The Film Fatales Podcast

On our final episode of the season, listen to award-winning queer Latinx filmmakers Anna Margarita Albelo (Who’s Afraid of Vagina Wolf? And Vagina is the Warmest Color) and Aurora Guerrero (Mosquita Y Mari and Queen Sugar) as they delve into the power of the camera, and how storytelling is a direct way to contribute to culture, build community and be an agent for change.

Experienced photographers-turned-filmmakers Deborah Attoinese (Woman and Fire) and Sara Terry (A Decent Home) both encountered moments in their careers that required them to be bold and say yes. Listen as they discuss the transition from still to moving images, and the difference between creating worlds and entering them.

Filmmakers Elaine Chu (The Purgation) and Jessie Kahnweiler (The Skinny) discuss highlighting dark subjects, whether it be through comedy or horror, and how they both channel difficult topics through their art. They also touch on the different paths they’ve taken in their careers and how being a woman in your thirties impacts on-set life.

This episode showcases the importance of community and connection; from the queer community in San Francisco to the communities formed in a refugee camp in Thailand. Listen to filmmakers Lisa Ginsburg (Override) and Ruth Gumnit (Visible Silence) weave through the history of their friendship as they discuss their careers, collaboration and the people who have helped them along the way.

While the world is pulling us in so many different directions, accomplished filmmakers Jenni Olson (The Royal Road) and Yvonne Welbon (Living With Pride: Ruth Ellis @100) share the importance of self-reflection, empowerment and learning how to curb your inner critic.

Cinema can be a powerful instrument to illuminate how our society and culture operate. In this episode, LGBTQ+ filmmakers Fiona Dawson (TransMilitary) and Ky Dickens (The City that Sold America) discuss topics ranging from universal consciousness to breaking the world view of gender and sexuality.

Prolific documentary filmmakers Gilda Sheppard (Since I Been Down) and Tania Cypriano (Born to Be) understand the unique ability cinema has to connect humans and transform opinions. Listen as they discuss the power of story, how it can transcend statistics, and the importance of finding growth in discomfort.

In this episode, Latinx filmmakers Adriana Barbosa aka Chica (La Flaca / The Bony Lady) and Kryzz Gautier (Keep / Delete) dive into their experiences growing up in Latin America, the continuing influence that has on their work, and the significance of diversity both in front of the camera and behind.

Improvisation is key for these two highly collaborative filmmakers, Maria Breaux (Mother Country) and StormMiguel Florez (The Whistle) who discuss what improvisational filmmaking is like and how to use film to advocate for something you truly believe in.

Two very unique filmmakers Lisa Donato (Gossamer Folds) and Veronica McKenzie (Nine Nights) discuss how they started their careers, breaking through societal boundaries in storytelling, and sharing the experiences of underrepresented communities through their films.

As we continue to advance inclusion for transgender artists, listen to multi-hyphenate filmakers Chet Pancake (Queer Genius) and Isabel Sandoval (Lingua Franca) discuss how their identies and personal experiences inspire the stories they tell and in turn, the stories that inspire them.

Cinema is a vehicle for empathy and a powerful tool for social change. In this episode, directors Molly Calliste (Humanity Last: Refugees Still Hope) and Sophie Constantinou (Divided Loyalties) continue to put a lens to social issues as they question how much we can ask films to truly change the world.

In this episode, documentary filmmakers Alice Gu (The Donut King, Really Good Rejects) and Ciara Lacy (Out of State) discuss the power of framing, the true value of collaboration, and their mutual desire to transition into narrative spaces.

Check out The Film Fatales Podcast, launching soon! Tune in for in-depth chats with American independent filmmakers of all marginalized genders as they share their points of view, on-set experiences and hopes for the future. The format is democratic: no host, no hierarchy, and no small talk as creators dive straight into the nitty gritty of getting their films made and seen.