Vermont College of Fine Arts

Filmwax Radio Episode 427 brings back two friends to the podcast. The first, Ramona Diaz (Imelda, Don’t Stop Believin’: Everyman’s Journey), is back with a new documentary about the world’s busiest maternity ward called Motherland. The film also takes us into one of the world’s poorest and most populous countries: the Philippines. The film’s viewer, like an unseen outsider dropped unobtrusively into the hospital’s stream of activity, passes through hallways, enters rooms and listens in on conversations. At first, the surrounding people are strangers. But as the film continues, it’s absorbingly intimate, rendering the women at the heart of the story increasingly familiar. Motherland, which premiered at Sundance, is currently screening at Cinema Village in New York City and opens at the Laemmle Monica Center on September 22nd before going wider. A POV broadcast is also scheduled for later this fall.

Up next, Frederick Wiseman (Titicut Follies, High School) returns to discuss his latest documentary Ex Libris: The New York Public Library. With this film, Wiseman turns his incisive vision behind the scenes of one of the world’s greatest institutions of learning, capturing the vast programmatic scope of NYC’s library system. The NYPL is blessed with uniformly passionate staff and deeply devoted, appreciative bibliophiles and beneficiaries across its 92 branches. The film opens at Film Forum in New York City, on Wednesday, September 13th, for a 2-week run before opening widely. Also, there’s a couple of days left of the second installment of a complete retrospective of Wiseman’s films at Film Forum. There will be a third installment some time in 2018.

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.

Episode 425 celebrates two new documentaries hitting theaters in New York City on Friday, September 8th. [4 mins. 10 secs.] First up, the filmmaking couple Shaul Schwarz & Christina Clusiau discuss their film Trophy, an in-depth look into the powerhouse industries of big-game hunting, breeding and wildlife conservation in the U.S. and Africa. The film aims to unravel the complex consequences of treating animals as commodities. The film is being distributed by The Orchard and financed in great part by Impact Partners.

[34 mins. 14 secs.] The other documentary is a gorgeous film out of Ireland called School Life (a.k.a. In Loco Parentis). Filmmaking couple Neasa Ní Chianáin & David Rane follow two inspiring teachers working at the only boarding school in Ireland for children ages 7 to 12 are followed for a year, as they begin to prepare for the end of their tenure. The film, which is being distributed by Magnolia Pictures and which also opens on Friday, September 8th, is true vérité at its finest.

Music on this episode of the podcast is by Steely Dan as a tribute to the recently deceased Walter Becker.

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.

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.

Documentary filmmaker Whitney Dow is the sole guest on Episode 420 of the podcast. Whitney, along with his longtime friend & collaborator Marco Williams, co-directed the seminal film The Two Towns of Jasper which is going to have an encore broadcast on POV on August 14th. Whitney is also spearheading The Whiteness Project an interactive investigation into how Americans who identify as white, or partially white, understand and experience their race. Check out the website for further details.

This episode of the podcast is sponsored by the Vermont College of Fine Arts. 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.

In the first segment, documentary filmmaker Sharon Shattuck discusses her new film, From This Day Forward, which is about growing up with a father who self identifies as a woman. The film will have its broadcast premiere on POV on October 10th. In the second segment I am joined in the studio by the Leiser Brothers, Eric & Jeffrey; the two make films which include beautiful animation and are experimental in nature. We are also joined by Brooklyn native & film curator, Curtis John, who talks about his series at the Luminal Theater.This episode of the podcast is sponsored by Audible.com. Get a free download and trial membership by going to www.audibletrial.com/filmwaxradio. Also sponsoring this episode is the Vermont College of Fine Arts, MFA Film program. Visit vcfa.edu/film for more details.Filmwax Radio is part of the ShowBriz Studios podcast network and presented by Rooftop Films.

Film critic and the author of the new book, The Oliver Stone Experience (Abrams, 2016), Matt Zoller Seitz is the guest. The books is currently available wherever books are sold. Seitz is editor-in-chief at rogerebert.com as well as the TV critic at New York Magazine. This episode is sponsored by Warby Parker. Get a free 5-day home try-on by visiting www.warbyparkertrial.com/filmwaxradio. 5 days, 5 pairs, 100% free. Also sponsoring this episode is the Vermont College of Fine Arts, MFA Film program. Visit vcfa.edu/film for more details. Filmwax Radio is part of the ShowBriz Studios podcast network and presented by Rooftop Films.

The great actor Tim Roth is on this episode of the podcast. Roth is starring in a new dramatic feature called Chronic which hits theaters today. The film, where Roth plays a nurse who assists dying patients in their homes and who has a turbulent personal life of his own, premieres at The Museum of the Moving Image this evening for a 7:30 screening. I’ll be moderating the Q&A with the film’s director Michel Franco (Daniel & Ana, After Lucia) afterward. The film has more screenings there; check the schedule for more details. It will also be screening at the Cinema Village. In the second segment, returning to the podcast after several years the multi-hyphenate Paul Lazar. Paul updates us on what’s new in his world. This episode of the podcast is sponsored by Zipcar.com. Earn $25 of free driving credit at joinzipcar.com/filmwaxradio. Also sponsoring this episode is the Vermont College of Fine Arts, MFA Film program. Visit vcfa.edu/film for more details. Filmwax Radio is part of the ShowBriz Studios podcast network and presented by Rooftop Films. Like us on Facebook.

The guests on this episode include Adam Nimoy, who has made a documentary about his father Leonard called For the Love of Spock. It his theaters today, Friday, September 9th. Also on this episode the subject of Author: The JT Leroy Story, Laura Albert, and the documentary’s director, Jeff Feuerzeig. That film is currently in theaters.

A segment on horror film scoring whose guests include the author of the new book “Scored to Death: Conversations with Some of Horror’s Greatest Composers” (Silman-James Press, 2016), a returning Blake Fichera. Blake is joined by one of the composers he interview for the book, Jeff Grace (Meek’s Cutoff, The House of the Devil), and multi hyphenate, Larry Fessenden (for his third visit to the podcast) who wrote the forward to the book. We discuss horror film scoring and partake in a surprise game show for you entertainment. Jerry Lewis has returned to the big screen to star in a dramatic feature called Max Rose in which he plays the titular character, an octogenarian who is recently widowed and has learned secrets about his marriage that change his entire perspective. I speak to the film’s director, Daniel Noah. The film is being distributed by Paladin and will be screening at the Landmark Sunshine Theater in NYC as of Friday, September 2nd. The film’s cast also sports Claire Bloom, Kevin Pollak, Kerry Bishé, Dean Stockwell, Mort Sahl, Illeana Douglas, Rance Howard, and Lee Weaver. A special thanks to the Vermont College of Fine Arts, MFA Film program for sponsoring this episode. Visit vcfa.edu/film for more details. Filmwax Radio is part of the ShowBriz Studios podcast network and presented by Rooftop Films. Like us on Facebook.

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.