EP 478: Vera Farmiga • Tommy Avallone • Amir Motlagh

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[3 mins. 22 secs.] More coverage from SxSW 2018 on this episode. First up, a conversation with the team behind a new dramedy called Boundaries including director Shana Feste and actors Vera Farmiga and Lewis MacDougall. Laura (Farmiga) is a well-meaning single mother who is forced to drive her estranged pot-dealing father, Jack (Christopher Plummer), from Texas to California, with her troubled son Henry (MacDougall) along for the ride. While Jack uses Henry and the road trip to help him distribute his copious supply of marijuana, Laura finally confronts Leonard (Bobby Canavale) – her dead-beat ex-husband. The film will open theatrically in the near future thanks to distributor Sony Pictures Classics.

[32 mins. 38 secs.] Then, the team behind a new documentary about one of the world’s most beloved comic actors, Bill Murray. The film is called The Bill Murray Stories: Life Lessons From a Mythical Man. Filmmaker Tommy Avallone joins me to discuss his journey in finding meaning in Bill Murray’s many unexpected adventures with everyday people, rare and never-before seen footage of the comedic icon partipating in stories previously presumed to be urban legend. Whether it be singing karaoke late at night with strangers or crashing a kickball game in the middle of the afternoon, Bill Murray lives in the moment and by doing so, creates magic with real people. Avallone is joined by two of his producers: Derrick Kunzer & Max Paolucci.

[49 mins. 17 secs.] Last up, Los Angeles based filmmaker Amir Motlagh, a DIY filmmaker if ever there was any. Mr. Motlagh will be showing two of his recent feature films, MAN and Three Worlds. He’ll be screening a double feature of those two films for an audience hosted by the the Chicago Filmmakers organization this Saturday, April 21st. Check the website for further details.

Music on this episode is by Peter Gabriel.

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