PODCASTS

Today’s Podcast: EP. 1591: Filmmaker Priscilla Zanni Bertran (CAST & BREW)

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Cast & Brew, 10min., Spain/USA

Directed by Priscilla Zanni Bertran

Cast & Brew is a comedy about an AD trying to manage a film set where coffee has been delayed, and the lead actor, Bruce, refuses to do any takes without his coffee first. Chaos erupts when Craft Services informs the AD and Producer about a worldwide collapse in the coffee supply chain. On the meantime, Bruce demands his detailed coffee order while the director pushes for rehearsals. The scene inside the film happens in a Western field where Bruce proposes to his girlfriend, Sara. He is grabbing her in his arms and as soon as she accepts his proposal, he lets her fall to the ground claiming he lacks the muscle strength without his coffee. The Producer then reveals the truth about the coffee crisis, leading to Bruce quitting the film. This sparks a huge chaotic montage ensues with crazy physical altercations.

https://www.instagram.com/priszanni/

Get to know the filmmaker:

What motivated you to make this film?

“Cast & Brew” came to me in a New York coffee shop. From my window seat, watched people hurrying by, each holding a giant cup of coffeeIt struck me: not a soul without one, just a whirlwind of rush and stress.And I thought to myself “how attached are we to that coffee and why?”.

“What would happen if coffee would completely vanish?” 

My hope is that audiences recognize how fast-paced our society has become, where every minute not spent being productive feels like you have committed a crime. We’re constantly rushing, and when we add caffeine into that mix, we only accelerate the loss of ourselves. 

We lose the purpose of why we do things. I find this concept of obsession and lost of reality very interesting and I have discovered that I actually love to explore that in my films.


From the idea to the finished product, how long did it take for you to make this film?

It took a year. Script took me a week to make 1st draft as a visualised it all in that coffee shop in New York. I knew exactly what I wanted the film to be from beginning , middle and end. 

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Today’s Podcast: EP. 1590: Filmmaker Anthony Leckie (Even After (Prelude))

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An ancient realm awakens. Somewhere between the living and the dead, a long forgotten forest begins to blossom. An exploration of loss, rebirth, and what awaits after death. A music driven short film that relies on imagery and sensation to convey meaning and suggest narrative. Even After (Prelude) was produced through digital paintings methodically rendered into photographic images with AI, custom small AI model creation for additional visuals, and original musical composition.

The process used to create this film can be viewed here:
https://youtu.be/y5VfbGxK1Iw

Project Links

Director Statement

I create music-driven short films that blend sculpture, painting, and AI to explore the inner landscape of self and the nature of a greater reality.

My process begins with hand-sculpted digital characters and environments rooted in classical and Renaissance traditions. These are transformed into richly detailed, photorealistic visuals using AI tools — not to replace the artist’s process, but to enrich it. I’m committed to exploring how AI can be used ethically in artmaking: not as a shortcut that erases creative work, but as a tool that preserves and amplifies the voice of the artist within a deeply intentional process.

Original musical composition is the driving force of each piece. Rather than relying on dialogue or sound effects, I craft immersive scores that act as both the emotional anchor and the sonic identity of the world — shaping tone, pacing, and meaning. The music is not background; it is the pulse and spirit of the story.

My films explore themes of death, transformation, memory, and the otherwordly. They often unfold in liminal and mythic spaces — haunted forests, vanished towns, thresholds of the afterlife — carried entirely by music, imagery, and movement.

Blending conventional techniques with influences from silent film, experimental cinema, and works like Fantasia, my work exists between narrative and abstraction. It invites audiences to feel before they understand — to experience story as sensation — while redefining what cinematic language can be.

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Today’s Podcast: EP. 1589: Filmmaker Matthew Putnam & Actor Darren Emery (The Christopher Nolan Experience)

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When struggling creative Christopher Nolan is dumped by his girlfriend upon her discovery that he is not the legendary director of films such as Oppenheimer and Interstellar, he decides to prove himself by staging a play adaptation of The Dark Knight. “The Christopher Nolan Experience” captures the behind-the-scenes efforts leading up to this anticipated disaster.

https://www.instagram.com/thechristophernolanexperience/

Conversation with director/co-writer Matthew Putnam and lead actor Darren Emery.

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Today’s Podcast: EP. 1587: Filmmaker Tom White (Connection)

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Conversation with filmmaker Tom White on the making of CONNECTION – a film he directed remotely.

A government agent is tasked with interrogating a silent prisoner—but the true danger lies in whether the voice in his head is his own… or something else entirely.

https://instagram.com/twch757

Director Statement

I didn’t just direct Connection from my living room — I directed it live, in real time, over an iPad, collaborating with my cast and crew from home.

After being diagnosed with a chronic disability that left me homebound, I feared my days of directing were over. For a long time, I grieved the version of myself who could run a set, work shoulder to shoulder with my DP, and block scenes in person. But this film became the experiment that proved I could still do all of that — just differently.

Remote directing forced me to trust my collaborators more deeply, communicate with absolute clarity, and lean into a process most filmmakers never attempt. The result isn’t just a short film — it’s proof that my voice still has a place, even if the way I use it has changed.

Connection is my reminder that creativity can evolve. That even when life rewrites the rules, we can still tell the stories that matter to us — and maybe tell them in ways no one’s tried before.

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Today’s Podcast: EP. 1586: Filmmaker Heloísa Cardoso (SUBMERGED)

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A young woman waits for her lover for a secret trip. However, he does not show up and does not respond to her messages. That’s when strange and inexplicable events begin to happen in her house. She asks for help from her lover, who ignores her. Realizing that she is hopelessly alone, she gives up waiting for salvation and surrenders to her own shadow.

https://www.instagram.com/cardosohelo/?hl=en

Director Statement

“Submerged” is my graduation film from Academia Internacional de Cinema. This short film is an extension of the research I’ve been developing in theatre and literature, proposing a reflection on the tendency to wait, something encouraged in girls from a very young age. The wait for a great love, a hope for something external that will give life meaning. The horror surrounding this waiting evokes the idea of a monstrous femininity: when left alone, the protagonist of “Submerged” unconsciously materializes her shadow, which ultimately consumes her and breaks the cycle of passivity.

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Today’s Podcast: EP. 1585: Filmmaker Peter Andrew Coutavas (TROPOS)

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TROPOS, 2min., USA, Environmental Feature

Director/Co-Writer: Peter Andrew Coutavas

In the wake of sudden and alarming climate change, a team of brilliant citizens are assembled by the United States Government to counter the threat. Will they succeed in time? Or will private agendas get in the way?

https://www.instagram.com/ardentroadproductions/

Director Statement

“TROPOS” comes from the Greek prefix “tropo” meaning “reaction”, or “change”, which is in reference to the moral of this story: People must change before the world can change. Both I and my sister, Christina whom co-produced this film, had developed this project partly out of concern for the state of our planet’s future with regard to climate change. I believe it to be a symptom of a much larger problem; the lack of shared responsibility for our collective welfare. My intention with this film to appeal to a younger generation in the hope of inspiring change. The making of this film was also a personal challenge. Having never produced anything even approaching the scope of a full length feature, the production taught me a great deal about the complexity of the craft, and will forever remain an important footnote in my work history. I hope others may have the chance to appreciate it for what it was intended to be: a collaborative passion project that speaks candidly and earnestly about the price of indifference and the virtues of courage.

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Today’s Podcast: EP. 1584: Filmmakers Cherie Carson & Micha Dunston (SPLIT FOCUS)

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SPLIT FOCUS, 6min., Dance/Experimental

Directed by Cherie Carson. DP/Editor: Micha Dunston

“Split Focus” is a captivating dance film that delves into the intricate relationship between self-perception and external projection. Through mesmerizing shadow play, the film explores images of spirit and internal feelings versus outward appearances, prompting viewers to question which aspect demands more attention— the dancer herself or her shadow. Visually poetic, it offers a compelling examination of how we project ourselves into the world and the duality of inner and outer identities.


http://www.upswingaerialdance.org/

https://www.instagram.com/upswingaeria

Director Statement

I explore the layers of human identity and emotion through movement and visual storytelling.

My choreography and filmmaking are driven by a desire to illuminate the unseen forces that shape our understanding of ourselves and others. “Split Focus” is a dialogue between the physical body and its shadow, using dance and shadow play as a metaphor for the internal and external worlds we inhabit.

I look to challenge perceptions, create imagery that encourages viewers to reflect on the projections, masks, and truths that define us. With a background rooted in both choreography and award-winning filmmaking, I strive to craft immersive, visually compelling narratives that resonate on a visceral level—highlighting the beauty, complexity, and often unseen depths of the human spirit.

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Today’s Podcast: EP. 1583: Screenwriter Ryan Armstrong (SADDLED WITH)

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Watch the best scene reading: https://youtu.be/biuPP3yLUY4

Get to know the writer:

What is your screenplay about?

A gunslinger is hired to rescue and return a young person to their family despite all outlaws, odds, and attire.

What genres does your screenplay fall under?

Western, Action, Drama

Why should this screenplay be made into a movie?

I believe, especially now, that understanding, listening, and accepting are something we need to get back to doing. Whatever form/medium necessary to push that, might be helpful.

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Today’s Podcast: EP. 1582: Filmmaker Ryleigh Kennedy (THE BODY)

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THE BODY, 6min.. Horror/Comedy Short Film

Alex thinks she is at home alone, finishing up her “work,” when her brother Ansel interrupts. Now, she must clean up all the evidence before he can see it.


www.instagram.com/official.kennedy.productions

Director Statement

This film has been a seed in my mind for many years now. I put my blood, sweat, and tears into this. It is my thesis to complete my undergraduate degree. I think it perfectly captures my weird sense of humor and love for all things horror. Making this film meant everything to me as my friends and family rallied around to support me. It is my baby, and bringing it to life has been one of my greatest honors. I hope it makes you laugh.

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