portray things exactly as they are behind the curtain of the status quo. From script to screen, she is clear in her purpose and powerful in her ability to manifest the right people and circumstances to be able to develop female driven stories about mental health, relationshi...
Nov 11, 2020•53 min
For episode 32, we sit down with the multitalented, Theo Dumont. Dumont is managing partner at Alta Global Media and the Co-Founder/Co-Director of the Oscar-Qualifying Hollyshorts Film Festival and co-founder of the Mammoth Film Festival as well as the Hollywood Comedy Shorts Film Festival. He walks us through his transition to Los Angeles from his early years as a publicist in Miami Beach and explains what originally drew him into this profession. He also tells us about the impetus for starting...
Nov 04, 2020•51 min
Actress, director, and producer Jennifer Morrison (Once Upon a Time, This is Us) joins us for episode 31 and takes us behind the scenes of her television directorial debut for HBO's Euphoria. Her work ethic, determination, and passion are just a few of the reasons she's had the career path she has, and these qualities have made it easy for the people around her to bet on who she is as a person and an artist in lieu of a long track record as a director. This has clearly paid off in spades as she ...
Oct 28, 2020•1 hr 10 min
We're ringing in episode 30 with the multi-talented Director/Producer (along with actor, violinist, dancer), Milena Govich. Since taking a one way ticket from Oklahoma to NYC, and landing on Broadway very shortly thereafter, she has taken a number of impressive pivots in her career. From getting her break in Broadway's Cabaret to starring as the only female detective on the original Law and Order series AKA "the only chick with a gun", Govich made her mark as an actor. She also knew she had a de...
Oct 21, 2020•59 min
Veteran executive and producer, Erica Huggins, sits down with us for episode 29 to discuss her successive rise in the entertainment industry, what her time was like as President of Imagine Entertainment, and her current role as President of Seth MacFarlane's Fuzzy Door Productions. Starting with the dream of making documentaries that quickly led to her debut as a young film editor, Huggins soon expanded into producing. Growing up in LA and raised by two shrinks, the groundwork had already been l...
Oct 14, 2020•48 min
Carina Adly MacKenzie, former journalist turned scribe for the television screen, stands firm in her integrity as a female pushing boundaries in our industry and in her ability to defend anything that has her name on it. As the creator and previous showrunner of the reboot, Roswell, New Mexico, she sits down with us to have her first public conversation since exiting the CW series. She shares why learning to pick your battles is a crucial skill in this political climate, how to "kill your darlin...
Oct 07, 2020•1 hr 8 min
Sujata Day (The Misadventures of Awkward Black Girl, Insecure) is here with us for episode 27 and brings with her no shortage of knowledge and inspiration. Fresh from directing her first feature (Definition Please), Day explains to us the perks of writing for, directing, and finding a way to fund and raise money for her own projects. She's had several doors open from the film festival circuit, Sundance in particular, now serving as a Sundance Collab advisor. Showcasing more than a few perks that...
Aug 05, 2020•1 hr
Episode 26 drops in with very lauded former costume designer turned burgeoning director, Courtney Hoffman. We listen as she explains how she worked her way up from the bottom of the costume department to eventually lead the department on sets such as The Hateful Eight, Captain Fantastic, and Baby Driver. We discuss her directorial debut short, The Good Time Girls, the grueling process of actually getting a film made, and empathize around her process of realizing she wanted to be a director (espe...
Jul 22, 2020•1 hr 12 min
Laura Lewis joins us in episode 25 for an eye opening and frank conversation about female representation and inclusivity across the board. Rebelle Media is a female forward multimedia company for bold storytellers whose mission is to put women and girls at the heart of their narratives. Lewis is the founder and CEO of Rebelle, along with being a founding member of Time's Up, an executive member and former board member of Women in Film, and a proud mentor to aspiring filmmakers and entertainment ...
Jul 15, 2020•1 hr 3 min
In episode 24, we're doing something a little different as we talk to empowerment activist, Andrea Quinn. As a life and business coach, she is an expert in facilitating the conversation around women and our ability to be resilient and persevere. Since starting her business in 2006, Quinn has put together nine tools (The Quinn Essentials) to awaken greatness and allow women to sustainably live in their power. She explains that although these times may feel uncertain, the truth is that nothing has...
Jul 08, 2020•1 hr 2 min
Episode 23 graces us with the major talent and old soul that is Canadian born director and actor, Karena Evans. We begin by hearing about her hands on, practical and driven approach to directing music videos. Her innate understanding of story, combined with a desire to learn how to communicate that technically, propelled her to take a significant leap of faith by seeking out renowned Director X early on. She quickly gained an internship, and through understanding his process, was able to break i...
Jul 01, 2020•1 hr 6 min
Episode 22 with return guest, Tara Wood, is a round two worth listening to for a myriad of reasons. Wood has carved out a very unique path for herself as a documentary filmmaker. She has a knack for picking out fascinating subjects and arriving at deeper truths. From Linklater, to Tarantino, to (shhh... it's a secret) next on the docket - Wood has found a multitude of compelling ways to humanize larger than life figures, who we usually only find behind the camera. An artist from a young age, she...
Jun 24, 2020•1 hr 2 min
Episode 21 cashes in with all around boss lady Shiri Appleby. We all know her from shows like Roswell and Unreal, but her formidable career as a director is the main focus here, along with the mindful co-creation of her gorgeous and loving family with partner and restauranteur, Jon Shook. Although she started working at the tender age of 3, it wasn't until her thirties that she saw a feasible first hand image of a female director. Up until that point, she had envisioned herself marrying a direct...
Jun 17, 2020•46 min
One could definitely argue that our guest, Kandyse McClure, and our 20th episode is arriving with a little divine timing. We've seen our world go from lockdown to mobilization in a matter of days since the death of George Floyd. We've witnessed a worldwide expression of outrage at the senseless killing of yet another unarmed black human being. McClure, herself, is at her core a deeply soulful and talented artist. She exemplifies strength, grace, and dignity in a conversation with us that unknowi...
Jun 10, 2020•57 min
Episode 19 gives us plenty of insight with actor and filmmaker, Mark Kassen, as he discusses his many endeavors - encompassing not only film and television, but also the tech world, healthcare, and even politics, as of late. He describes the through line of his career as the maximization of voice and intrinsically merges many tools of technological empowerment to carry out his and others' visions. Kassen's company, Like Minded Media Ventures, focuses on true stories, social causes, and science- ...
May 27, 2020•1 hr 7 min
In Episode 18 we're talking to Ashley Greene Khoury as she explains how her career has evolved since moving to Hollywood at the age of 17. Fresh from Jacksonville, FL, she dove into the acting scene and in only two short years landed a role in one of the biggest movie franchises in the world, Twilight. Past that life changing role, Ashley made it a priority to develop her voice and maintain creative control over her choices as an actress by staying in alignment with projects she believes in. We ...
May 20, 2020•1 hr 3 min
Stef Fink is the founder of Music Box, a female forward music solutions company providing full music services including original music for film, tv, and brands including things like Major League Baseball and the recent documentary UNBANNED: The Legend of AJ1. Episode 17 takes a look behind the scenes of Fink's music production as she explains how she chooses her projects and walks us through the process of finding a vast array of musical solutions in the entertainment industry. She began singing...
May 13, 2020•1 hr 12 min
Episode 16 is a double banger walking us down the star-aligned path of friendship between artists Inbar Lavi (Imposters, Lucifer) and Kelly Walker (My Fiona, Swamp Thing). Respectively hailing from Israel and Australia, these two ladies grew up worlds apart, but upon meeting they realized they had far more in common than first meets the eye. Their friendship has continued to thrive in support of each other's artistic endeavors, serving as mirrors for one another - sometimes challenging, but alwa...
Apr 29, 2020•1 hr 4 min
In episode 15, we mosey down south to Austin, Texas to check in with writer, producer and director, Suzanne Weinert. She shares her adventures from around the world including but not limited to her early days in NYC and LA, being a judge at Mammoth Film Festival, and even attending writing retreats in New Zealand as of late. Her first job in the industry was as an assistant to Ron Howard and then went on to work with Julia Roberts for 7 years - which set the bar for her career pretty high straig...
Apr 22, 2020•1 hr 2 min
We're settling into social distancing together in our 14th episode with producer Carolina Groppa. Born in Sao Paolo, Brazil and now taking LA by storm, this former actress/dancer expresses the importance of continuing to honor her inner artist as she blazes her own unique trail as a producer. Her first step was to produce a play and since then she's gone on to produce Whitney Cummings directorial feature debut The Female Brain and the 2017 Emmy nominated documentary Autism in Love which explores...
Apr 15, 2020•1 hr 8 min
Episode 13 pushes us past some Coronavirus technical challenges and further into the realm of connecting and podcasting from the safety of our own homes. Fellow podcaster, entertainment reporter, ally, and sportscaster (just to name a few of his endeavors) Ben Lyons, sits down with us to share his wisdom, perspective, and driving force both in front of and behind the camera. His podcast, The Festival Rules, is the result of one of many longstanding and fruitful partnerships he has cultivated. We...
Apr 08, 2020•56 min
In episode 12, Alexandra and Blair check in with each other amidst the global pandemic and talk about Alex's own experience after testing positive for Coronavirus (Covid-19). They flip the script on one another and discuss their own career paths, answer some quick fire questions, and share their own anxieties. But most importantly, they look for the silver lining in this chapter of life and remain hopeful for what's next. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Not...
Apr 01, 2020•52 min
During this trying time with COVID-19, episode 11 delivers us an emboldening conversation with writer, director, producer extraordinaire Sabrina Jaglom. We delve into her intuitively creative nature fostered from an early age, her less than conventional parents, and the unique path that continues to foster her voice and vision. She hales from Los Angeles, has studied in New York, London and Prague to name a few, and is now working full time in pursuit of her dreams. We listen in on her experienc...
Mar 25, 2020•52 min
Episode 10 fades in with former actress turned director Kimberly McCullough. After being on General Hospital since the tender age of 7, McCullough found herself directing her first film at just 16 years old. Although she claimed many accolades as an actress, this film lit a fire that would lead her into a career as a highly versatile and accomplished director in her own right. She attributes this sensibility to being surrounded by intense and powerful female roles models. McCullough has had the ...
Mar 18, 2020•51 min
Episode 9 is a special edition conversation with four very special guests recorded at Mammoth Film Festival. Joining us at the round table are two incredible actresses Lesley-Ann Brandt (Lucifer, Gotham) and Anne Heche (Hung, Hour of Lead), documentary director/producer Tara Wood (QT8: The First Eight), and producer/director Steven Garcia (Chasing the Cure, Josie). We open with expressing the desire to move past the conversation of equality between men and women and towards pinpointing where our...
Mar 11, 2020•1 hr
In our 8th episode, actress Sarah Carter (Falling Skies, Rogue) describes how her Canadian roots instilled a deep reverence for oneness and community from an early age while simultaneously pushing her to seek new environments (Los Angeles) that encouraged her to further define her own individuality and unique voice. As time has progressed, her practice and perspectives continue to deepen and we listen as she reminiscences about self-matrimony and the gift that is self-love. We explore her outlet...
Mar 04, 2020•49 min
In episode 7, we listen as Rain Valdez describes how island fever lit the inner fire and curiosity she needed to transition from her childhood playground that was Guam to the ongoing adventure that is now Los Angeles. She expresses the joy she's cultivating by living in a way that leaves space for the unknown, and the importance of getting quiet enough to hear what your inner voice has to say. She shares what it was like working on the wildly popular show "Transparent", the importance of being f...
Feb 26, 2020•58 min
In our 6th episode, Carolina Garcia, Director of Original Series at Netflix, shares her story about how growing up in a large Argentinian family full of artists instilled an unwavering confidence and work ethic into her life. We hear what it was like to work for Fox's Chairwoman and CEO, Dana Walden and how she set the bar for exceptionalism. Carolina shares what it means to have grit when all the chips are stacked against you and how to literally sing and dance your way through any challenge. W...
Feb 19, 2020•50 min
