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Ep 512: At Long Last Peter Bogdanovich

Peter Bogdanovich makes his first appearance on the podcast to discuss two major projects: the Quad Cinema theatrical release of his new documentary, “The Great Buster: A Celebration” (10/5) about the life & career of the iconic silent screen comedian, and the Netflix release of the final Orson Welles film “The Other Side of the Wind” which has finally been completed thanks to the streaming giant (11/2).

Ep 479: Dawn Porter • John Maringouin & Molly Lynch

[3 mins. 55 secs.] Tribeca Film Festival 2018 Edition with documentary filmmaker Dawn Porter (Gideon’s Army, Trapped) who makes her first appearance with this episode. Ms. Porter has a new long-format documentary called Bobby Kennedy For President, a Netflix original documentary, which had its world premiere at the festival yesterday, and which will be available for streaming beginning tomorrow, Friday, April 27th. The eye-opening and transformative four-part documentary Bobby Kennedy for President utilizes rare and never-before-seen archival footage – digitized here for the first time – to transport us to a turbulent and dynamic era, letting Bobby’s voice and viewpoint be the guiding force. With new interviews with RFK confidantes and staffers including William Vanden Heuvel, Rep. John Lewis, Paul Schrade, Marian Wright Edelman, Peter Edelman, and Dolores Huerta, acclaimed director Dawn Porter reveals anew what America gained and what it lost in the life, vision, politics, and hope of Bobby Kennedy.

[34 mins. 6 secs.] Filmmaker John Maringouin (Big River Man) has a new feature film called Ghostbox Cowboy which just had its world premiere at Tribeca Film Festival. David Zellner shines in this darkly comedic morality tale that examines the inner workings of China’s economic engine and the lengths outsiders will to go to get in on the game. Texan Jimmy Van Horn (Zellner) arrives in China brimming with optimism, only to realize that acquiring a share of the country’s rapidly growing riches is not as easy as it appeared from back home. Armed with an absurd product pitch and short on the charisma or quick thinking needed to convince local businessmen of his sincerity, Jimmy soon finds himself out of funds, leaving him at the mercy of those who promise to help him stay in the place he’s gambled away his entire livelihood to be. John Maringouin is joined in this segment with his wife and producer Molly Lynch.

Filmwax Radio is presented by Rooftop Films. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter & Instagram. The podcast is also available on iTunes, Stitcher & Youtube.

Ep 452: Jacob Kornbluth • Tatiana Riegel

On this episode, two remote conversations from Los Angeles, first up filmmaker Jacob Kornbluth (Inequality For All) is back with another documentary about the economy, the result of another collaboration with former Secretary of Labor Robert Reich, called Saving Capitalism. The film is a Netflix original documentary and is exclusively streaming on the site.

Then the editor of the hit dark comedy, I, Tonya, Tatiana Riegel (Lars and the Real Girl), which is directed by Craig Gillespie, distributed by Neon, and currently in theaters.

Filmwax Radio is presented by Rooftop Films. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter & Instagram. The podcast is also available on iTunes, Stitcher & Youtube.

Ep 446: Sonja Sohn • Noël Wells • Josh Koury & Myles Kane

[6 mins. 30 secs.] Filmmakers Josh Koury & Myles Kane their new documentary, Voyeur, which is having a theatrical engagement at the IFC Center in NYC and at the Laemmle Monica Film Center in LA beginning this Friday, December 1st. If you are not in either of those cities, fear not, the film will be having its premiere on Netflix on the same day. Voyeur follows Gay Talese —the 84-year-old giant of modern journalism— as he reports one of the most controversial stories of his career: a portrait of a Colorado motel owner, Gerald Foos. For decades, Foos secretly watched his guests with the aid of specially designed ceiling vents, peering down from an “observation platform” he built in the motel’s attic. He kept detailed journals of his guests’ most private moments — from the mundane to the shocking — but most of all he sought out, spied on, and documented one thing: strangers having sex. Talese’s insatiable curiosity leads him to turn his gaze to a man accustomed to being the watcher, exploring a tangle of ethical questions: What does a journalist owe to his subjects? How can a reporter trust a source who has made a career of deception? Who is really the voyeur?

[33 mins. 45 secs.] Actor & comedian Noël Wells makes her directorial debut with Mr. Roosevelt, a comedy about a young woman named Emily (Wells) who left behind her home and boyfriend to pursue career opportunities in L.A. When a loved one falls ill, Emily rushes back to Austin where she’s forced to stay with her ex-boyfriend and his new-and-improved girlfriend, a totally together woman with a five-year plan. Though Emily is the same, everything else is different: her house has been smartly redecorated, her rocker boyfriend is training to be a real estate agent, and her old haunts show serious signs of gentrification. Holed up in her own guest room, Emily–who has no idea what she’ll be doing five days from now, let alone five years– is forced to question everyone’s values: are they sell-outs or have they just figured out what makes them happy? And is she following her dreams or is she just a self-absorbed loser? The film is currently screening in NYC and going wide thereafter.

[51 mins. 8 secs.] In the wake of the 2015 death of Freddie Gray in police custody, Baltimore was a city on the edge. Peaceful protests and destructive riots erupted in the immediate aftermath of Gray’s death, while the city waited to hear the fate of the six police officers involved in the incident, reflecting the deep divisions between authorities and the community – and underscoring the urgent need for reconciliation. We’re joined by actor turned filmmaker, Sonja Sohn (The Wire), who directed this documentary, Baltimore Rising currently on HBO. Sonja’s joined by one of the subjects in her film, Kwame Rose.

Please take a moment to check out our Kickstarter campaign. Watch the pitch video, read the description, and check out our outstanding rewards. Consider contributing and or supporting the campaign. Thank you.

Filmwax Radio is presented by Rooftop Films. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter & Instagram. The podcast is also available on iTunes, Stitcher & Youtube.

Ep 438: Griffin Dunne Returns • Zack Norman & Neil Cohen

In the first segment [7 mins.] we celebrate the lost artifact cum cult comedy Chief Zabu with its two co-directors, Neil Cohen and funny man & character actor Zack Norman. The two discuss the history of their comedy which was made 1986, shot but never completed until now. Chief Zabu is an audacious low-budget socio-political comedy about Ben Sydney (Allen Garfield), a delusional New York real estate developer who dreams of getting political power.The sublime cast also features legends Allan Arbus, Ed Lauter & Zack Norman, among others. We will be having a screening (hosted by Filmwax’s Adam Schartoff) at Videology in Williamsburg, Brooklyn on Thursday, November 2nd at 9PM which will include a Q&A moderated by Schartoff and some stand-up comedy by Zack Norman. Tickets are still available but in limited supply! Come and join us for the fun.

In the 2nd segment, [1 hr. 14 mins. 33 secs.] Filmwax Radio welcomes back filmmaker & actor Griffin Dunne (After Hours, I Love Dick) for a conversation about his new documentary film about his Aunt Joan which recently premiered at the New York Film Festival, Joan Didion: The Center Will Not Hold. The film is having a theatrical run at the Metrograph in NYC and will be available on Netflix on Friday, October 27th. Dunne will be at various Q&A’s this weekend. Check the Metrograph website for tickets and further details.

Filmwax Radio is presented by Rooftop Films. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter & Instagram. The podcast is also available on iTunes, Stitcher & Youtube.

Ep 436: Todd Haynes Returns • Heidi Ewing & Rachel Grady Return

In the first segment [8 mins. 22 secs.], award-winning documentary filmmakers Rachel Grady & Heidi Ewing (Jesus Camp, Detropia) return to the podcast (they were last on Episode 49!) to discuss their latest film, One of Us, which is being released by Netflix. Produced over three years, the film take a deep and moving look at the lives of three individuals who have chosen to leave the hugely insular world of Hasidic Judaism. The film follows Etty, a mother of seven, as she decides to leave a violent marriage and divorce her husband; Ari, a teenager on the verge of manhood who is struggling with addiction and the effects of childhood abuse; and Luzer, an actor who, despite having found success in the secular world, still wrestles with his decision eight years earlier to leave the Hasidic community. The film will run on the company’s streaming platform internationally, and also have a theatrical run in select cities including at the IFC Center in NYC as of October 20th.

Next [47 mins. 18 secs.], the podcast is happy to welcome back one of its favorite filmmakers, Todd Haynes (Poison, Carol). Todd is back (he was last on Episode 329) with a brand new film, Wonderstruck, which was adapted from Brian Selznick’s novel of the same name by Selznick himself, and is being distributed by Amazon Studios & Roadside Attractions. Ben and Rose are children from two different eras, both deaf, who secretly wish their lives were different. Ben longs for the father he has never known, while Rose dreams of a mysterious actress whose life she chronicles in a scrapbook. When Ben discovers a puzzling clue in his home and Rose reads an enticing headline in the newspaper, both children set out on quests to find what they are missing that unfold with mesmerizing symmetry. The film is playing theatrically around the country beginning on Friday, October 20th.

Filmwax Radio is presented by Rooftop Films. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter & Instagram. The podcast is also available on iTunes, Stitcher & Youtube.

Ep 428: Yance Ford • Marina Willer

In the first segment of this episode [4 mins. 15 secs.] filmmaker Marina Willer discusses her first documentary feature, Red Trees, where she traces the journey of her father’s family, survivors of the Nazi occupation of Prague during World War II. The film, which is being distribute by Cohen Media Group, opens on Friday, September 15th at the Quad Cinema & Lincoln Plaza Cinema in New York City.

Next up, [34 mins. 20 secs.] filmmaker Yance Ford with her devastating personal documentary, Strong Island. The film chronicles the arc of a family across history, geography and tragedy – from the racial segregation of the Jim Crow South to the promise of New York City; from the presumed safety of middle class suburbs, to the maelstrom of an unexpected, violent death. It is the story of the Ford family: Barbara Dunmore, William Ford and their three children and how their lives were shaped by the enduring shadow of race in America. Strong Island will have a theatrical run at the IFC Center and premiere on Netflix on Friday, September 15th.

Filmwax Radio is presented by Rooftop Films. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter & Instagram. The podcast is also available on iTunes, Stitcher & Youtube.

Ep 424: Bette Gordon

The filmmaker Bette Gordon (Variety, Handsome Harry) is the sole guest on this episode. Bette’s latest film, The Drowning, debuts on Netflix on Friday, September 1. The film stars Josh Charles as a psychologist whose testimony once sent a boy to prison for murder. Now free, the young man re-enters the doctor’s life. The film also stars Julia Stiles, Avant-Garde Jogia, and Filmwax Radio friend Leo Fitzpatrick. During my conversation with Gordon, we discuss her long career starting during the No Wave vanguard of the East Village 80’s right up to present time, as a filmmaker & Mom living in a lovely Tribeca loft.

This episode of the podcast is sponsored by the Vermont College of Fine Arts film program. Visit vcfa.edu/film for further details.

Filmwax Radio is presented by Rooftop Films. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter & Instagram. The podcast is also available on iTunes, Stitcher & Youtube.

Ep 347: Rob Meyer • Vanessa Gould & Caitlin Mae Burke

Ep 347: Rob Meyer • Vanessa Gould & Caitlin Mae Burke

In this second episode dedicated to the Tribeca Film Festival 2016 Edition, guests include Rob Meyer, the director of a new dramedy called Little Boxes which stars Melanie Lynskey; and the team behind a new documentary about the obituary department at the NY Times, director Vanessa Gould & producer Caitlin Mae Burke. Both films have one last screening tomorrow, Sunday, April 24th at the festival. All the music on this episode is by Prince, as the episode is also dedicated to this unforgettable artist.

Ep 319: Jay Duplass, J. Davis & Linas Phillips • Justin Schein • Joshua Bishop & Tomi Fujiyama

Ep 319: Jay Duplass, J. Davis & Linas Phillips • Justin Schein • Joshua Bishop & Tomi Fujiyama

In the first segment, the team behind the new dark comedy, Manson Family Vacation including actors Jay Duplass & Linas Phillips with director J. Davis; filmmaker of the new documentary Left on Purpose which will be screening at DOC NYC next month, Justin Schein; and the filmmaker Joshua Bishop with the subject of his new feature doc, Made in Japan, Tomi Fujiyama.

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