First Time Go

Benjamin Duchek

A weekly podcast highlighting the creators of independent film and the business behind it. Hosted by Ben Duchek.

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Episodios

Alison Tavel
Hoy
Alison Tavel
I'm joined by filmmaker and musician Alison Tavel to discuss her incredible documentary, RESYNATOR (2024), available for streaming on December 13, 2024. RESYNATOR premiered at SXSW 2024 and currently sports a 100% on Rotten Tomatoes.The story spans a full decade with involvement of famous rock musicians and a search to understand her inventive father, whom she never got to know. She joined me on the anniversary of his passing, which is a prescient date in the film and in her life. You'll laugh and you'll cry while watching this film -- possibly at the same time as you go along with Alison for this unique and extraordinary ride.In this episode, we talk about:how she got involved in filmmaking -- it was a search to find out more about her dad;the bifurcation of the film between a study in music to...something else;the process of making the documentary in terms of funding, filming, keeping a shot list, for such a long project from somebody "with no prior education" -- "I should have hired sound"; "oh yeah, we need B roll";how she saw the two most essential things as a "post production supervisor" and an "editor";and what's next for this archivist + musician turned filmmaker -- probably not another film!What an epic story.Alison's Indie Film Highlight: CIRCUS OF BOOKS (2019) dir. by Rachel Mason; ANY OTHER WAY: THE JACKIE SHANE STORY (2024) dir. by Lucah Rosenberg-Lee and Michael MabbottLinks:Watch RESYNATOR (2024) Now On Apple TVFollow RESYNATOR On InstagramFollow Alison Tavel On InstagramRESYNATOR WebsiteSupport this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/first-time-go/exclusive-content
Mira Shaib
Hace 3 días
Mira Shaib
I am so pleased to be joined by groundbreaking filmmaker Mira Shaib, director of Arzé, a brilliant first feature comedy-drama about the relationship of a family in Lebanon. (In North America, it should be released early next year.)Mira Shaib is an alumnus of prestigious film development labs and residencies, including Robert Bosch Stiftung, where she attended the Film Academy Baden-Württemberg, Film Independent's Global Media Makers LA Residency, the Red Sea Lodge, and the Torino Film Lab. Her first feature film was among the first recipients of the Red Sea Film Festival Foundation Production Fund. Mira is the cofounder of Cinema For All, an arts initiative with a mission to make cinema accessible in rural Lebanon. The initiative was launched in 2019 in Ain Ebel with film-making workshops and outdoor screenings of Sophie Boutros' Mahbas and Cyril Aris's documentary feature The Swing.In this episode, we talk about:how she got started and the amazing sense of place for this film -- did she ever feel pressure to downplay the Lebanese aspect?what they should expect to see when they watch the film;how she made a first feature without writing the script and the importance of making it as team with the writers;what it's like being a female director with a Lebanese film and the inspiration of other female directors like Nadine Labaki being nominated for the Oscars;the strength of her female characters in the film;the importance of the sense of place in Arzé and how she showed the colors of Lebanon;how she wouldn't feel comfortable making a film in a place she didn't know intimately;her thoughts on production grants, Arab film, and the Red Sea Film Festival;what the process was like for Arzé to be Lebanon's selection to the Oscars;how she feels about where she lives -- Montreal -- and its role in independent film;and what her next film will be -- "set in Lebanon...about sisters fighting over a house"Mira's Indie Film Highlight: TO A LAND UNKNOWN (2024) dir. by Mahdi Fleifel Links:Follow Mira On InstagramFollow Arzé On InstagramArzé On LetterboxdArzé On WikipediaSupport this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/first-time-go/exclusive-content
Jake Fallon & Nick Craven (Re-Release)
30-11-2024
Jake Fallon & Nick Craven (Re-Release)
In celebration of this holiday, I re-released one of my favorite episodes of last year: my conversation with Jake Fallon & Nick Craven. Their film, CRYING ON COMMAND, is hitting the festival circuit over the next few months. I had a blast re-listening to this episode. Enjoy.In this episode, we talk about...how the duo got involved in filmmaking;whether you can start out just making films or if you can start high-minded;the reasons behind the success of their Seed & Spark campaign(s) for CRYING ON COMMAND;the watershed (see what I did there) short v. feature debate;Brett Kavanaugh (you have to listen);the run time of Martin Scorsese' latest film (again...makes sense after you hear);the importance of improv in indie film;and the depths of their new film, which packs a lot into nine minutes.As you can see (or hear) from their indie film highlights, these two are ingrained into the independent film community and spend a good part of the episode supporting other peoples' projects. These are the kind of people I want to find for the show.Jake's Indie Film Highlight: Cameron Gallagher, director; Armon Mahdavi, director, MOSS BEACH; Liza Renzulli ; Alexander Spenser Gould; Greg Case; Lee SchatzmanNick's Indie Film Highlight: Dillon Schohr; Taylor Silk; Ricardo Burgos; Christian Petzold's AFIRE; Annie Baker; Eliza Hittman; Trey Edward Shults, dir. WAVES (2019)Links:CRYING ON COMMAND Seed and Spark CRYING ON COMMAND InstagramNick Craven's InstagramJake Fallon's InstagramSupport this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/first-time-go/exclusive-content
Slava Leontyev & Brendan Bellomo
22-11-2024
Slava Leontyev & Brendan Bellomo
The film PORCELAIN WAR (2024), opening in New York City today (November 22nd, 2024), won the 2024 Sundance Festival Grand Jury Prize, among numerous other plaudits. And I asked the directors -- Slava Leontyev and Brendan Bellomo -- whether the awards matter to them, and in one of the many heart-aching answers in this interview, Slava responded: I am here instead of my friends. Sharing this film is the main mission in my life.The film offers hope in a sea of hopelessness against Russian aggression, and its extraordinary depiction of Ukrainian characters, images, and music is like no other documentary you'll see this year. Go watch it in a theater -- it has a rolling release for the rest of the year, and expect to see it praised by critics and awards shows over the next few months.In this episode, we talk about:whether Russian apologists attend their screenings;how they met and got involved in filmmaking -- Brendan had no idea Slava served in the Ukrainian Special Forces;what people should expect to see when they go see PORCELAIN WAR in a theater -- "you won't see this on the news";their framing of the characters in the documentary and the aiming for "emotional truth" -- it was about "de-labeling" people;if there's more stories out there like the one in PORCELAIN WAR;what stories look like in the first hybrid battlefield + information war and how Slava made it with a focus for the Western audience;how Ukrainians saw the film as inspirational and as a "historic responsibility";the importance of sound and music as part of the film -- "if there's no image on the screen, you should be able to understand the story" -- and how lovely the work of DakhaBrakha is;how Slava destroyed sound equipment with his AK (really);what kind of advice the filmmakers would give documentary filmmakers -- "you are waking up in the very best day to become a filmmaker, which is today";the release strategy of showcasing the film in theaters and the competition of documentaries on streamers;the deep focus and "tunnel vision" going forward on sharing this film.Indie Film Highlight: MARIUPOL. A HUNDRED NIGHTS (2023) dir. by Sofiia Melnyk Links:PORCELAIN WAR (2024) Website Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/first-time-go/exclusive-content
Law Chen
12-11-2024
Law Chen
Happy Veterans Day! Sign up for a $1 membership to Film IndependentIf there's a more innovative, surprising, enjoyable, and fun documentary than STARRING JERRY AS HIMSELF (2023), I haven't seen it this year. It's no surprise all those attributes could be used to describe my conversation with its director, Law Chen.In this episode, we discuss:how he got involved in filmmaking as a combination of growing up in China and the United States;how life in China influenced him today;how the intersection of filmmaking and advertising provides him a "cheat code" for making films people want to watch;how he takes a sledgehammer to normal documentary with STARRING JERRY AS HIMSELF (2023), a "genre-bending, docu-fiction about an ordinary immigrant dad retired in Florida who becomes a spy for the Chinese police";if there were people who didn't get the concept -- he finds that it is especially loved by "filmmakers and actors";if hybrid documentary and docu-fiction is the future of documentary;his thoughts on international film and when we get to global cinema rather than categorized filmmaking;what Chinese indie filmmaking is like and whether he feels a responsibility to tell these unique unheard stories;and how the immigrant experiences speaks to what he wants to accomplish in film. We conclude by discussing how he determines a feature versus a short ("if it's scenario-based, it's more of a short") and what's next for this groundbreaking filmmaker.Law's Indie Film Highlight: RAGING GRACE (2023) dir. by Paris ZarcillaLinks:Stream Now On Apple TVStream Now On Amazon PrimeStream Everywhere You Rent MoviesLaw Chen's WebsiteSupport this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/first-time-go/exclusive-content
Christine Yoo
06-11-2024
Christine Yoo
From leading the way in Asian-American romcoms to the brilliant 26.2 TO LIFE, I talk with filmmaker Christine Yoo about her career, how to depict marathons and prisons on film, the state of rom-coms and Asian-American filmmaking, and more. Just by those categories alone you should know you are hearing from a wildly original filmmaker. And that's before the CIA gets namedropped.In this episode, we discuss:prison films and film festivals;how she got started as a filmmaker, starting in Iowa as a Korean-American, and while she was expected to be a "doctor, a lawyer, or an engineer", she ended up being interviewed by the CIA (!) and fell into film as a "complete fluke and accident";her decision to attend film school;her decision to do both narrative and docs was influenced by the advent of digital filmmaking and how 26.2 TO LIFE was originally conceived as a narrative;why she made WEDDING PALACE (2013), the first Asian-American rom-com;how she feels about some of the seemingly personal reviews of what I thought was a fun, highly enjoyable film;how a filmmaker should think about reviews of their work within the larger construct of the review process and if reviewers feel more comfortable attacking a first-time director;what kind of advice she'd give a new filmmaker facing a similar situation;how she led the way in making Asian-American romcoms;the story behind 26.2 TO LIFE and why she depicted the characters in a more truthful way than you would expect;her decision regarding the innovative formatting of the film;how the unique environment of filming a documentary in prison presented opportunities and challenges;the challenges of independent film and how she felt so strongly about the story of 26.2 TO LIFE;what her success says about the ability for Asian-American filmmakers to tell their stories now;what's next for her -- "sports provides such a great narrative structure."Christine's Indie Filmmaker Highlight: Jennifer M. KrootLinks:Follow Christine Yoo On Instagram26.2 TO LIFE Streaming26.2 TO LIFE WebsiteWEDDING PALACE StreamingSupport this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/first-time-go/exclusive-content
Ward Kamel
01-11-2024
Ward Kamel
Watch This Episode On YouTubeThere's something so inspiring about a filmmaker who has a million different reasons for why he shouldn't be selected for this fellowship or that school, but goes forward boldly, anyway, and stays humble about it.And also a guy who would love the opportunity to teach at his film school -- NYU -- but I completely believe him when he says that he would quit if it got in the way of his feature filmmaking.That's the story of my guest, filmmaker Ward Kamel.Most recently, Ward was selected as one of four individuals and one writing team for the 2024 Academy Nicholl Fellowships in Screenwriting, but that's barely scratching the surface about the wild journey of this unique filmmaker.In this episode, we discuss:how he got started in filmmaking; originally, he thought he was studying science;his thoughts on the importance of attending film school -- he attended NYU -- and being a team player;whether film school's admissions department did their job, in his mind;his film, IF I DIE IN AMERICA, now available as a Vimeo Staff Pick;if that film is a template for filmmakers -- can you make a truly fantastic short film and get rewarded for it?;how filmmaking is unique in art as it involves more than just the artist's vision -- it's an art with a side of management;the story behind how he won a 2024 Academy Nicholl Fellowship and what the process is applying for it (it's a lot easier than other fellowships);the surreptitious way in which he was notified by the Academy;how he "doubled down" on screenwriting after graduating;the left-brain, right-brain-related importance of directing and screenwriting;the importance, as Vlad Nikolich noted, of subtlety in screenwriting and how he accomplished that in IF I DIE IN AMERICA;treating your audience "like they are geniuses; you can tell when the director thinks you're dumb";how "it's very impossible to make something for someone else" in the sense of creating a film you don't believe in;how best to capitalize on the moment of a viral video or a prestigious fellowship -- celebration isn't enough, it's "an invitation to share" and you should be ready with whatever's next when that moment comes;whether emerging filmmakers feel like they can make films about tough topics -- "I'm Muslim. I was raised Muslim. This is a queer Muslim film. I'm a queer Muslim filmmaker" -- and he concludes that filmmakers should go for it;why there is a noticeable lack of Arab and Muslim voices in independent film;where he goes to watch films from the area;what he would teach at NYU and if there were professors he felt he could relate towhat's next for this extraordinarily talented, fellowship winning, Brookyln-living, would quit his theoretical job at NYU for his feature film, filmmaker.Ward's Indie Film/Filmmaker Highlight: JOYLAND (2022) dir. by Saim Sadiq; MY FIRST FILM (2024) dir. by Zia Anger; Brit MarlingLinks:Ward Kamel's WebsiteIF I DIE IN AMERICA Vimeo Staff PickSupport this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/first-time-go/exclusive-content
Matthew Heineman
15-10-2024
Matthew Heineman
There is no other filmmaker working today that personifies being the "man in the arena", as Theodore Roosevelt so eloquently put it, than Matthew Heineman. His films have ranged from the frontlines of wars to the sweet and touching portrayal of Jon Batiste in AMERICAN SYMPHONY (2023). Just making one such film could be a career pinnacle -- Matthew has directed 14 wholly original, extraordinary special artistic contributions to the medium -- and he's here to share the details.In this episode, we discuss:you don't just walk onto the stage of Radio City Music Hall, in a special operations team room, or in a emergency room during COVID -- these are remarkably unique places. How did he manage that?how he is comfortable in such a wide array of different topics;whether he would recommend his path (he says it's important to have a "curiosity about the world");how his first film, OUR TIME (2009) was in a way his film school;how he sees the difference between journalism and documentary;his process regarding trust between filmmaker and subject ("trust is everything"), and he talks about how he earned the trust for the closeups in AMERICAN SYMPHONY;the story behind the creation of AMERICAN SYMPHONY;his reaction to the whiplash of the media regarding its chances at the Oscars and how he views awards as a filmmaker; Matt talks movingly about his relationship with awards as his career has evolved;"why do we make art and who do we make art for are questions that we constantly need to be asking";his relationship with the art of filmmaking, his friendship with Roger Deakins, and the importance of sound;what's next for one of the most talented filmmakers we have in both the narrative and documentary world and how he is able to toggle between both successfully.Matt's Indie Film Highlight: MURDERBALL (2005) dir. by Dana Adam Shapiro; Henry-Alex Rubin; SHERMAN'S MARCH (1986) dir. by Ross McElweeLinks:Our Time ProjectsFollow Matthew on InstagramSupport this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/first-time-go/exclusive-content