The Orchard

The Song of Sway Lake stars Rory Culkin (Hulu’s Castle Rock, Igby Goes Down, Signs), Robert Sheehan (Misfits, Love/Hate, The Mortal Instruments: City of Bones), Isabelle McNally (Bates Motel, Before I Disappear), Mary Beth Peil (Tony nominated for Anastasia and The King and I, The Stepford Wives, Dawson’s Creek), the late Elizabeth Pena (The Incredibles, Rush Hour), and Jack Falahee (How to Get Away with Murder, Twisted). A young man’s plot to steal a valuable jazz record from his grandmother’s lake house is derailed when his accomplice falls for the matriarch.

This episode of the podcast is a family affair, as Song of Sway Lake is co-written and directed by Ari Gold (Adventures of Power) with Original Music and Songs provided by twin brother Ethan Gold.

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

[8 mins. 45 secs.] The team behind the new indie film We The Animals is in the first segment. In Part 1 I chat with director Jeremiah Zagar (Captivated: The Trials of Pamela Smart) and actor Raúl Castillo (Looking). [37 mins. 45 secs.] In Part 2 I speak with the film’s director of photography Zak Mulligan. Manny, Joel, and Jonah tear their way through childhood. Their mother and father have a volatile relationship that makes and unmakes the family many times over, often leaving the boys fending for themselves. As their parents rip at one another, Manny and Joel harden and grow into versions of their father. With the triumvirate fractured, Jonah, who is the youngest, becomes increasingly aware of his desperate need to escape. Driven to the edge, Jonah embraces an imagined world all his own. The film is being distributed by The Orchard and was produced in partnership with Cinereach.

[1 hr. 6 mins. 52 secs.] The Danish actor Trine Dyrholm is the next up. Trine stars in the fiction film Nico, 1988 which is currently screening at Film Forum. Approaching age 50, singer/songwriter Nico leads a solitary existence — far from her days as a Warhol superstar and celebrated vocalist for the Velvet Underground in the 1960s. Her life and career on the fringes, Nico’s new manager convinces her to hit the road again and tour in Europe to promote her latest album. Struggling with demons and the consequences of a muddled life, she longs to rebuild a relationship with her son, whose custody she lost long ago. The conversation was recorded at the offices of Magnolia Pictures which is releasing the film.

This episode is dedicated to the memory of the great Aretha Franklin, who just passed away at the age of 76. She and her voice was a true gift to the world.

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

[2 mins. 55 secs.]  In the first segment, a conversation with the director Andrew Fleming (Dick, Hamlet 2). Andrew has a new comedy called Ideal Home which stars Steve Coogan and Paul Rudd. Paul (Rudd) and Erasmus (Coogan) are a bickering couple with an extravagant life. But when Bill, the grandson Erasmus never knew he had, shows up at their dinner party with nowhere else to go, the couple reluctantly decide to take him in. Despite the difficulties of incorporating a child into their lives, Bill grows on them. But when Bill’s father is released from prison and comes to take back his son, the men realize that you don’t fight with your family, you fight for them. Ideal Home opens tomorrow, Friday, June 29th in New York City at the Cinema Village, and on iTunes and on demand.

[24 mins. 6 secs.] Then, recorded from the 2018 Woodstock Film Festival, a conversation with the team behind a new dramatic film called Beauty Mark, including director Harris Doran and actors Auden Thornton and Catherine Curtin (Orange is the New Black). When an impoverished young mother (Thornton) and her toddler are evicted, she is forced to turn to the only one she knows who has any money, the man who abused her as a child. Beauty Mark is being distributed by The Orchard and is available for streaming on iTunes, youtube, Amazon Prime and elsewhere.

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

[8 mins. 15 secs.] Returning to the podcast for her second visit, director Lynn Shelton; Lynn was was last on Episode 160.  On this episode the Washington State native discusses her latest project, a drama called Outside In which stars Edie Falco & Jay Duplass (who is also credited as co-writer). The film, which is being distributed by The Orchard and which opens tomorrow, Friday, March 30th at the Quad Cinema in NYC and at the Laemmle Noho 7 in Los Angeles, is about an ex-convict (Duplass) who tries to readjust to life in his small town and forms an intense relationship with his former high school teacher (Falco). The film had its world premiere at the 2017 Toronto International Film Festival and recently had its US premiere at SxSW where I saw it. Lynn will be at the Quad where, following the 7:10 Friday night screening, she will do a Q&A moderated by Ira Glass. Outside In will go on digital platforms beginning April 3rd.

[41 mins. 17 secs.] Then filmmaker Sam Pollard returns for his third visit to the podcast (he was on Episodes 232 & 382) to discuss three —count ’em THREE!— new documentaries, including Acorn and the Firestorm (which he co-directed with Filmwax Radio friend Reuben Atlas), Sammy Davis Jr.: I’ve Gotta Be Me, and Maynard. The former of the three, Acorn and the Firestorm is about to have a theatrical engagement in NYC at the Metrograph Theater, beginning on Friday, April 6th. When two young conservatives posed as a pimp and a prostitute in a sting to expose ACORN’s business practices, it was a harbinger of the current political climate of fake news and intractable partisanship in politics.

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

Ep 449 focuses on three new indie films. The first, [6 mins. 48 secs.] Fits and Starts, is directed by friend Laura Terruso who wrote the screenplay for Michael Showalter’s dramedy Hello, My Name is Doris and who was AD on Jonathan Lisecki’s comedy Gayby. The plot involves struggling writer (Wyatt Cenac) who can’t seem to escape his wife (Greta Lee)’s literary success. When a road trip to a publisher’s salon takes an unexpected turn, he has to face his own creative shortcomings and find a way to regain control of his life and work. The comedy is currently available for streaming on iTunes, Amazon Video and on demand.

[42 mins. 21 secs.] In the second segment, filmmaker Nancy Buirski returns. Nancy was last on Episode 346 where she discussed her last documentary By Sidney Lumet. Nancy is back with a new documentary, The Rape of Recy Taylor, which had its world premiere at the Venice International Film Festival and its US premiere at the New York Film Festival.  Recy Taylor, a 24-year-old black mother and sharecropper, was gang raped by six white boys in 1944 Alabama. Common in Jim Crow South, few women spoke up in fear for their lives. Not Recy Taylor, who bravely identified her rapists. The NAACP sent its chief rape investigator Rosa Parks, who rallied support and triggered an unprecedented outcry for justice. The film is currently enjoying a theatrical role at the Laemmle Monica Center in Los Angeles and will be doing the same at the IFC Center in NYC beginning this Friday, December 15th.

[1 hr. 6 mins. 24 secs.] Last up, a great new documentary which is currently screening at the Quad in NYC, Quest. Filmed with vérité intimacy for over a decade, Quest —which world premiered at Sundance 2017— is the moving portrait of a family in North Philadelphia. Christopher “Quest” Rainey, along with his wife Christine, aka “Ma Quest,” who open the door to their home music studio, which serves as a creative sanctuary from the strife that grips their neighborhood. Over the years, the family evolves as everyday life brings a mix of joy and unexpected crisis. Set against the backdrop of a country now in turmoil, Quest is a tender depiction of an American family whose journey is a profound testament to love, healing and hope. The film will have a theatrical in Los Angeles at the Laemmle Monica Center beginning this Friday, December 15th. Check the website for other cities and dates. I’m joined in this segment by director Jonathan Olshefski, producer Sabrina Schmidt Gordon and Quest & Ma Quest Rainey.

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

[4 mins.] Finally we’ve gotten Gilbert Gottfried on the podcast! And why not? There’s a new documentary about Gilbert called… Gilbert, which premieres today, 11/3/2017. at the IFC Center in NYC. Also joining the comedian is his wife, Dara Gottfried as well as the director of the film, Neil Berkeley. The film follows Gilbert over a period of time giving us the opportunity to see him at home with Dara and their two kids, as well as his traveling to gigs and performing his unique style of comedy. The film also takes a look back at his life and his career, and is helped along by such comedy luminaries as Richard Belzer, Jay Leno, Whoopi Goldberg, Dick Van Dyke, Arsenio Hall, Jeff Ross, and others. Don’t miss this thoroughly entertaining and often times moving documentary, or this episode for that matter.

Then, [33 mins. 15 secs.] in the second segment, I welcome VP of Acquisitions at Neon, and the producer/curator of the new documentary 11/8/16, Jeff Deutchman, to the podcast. On the morning of Election Day 2016, Americans of all stripes woke up and went about living their radically different lives. These were the hours leading up to Donald Trump’s unexpected, earth-shaking victory, but, of course, no one knew that yet. With 11/8/16, producer/creator Deutchman’s second installment in his election film series, viewers are afforded a uniquely cinematic look at the chaotic glory of American democracy from sea to shining sea. Some of the filmmakers involved include past Filmwax guests Martha Shane, Alma Har’El, Vikram Gandhi & Bassam Tariq. The film opens today, 11/3/2017, at the Cinema Village in NYC, at the Laemmle Noho 7 in Los Angeles, and other select cities, as well as streaming on most popular digital platforms.

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.

In this episode, the 2017 Tribeca Film Festival Edition, there are 4 segments including Danielle Katvan, director of the short film The Foster Portfolio, Joe Berlinger with a new documentary Intent To Destroy, Josephine Decker & Zefrey Throwell with Flames, and Oren Moverman with The Dinner.

[5 mins. 30 secs.] Anna Biller, director of The Love Witch is up first. The film opens in Brooklyn today at the Alamo Drafthouse and at the Nitehawk Cinema and is about Elaine (Samantha Robinson), a beautiful young witch who is determined to find a man to love her. In her gothic Victorian apartment she makes spells and potions, then picks up men and seduces them. The film is being distributed by Oscilloscope Labs.

After that, [54 mins. 50 secs.] filmmaker Alex Lehmann discusses his two new films, both executive produced by the Duplass Brothers. The first is a narrative film called Blue Jay, a comedy romance starring Mark Duplass and Sarah Paulson and is being distributed by The Orchard. We also discuss Alex’s new documentary, Asperger’s Are Us about a Boston-based comedy group of the same title. Both films are currently available for streaming on iTunes & other digital platforms.

Last up [1 hr. 35 mins. 10 secs.] is a discussion about a new documentary omnibus film called True New York. The film comprises of 5 award-winning short documentary films and the amazing characters who call New York City home. Tied together with stunning New York City timescape footage, the shorts include: C-Rock (directed by Jordan Roth), Taxi Garage (Joshua Z Weinstein), One Track Mind (Jeremy Workman), A Son’s Sacrifice (Yoni Brook), and Black Cherokee (Sam Cullman and Benjamin Rosen). In this segment I am joined by Jeremy Workman, Sam Cullman & Ben Rosen. True New York is distributed by First Run Features and available on DVD or streaming on iTunes.

This episode of the podcast is sponsored by Zipcar.com. Earn $25 of free driving credit at joinzipcar.com/filmwaxradio.

Filmwax Radio is part of the ShowBriz Studios podcast network and presented by Rooftop Films. Like us on Facebook.

In this episode I welcome filmmakers behind two new indie films: Linas Phillips’ Rainbow Time and Keith Maitland’s Tower. I also chat more about my recent visit to the Alamo Drafthouse in Brooklyn and my thoughts about Barry Jenkins’ new film, Moonlight. Writer/director/actor Linas Phillips (Manson Family Vacation) and actress Melanie Lynskey (HBO’s Togetherness). Todd (Timm Sharp) grew up under the strange shadow of his older, mentally-challenged brother, Shonzi (Phillips). As kids, Shonzi forced Todd to make action movies. As adults, Todd is pressured to share love life details, even showing Shonzi a sex tape he made with an old girlfriend to help him cope when family tragedy hits. When their dad suffers a heart attack, Shonzi, now 40, moves in with Todd and his new girlfriend (Lynskey). Shonzi wants desperately to be included in their relationship like old times. Rainbow Time opens today at the new Alamo Drafthouse in Brooklyn and at the Arena Theater in Los Angeles.Then I welcome Tower (Kino Lorber) filmmaker Keith Maitland for the second segment. On August 1, 1966, a sniper rode the elevator to the top floor of the University of Texas Tower and opened fire, holding the campus hostage for 96 minutes. When the gunshots were finally silenced, the toll included 16 dead, three dozen wounded, and a shaken nation left trying to understand what had happened. Archival footage is combined with rotoscopic animation in a dynamic, never-before-seen way to illustrate the action-packed untold stories of the witnesses, heroes and survivors. Among the film’s re-enactors is Filmwax Radio friend Chris Doubek. The film opens in Chicago today at the Music Box, in San Francisco at the Alamo Drafthouse Mission among other cities, this after already enjoying a recent successful theatrical engagement at Film Forum in NYC. This episode of the podcast is sponsored by Zipcar.com. Earn $25 of free driving credit at joinzipcar.com/filmwaxradio.Filmwax Radio is part of the ShowBriz Studios podcast network and presented by Rooftop Films. Like us on Facebook.