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The Viewfinder Podcast with Chris Hadley

The Viewfinder Podcast with Chris Hadley

By Chris Hadley

On the Viewfinder Podcast, you'll hear fascinating in-depth interviews with some of today's most talented indie filmmakers and actors as they take you inside the creative process behind their latest productions.
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Episode 032 - Writer/Director/Actor/Producer Bri Castellini

The Viewfinder Podcast with Chris HadleyMay 01, 2020

00:00
01:01:39
Episode 109 - Todd Braley, Debra Lamb and Itai Guberman - SHADOWS OF THE NIGHT
Mar 15, 202453:48
Episode 108 - Alex Suszko and Jennifer Prettyman - DOLWA
Dec 22, 202337:43
Episode 107 - AMERICA'S FAMILY Actor/Writer/Director Anike Tourse

Episode 107 - AMERICA'S FAMILY Actor/Writer/Director Anike Tourse

Today I'm honored to welcome actor and filmmaker Anike Tourse - the writer, director and co-star of AMERICA'S FAMILY, a new movie that probes America's harsh immigration policy and its impact on the country's undocumented immigrant community through the struggles and resilience of the Diaz family: a family whose lives are suddenly altered when U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement authorities arrest mother Marisol (played by Tourse) and deport one of her three sons, Koke (played by Ricardo Cisneros). 

Fearing deportation himself, Marisol’s husband and the family’s patriarch, Jorge (played by Mauricio Mendoza), turns to a local synagogue for shelter.

As Marisol, Jorge and Koke contemplate their futures, the Diazes’ second oldest son, lawyer Emiliano (played by Emmanuel Lopez Alonso) confronts both a cruel legal system and overwhelming bureaucracy as he fights to bring his mother, father and oldest brother home.

Once Koke is sent back to Mexico, the stage is soon set for his emotional reunion with his grandmother/Marisol’s mother (played by Dionicia Alvarado Hernandez).

Meanwhile the Diazes’ youngest sibling, Valentina (played by Jailine Arias) reaches out to the social media world for support and guidance as she and her family encounter the greatest crisis they've had to endure: one that proves both their emotional strength and their love for each other. 

America’s Family is now available to stream on various digital and on-demand platforms, and is also available on DVD. For more information on the film, including ways you can share it with your community and use it to campaign for immigrants' rights, visit its official web site at:

https://www.americasfamilymovie.com

The film was produced in partnership with immigrant rights organization CHIRLA (the Coalition for Humane Immigrant Rights). For more info on how you can support CHIRLA's mission of advocating for the rights of immigrants, visit:

https://www.chirla.org/

Follow The Viewfinder Podcast on X @ViewfinderPod

On Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TheViewfinderPodcast

Music by Audionautix.com

Dec 15, 202326:00
Episode 106 - cataclysm.begins Creator Sarah Beim

Episode 106 - cataclysm.begins Creator Sarah Beim

This week, I’m honored to welcome Sarah Beim, the creator of the new LGBTQ dystopian thriller cataclysm.begins.

Directed by Katherine Filiseta, the series is set in a world where a faceless but oppressive religious government called The Conclave mandates personal conformity and all but outlaws disagreement with its rule, the series - which is currently raising funds for its proof-of-concept pilot episode on Seed&Spark - co-stars Aria Martinez and Amiere A. Bell as queer teenage siblings Catalina and Xavien Maevery. 

After the death of their wealthy politician father, Catalina and Xavien are now tended to by his longtime colleague Helena Knightengale (played by Ami Sheth), a de facto parental figure to the siblings, and given her ties to the Conclave, a possible threat to their lives after a recording of a supposedly private quarrel between Catalina and Xavien regarding their civil rights is suddenly exposed.

Affected by both their sexuality and social class, Catalina, Xavien, Catalina’s friend Lennon (played by Bug Johnson), Xavien’s boyfriend Noah Archwell (played by Sam Vukic) confront the daily repression of their freedoms and their loves while attempting to survive an anti-government uprising that could liberate them if it succeeds - or make their suffering worse if it fails. 

Find out more about cataclysm.begins here:

https://www.cataclysmbegins.com/

Contribute to cataclysm.begins' Seed&Spark crowdfunding campaign:

https://seedandspark.com/fund/cataclysm-begins

Watch cataclysm.begins on YouTube:

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCANilHntmEShI_-lRo1OzIA/featured

Follow cataclysm.begins on Facebook:

https://www.facebook.com/cataclysm.beginswebseries

Follow cataclysm.begins on Instagram:

https://www.instagram.com/cataclysm.begins/

Follow catacylsm.begins on TikTok:

https://www.tiktok.com/@cataclysm.begins

Follow The Viewfinder Podcast on X: @ViewfinderPod

On Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TheViewfinderPodcast

Music by Audionautix.com

Dec 08, 202319:23
Episode 105 - Matthew Mishory and Randol Schoenberg - FIORETTA

Episode 105 - Matthew Mishory and Randol Schoenberg - FIORETTA

Directed by Matthew Mishory, the emotional and picturesque documentary film Fioretta is both about a father and son’s incredible search for their family’s ancestry and about how that quest links both the generationally different men - and their heritage - in extraordinary ways. 

Mishory's cameras accompany avid genealogist and acclaimed lawyer Randol Schoenberg, who in 2004 represented Austrian refugee Maria Altmann as she sued her homeland's government for ownership of 5 beloved Gustav Klimt paintings that the Nazis robbed from her family before World War II. That case was dramatized in the 2015 film Woman in Gold, with Ryan Reynolds playing Schoenberg and Helen Mirren in the role of Altmann. 

Following Randy is his 18-year-old son Joey, a studying chef who prior to journeying with his father has little knowledge of or interest in investigating his family's 500 years-long history.

Their biggest objective: to learn about and discover the final resting place of their oldest relative, Fioretta - the wife of Rabbi Elijah Menachem Halfon, who in the 16th century was one of several rabbis consulted about the divorce between Henry VIII and his first wife, Catherine of Aragon. 

Both descendants of famed classical composer Arnold Schoenberg, Randy and Joey discover some of the most revealing facts about their family's past plus incredible physical evidence of their ancestors’ existence in several centuries-old artifacts during the present-day Schoenbergs’ visits to museums, cemeteries and other landmarks throughout Austria, the Czech Republic and Italy. 

Assisted by a knowledgeable and caring collection of local historians and family members, Randy and Joey learn not just about who they are and how their family's heritage has defined them but they also gain something equally valuable: a greater connection to themselves and their roots.

I'm honored to welcome Matthew and Randy to discuss Fioretta now on this week's Viewfinder Podcast. 

Find out more about Fioretta here:

https://www.rubberringfilms.com/fioretta

Follow The Viewfinder Podcast on X @ViewfinderPod

On Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TheViewfinderPodcast

Music by Audionautix.com

Dec 01, 202346:20
Episode 104 - Kate Madison, Christopher Dane and Neil Oseman Talk Season 2 of REN: THE GIRL WITH THE MARK

Episode 104 - Kate Madison, Christopher Dane and Neil Oseman Talk Season 2 of REN: THE GIRL WITH THE MARK

Joining me on this week’s show are three of the brilliant minds behind the acclaimed fantasy web series REN: THE GIRL WITH THE MARK - co-creators Kate Madison and Christopher Dane, and showrunner Neil Oseman. 

The internationally popular series’ first season, which debuted in 2016 and has racked up as many fans as it has awards, is now approaching its second season with more adventures, more action, and a new actor (Oriana Charles) in the title role of an ordinary villager whose sudden scarring by an ancient spirit transforms her into both a powerful warrior and an enemy to her community.

In season 1, Sophie Skelton (who’s now starring in another hit fantasy series, OUTLANDER), played Ren, while Dane co-starred as Ren’s mentor Karn. Season 2 of REN will premiere sometime next year, and scripts for its third season are already being prepped.

Now on the Viewfinder Podcast, I’m honored to welcome Kate, Chris and Neil to discuss how the second season of this extraordinary project - produced and shot on a low budget like its first season but possessing amazingly high quality - was re-birthed after several years of dormancy.

Watch REN on YouTube:

https://www.youtube.com/c/mythicaentertainment

The show is also available on its official web site:

https://www.renthegirlwiththemark.com/

Follow REN on Facebook:

https://www.facebook.com/rentheseries

On Twitter: https://twitter.com/rentheseries

On Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/renthegirlwiththemark/

Sign up for exclusive REN content on the show's Patreon page:

https://www.patreon.com/renthegirlwiththemark

Follow The Viewfinder Podcast on X: @ViewfinderPod

On Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TheViewfinderPodcast

Music by Audionautix.com


Nov 24, 202337:54
Episode 103 - Actor Cheryl Shelton - THE CANDY LADY (2023 Louisiana Film Prize)
Nov 17, 202316:26
Episode 102 - CAUGHT ON TAPE Directors Chris Alan Evans and Alexander Jeffery (2023 Louisiana Film Prize)
Nov 03, 202324:48
Episode 101 - THE POST Writer/Director Justin Hunt and Co-Star/Co-Producer Angus Benfield

Episode 101 - THE POST Writer/Director Justin Hunt and Co-Star/Co-Producer Angus Benfield

Social media networks like Facebook, Instagram, X (formerly known as Twitter), Snapchat and Tiktok are the top sources of information and communication for teenagers worldwide. Unfortunately, some of them have used those platforms not to connect with their peers or to track their favorite interests but to put themselves - and their friends - in dangerous and sometimes deadly situations.

The dark side of social media, and how its misuse has often cost families their children, is portrayed through a desperate father’s battle to discover who killed his beloved son - and why he died - in the compelling thriller The Post, written and directed by Justin Hunt and co-starring Angus Benfield. Justin and Hunt will join me shortly to discuss the film on this week’s podcast.

The Post, which as of this recording has debuted in very limited release, stars Benfield (who also co-produced it) as Jett Sanders, a man whose existence is immediately upended when he and his family see a viral video of their son Jake (played by Zachariah West) being violently attacked by a group of high school football players.

Frustrated with local police’s slow-walking of the investigation of Jake’s murder, and exasperated by school officials’ insincerity towards him, Jett begins an aggressive search for his son’s killers, but when the suspects - including megastar quarterback Dickey Burnham (played by Justin’s son Lantz Hunt) - become victims themselves, Jett discovers that his son’s death and the video of his brutal demise is part of an even more disturbing conspiracy.

Find out more about THE POST here:
www.lamaentertainment.com/the-post

Follow The Viewfinder Podcast on X: @ViewfinderPod

On Facebook: www.facebook.com/TheViewfinderPodcast

Music by Audionautix.com
Oct 20, 202349:32
Episode 100 - Writer/Director Scott Sullivan Returns To Discuss His Newest Film, CHANCES
Sep 29, 202341:32
Episode 099 - Steve Hermann, Ann Myrna, Morrigan Thompson and Angel Nichole Bradford - DISREMEMBERED

Episode 099 - Steve Hermann, Ann Myrna, Morrigan Thompson and Angel Nichole Bradford - DISREMEMBERED

Sep 22, 202328:22
Episode 098 - Nathan Dalton and Paul Newton - HAUNTED HOUSE OF PANCAKES
Sep 01, 202335:36
Episode 097 - 225 Theatre Artistic Director Stephanie Bartage on Adapting THE SHAWSHANK REDEMPTION

Episode 097 - 225 Theatre Artistic Director Stephanie Bartage on Adapting THE SHAWSHANK REDEMPTION

Whether it makes you giggle, gasp, weep or tap your feet, a live theatre
performance - be it of a play or a musical - is an experience that can breathe new life into everything from Hamlet to Hamilton. Across America and around the world, theatre companies of all sizes bring that experience to their communities, with each production making the most of local and regional talent on and off stage.
One of those companies is the 225 Theatre Collective, based in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. Though it’s only been in operation for over a year, the non-profit collective has already made its mark on the fine arts community in the Pelican State thanks to its commitment to diverse casting and production teams, as well as its equally diverse and forward-thinking creative leadership.
The 225 Theatre Collective is the brainchild of its founder and artistic director, Stephanie Bartage. An accomplished performer who’s also specialized in various roles behind the scenes, Bartage’s first turn at directing came last January in the company’s acclaimed staged reading of F. Scott Fitzgerald’s classic The Great Gatsby, an innovative production that powerfully showcased diverse talent by featuring a Black actor - LSU theatre graduate Marq Parks - in the title role.
Her second now comes in its upcoming production of Stephen King’s equally revered novella-turned Oscar-nominated milestone The Shawshank Redemption, which will hold three performances: Friday, August 25th and Saturday, August 26th (both at 7:30 PM Central time) and concluding with a matinee on Sunday, August 27th at 2:30.
The play will take place at the LSU Studio Theatre, located inside the Music and Dramatic Arts Building on the LSU Campus, at 4230 Dalrymple Drive. General admission tickets cost $25, while LSU students can see the show for $15. To order tickets, and to find out more about the 225 Theatre Collective's work, visit their web site:
www.225theatrecollective.com/
On Facebook: www.facebook.com/225TC
On Instagram: www.instagram.com/225tc/
On Linktree: linktr.ee/225theatre
Follow The Viewfinder Podcast on X:
www.twitter.com/ViewfinderPod
On Facebook: www.facebook.com/TheViewfinderPodcast
Music by Audionautix.com
Aug 25, 202326:38
Episode 096 - Courtney Marie Simpson, Uzo Chijioke and Donnell "DWeezy" Robinson - TWENTYONE21

Episode 096 - Courtney Marie Simpson, Uzo Chijioke and Donnell "DWeezy" Robinson - TWENTYONE21

The new sci-fi musical comedy TWENTYONE21 is an exciting, immersive and entertaining audio experience where two best friends/21 year olds (Cici, played by Courtney Marie Simpson, and Funks, played by Tola Lawal) are convinced that their latest trip around the sun has bestowed upon them incredible powers.

As they experience in every episode, however, those abilities frequently get them in some sticky yet hilarious situations. The show is co-produced by and co-starring our guests on this week's podcast: Simpson, Uzo Chijioke and Donnell "DWeezy" Robinson. 

The show's eight episode first season is now in production, with its debut scheduled for September 21st on various platforms. As of this recording, TWENTYONE21 is also hoping to raise $5,080 (or more) on the crowdfunding platform Seed&Spark to pay for actors, post-production, engineering, promotion and other expenses. 

Notable not just for its multi-genre storytelling but also for its realistic presentation of Black, Indigenous and People of Color (or BIPOC) characters, TWENTYONE21 also includes original songs (composed by Robinson) that span multiple music genres from rock to country to hip-hop to heavy metal, making the upside down fantasy universes its protagonists get caught up in even zanier.

Contribute to TWENTYONE21’s Seed&Spark campaign:

https://seedandspark.com/fund/twentyone21podcast#story 

Follow TWENTYONE21 on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/twentyone21podcast/ 

On YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@TwentyOne21Podcast

On TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@twentyone21podcast

Follow The Viewfinder Podcast on X:

https://www.twitter.com/ViewfinderPod

On Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TheViewfinderPodcast

Music by Audionautix.com

Aug 18, 202328:37
Episode 095 - Actor/Filmmaker Gio Drasconi Returns
Aug 11, 202315:49
Episode 094 - THE COST Director/Co-Writer/Co-Producer Mike Hogan

Episode 094 - THE COST Director/Co-Writer/Co-Producer Mike Hogan

For American families who struggle to pay for their most important needs, getting and paying for good health care isn't just a matter of life and death; it's a matter of dollars and cents. 

In director Mike Hogan's bleak thriller The Cost, this unbearable situation strikes an average yet troubled family - Penny (Sophie Howell), a mom who shares the same diagnosis of type 1 diabetes with her son Patrick, and Penny's husband Pete, whose love for his wife and child is as strong as his commitment to their survival. 

With their scarce finances making it all but impossible to pay for the urgently needed insulin that will keep Penny and Patrick alive, Penny convinces a reluctant Pete to take the most dangerous yet necessary route to getting the money required for their medication: robbery. 

As they hold up a group of innocent citizens, including - and in direct view of his daughter - a right-wing Trump supporter named Robert, Penny and Pete attempt to bargain with a greedy pharmacist who, like America's for-profit health care industry, sees his customers as dollar signs instead of human beings.

Though this crime spree may save Penny and Patrick's life, her freedom - and that of Pete's - may be on borrowed time. (While Sophie has already been cast as Penny, the other characters - as of now - have yet to be cast.)

As of this show's recording, Hogan and his co-producers on The Cost are planning to shoot a 15 minute proof of concept short film, and they're presently seeking $41,000 to do so. In addition, 20 percent of the movie's funding will benefit the diabetes awareness organization T1 International, a non-profit that works to make life-saving and affordable insulin treatment possible for millions of people worldwide.

The Cost is more than a short film for Hogan, who co-wrote its screenplay with co-producer Jerome Cleveland Keith and is already in the process of expanding it to a full-length feature. As a type 1 diabetic himself, Hogan has had to not just maintain a regular life despite his disease, but he's also had to confront the disheartening realities of being unable to afford medicine for his chronic condition. 

Though his means of living with and getting treatment for his diabetes are obviously unlike those of the film's characters, Hogan puts them as clear representatives of the personal and monetary hardships that diabetics and others stricken by chronic illnesses experience on a daily basis. 

Contribute to the film on IndieGoGo:

https://www.indiegogo.com/projects/the-cost-a-type-1-diabetes-thriller-short-film#/

Make a tax-deductible donation to The Cost:

https://www.paypal.com/donate/?hosted_button_id=SLG869XFUMAE8 

For more info on The Cost, visit Tall Order Productions’ web site:

https://www.tallorderproductions.com/

Follow Mike Hogan on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/hogan_mike/

Follow The Viewfinder Podcast on Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/ViewfinderPod

On Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TheViewfinderPodcast 

Music by Audionautix.com 

Aug 04, 202301:09:37
Episode 093 - Kyle Vorbach and John Horan - SOMEWHERE IN BETWEEN

Episode 093 - Kyle Vorbach and John Horan - SOMEWHERE IN BETWEEN

NOTE: The following interview was recorded prior to the SAG-AFTRA strike. The Viewfinder Podcast stands in solidarity with the members of SAG-AFTRA and the Writers Guild Of America East and West as they continue to fight for better pay and better working conditions in the film and TV industry.

The funny and brilliant pairing of filmmakers Kyle Vorbach and John Horan - a.k.a. Future Boyfriends - first staked their claim to viral video fame with hilarious and high quality skits that exhibited their remarkable abilities on both sides of the camera. 

Now they've taken their skills to spectacular new heights with their first short film, the high stakes, high concept comedy Somewhere In Between, directed by Vorbach and originating from a script penned by Vorbach and Horan. Audiences recently saw it at this year's Tribeca Film Festival, and the short is presently being developed into a full-length feature.

Reminiscent of the classic 1985 blockbuster Back To The Future, Somewhere In Between co-stars Ryan O’Flanagan as Jack, and Taylor Misiak as Emily, a would-be couple who on New Year's Eve are eager to put the past 12 months behind them after some bad experiences in the past year.

That is, until an outrageous time traveler from the year 2061 (played by Horan) makes an inopportune intrusion on their otherwise humdrum night by announcing that he's not just their future son, but also that his soon-to-be parents must send him back to the future and fall in love before the clock strikes midnight, or risk destroying the time-space continuum forever! Will they do both? Only time will tell.

Aesthetically, Vorbach and Horan went all out to make Somewhere In Between look and sound as epic as the story they created for it, with colorful cinematography, explosive sound design and an adventurous orchestral score from composer Mike Ladouceur that's chock full of humor, suspense and tenderness. 

Vorbach and Horan also constructed the dazzling, high-tech time machine that you'll see in the movie, and made it look so convincing that you won't believe they built it without having ever worked on such a complex piece of set design before. 

It's all for a rollicking and emotional experience that lasts only 15 minutes, but as Kyle and John explain on this week's Viewfinder Podcast, they did everything they could - and then some - to make those minutes count.

Follow Future Boyfriends:

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/c/Futureboyfriends

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/futureboyfriends

Twitter: https://twitter.com/futureBFz

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/futureBFz/

Follow The Viewfinder Podcast:

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TheViewfinderPodcast/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/viewfinderpod

Music by Audionautix.com


Jul 14, 202333:42
Episode 092 - NIGHT VOICES Director/Co-Writer Bradley Hawkins

Episode 092 - NIGHT VOICES Director/Co-Writer Bradley Hawkins

In every language, the words we say to ourselves and to others can either heal or harm. Yet when those words are uttered on the radio airwaves, even the most provocative of personalities can never comprehend what consequences can result from their rhetoric, or anticipate who might be listening, as you will see and hear for yourself in the award-winning psychological thriller Night Voices.
Directed by Bradley Hawkins, co-written by Hawkins and Peter Fenton, and made by Hawkins' acclaimed studio Dadley Productions, Night Voices co-stars Gorman Ruggiero (who co-starred as a beloved former rodeo cowboy and grandfather in Hawkins’ bittersweet multigenerational family drama Calf Rope) in another unforgettable performance - this time as the aggravated late night talk show host Jude Wilcox.
Angered by his life’s downward turn and the nightly abuse he takes from his callers, Jude is hellbent on destroying himself until a distraught youngster named Hunter (played by incredible newcomer Jack Packer) reaches out to the desperate shock jock. Hunter calmly opens up to Jude about both his family’s problems and his own struggles, and in so doing, shows Jude that some new beginnings come in the nick of time.
Dadley Productions’ previous films, such as Calf Rope, Rollercoaster, Filling In and Winter, were made for family-friendly audiences. Yet as you’ll hear from Hawkins on this week’s podcast, Night Voices is a remarkably mature story that pulls no punches in examining such hard topics as depression, mental illness, suicide and personal faith.
Though at first it’s a very difficult film to watch, the performances of Ruggiero and Packer, the strength of Hawkins and Fenton’s screenplay, the attention to detail in its production, Hawkins’ expert direction, and the hope it offers viewers who may be dealing with their own crises, makes Night Voices as much of a lifeline to those in despair as it is a cinematic masterwork.
Night Voices’ trailer and additional info on the film can be found on Dadley Productions’ official web site:
www.dadleyproductions.com/nightvoicesmovie
Follow The Viewfinder Podcast on Twitter @ViewfinderPod
On Facebook: www.facebook.com/theviewfinderpodcast
Music by Audionautix.com
Jun 16, 202341:07
Episode 091 - BINDED BY TRAGEDY Director Creighton Hobbs and Co-Star Julian Betts
Jun 09, 202320:15
Episode 090 - Director Rick Pamplin - BURT REYNOLDS: THE LAST INTERVIEW
Jun 02, 202356:28
Episode 089 - Legendary Actor. Filmmaker, Stuntwoman, Singer, Songwriter and Author Marneen Fields

Episode 089 - Legendary Actor. Filmmaker, Stuntwoman, Singer, Songwriter and Author Marneen Fields

This week’s guest is not just an incredibly talented actor, screenwriter, producer, director, stuntwoman, singer, songwriter and author. As you’ll hear shortly, Marneen Fields is also a survivor - in more ways than one. Born in Minot, North Dakota, she survived a childhood diagnosis of emphysema and an enlarged heart, plus the loss of 80% of her hearing in her left ear. 

Despite those physical struggles, Fields excelled as both a student and an athlete, dazzling fans with her acrobatics as a member of the Utah State University women’s gymnastics team. In 1976, her agility caught the eye of famed movie and TV stunt performer Paul Stader, who prepared her for the next chapter of her remarkable life: Hollywood.

Fields broke the proverbial glass ceiling for female stunt actors while taking the leaps, hits and falls for some of Hollywood’s greatest stars on the big screen in The Swarm, The Howling, The Concorde: Airport '79, Beyond The Poseidon Adventure, and Clint Eastwood’s The Gauntlet. She made her mark on the small screen, too, in made-for-TV movies such as High Midnight and The Coven and shows like Scarecrow and Mrs. King, Murder, She Wrote, The Fall Guy, Dynasty and Matlock.

Simultaneously, Fields also came into her own as a speaking performer with appearances alongside Eastwood in The Gauntlet, James Garner on The Rockford Files, Bruce Boxleitner on Scarecrow and Mrs. King, Jeff Goldblum in The Legend of Sleepy Hollow, Olivia de Havilland and Fred Macmurray in Irwin Allen’s 1978 disaster movie The Swarm, and Dick Van Dyke in director Stanley Kramer’s 1979 religious drama The Runner Stumbles.

In 1985 Fields became the first stunt performer-turned speaking actor to become a prominent part of a motion picture’s ensemble cast when she co-starred in the chilling medical thriller Hellhole, but when a calamitous car crash almost ended her life and career, she began a physically painful but spiritually rejuvenating journey that led to the second act of her storybook show business story: being a prolific, award-winning filmmaker, screenwriter, vocalist, songwriter and published author. 

Fields has written two books: the biographical Cartwheels and Halos: The True Marneen Fields Story, published by Trilogy Publishing (a division of religious cable network TBN), and The Illusive Craft of Acting: An Actor's Preparation Process, her acclaimed instructional guide for aspiring on-camera performers. Her screenplays have won or been nominated for numerous awards. 

She’s also written and performed original songs, such as “I’m Gonna Be A Hollywood Stuntman” (based on her screenplay Johnny Hawk A.K.A Hard Nuts), “I’ll Never Kiss His Lips Again”, “Release My Love” and “I’ve Never Ever Stopped Loving You”, just to name a few.

On this edition of the Viewfinder Podcast, Marneen talks to me about not just her extraordinary experiences as an actor and stuntwoman but also two upcoming projects that chronicle the public and private sides of her fascinating history. First, there’s the feature-length film Who's Gonna Take Care Of Me?, written, produced and directed by Fields and starring the actor in the emotionally challenging role of her late, schizophrenia-afflicted mother. 

Then, we discuss the soon-to-be published book Rollin' With The Punches. Co-authored by Fields and prolific film historian John Harrison, the volume is a comprehensive compendium of both her outstanding stunt career and her memories of life as “Hollywood’s Original Fall Girl”. I’m honored and delighted to have Marneen join me now on the Viewfinder Podcast.

Check out Marneen's IMDB page for a full list of credits:

https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0276312/

Follow The Viewfinder Podcast on Twitter @ViewfinderPod

On Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TheViewfinderPodcast

Music by Audionautix.com

May 05, 202301:29:29
Episode 088 - RZR Star/Creator/Executive Producer David Bianchi

Episode 088 - RZR Star/Creator/Executive Producer David Bianchi

Mar 24, 202343:31
Episode 087 - Dane Moreton and Lauren Durr - CAILLOUX: THE FIGHT TO FREEDOM

Episode 087 - Dane Moreton and Lauren Durr - CAILLOUX: THE FIGHT TO FREEDOM

Now streaming on Amazon Video for rent or purchase, and co-produced by Dane Moreton (who also directed) and Lauren Durr (who also edited), CAILLOUX: THE FIGHT TO FREEDOM vividly and informatively presents the extraordinary story of Andre Cailloux, an ex-slave turned Union Army soldier who led a Black battalion against the White Confederate Army during the Siege of Port Hudson, and whose heroism and sacrifice during the Civil War made him a catalyst for both the abolition of slavery in America and the beginning of full civil rights for Black Americans in the centuries since the end of the Civil War.

Andre Cailloux's story, as well as that of his bond with White abolitionist priest Father Claude Maistre, who ministered to Andre and his fellow troops against the wishes of his superiors in the New Orleans Archdiocese, had been all but forgotten by everyone except for the most experienced historians. No photos or journals of Andre's survived, which made the job of telling this story harder than Dane and Lauren could have comprehended.

Luckily, thanks to commentary from local historians and experts, archival paintings and news clippings from the Civil War era, and sequences featuring artist Langston Allston creating an epic mural that commemorates the lives of Andre, his family and Father Maistre outside the very same church that brought them together - the former St. Rose de Lima Catholic Church located on Bayou Road in New Orleans, now known as the Andre Cailloux Center for Performing Arts and Cultural Justice - the incredible life of one of American history's most unsung heroes is finally on the record.

Check out the film on Amazon Video:

https://www.amazon.com/gp/video/detail/B0B8M83R6F/

Find out more about CAILLOUX: THE FIGHT TO FREEDOM on its official web site:

https://www.caillouxthemovie.com/

More details about the film on Facebook: 

https://www.facebook.com/CaillouxTheMovie/

On Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/caillouxthemovie/

Follow The Viewfinder Podcast on Twitter @ViewfinderPod

On Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TheViewfinderPodcast

Music by Audionautix.com 


Jan 27, 202334:33
Episode 086 - YOU JUST HAVE TO TRUST THE PROCESS Co-Hosts Sam Butlien and Dani Simmons
Jan 06, 202355:32
Episode 085 - 2022 Louisiana Film Prize Recap Pt. 2 w/David Long - BETTY LOU HAD A SON
Dec 02, 202225:33
Episode 084 - 2022 Louisiana Film Prize Recap w/Mark Bonner (BAMBER BRIDGE) + Patrick & Susan Kirton (CREDIT)

Episode 084 - 2022 Louisiana Film Prize Recap w/Mark Bonner (BAMBER BRIDGE) + Patrick & Susan Kirton (CREDIT)

A few weeks ago in Shreveport, the 2022 Louisiana Film Prize celebrated another remarkable collection of both films shot in the Pelican State and the remarkable artists who created them. On this week’s Viewfinder Podcast I'm honored to bring you my chats with some of the great filmmakers who shared their cinematic stories with audiences both in-person and virtually as part of this year’s top 20 finalists for the prestigious Film Prize.

The top five honorees for the 2022 Prize were BAMBER BRIDGE, directed by and co-starring Mark Bonner (last year's Grand Prize winner for SHREVEPORT SON), CREDIT, directed by the husband and wife team of Patrick and Susan Kirton, UNICORN POOP, directed by and co-starring Lorna Street Dopson, BETTY LOU HAD A SON, directed by and co-starring David Michael Long, and this year's Grand Prize winner, THEY GROW UP SO FAST, directed by and co-starring John Beach.

All of these films will soon premiere nationwide on cable channel Shorts HD, with more festival appearances to come. I hope to have David, Lorna and John on to discuss their projects on a future edition of The Viewfinder Podcast. This week, though, I'm thrilled to have Mark, Patrick and Susan on our show to discuss their outstanding Louisiana Film Prize projects, which are, respectively, BAMBER BRIDGE and CREDIT.

Set in World War II, BAMBER BRIDGE stars Bonner as Carter Jones, a Black American soldier in the midst of a pen pal friendship with a White British officer, Elaine Rose (played by Emma Rose Wagner). As their connection unexpectedly goes from long distance to up close and personal during a night out at a local bar, the evils of racism put Carter and Elaine in as much jeopardy off the battlefield as their countrymen face on it.

Co-directed by veteran actors Patrick and Susan Kirton, written by Susan Kirton and with its script adapted by her daughter Haley (who also co-stars in the film and worked as a first assistant director on the project), CREDIT is the heartfelt and heartwarming story of a once-successful actor (Richard Washington, played by longtime GENERAL HOSPITAL star Brad Maule) who mentors a teen pop star-turned silver screen newcomer (Mason Scott, played by the Kirtons' son Eric) as he prepares to star in his first movie.

With Richard’s career all but stalled thanks to a tabloid scandal, he sees promise in Mason, and by teaching him, he sees a chance to rehabilitate his damaged reputation - much to the outrage of Mason’s controlling, image-conscious agent Sam Siegal (played by Blayne Weaver), who’ll leave no stone unturned in keeping his young wunderkind from possibly meeting the same fate as the man who’s helping him to finally become a serious thespian.

Filmmakers, register for next year’s Film Prize here:

https://prizefest.com/film/

Follow The Viewfinder Podcast on Twitter: @ViewfinderPod

On Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TheViewfinderPodcast

Music by Audionautix.com

Nov 11, 202244:39
Episode 083 - SOLID ROCK TRUST Writer/Director Rick Ives

Episode 083 - SOLID ROCK TRUST Writer/Director Rick Ives

This week, we’re talking to filmmaker Rick Ives, and though may be a newcomer to the director's chair, he's learned that good storytelling depends as much on strong pacing as it does on strong narrative thanks to his time spent as part of the editing staff for Marvel Studios on shows like Loki, The Falcon and The Winter Soldier, and Ms. Marvel. 

That knowledge paid off as Ives completed his first solo feature film, the unnerving heist thriller Solid Rock Trust (which he wrote, directed and distributed via his production company Flashbulb Films). You can already rent or buy it on Amazon Video, and the movie will later be available on services like YouTube Movies, Tubi, IMDB and Google Play.

Set almost entirely in one location, Solid Rock Trust stars Koko Marshall - in one of the most remarkable performances I've seen in any movie or TV series this year -  as Maddie, an expert criminal who coordinates a complex bank robbery that initially runs like clockwork as she deceives, persuades and manipulates a corps of disparate thieves.

Yet the carefully planned job falls apart as Maddie’s fake identities are uncovered, and as her team's mission soon turns into a bloodbath. Once she's confronted by her estranged lover and heist team member Rowan (played by Alexander Hearth), Maddie must choose between love and money - and the consequences of her choice could destroy them both.

Now I'm honored to welcome Rick Ives to talk about how his incredible debut film went from script to screen on this week's Viewfinder Podcast.

Check out Flashbulb Film's Linktree page, featuring links to rent/buy Solid Rock Trust and the studio's social media networks:

https://linktr.ee/flashbulbfilms

Follow The Viewfinder Podcast on Twitter @ViewfinderPod

On Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/TheViewfinderPodcast

Music by Audionautix.com 

Nov 04, 202222:59
Episode 082 - Writer/Director Levi Wilson - LUKE AND EMMA AND A GAS STATION ON FRANKLIN AVENUE

Episode 082 - Writer/Director Levi Wilson - LUKE AND EMMA AND A GAS STATION ON FRANKLIN AVENUE

Writer/director Levi Wilson is my guest on this week's podcast. He joins me to discuss his bittersweet coming-of-age short film LUKE AND EMMA AND A GAS STATION ON FRANKLIN AVENUE, which takes the traditional "boy meets girl" tale and puts it in a realistic setting - 1986-era small town America - where, as it sadly still is in 2022, romantic crises all but pale in comparison to the cruelty and discrimination leveled against people of different cultures and ethnicities.

Inside this landscape lives a young Asian-American child, Luke (played by Coulter Ibanez). One afternoon, Luke and his mother, an immigrant from Thailand named Noi (Jazz Sunpanich), go on what soon becomes an emotionally revealing stop at a gas station mini-mart as Luke sees the girl of his dreams: Emma (played by Christina Gobes), who like her father David (portrayed by Michael Giese), is White. Luke and Emma learn that in spite of their different ethnic backgrounds, they have far more in common than they believe, but their connection is tested severely in a world where bigotry poisons the heart as much as it does the mind.

Inspired by Wilson’s own childhood and experiences growing up in a biracial family, the filmmaker sought to create what he called a "semi-autobiographical" drama in making LUKE AND EMMA. It's a story that presents kids and the biracial community in a smart, authentic light. It's a story that's certain to make audiences reexamine - and hopefully, overcome - their inherent prejudices. It's a story that features characters who just want their piece of the American Dream, but whose pursuit of that dream is made harder in a country that in many ways hasn't yet become 'a more perfect union'.

LUKE AND EMMA has already been shot as a proof-of-concept for a planned feature film expansion, and is now seeking donations to finish its production on crowdfunding service Seed & Spark. I'm honored to welcome in Levi Wilson to talk about this thought-provoking and relevant project on this week's show.

Contribute to LUKE AND EMMA's Seed&Spark campaign here:

https://seedandspark.com/fund/luke-and-emma

Follow The Viewfinder Podcast on Twitter @ViewfinderPod

On Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TheViewfinderPodcast

Music by Audionautix.com


Oct 28, 202238:59
Episode 081 - Alonge Hawes Returns To Discuss His Newest Series, SILVER AND GOLD

Episode 081 - Alonge Hawes Returns To Discuss His Newest Series, SILVER AND GOLD

My guest on today’s show is the amazing Alonge Hawes, who previously joined me on the show a few years ago to talk about the first 2 seasons of his critically acclaimed drama BLACK ON BOTH SIDES, which, like his equally honored debut series BLUE COLLAR HUSTLE, he created, co-starred in, wrote and co-produced. Now he’s back with a new series that, while more lighthearted in tone than his previous two shows, continues to spotlight the modern Black experience in America through powerful, relatable and authentic characters.

That series is called SILVER AND GOLD, an exciting, fun and highly suspenseful look at a team of skilled thieves - Charles Goldar, played by Quentin Williams, and Bahiya Payne, portrayed by Britanney Traylor - who make the move from small-time cons to big-time ripoffs.

With their new partners, skilled computer hacker Cierra Valentine (played by Alonge’s real life sister, Shani Hawes) and hard-nosed bandit Sosa Gerena (played by Roberto Cruz, Jr.) backing them up on each scam, Charles and Bahiya are out to pull the rugs, jewels and money out from their unwitting targets, but instead they find themselves in more danger than they ever could have anticipated.

SILVER AND GOLD’s first season premiered on Tuesday, October 11th, with new episodes airing each subsequent Tuesday exclusively on Jaro, a subscription service dedicated to delivering the best movies, web series, art and journalism made by and for Black audiences. All ten episodes will be available on Jaro’s web site and Roku channel. Links to both platforms are available in the notes for this week’s podcast.

SILVER AND GOLD, and Hawes’ next series - the more serious-minded drama GOOD BLACK MAN, its streaming debut yet to be determined - had their world premieres several weeks ago at the recent Minnesota Web Fest, where both shows took home several awards. In addition to sharing the honors for Best Marketing, SILVER AND GOLD won for Best Series Script, and GOOD BLACK MAN was honored for Best Representation of Communities of Color. I’m honored to welcome back Alonge Hawes to talk about all this and much more on this week’s Viewfinder Podcast.

Watch SILVER AND GOLD on Jaro Media’s web site:

https://jaromedia.watchjaro.com/silver-gold/

The series is also available on Jaro Media’s Roku channel:

https://channelstore.roku.com/details/1daa6892e627a7aa6e05ce1d5890dfff/jaro-tv

Follow The Viewfinder Podcast on Twitter @ ViewfinderPod

On Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TheViewfinderPodcast

Music by Audionautix.com

Oct 21, 202219:13
Episode 080 - DIVR Writer Rae Binstock and Director Zoey Martinson

Episode 080 - DIVR Writer Rae Binstock and Director Zoey Martinson

In the high profile world of tech startups, integrity and honesty are as important to the success of everyone who's created the latest hot app or website as it is the products themselves. Yet for three out entrepreneurs and best friends who’ve reaped the rewards of immediate fame and success for themselves and the groundbreaking sex app they’ve created for LGBTQ women, their personal challenges threaten to jeopardize their public reputations as much as they do their happiness in the new short film DIVR.

This week on the Viewfinder Podcast, I’m joined by two of the brilliant filmmakers behind this award-winning drama: writer Rae Binstock and director Zoey Martinson. Adapted by Binstock from her original episodic pilot screenplay, DIVR had its most recent screening at the Hollyshorts Film Festival in Los Angeles, and while the series version of this film is still in development, its next screenings will take place this September at the New York Latino Film Festival and at the Portland Film Festival in October, among others.

The film co-stars Maria Fernanda Diez (who also co-produced DIVR with Binstock) as Sula, who along with business partners Rebecca (played by B. Bastian) and McQueen (played by Bianca Norwood) instantly become rock stars in the business world and in the LGBTQ community as their popular app - named DIVR - thrusts them into a rapidly uncomfortable spotlight; one made even more difficult as behind the scenes, Sula falls in love with a straight male (Eric, played by George Olesky), Rebecca fights a heartbreaking battle with bipolar disorder and McQueen struggles with her sexual identity.

With these complications putting their credibility and that of their business at stake, all three women must choose between being true to themselves at the risk of being revealed as frauds, or keeping up appearances while privately carrying on a costly deception. DIVR is a great film, and I am honored to have Rae and Zoey on the show to talk about it.

Follow Rae Binstock on Twitter and Instagram: @highlyraeted

Follow Zoey Martinson on Twitter and Instagram: @ZoeyMartinson

Rae's web site: https://www.raebinstock.com/

Zoey's web site: https://www.zoeymartinson.com

Follow The Viewfinder Podcast on Twitter @ViewfinderPod

Follow The Viewfinder Podcast on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TheViewfinderPodcast

Music by Audionautix.com

Sep 02, 202230:04
Episode 079 - Actor/Writer/Director Catherane Skillen - AVA: A TWIST IN THE ROAD

Episode 079 - Actor/Writer/Director Catherane Skillen - AVA: A TWIST IN THE ROAD

What if you suddenly had to start your life all over again after not just losing someone you loved, but losing the very person who took care of all your needs? What if you had to not just cope with that overwhelming loss but to do so while learning the ins and outs of being a fully independent person? 

Anyone would obviously see this extraordinary situation as an overwhelming challenge, including the title protagonist in the new drama AVA: A TWIST IN THE ROAD (written, directed by and starring our guest on this week’s Viewfinder Podcast, actor Catherane Skillen). Catherane plays Ava, an older woman who’s seemingly set for life thanks to her longtime lover, the financially secure - albeit already married - businessman Bobby (played by Bill Lewis). 

Yet when Bobby’s sudden death from a heart attack robs Ava of her beloved companion, it also takes away her equally irreplaceable sense of personal security. While Ava tries to make sense of this tragedy, Bobby’s vengeful son Bob Jr. (played by Steve Dellatori) sees her as a home wrecker who’s destroyed his family as his mother - and Bobby’s longtime wife - struggles with mental illness. 

Luckily for Ava, she has the invaluable support of friends who’ve been with her no matter how rough her new life will get: Leanne, played by Tannis Benedict, and artist Walter, played by David Willis. Through many fits, starts and stumbles, Ava doesn’t just get a crash course in personal independence as she attempts to find a new job and support herself. In fact, Ava learns that her best life may be just around the corner. 

The film is now streaming on Amazon Prime, Tubi, Google Play, The Roku Channel and YouTube, and I’m honored to have  Catherane on the Viewfinder Podcast to talk about it. 

Rent or buy the movie on Amazon Prime:

https://www.amazon.com/gp/video/detail/amzn1.dv.gti.532cfb51-0c4d-4473-acdd-d8fefddb9e16 

On Google Play: https://play.google.com/store/movies/details?id=-XQbwBo_23Y.P 

On YouTube Movies: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MHy__lbazYM

Watch for free on The Roku Channel: https://therokuchannel.roku.com/watch/c4a29b3649a06d30c9f4f7a19ae9b433 

Watch for free w/ads on Tubi: https://tubitv.com/movies/639629/ava-a-twist-in-the-road 

Find out more about AVA: A TWIST IN THE ROAD on its social media pages:

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/avaatwistintheroad 

Twitter: https://twitter.com/avaatwistmovie 

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/avaatwistintheroadamovie/ 

Follow Catherane on her official web site:

https://catheraneskillen.com/ 

Catherane’s Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/catherane 

Catherane’s Twitter page: https://twitter.com/Catherane 

Catherane’s Instagram page: https://www.instagram.com/catheraneskillen/ 

Follow The Viewfinder Podcast on Facebook:

https://www.facebook.com/TheViewfinderPodcast

Follow The Viewfinder Podcast on Twitter @ViewfinderPod

Music by Audionautix.com 

Aug 26, 202220:39
Episode 078 - Filmmaker/Screenwriter Alice Wells, Owner of Cordell Productions

Episode 078 - Filmmaker/Screenwriter Alice Wells, Owner of Cordell Productions

Even though independent film and TV production company Cordell Productions is a somewhat new entrant into the entertainment industry, it's already working to bring audiences quality content while also providing a much-needed space for actors and filmmakers from diverse backgrounds to develop that content.
Its talented owner and co-managing partner is filmmaker and screenwriter Alice Wells, who joins us on today's Viewfinder Podcast to detail the impressive myriad of production services Cordell offers - from a full company of experienced performers in visual and sound media to in-depth training, story development and coverage for screenwriters to a state-of-the-art suite of pre and post-production programs in various areas.
Cordell's also got an attractive slate of series, short films and features that range from the hilarious to the hair-raising to the heartwarming, including the comedy/horror series JOHN SUNSHINE'S LOST ROCK 'N ROLL TAPES (co-created by Wells and her partner in the company, actor/screenwriter David J. Keough, who also stars in the series) and the upcoming documentary MENTAL HEALTH AND HORROR. Co-executive produced by Wells and Keough, the film explores how an otherwise scary yet incredibly ridiculed genre - horror - has incredibly been proven to be a major healing tool for those struggling with mental health problems.
Now on the Viewfinder Podcast, Wells talks to us about all of Cordell’s outstanding services and content, which as she tells us, are all meant to reflect and achieve the goals that make up Cordell’s three most important principles: diversity, inclusion and representation.
Cordell Productions’ web site:
www.cordellproductions.com/
Cordell’s Twitter page: twitter.com/cordell_prods
Cordell’s Instagram: www.instagram.com/cordellproductions/
For more information on Cordell Productions, contact Alice Wells: alicewells@cordellproductions.com
Follow The Viewfinder Podcast on Twitter:
twitter.com/viewfinderpod
On Facebook: www.facebook.com/TheViewfinderPodcast
Music by Audionautix.com
Aug 19, 202201:03:51
Episode 077 - Rell Battle (OFF FAIRFAX) and Creighton Hobbs (BINDED BY TRAGEDY)
Jul 29, 202241:30
Episode 076 - BEACHED Co-Creator and Co-Writer Nic Collins

Episode 076 - BEACHED Co-Creator and Co-Writer Nic Collins

Beauty, as they say, is always skin deep. Sometimes, the most grotesque-looking individuals are blessed with qualities that are even more gorgeous and invaluable than appearance: kindness, love, care and concern for everyone they meet. That’s how it is with the half man/half whale protagonist of an incredible new web series called BEACHED, co-written and co-created by this week’s guest on The Viewfinder Podcast, acclaimed filmmaker Nic Collins.

BEACHED’s first episode introduces us to the Wail (portrayed by series co-creator and co-writer Sean Godsey) who unexpectedly becomes the subject of a heated argument between an estranged couple - Paige, played by Paige Klone, and Melina, played by Jenny Austin - after Melina discovers the Wail washed ashore and brings him back to dry land. When their bickering leads to a tragic conclusion, the Wail at first assumes it was his fault, only to realize that his presence is urgently needed in a world where darkness both tempts and consumes society’s most vulnerable.

Episode 2 has the Wail coming to the aid of a suicidal man (Robbie, played by Deprece Reddick), while its third episode sees the formerly sea-bound creature pursued by both an overly inquisitive reporter (Simmons, played by Aliza Pearl) and a villainous hunter (Rimpow, played by Cooper Johnson) who’s single-mindedly focused on both capturing the Wail and getting vengeance on him - and the world -  for turning him from a pirate into a humanoid.

Like its grotesque-looking yet heroic and gentle lead character, BEACHED as a series is its own one-of-a-kind beast. On its surface, it is science fiction but the show’s first three episodes powerfully incorporate significant dashes of humor, action, suspense and emotional drama.

That’s one of many reasons why in March 2020, BEACHED was chosen to have its world premiere at the legendary South By Southwest film festival before the event was ultimately canceled due to the coronavirus lockdown. Collins and Godsey plan to produce 8 more episodes for the show’s first season (11 total) sometime in the near future.

Now on the Viewfinder Podcast, Collins - an award-winning director, screenwriter and editor whose work includes music videos, shorts and feature films and web series - joins us to talk about how BEACHED came into existence, and how its incredible multi-genre storytelling approach transcends the usual trappings of sci-fi entertainment.

Find out more about Nic and his film work on his official website:

https://www.niccollins.com/

See Nic’s films and videos on his YouTube channel, Nic Collins Films:

https://www.youtube.com/c/niccollinsfilms

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/niccollins.jpeg/

TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@niccollinsfilms

Connect with Sean Godsey on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/scannedlife/

Follow The Viewfinder Podcast on Twitter @ViewfinderPod

Follow the show on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TheViewfinderPodcast

Music by Audionautix.com

Jun 10, 202224:45
Episode 075 - Blake McWilliam and Jeremy Holm - TIMBERWOOD

Episode 075 - Blake McWilliam and Jeremy Holm - TIMBERWOOD

Every year in summer camps throughout the country, millions of kids play, learn and gain as many lasting friendships as they do memories. The same is also true for the adult counselors who teach, encourage and occasionally discipline their young charges during their stay.

Surprisingly, as you'll see in the soon-to-debut comedy series TIMBERWOOD, summer camp is as much a coming-of-age experience for the counselors as it is for the campers. The show’s award-winning pilot episode has already been produced, with its most recent showing taking place at the eighth annual SeriesFest in Denver, Colorado.

Joining me on this week's show are the creator and co-writer of TIMBERWOOD, Blake McWilliam - himself a former camp counselor-turned writer and filmmaker - and series co-star Jeremy Holm (best known for his roles in acclaimed shows like MR. ROBOT, HOUSE OF CARDS and many others).

Holm plays Ray Raymond, the no-nonsense owner of a summer camp - called TIMBERWOOD - where its madcap coterie of not quite grown-up counselors sex up, booze hard, prank harder and blow off plenty of steam both on and off-duty. The pilot episode takes place in the week before camp season officially begins, when Ray leads the camp’s misfit employees through the paces of a week-long counselor orientation period.

Yet when the rebellious counselors’ beloved leader Ryan (played by Michael Trevino) suddenly gets busted for weed possession after an otherwise fun day on the job, someone else must guide the camp’s staff into another hectic season. That someone else turns out to be one of Ryan’s many admirers: Liam (played by Giullian Yao Gioiello), who finally has a chance to prove he’s got the personality and the integrity to follow in Ryan’s much-missed footsteps.

TIMBERWOOD also co-stars David Reale as the awkward and frequently self-sabotaging boys’ head counselor William, plus Ariane Rinehart as Kira, a camper-turned camp counselor whose aspirations to be as successful as her ambassador mother put a strain on her otherwise joyous summer, and Jessie Komitor as Cam Gladwell, a brilliant, hard-working and often sarcastic counselor.

Two more members of the show’s cast also co-wrote the pilot episode with McWilliam: AJ Vaage, who portrays Camp Timberwood’s water skiing instructor Olly, and Ian Fisher, who co-stars as Kyle, an emotionally complex newcomer to both summer camp and the camp lifestyle. Ashlei Sharpe Chestnut plays the headstrong tennis instructor Becca, while Layla Khoshnoudi rounds out the cast as the camp’s curious yet outspoken head of drama, Talia.

Filmed at the same upstate New York camp that once employed McWilliam, TIMBERWOOD is, as of now, hoping to find funding for production of an additional 10 episodes for the show's first season. McWilliam and Holm join me to talk about not just the making of this raunchy yet very funny and heartfelt show, but also about how their memories of life at summer camp inspired their amazing work on TIMBERWOOD.

Follow The Viewfinder Podcast on Twitter @ViewfinderPod

On Facebook:

http://www.facebook.com/TheViewfinderPodcast

Music by Audionautix.com 

Jun 03, 202235:52
Episode 074 - Author/Playwright Dyanna Morrison Returns To Discuss LIBERTY (Part 2 of the JUSTICE Trilogy)

Episode 074 - Author/Playwright Dyanna Morrison Returns To Discuss LIBERTY (Part 2 of the JUSTICE Trilogy)

Picking up where JUSTICE left off is author and playwright Dyanna Morrison’s LIBERTY, which the second in a trilogy of currently unproduced plays that she’s published in literary form. In LIBERTY, Judge Grace Porter Haverhill - now married and about to become a mother - will try a case that puts another one of this country’s highly revered yet constantly contested rights under a harsh microscope: the right to bear arms.

Unlike the fact-based trials presented in JUSTICE, the dispute that Morrison presents in LIBERTY is fictional but no less relevant to the gun violence epidemic. In LIBERTY, two litigants confront each other in an emotional case that carries criminal implications: former Second Amendment advocate-turned gun control campaigner Jackson Owens, whose family was killed during a rally organized by the National Rifle Association, and the fictional president of the powerful organization, named Dwayne LaFollette, who is accused of inciting the violent attack through his increasingly zealous speech at that rally.

Morrison places this hypothetical trial in the current context of America’s unending gun violence crisis, while adding the invaluable historical perspectives of the Founders who observe this dramatic litigation and debate the Second Amendment’s ramifications from a one-way window: John Adams, Alexander Hamilton, Thomas Jefferson, James Madison and George Washington.

Though he is not historically mentioned as one of the Founding Fathers, Hamilton’s bitter enemy (and later assassin) Aaron Burr, is also part of these conversations, and his rivalry with Hamilton brings further intensity to LIBERTY’s drama, a story that’s all the more timely - and urgent - given the lack of legislative action to address gun violence in America.

On a much lighter note, Morrison will also discuss her other major literary project, a book that celebrates the love that she and all of us have for our pets - including her own: FOR THE LOVE OF BUDDY. That and much more now on this week’s Viewfinder Podcast.

Dyanna Morrison’s official web site:

https://dyannamorrison.com/

Purchase LIBERTY on Amazon:

https://www.amazon.com/Liberty-Justice-Trilogy-Dyanna-Morrison/dp/1735911666

LIBERTY is also available from Barnes and Noble:

https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/liberty-dyanna-morrison/1140045223

Purchase FOR THE LOVE OF BUDDY on Amazon:

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B09NZSMXX5/ref=dbs_a_def_rwt_hsch_vapi_tkin_p1_i0

FOR THE LOVE OF BUDDY is also available from Barnes and Noble:

https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/for-the-love-of-buddy-dyanna-morrison/1140808575?ean=9798985253818

Follow The Viewfinder Podcast on Twitter:

https://twitter.com/viewfinderpod

Follow the show on Facebook:

https://www.facebook.com/TheViewfinderPodcast

Music by Audionautix.com

May 27, 202242:45
Episode 073 - Author and Playwright Dyanna Morrison - JUSTICE

Episode 073 - Author and Playwright Dyanna Morrison - JUSTICE

Over the past few years on The Viewfinder Podcast, we've brought you great interviews with very talented actors, writers and filmmakers who ply their respective trades in the cinematic world. Yet, there are other brilliant artists doing amazing work outside the world of the moving image.

One of them is author and playwright Dyanna Morrison, whose dramatic literary presentation of her as-yet un-produced stage play JUSTICE places America's founding fathers - John Adams, Benjamin Franklin, Alexander Hamilton, Thomas Jefferson, James Madison and George Washington - as distant yet impassioned observers in the courtroom of its fictional protagonist, present-day Judge Grace Porter, as she tries two highly politicized cases involving the right to free speech.

The first involves the mass protests that took place during the inaugural ceremonies for former President Trump, while the other depicted in this play is loosely based on the prosecution that followed the tragic ‘Unite The Right’ rally in Charlottesville, Virginia in August of 2017, which resulted in the deaths of civil rights activist Heather Heyer and two Virginia State Police troopers.

JUSTICE is the first in a trilogy of stories involving Judge Porter, with the second, titled LIBERTY, putting on trial another cherished yet challenged American right: the right to bear arms. Both books are available in paperback and digital on Amazon, Barnes and Noble and other stores, wIth the final part of the trilogy in the pre-planning stages.

Purchase JUSTICE on Amazon:

https://www.amazon.com/Justice-Dyanna-Morrison/dp/1735911615

JUSTICE is also available on Barnes and Noble:

https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/justice-dyanna-morrison/1138587584?ean=9781735911625

Follow The Viewfinder Podcast on Facebook:

https://www.facebook.com/TheViewfinderPodcast

On Twitter:

https://www.twitter.com/ViewfinderPod

Music by Audionautix.com

May 20, 202233:50
Episode 072 - Lily-Hayes Kaufman, Daryn Strauss and Don P. Hooper - INNARDS

Episode 072 - Lily-Hayes Kaufman, Daryn Strauss and Don P. Hooper - INNARDS

May 06, 202238:12
Episode 071 - Filmmakers Dustin Bergmann and Logan Austin - DEADLINES

Episode 071 - Filmmakers Dustin Bergmann and Logan Austin - DEADLINES

This week's guests, filmmakers and podcasters Logan Austin and Dustin Bergmann of Crazy Ant Media, are using the power of cinematic storytelling to fight back against hate, violence and suicide through their directorial debut, the suspenseful yet timely short film drama DEADLINES. The film takes place in the immediate aftermath of a school shooting, where a bitter argument between two young women (played by Jessica Mia Pulido and Cara Burns) rapidly becomes an urgent matter of life and death for them both.
Logan and Dustin hope that this important project will spark much-needed conversation among audiences about the ongoing problems of bigotry, gun violence, bullying and suicide in our society, and most of all, conversations about finding effective solutions to combat these problems.
Logan and Dustin are also veteran podcasters, with their show "Inside The Crazy Ant Farm" giving listeners and viewers the latest news from Hollywood and in-depth interviews with established and new talent from across the entertainment world.
I'm honored to have them join me on this week's Viewfinder Podcast to discuss that aspect of their work, and of course, their first filmmaking endeavor in DEADLINES.
Crazy Ant Media's web site:
crazyantmedia.com/
Watch Inside The Crazy Ant Farm on YouTube:
www.youtube.com/channel/UCEM41V4Z6xCb5uc7Gyk4svg
Find out more about Inside The Crazy Ant Farm, including full links to listen to the show:
crazyantmedia.com/inside-the-crazy-ant-farm
Follow The Viewfinder Podcast on Facebook
www.facebook.com/TheViewfinderPodcast
On Twitter: @ViewfinderPod
Music by Audionautix.com
Apr 29, 202237:05
Episode 070 - Actor/Filmmaker Gio Drasconi
Apr 22, 202220:35
Episode 069 - COMING DISTRACTIONS Co-Creator/Showrunner Jeff Knoll

Episode 069 - COMING DISTRACTIONS Co-Creator/Showrunner Jeff Knoll

Today’s guest, Jeff Knoll, the co-creator and showrunner of a hilarious yet charming new comedy web series called COMING DISTRACTIONS, is someone who’s seen more than his share of interesting and entertaining moments both on and off the silver screen. 

His memories of working in several local movie theaters, including the one he currently runs in his hometown of Oakville, Ontario, Canada - Film.CA Cinemas -, plus his other noteworthy positions as a local Town Councillor and veteran filmmaker, are among the many aspects of his life that creatively inspired the series, which is already streaming two episodes of its first season on Knoll’s YouTube channel Zuzu Video On Demand. A full 13 episode season is in the works, with story arcs for two additional seasons having also been scripted. 

Though it’s a workplace comedy, and though the characters who make up its staff are especially unforgettable, what makes COMING DISTRACTIONS and everything about it so special is the way it celebrates the magic of movies and the collective experience of seeing movies with audiences; two everyday parts of life that are among the very few things that seem to unite us in our increasingly divided world. Jeff and I talked about that and much more in this interview, which you’ll hear on The Viewfinder Podcast.

Find out more about COMING DISTRACTIONS on the show’s official web site:

https://comingdistractions.ca/ 

Watch COMING DISTRACTIONS on Zuzu Video On Demand’s YouTube channel:

https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLnYqX3FGlX3By4s7QrfmCnuLRLnG0TSXo 

Connect with the show on social media:

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ComingDistractions/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/comingdistract 

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/comingdistractions/

Connect with The Viewfinder Podcast on social media:

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TheViewfinderPodcast

Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/ViewfinderPod

Music by Audionautix.com 


Apr 15, 202252:42
Episode 068 - WHO KILLED TIZZLE? Co-Star/Co-Producer/Co-Writer/Co-Director Beau Marie

Episode 068 - WHO KILLED TIZZLE? Co-Star/Co-Producer/Co-Writer/Co-Director Beau Marie

Almost 30 years before shows like Hulu’s ONLY MURDERS IN THE BUILDING and the box office hit KNIVES OUT grabbed audiences and awards while bringing a comic edge to the old-fashioned whodunit genre, actor and filmmaker Beau Marie brought together a zany but skilled company of actors to create one of the most twisted murder mystery comedies put on 16mm film: WHO KILLED TIZZLE?, originally shot in 1995 and now coming to digital audiences after spending years on the proverbial cutting room floor.
Bookended by newly-animated yet hilariously narrated recaps that put the show’s wacky developments in context while also previewing the antics to come, WHO KILLED TIZZLE? stars Ivo Tomasini (who also co-wrote, co-produced, co-directed and co-stars in the series with Marie) as a way-too-driven gumshoe out to capture the person - or people - who slaughtered the show’s titular victim.
Noted Marvel comic book writer and novelist Clay Chapman portrays one of the many would-be perpetrators, Mr. Frugal. Beau also plays multiple characters in this show, including the overly anxious suspect Mr. Skeeter, the egotistical Mr. Fondu, and an assortment of eccentric off-camera narrators.
Given how deranged the suspects he’s dealing with are, and that he’s trapped in the same room with all of them, this detective who thinks he’s seen everything must now solve this seemingly unsolvable case…or he just might be their next target.
Now on this week’s Viewfinder Podcast, Beau and I talk about how this incredibly funny show finally got to the small (and smaller) screens after decades of dormancy, and how WHO KILLED TIZZLE? is emblematic of the absurdist comedic style that’s fully embodied in his storytelling.
Watch WHO KILLED TIZZLE? on Man-E-Voices’ YouTube channel:
www.youtube.com/channel/UCoHWFw9oKX47GVPgMp2cpZg
The series is also on Man-E-Voices’ web site:
www.man-e-voices.com/
Follow The Viewfinder Podcast on Twitter @ViewfinderPod
Follow the show on Facebook:
www.facebook.com/TheViewfinderPodcast
Music by Audionautix.com
Apr 01, 202218:02
Episode 067 - Louisiana Film Prize Founder/Executive Director Gregory Kallenberg
Mar 25, 202229:23
Episode 066 - Film/TV Hair Stylist Stefanie Terzo (ORPHAN BLACK, SHADOWHUNTERS, LOCKE AND KEY)

Episode 066 - Film/TV Hair Stylist Stefanie Terzo (ORPHAN BLACK, SHADOWHUNTERS, LOCKE AND KEY)

Mar 04, 202201:16:37
Episode 065 - Mike Gerbino and Tim O'Connor - BALONEY BOYS
Feb 25, 202222:22
Episode 064 - Defiant Digital CEO/Co-Founder D'Mario Dudley

Episode 064 - Defiant Digital CEO/Co-Founder D'Mario Dudley

This week, I'm joined by D'Mario Dudley, who along with his longtime creative partner Kenny McClendon, co-founded the groundbreaking, Black-owned streaming service and production company Defiant Digital, an outlet that gives some of today's most entertaining and compelling comedians a space to deliver uncut, uncensored and un-compromised humor through network-quality original programming.

Since debuting in July 2021, Defiant's content has racked up millions of views across its YouTube channel, plus its TikTok and other social media pages. Defiant's growing set of hilarious shows include the topical comic vs. comic courtroom showdown Cancel Court, the multicultural culinary clash Food Fightz, the highly revealing sex and relationship tell-all series TOPS and the more straightforward conversational show Sex, Lies and Games.

Among the comics featured on Defiant: D.C. Young Fly, Haha Davis, Tony Baker, Natalie Friedman, Watch Jazzy, Chris “CP” Powell, Ryan Davis, Teresa TopNotch, Teddy Ray, Elsaaa Baby, Patrick Cloud, and Ron Taylor.

Comedy aside, Defiant Digital is also branching out into the serious world of drama - first with its powerful short film thriller Junior, written by and starring Marcus Dupree in an intense story of a police detective whose accidental killing of a young boy drives his vengeful ex-prisoner father (played by Dupree) to seek revenge on him - and his young son.

This outstanding content, and the many ways that Defiant is providing a platform for comedians to express themselves without fear of censorship, are among the many things that D'Mario and I talk about on this week's podcast, and I'm honored to have him join me now as we take a look inside Defiant Digital.

Check out Defiant Digital on YouTube:

https://www.youtube.com/defiantdigital

On Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/defiantdigital/

On Twitter: @DefiantDigital

On Instagram: @DefiantDigital

On TikTok: @DefiantDigital

Get in touch with Defiant Digital: contact@defiantdigital.com

Follow The Viewfinder Podcast on Twitter @ViewfinderPod

and on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TheViewfinderPodcast

Music by Audionautix.com 

Feb 18, 202222:47
Episode 063 - Scott Sullivan Returns To Discuss His New Crime Drama Series GRAVITY
Feb 04, 202222:51
Episode 062 - BEST BEFORE (MEILLEUR AVANT) Co-Creators Maxime Robin and Laura Bergeron

Episode 062 - BEST BEFORE (MEILLEUR AVANT) Co-Creators Maxime Robin and Laura Bergeron

As popular comedies like The Office, Superstore and Brooklyn Nine-Nine have shown, wacky characters can be found in just about any workplace. Some of the wackiest, though, populate the award-winning French/Canadian web series Best Before, which is the subject of this week’s Viewfinder Podcast.

Combining the funny personalities found in workplace sitcoms with the surreal storytelling techniques of shows like Twin Peaks is Best Before (Meilleur Avant) - in French with English subtitles, currently streaming its first season of 7 episodes online in Canada only, and still on the festival circuit. The series stars Nico Racicot as Fred, a struggling and broke college philosophy student whose only way out of financial ruin is to take a job at an all-night supermarket that’s definitely unlike any grocery store he’s ever seen, let alone worked at.

Its staff and manager make it even more unusual, led by Fred’s peculiar yet highly dedicated boss Jean (played by Luc Boucher) plus the perpetually silent but always aware cashier Madame Z (played by Carolyn Fe), and Fred’s co-workers on the night shift: customer service desk worker and second cashier Constance (played by Larissa Corriveau), shelf stock man Amid (portrayed by Gardy Telus) and baker Melanie-Anne (played by Eleonore Loiselle).

Dealing with unusual patrons, splattered (and potentially living) messes to clean up, and discovering a fancy “secret employees lounge” hidden deep inside the store proves to be all in a night’s work for the intellectual Fred, who experiences the truly odd parts of life all in one place - while gradually learning how to embrace them for his own good.

Coming up now, you’ll hear my conversation with series creators Maxime Robin and Laura Bergeron, as they discuss what it took to bring the surreal world of the show’s supermarket and its equally off-kilter group of employees and customers to the screen.

For viewers in Canada only, watch Best Before at:

https://www.tv5unis.ca/meilleur-avant/

Check out the show's Facebook page (some posts in French, others in English; use Facebook translator for French posts):

https://www.facebook.com/meilleuravant1 

Best Before's Instagram page (also in French and English):

https://www.instagram.com/meilleuravant/

Follow The Viewfinder Podcast on Twitter: @ViewfinderPod

and on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TheViewfinderPodcast

Music by Audionautix.com

Jan 21, 202241:38
Episode 061 - Martijn Winkler - HEAT (HITTE)

Episode 061 - Martijn Winkler - HEAT (HITTE)

Every day, our world remains threatened by a ceaseless series of crises that must be addressed urgently by the global community: war, violence, hatred, growing authoritarianism and political oppression, income inequality. On top of those problems, two of the biggest challenges we face in the 21st Century threaten the survival of ourselves and our planet: the deadly coronavirus, and the equally catastrophic destruction caused by climate change.

Living in a time where COVID-19 and climate change make for an even more dangerous planet, Dutch filmmaker Martijn Winkler tackled both issues head-on in the award-winning web series HEAT (or HITTE, in Dutch), set to make its online debut soon after finishing a long run on the festival circuit.

Created by Winkler, and shot last year as lockdowns were lifted during a brutally hot summer in Amsterdam, the 12 episodes of HEAT tell the rotating stories of different people - from first responders and their loved ones to other key parts of society - whose very lives are jeopardized by both a deadly heat wave and a seemingly once-in-a-generation pandemic.

While Winkler wants HEAT to both captivate audiences with its story of human perseverance amid two of today’s worst calamities, he has also joined forces with Dutch environmental organization Warming Up to inform citizens worldwide about the fatal risks posed by climate change, and to motivate them to take action before there’s no planet left to save.

Now on this week’s podcast, I’m honored to have Winkler join me to talk about this important series, and how shows like it can communicate such complicated issues as climate change in ways that neither daily headline news nor lengthy academic treatises can achieve.

For more information on HEAT, visit:

https://vertov.com/project/hitte-heat/

The series' official trailer (in English) can be viewed here:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R1FQ5P1UuR4

Follow The Viewfinder Podcast on Twitter @ViewfinderPod

and on Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/TheViewfinderPodcast

Music by Audionautix.com 

Dec 17, 202131:47
Episode 060 - SHAKESPEARE REPUBLIC Creator/Director Sally McLean

Episode 060 - SHAKESPEARE REPUBLIC Creator/Director Sally McLean

Universally regarded by academics, filmmakers, playwrights, actors and audiences as the greatest dramatist who ever lived, Sir William Shakespeare penned a rich treasury of plays, poems and sonnets that remain timeless centuries after they were first created and performed. Some of the Bard’s greatest classics, like Romeo and Juliet, Julius Caesar, Hamlet, Macbeth, and Much Ado About Nothing, endure because they examine the same things that were as commonplace in his time as much as they are in ours: power, ambition, romance, family, corruption.

Generations of storytellers have been guided by Shakespeare’s unforgettable stories of the human experience, and by the time-honored standards he set for modern drama. One of those storytellers is actor/producer/director Sally McLean, the creator of award-winning web series Shakespeare Republic.

Led by a brilliant international cast performing many of the iconic playwright’s most unforgettable monologues and transforming his famed characters in unexpected yet exciting and groundbreaking ways, Shakespeare Republic’s first two seasons entertainingly breathed new life into the familiar yet sometimes intimidating prose interpreted by actors the world over.

Yet when the first strains of COVID-19 forced the entertainment world into a prolonged intermission last year, McLean and her team of collaborators faced their greatest creative challenge: how to realize what would eventually become the third season of Shakespeare Republic while being physically and geographically separated due to the pandemic.

As you’ll learn from McLean in this interview, the resulting series of orations audiences will see performed in this latest series of Shakespeare Republic - all of which were directed by McLean via Zoom - prove that while times change and crises test even the most patient among us, Shakespeare had much to say about the unending slings and arrows we take on in life today.

Watch seasons 1 and 2 of Shakespeare Republic on Ozflix TV:

Season 1 - https://www.ozflix.tv/#!/browse/tv/944/season/1/shakespeare-republic 

Season 2 - https://www.ozflix.tv/#!/browse/tv/944/season/2/shakespeare-republic

Watch season 3 of Shakespeare Republic at:

http://allthewebsastage.com/ 

Find out more about the acclaimed series, its cast and crew at:

http://shakespearerepublic.com/

Follow The Viewfinder Podcast on social media:

Twitter - @ViewfinderPod

Facebook - http://www.facebook.com/TheViewfinderPodcast

Music by Audionautix.com 


Dec 10, 202101:09:41