FilmRise

[15 mins. 20 secs.] Remembering the legacy of the late documentary filmmaker St. Clair Bourne who is the subject of an upcoming retrospective this weekend at the Metrograph Theater in NYC. Joining me in the first segment, two filmmakers whose lives & careers were impacted by Bourne: Carol Bash (who last appeared on Episode 287) and, making her first appearance on the podcast, Yoruba Richen. The retrospective, to take place this weekend —February 16 through the 19th— will include a number of documentaries directed by Bourne as well as a number of documentaries by filmmakers like Bash and Richen, most of whom will appear at their screenings. Carol’s film, Mary Lou Williams: The Lady Who Swings the Band will screen on Sunday, February 18th at 2:00PM while Yoruba’s film Promised Land will screen on Sunday at 12:00 PM. Visit the Metrograph website for full details on all the screenings.

[39 mins. 200 secs.] Then I am joined by first time filmmaker Sophie Brooks whose new romantic comedy, The Boy Downstairs (FilmRise) opens theatrically this Friday, February 16th, at the Village East Cinema in New York City. The film, which premiered at the Tribeca Film Festival 2017, concerns Diana (Zosia Mamet, HBO’s “Girls”) who moves back to New York City after a few years abroad and finds the perfect Brooklyn apartment for a fresh start. Yet on the first night in her new home, she discovers that her ex-boyfriend Ben (Matthew Shear, Mistress America) lives in the apartment below hers.

This episode includes two songs recorded by musical artists Joe Purdy and Amber Rubarth who were just on Episode 457 with their film American Folk. These two tracks were recorded live from City Winery NYC exclusively for Filmwax Radio. The soundtrack for American Folk is available wherever music is sold.

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

[8 mins. 8 secs.] On this episode of the podcast, first up is the comedy lead at Kickstarter, Taylor Moore, who discusses the Brooklyn Comedy Film Festival which runs from this evening, Monday, August 21st through next weekend at the Nitehawk Cinema. Every night until Thursday is an outstanding comedy film, followed by a weekend of shorts & brunch events. There are also panels and other terrific Q&A’s. Visit the Brooklyn Comedy Festival’s website or Nitehawk’s website for tickets and more details.

[48 mins. 50 secs.] Filmmaker Michael Almereyda has a new film currently screening at the Quad Cinema in NYC called Marjorie Prime. One of the film’s stars, the legendary actress Lois Smith (East of Eden, Five Easy Pieces) joins the director in a conversation about the film which was adapted from a play in which Ms. Smith performed in both New York City and Los Angeles productions. The film is being distributed by FilmRise and co-stars Jon Hamm, Geena Davis and Tim Robbins.

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

John Turturro (Barton Fink, The Night Of) finally appears on Filmwax Radio to discuss a new film, Mia Madre which opens 8/26. Also, the creative team behind the new indie film White Girl, director Elizabeth Wood & cinematographer Michael Simmonds. This episode is sponsored by audible.com & The Vermont College of Fine Arts MFA film program. Filmwax Radio is part of the ShowBriz Studio podcast network & presented by Rooftop Films.

This episode of the podcast focuses on the new documentary about Bill Genovese’s search for the truth behind the story of his beloved sister, Kitty Genovese. The story Kitty’s gruesome murder in 1964 in the Kew Gardens neighborhood of Queens is, of course, a seminal part of New York City’s history. Joining me in this special segment is Bill and director of The Witness, Jim Solomon.