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Cinemafile

Mike Kaspar

Cinemafile showcases the very best in independent, documentary and foreign films through our conversations with the more than 2,000 filmmakers who made them. Through Cinemafile we will do our best to bring the most interesting and accomplished filmmakers from around the world to your attention.

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S1 · E310
Today · 16 min
Per Chi - Director Alessandro Spallino & Producer James Tumminia
PER CHI unfolds in four emotionally driven chapters. Through intimate portraits, we meet women from Novara, Italy, ordinary yet extraordinary individuals guided by a deep desire to help others, who, despite personal challenges, find unexpected strength and belonging in a communal project rooted in knitting. With an emotional narrative, the film lets their voices and silences guide the viewer toward a powerful revelation: their small, quiet gestures are part of a larger movement, Viva Vittoria, a grassroots endeavor that fights against violence against women and turns handmade blankets into symbols of resistance, healing and hope. In the fourth and final chapter, their powerful stories come together reflecting how their parts impact Viva Vittoria's entire mission: to end violence against women. PER CHI is a cinematic reflection on connection, dignity and the power of collective action, capable of helping those in need. Director Alessandro Spallino Producer James Tumminia join us to talk about their enriching and inspiring film, Per Chi. About the filmmaker - Alessandro Spallino is a director and creative director who lives and works between Milan and Tokyo. His short films: PER CHI, YELLOW SCARF, RAIN, ODEON, WISEMAN, and THE BIG SCROLL have received awards and recognition at international festivals such as SOHO International FIlm Festival, Matera International Film Festival, Sedicicorto, CortoDino, Figari, Trieste Science+Fiction, and the Cannes Short Film Market. YELLOW SCARF was in competition at the 2022 David di Donatello Awards, while RAIN was selected for the Clermont- Ferrand Film Market. Alessandro works as a filmmaker and creative director for brands and agencies between Italy and Japan, creating emotional videos, commercials, and short films. About the filmmaker - JAMES TUMMINIA is an award-winning producer, actor and director. He received an Emmy nomination for producing LOVE, GILDA (Magnolia Pictures/CNN Films) and two Telly Awards, and also executive-produced the Oscar nominated documentary, VIVA VERDI! James co-founded Italus Films (an Italy and US creative venture), producing for content for international audiences. As a producer, he has championed and collaborated with filmmakers whose voices span a diverse spectrum. Select credits include: ALL SHE WROTE, SOMEBODY’S MOTHER and STRIKE ONE. As an actor, select credits include: (Film) THREE COLORS: PAN AFRICAN, RESIDENT EVIL: EXTINCTION, ANGELS & DEMONS, and BECOMING; (TV) Criminal Minds, The Young and the Restless, Melissa and Joey, and Two Scoops of Italy. He directed the family drama MY CHRISTMAS WISH, winning honors for directing, producing and the film’s cast. Born in New York City, James graduated from Georgetown University. A dual citizen (US and Italy), he maintains an active professional presence in both countries and internationally. James is a member of BAFTA, the Producers Guild of America, SAG-AFTRA and the TV Academy.
S1 · E309
Yesterday · 18 min
A. Rimbaud - Director Patrick Wang
A. Rimbaud is a biographical film written, produced and directed by Patrick Wang and starring Blake Draper, the sole actor in the film, as poet Arthur Rimbaud. Follows Arthur Rimbaud from his teen years in Paris to his later years in Abyssinia. Blake Draper is the only actor to appear in the film, with the other characters in Rimbaud's life are represented by musical instruments. Presented as a micro-budget epic of nearly three hours, an episodic piece taking place entirely within a “black box” stage space. Director, writer and producer Patrick Wang joins us to talk about his fascinating look at a man who started out as a trail-blazing artist, but all behind him, embarking instead on a new and equally demanding career: as an export merchant in Cyprus and Africa. About the filmmaker - Patrick Wang was born in Texas, the son of Taiwanese immigrants. He graduated from MIT with a degree in economics and music and theater arts. He has studied game theory, health policy, and income inequality at the Federal Reserve, the Harvard School for Public Health, and other organizations. He is author of the books The Monologue Plays and Post Script, an interactive book about the making of The Grief of Others. His first film In the Family was hailed “an indie masterpiece” by Roger Ebert. His second film, The Grief of Others, premiered to critical acclaim at SXSW and Cannes. His latest, A Bread Factory, was called "a major new work by a singular American artist," by The New York Times.
S1 · E308
Monday · 16 min
Queen at Sea - Director Lance Hammer
Lance Hammer's extraordinary follow up film to his award winning debut film, BALLAST, Queen at Sea is a piercing examination of a woman and her stepfather face increasingly difficult choices while caring for her mother with dementia. Academy Award winner Juliette Binoche (The Taste of Things), Academy Award nominee Tom Courtenay (45 Years), Anna Calder-Marshall (Wuthering Heights), and Florence Hunt (Bridgerton) star in this unflinching drama, which won the Silver Bear Jury Prize at the 2026 Berlinale. About the filmmaker - Lance Hammer is a filmmaker based in Los Angeles. He studied Architecture at the University of Southern California. His first film, BALLAST, premiered in competition at the Sundance Film Festival where he won the US Dramatic Directing Award. It also played in competition at the Berlinale. During its festival run BALLAST received multiple best picture and directing awards and four FIPRESCI prizes. It was nominated for six Independent Spirit Awards. Hammer recently shot his second film, QUEEN AT SEA, in London, starring Juliette Binoche and Tom Courtenay.
S1 · E307
Monday · 20 min
MICKEY - Director Dano Garcia
Director Dano Garcia's latest film, MICKEY, centers on Mickey Cundapí (she/her), known artistically as Mis$ Mickey, a trans multidisciplinary artist who, alongside García, uses play and performance to reimagine the past and inhabit the present. Over the past decade, Mickey has navigated her transition within the conservative context of Mazatlán, a city known for its vibrant carnival traditions yet marked by persistent homophobia and transphobia. Mickey and García first met at age 14 as students at the same Catholic school. Even then, Mickey's makeup and performances during mass scandalized priests. In a deeply collaborative process, the two revisited archival material from their childhood friendship, reconstructing a shared journey of gender transition and resilience while creating space for broader queer community support through the film itself. Drawing from youthful footage, artistic reenactments, and intimate encounters, Mickey moves between tenderness and rage, transforming memory into an act of liberation. The film approaches the past not as fixed, but as fluid—a space for reimagining selfhood beyond punishment or shame. Director, Co-Producer and Co-Screenwiter Dano Garcia joins us to talk about her latest work, the 2026 SXSW Film Festival, Global Audience Award winning film, MICKEY. About the filmmaker - Dano García (they/them) is a multi-award-winning documentary filmmaker who studied at the National Film and Television School (NFTS) in London and ENAC (formerly CUEC) at UNAM in Mexico City. Their debut feature, Kings of Nowhere (2015), won the Global Audience Award at SXSW, the Grand Jury Award at Full Frame, the Golden Eye at the Zurich Film Festival, and Best Documentary at Morelia, among other honors. The film screened at Sheffield Doc/Fest and MoMA's Doc Fortnight, received a Cinema Eye Honors nomination, won the Cinema Tropical Award for Best Documentary Director, and was named one of the year’s best films by Sight & Sound. In 2016, they directed Unsilenced, a New York Times Op-Doc about a Mexican activist murdered on-air while hosting a radio show for displaced residents. Her latest film, MICKEY won the Global Audience Award at the 2026 SXSW Film Festival.
S1 · E306
Friday · 20 min
Once Upon a Time in Harlem - Director David Greaves & Producer Liani Greaves
A decade after his death, genre-defying filmmaker William Greaves has one last trick up his sleeve with what he considered the most important event he captured on film: a 1972 party he engineered with the living luminaries of the Harlem Renaissance. For four hours, this extraordinary group - many of whom had not seen each other in fifty years - reminisced, critiqued, argued, laughed and drank while wrestling with their place in a rapidly shifting cultural landscape. Shot on 16mm film, newly restored and now directed by Greaves' son David, this landmark film is at once a self-exploration and an inquiry into the heart of the critical mass of energy called the Harlem Renaissance. William Greaves' intent was not only to document these artists and intellectuals as they spoke about their lives and work but also to plumb the meaning of the extraordinary creative period in which they lived to help us better understand how culture has been passed on from one generation to another and the role that the artist plays in keeping it alive. That historic gathering is the basis for this remarkable documentary film, Once Upon a Time in Harlem. Director David Greaves and Producer Liani Greaves joins us to talk about their work. About the filmmaker - David Greaves is an award-winning filmmaker and journalist. He worked as cinematographer and/or editor on many of his father William Greavesʼ films including the famed feature film, Symbiopsychotaxiplasm: Take 1. Significantly, he was one of the original cameramen during the 1972 shoot for Once Upon a Time in Harlem. In 1996 he founded DBG Media and the award-winning independent newspaper Our Time Press. As a journalist and writer, he has won numerous awards from the Independent Press Association and the New York Association of Black Journalists, including First Place awards for investigative reporting, in-depth reporting, and personal commentary, among them. About the filmmaker - Liani Greaves is an independent producer and Vice President of William Greaves Productions, continuing the cinematic legacy of her grandfather, pioneering filmmaker William Greaves. As a teenager, she worked in the office at William's production companv. She began her career at Columbia Pictures before moving into music video production as a director’s representative for Hype Williams. In 2005, she produced Symbiopsychotaxiplasm: Take 2½ alongside her grandfather and actor Steve Buscemi, the follow-up to Greaves’s critically acclaimed Symbiopsychotaxiplasm: Take One. Her work also includes producing fundraising campaigns and events in the nonprofit sector.
S1 · E305
November 3 · 18 min
Nuisance Bear - Co-directors Gabriela Osio Vanden & Jack Weisman
Winner of the U.S. Documentary Grand Jury Prize at the Sundance Film Festival and hailed by Werner Herzog as “truly groundbreaking”, Nuisance Bear places viewers inside the world of a polar bear to deliver a cinematic pressure cooker and an urgent parable for our times. Filmmakers Gabriela Osio Vanden and Jack Weisman follow a polar bear in Churchill, Manitoba — the self-styled “Polar Bear Capital of the World” — forced to navigate tourists, wildlife officers and hunters as climate change pushes it into town. Guided by Inuit narrator Mike Tunalaaq Gibbons, whose perspective resists simplification, Nuisance Bear overturns the conventions of the nature documentary to ask: when a sacred predator is branded a “nuisance,” who truly belongs in this shared landscape? Co-directors Gabriela Osio Vanden and Jack Weisman join us in conversation about the making of Nuisance Bear. About the filmmaker - Gabriela Osio Vanden is an award-winning Venezuelan-Canadian Director and cinematographer based in Toronto. She brings a background in painting and dance to her images which have premiered at major festivals, including TIFF, Camerimage, SXSW, IDFA, Sheffield DocFest, and True/False. She is a HotDocs 2022 Fellow. Her student thesis film The Rambler was awarded an internship with Phedon Papamichael ASC GSC whom she shadowed on Alexander Payne’s Downsizing. Gabriela has a BFA in Film Production from York University. Her latest film Nuisance Bear premiered at TIFF and played at over 120 Film Festivals. It won multiple awards but most notably a Critics Choice Award and Outstanding Non-Fiction Short at Cinema Eye Honors. It was shortlisted for the 95th Academy Awards. About the filmmaker - Jack Weisman aspires to make visually striking and original films that defy easy classification. His works of creative non-fiction have premiered at many festivals including Sundance, SXSW, TIFF, and IDFA. Jack’s breakout short, Nuisance Bear (2022), co-directed with Gabriela Osio Vanden, offers a gripping, wordless study of polar bears navigating human-dominated landscapes in Churchill, Manitoba. The film received widespread acclaim, earning a spot on the 95th Academy Award Shortlist, two Emmy nominations, and top honors at Cinema Eye Honors, Critics’ Choice Documentary Awards, and IDA Documentary Awards. Jack’s debut feature will premiere in 2026 and is produced by A24, Documist, and Rise Films. Weisman is a co-founder of Documist, an Emmy and Peabody-winning production company based in NYC and Toronto. He served as an executive producer on The Territory (2022). The Territory premiered at Sundance, where it won the World Cinema Documentary Audience Award and a Special Jury Prize, and is now available on Disney+ through National Geographic Documentary Films.
S1 · E304
November 3 · 10 min
Littermates - Co-directors Scott Tinkham and Michael Woloson
Set against the backdrop of a mysterious war, LITTERMATES follows two disoriented survivors who take refuge at an isolated cottage in the English countryside. After Liam and Mel arrive bloodied, speechless, and unable to fully understand what has happened to them, they are taken in by Chester, an enigmatic caretaker who bathes, feeds, and teaches them how to speak again. As sirens, smoke, and distant threats press closer, Liam and Mel go about their days relearning the most simple tasks inside Chester’s carefully controlled world, while earning “nifties” for good behavior that can be traded for small comforts like karaoke, hot tub time, dance parties, and favorite meals. Co-directors and co-writers Scott Tinkham and Michael Woloson join us for a spirited conversation on the inspiration and execution for this darkly comedic but still grounded in the emotional film experience. Winner of the Special Jury Prize at Manchester Film Festival '26, and anchored by three incredible lead performances, Littermates combines dystopian tension, absurdist humor, and a controlled visual style to create a darkly funny, cinematic mystery about what is real, what is safe, and who can be trusted. About the filmmaker - Scott Tinkham is a writer and director from Minnesota. His work lives at the intersection of dark comedy and emotional sincerity, often exploring characters who are spiraling and searching for meaning in the strangest of places. His short film 24 Hours After Reading Tuesdays with Morrie had its world premiere at SXSW in 2025. He recently wrapped production on his latest film, "Two Schizos Take a Walk," and is in development on his next feature, "Good Life," both under Haley Nicole Johnson’s Under The Shell banner. About the filmmaker - Michael Woloson is a writer, director, cinematographer, and producer from Las Vegas, based in Los Angeles. His work combines precise visual storytelling with intimate, character-driven narratives, often exploring the complexity of memory and time. A SXSW alum, he served as cinematographer and producer on Scott Tinkham’s "24 Hours After Reading Tuesdays with Morrie," which premiered at SXSW in 2025. His latest directorial work, "Broken Branches," was produced under Haley Nicole Johnson’s Under The Shell banner, and is set to begin its festival run in 2027. He will serve as a producer on Tinkham’s upcoming feature "Good Life," also under Under The Shell.
S1 · E305
November 3 · 16 min
One in a Million - Co-directors Itab Azzam & Jack MacInnes
Filmed over ten years, ONE IN A MILLION follows Israa from childhood to adulthood on an extraordinary journey from Syria to Germany — and back again. We first meet her at age 11 as she and her family are preparing to cross the Aegean Sea, risking everything in search of safety and a better life in Europe. What unfolds is a deeply personal chronicle of war, exile and heartbreak, as Israa grows up navigating adolescence, identity and belonging far from the home she was forced to leave. As Israa settles into life in Germany, new freedoms collide with the stabilizing pull of Syrian traditions, testing bonds and reshaping her sense of self. Co-directors Itab Azzam and Jack MacInnes join us for a fascinating conversation on the sheer challenge of following a family fleeing a violent uprising in their own country for safety in an unknown situation with a growing family and a treacherous journey for 11 years. One in a Million is the winner of the 2026 Sundance FIlm Festival’s Best International Documentary Feature. About the filmmaker - Itab Azzam is an award-winning filmmaker, producer, and humanitarian. She works with Syrian refugee women in Lebanon and London on empowerment and education through therapeutic arts projects, including FILM FOR FREEDOM, an initiative that trains refugee women in filmmaking. Born in Syria, she currently resides in London. About the filmmaker - Jack MacInnes, born and raised in London, moved to Damascus, where he met and ultimately married co-director Itab. His work has appeared on Netflix, BBC, and PBS and has received Emmy, BAFTA, Peabody, Grierson, and Prix Italia Awards.
S1 · E303
November 2 · 14 min
MOUSE - Director Kenny Riches
Between stealing bicycles and breaking into cars, Denny’s only social outlet is spending time with his mother who loves reading correspondence from their Japanese family overseas. Denny’s loneliness pushes him to sign up for a penpal service from a classified-ad. He begins writing letters to a woman named Tess, whom he develops feelings for, but lies to about his nonexistent wealth and success. Unbeknownst to Denny, the penpal service is a scheme Tess and her real-life boyfriend, Maury, run to take advantage of the lonely. Tess and Maury find themselves in financial trouble of their own and decide to travel to Denny to take him for all he’s worth. Upon arrival they find that things aren’t what they seemed in Denny’s letters. About the filmmaker - Kenny Oiwa Riches was born in Toyota City, Japan; raised in Salt Lake City, Utah; and currently resides in Miami, Florida. He holds a BFA in Painting and Drawing. His first feature film, Must Come Down, premiered at Cinequest Film Festival in 2012. His 2015 feature film, The Strongest Man, premiered at the Sundance Film Festival and was released by AMC International and Kino Lorber. His follow-up film, A Name Without A Place, premiered at the Miami Film Festival in 2019. Mouse marks his fourth feature film. He has received generous support from the Sundance Institute, Sun Valley Film Lab, US in Progress, the Knight Foundation, and PBS. His producer credits include My Heart Can’t Beat Unless You Tell It To (2020, Tribeca Film Festival) and Sanzaru (2020, Slamdance Film Festival). He is a co-founder of The Davey Foundation, a grant-giving organization for filmmakers founded in memory of David Fetzer. He is also a partner in the production company, Dualist.
S1 · E302
November 2 · 15 min
Big Girls Don’t Cry - Director Paloma Schneideman
Summer 2006, rural New Zealand. 14-year-old Sid Bookman is caught between childhood and adolescence, navigating a burgeoning sexual curiosity and a desperate desire for acceptance. Her coastal town is quiet and contained, but glimpses of life beyond— flickering reality TV, American pop culture, and the occasional seedy chatroom—ignite both longing and restless possibility. Each summer, wealthy out-of-towners arrive, carrying with them a world Sid can only imagine. Drawn to their effortless glamour and an older group of teens, she shape shifts through versions of herself, hoping one might be enough. But the harder she tries, the more chaos she creates. Everything changes when her sister returns from university with Freya, a magnetic friend from America, whose attention awakens something Sid can’t yet name. As New Year’s Eve nears—her imagined gateway to adulthood—Sid must confront the painful gap between who she is and who she’s pretending to be. Director Paloma Schneideman joins us to talk about this tender, unflinching portrait of queer adolescence, class shame, and identity, told through the intimate, unvarnished lens of New Zealand girlhood at a moment when the wider world was beginning to seep in. About the filmmaker - Paloma Schneideman is a writer, director, and musician based in Tāmaki Makaurau, Auckland, New Zealand. She has worked across the film and music industries for a decade, with her work thematically gravitating towards the female experience, particularly queer perspectives and stories rooted in the human condition; exploring family, intimacy, and identity. Paloma was 1 of 10 participants hand selected by Dame Jane Campion to participate in her intensive film program 'A Wave In The Ocean’ in 2023. Throughout the program Paloma worked intensively with leading industry professionals, mentored by Jane, and out put a series of works that displayed a growing and unique directorial voice and signature. Paloma has applied all these learnings to her debut feature film, Big Girls Don't Cry, funded by the NZ Film Commission, and the first feature film to come from an alumni of the 'A Wave in the Ocean’ program. Paloma's most recent short film Gate Crash was commissioned by Toi Whakaari performing arts school in 2022, and was selected for NZIFF’s Best Short competition as well as Melbourne International Film Festival in 2023, obtaining a place in the renowned ‘Accelerator Lab.’ Her short films Memory Foam (2019) and Mine (2016) were both selected for NZIFF. In 2020 she obtained a NZFC Gender Scholarship, a placement in Script to Screen’s FilmUp intensive, and a director’s attachment on Armagan Ballentyne’s Nude Tuesday film. As a musician, she produces and performs music under the alias PollyHill, which has seen perform in some of New Zealand's biggest music festivals like Splore, Laneway, Othersway, and supporting international acts Arlo Parks, Kae Tempest, and Wiki. At the end of 2023, Paloma (PollyHill) released a collaborative album with Samara Alofa Aquaries - Age of Uranus., funded by NZ On Air, which has attracted acclaim from Rolling Stone magazine and Vice. The album won the 2025 Aotearoa Alternative Awards Best Song and Best EP.
S1 · E301
November 1 · 15 min
Everest: The Other Side - Co-directors Elizabeth Chai Vasarhelyi (Jimmy Chin)
Everest: The Other Side chronicles an epic story of two elite ski mountaineers Jim Morrison and Hilaree Nelson who fell deeply in love while reaching the pinnacle of their sport. Their drive sharpened into a shared dream: to climb and ski the direct North Face of Everest — the most difficult and dangerous climb on the mountain and the most coveted ski line on Earth. Thousands have summited the mountain via Nepal's southeast ridge, but only a handful have ever reached the top by this route, and no one has successfully skied down. Already known for their extraordinary feats in the mountains and no strangers to loss, Morrison and Nelson stake everything on this daunting challenge. From National Geographic Documentary Films and Elizabeth Chai Vasarhelyi and Jimmy Chin — the Oscar® -winning filmmakers behind Free Solo and Meru — Everest: The Other Side is an intimate portrait of two people bound by love, ambition and the pursuit of the impossible. About the filmmaker - Elizabeth Chai Vasarhelyi is an Academy® Award-winning filmmaker with a storied history of critically acclaimed films. In 2019, she, along with co-director and co-producer Jimmy Chin, was awarded the Academy® Award and a BAFTA for Best Documentary Feature for “Free Solo,” an intimate, unflinching portrait of rock climber Alex Honnold. The film also received seven primetime Emmy® Awards. In 2023, she co-directed her first scripted feature, “Nyad” for NETFLIX, which saw both stars Annette Bening and Jodie Foster receive Academy Award nominations. More recently, she directed and produced “Love+War” for National Geographic Documentary Films, about acclaimed war photographer Lynsey Addario, and “Lost in the Jungle,” the incredible true story of four children who survived a plane crash in the Colombian jungle. The latter film won the Outstanding Current Affairs Documentary Emmy for 2025. In 2021, she co-directed the BAFTA and DGA nominated documentary “The Rescue,” chronicling the enthralling, against-all-odds story that transfixed the world in 2018: the daring rescue of 12 boys and their coach from deep inside a flooded cave in northern Thailand. Other projects include “Return to Space”, about SpaceX and NASA’s first joint spaceflight, which hit the Top 10 on Netflix’s most-watched films list, and the series “Edge of the Unknown” for National Geographic. Vasarhelyi was also honored with a Peabody and a News & Documentary Emmy Award for co-directing and producing the acclaimed National Geographic series“Photographer.” Her feature “Meru” won the Audience Award at the Sundance Film Festival in 2015 and was on the 2016 Oscar shortlist for Best Documentary Feature. Vasarhelyi’s other films as a director include “Incorruptible” (Truer Than Fiction Independent Spirit Award 2016); “Youssou N’dour: I Bring What I Love” (Oscilloscope, 2009), which premiered at the Telluride and Toronto Film Festivals; “A Normal Life” (Tribeca Film Festival, Best Documentary 2003); and “Touba” (SXSW, Special Jury Prize Best Cinematography in 2013). Vasarhelyi has directed two New York Times Op Docs, two episodes of Netflix’s nonfiction design series “Abstract” and two episodes of ESPN’s nonfiction series “Enhanced.” She has received grants from the Sundance Institute, the Ford Foundation, the Rockefeller Brothers Fund, Bertha Britdoc and the National Endowment for the Arts. She is a member of the DGA, the Academy of Motion Pictures Arts and Sciences (AMPAS) and The British Academy of Film and Television Arts (BAFTA), and she holds a bachelor’s in comparative literature from Princeton University. Vasarhelyi lives in New York City with her children, daughter, Marina, and son, James.
S1 · E300
November 1 · 14 min
Who Killed Alex Odeh? - Co-directors Jason Osder & William Lafi Youmans
In October 1985, Santa Ana, California was shaken by a brazen act of political violence when Palestinian American Alex Odeh, a beloved teacher and community leader, was killed by a tripwire bomb planted in his office. Despite substantial evidence and identified suspects, the case was never solved. Who Killed Alex Odeh? reopens the mystery, tracking a renewed investigation in real time as new leads emerge, long-buried records come to light, and the forces behind a political assassination are finally confronted. Unfolding like a detective thriller, the film weaves archival footage, firsthand testimony, and new reporting to expose the violent fundamentalist networks behind the attack and the institutional failures that protected them. As the investigation deepens, the story widens to reveal how the extremist ideology that fueled Odeh’s murder did not disappear - it evolved, gaining traction and legitimacy in the modern political landscape. Directed by Jason Osder and William Lafi Youmans, a Jewish American and a Palestinian American, Who Killed Alex Odeh? is both a gripping cold-case pursuit and a timely examination of political violence, asking what it means when acts of terror go unresolved, and how justice denied continues to shape the world we live in. About the filmmaker - Jason Osder is the director of the award-winning documentary Let the Fire Burn about the 1985 confrontation between the group MOVE and the Philadelphia police that claimed the lives of eleven people. Supported in part by the Sundance Institute, Let the Fire Burn premiered at the Tribeca Film Festival where it won the best editing in a documentary award and a jury special mention for best new documentary director. The film went on to play film festivals around the world, air nationally on PBS, and receive the Independent Spirit Truer than Fiction Award. Jason is an Associate Professor of Media and Public Affairs at The George Washington University. He creates online courses on media production for LinkedIn Learning and occasionally writes about film. About the filmmaker - William Lafi Youmans is an Associate Professor at George Washington University's School of Media and Public Affairs. Broadly interested in questions of transnationalism, power and communication, his primary research interests include global media, Middle East politics, and Arab-American studies. Youmans is the author of Unlikely Audience: Al Jazeera's Struggle in America. He is currently a fellow with the GW Humanities Center and was an Inclusion Imperative visiting faculty fellow at the Dresher Center for the Humanities at the University of Maryland, Baltimore County last year. Photo credit: Massimo Municchi
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October 29 · 11 min
LADY - Director Samuel Abrahams
Director Samuel Abrahams' high concept film, LADY, zeroes in on a seemingly deluded aristocrat Lady Isabella (Sian Clifford) who has hired a struggling director Sam (Laurie Kynaston) to document life at her imposing country estate, Ravenhyde Hall. When he discovers that the promise of a Netflix commission was a lie, and that Isabella only wants him there to film her taking part in a ridiculously low- stakes regional talent show held at the Hall, he’s ready to quit—until he realizes the narcissistic Lady is, quite literally, turning invisible. Though from different worlds, they form an unexpected bond, but when Sam uncovers the tragic reason Isabella hasn’t left Ravenhyde Hall in years, he questions whether his film exploits her trauma. As the talent show approaches and Isabella’s invisibility spreads, can they both confront their fears before she disappears completely? Director Samuel Abrahams joins us for a spirited conversation on how he managed to successfully navigate the thin line between vulnerable and delusional, between comedy and cruelty. About the filmmaker - Director / Writer Samuel Abrahams is a BAFTA and Webby-nominated writer & director, with two Cannes Lions wins for his commercials. Samuel’s first short Connect was nominated for a BAFTA, won the Jury Award at Encounters Film Festival, and was inducted into the BFI National Archive. His film Offline Dating amassed over 20 million combined views and sparked international debate around technology and modern romance. Sam has helmed global ad campaigns for brands like Apple, Sony, and Google. He studied Fine Art at Chelsea College of Art and is a member of the Directors Guild of America. Lady, starring Sian Clifford (Fleabag) is his feature debut.
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October 28 · 13 min
Tenzing - Director Jennifer Peedom
Based on true events, "Tenzing” chronicles the little-known story of Tenzing Norgay (Genden Phuntsok), a gifted Himalayan climber who, alongside New Zealand mountaineer Edmund Hillary (Tom Hiddleston), became the first to summit Mount Everest. Encouraged by his wife Dawa (Thinley Lhamo), Tenzing finds an ally in expedition secretary Jill Henderson (Caitríona Balfe). Together, they persuade Colonel John Hunt (Willem Dafoe) that Tenzing belongs on the British climbing team, rather than merely serving it. Where Western climbers see "Everest" as something to be conquered, Tenzing reveres "Chomolungma" as the sacred mother goddess. What follows is an ascent defined as much by the tensions between backgrounds, classes and competing ambitions as by the perils of the mountain itself. But high above the world, empire, rank and aspiration fall away, leaving two outsiders bound by mutual respect and trust — and for Tenzing, the fulfillment of both a life-long dream and a spiritual calling. Directed by award-winning filmmaker Jennifer Peedom, “Tenzing” is a story of greatness that refuses to be diminished — and the love that makes it possible. About the filmmaker - Jennifer Peedom is a BAFTA-nominated Australian director and producer whose work spans documentary and narrative film. Peedom has spent more than two decades working in the Himalayas and on Everest. Her relationship with the region and the Sherpa community began through her early work as a filmmaker in high-altitude environments and has shaped some of the defining projects of her career. Peedom’s directing credits include the internationally acclaimed feature documentaries “Solo,” “Sherpa," “Mountain," “River” and “Deeper." “Sherpa" premiered at the Telluride Film Festival, won the Grierson Award for Best Documentary at the BFI London Film Festival, and was nominated for the BAFTA for Best Documentary. It became one of Australia’s most successful theatrical documentaries— a benchmark Peedom surpassed with her next film, “Mountain,” made in collaboration with the Australian Chamber Orchestra. Peedom’s work has screened at major international festivals including Telluride, TIFF, SXSW, San Sebastián and Busan, and has received numerous awards and nominations, including recognition from the Australian Directors’ Guild and the Australian Academy of Cinema and Television Arts. Peedom co-founded and runs the Sydney-based production company Stranger Than Fiction Films, whose credits include "David Stratton: A Cinematic Life," which screened at Cannes Classics, and "Harley & Katya," winner of the International Emmy Award for Sports Documentary. The company’s most recent release, “Silenced," is a documentary feature about human rights lawyer Jennifer Robinson and her fight against the weaponization of defamation laws to silence women in the wake of the #MeToo movement. The film premiered to acclaim at the 2026 Sundance Film Festival.
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October 27 · 7 min
PULP: What Do You Do For An Encore? - Director Garth Jennings
PULP: What Do You Do For An Encore? is a celebration of one of Britain's most unusual bands, captured during their triumphant 2025 tour. Directed by longtime collaborator Garth Jennings and narrated by PULP frontman, Jarvis Cocker, the film weaves together footage from their ingenious live show with four decades of never-before-seen archival material, charting the band’s circuitous journey from Sheffield outsiders to unlikely cultural icons. Featuring twenty songs spanning the course of their career, PULP: What Do You Do For An Encore? is a tribute to a band of misfits whose sharp social commentary, sarcastic yet sincere wit, and enduring empathy with their audience continue to resonate across generations. PULP: WHAT DO YOU DO FOR AN ENCORE? is a MUBI Production directed by Garth Jennings and edited by Barney Pilling (The Grand Budapest Hotel, Mrs. Harris Goes to Paris). About the filmmaker - Garth Jennings is a film director, writer and artist. He has directed numerous music videos and commercials through his co-owned production company Hammer & Tongs. His work includes videos for Blur, Radiohead, Beck, R.E.M., Fatboy Slim and Vampire Weekend. He directed the feature film The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy and wrote and directed the semi-autobiographical film Son of Rambow. Garth went on to write and direct the animated films Sing and Sing 2 with Illumination Entertainment which grossed more than a billion dollars at the box office, and the short film Sing Thriller, which premiered on Netflix in October 2024. In 2019, he wrote and directed the short film Madame, which was screened and presented in various international film festivals and awarded the title of Best Short. He is the author of four children’s books: The Wildest Cowboy, The Deadly Seven, The Good, the Bad and the Deadly Seven, and The Curse of the Deadly Seven. He also directed the live shows of the band Pulp for their worldwide concert tours both in 2023 and in 2025. Garth is currently writing and directing his next movie. About the subject - Jarvis Cocker is a musician & broadcaster from the north of England. He formed the band Pulp in 1978 whilst at secondary school. They went on to become one of the most successful UK groups of the 1990s. Between 2009 & 2017 he presented the BBC 6Music programme Jarvis Cocker’s Sunday Service as well as the ongoing, award-winning BBC Radio 4 documentary series Wireless Nights. He has honorary doctorates from both Sheffield Hallam University and Central Saint Martin’s School of Art (which he attended 1988-91). His lyric collection Mother, Brother, Lover was published by Faber in 2011. Good Pop, Bad Pop, his first work of long-form prose, was published by Jonathan Cape in 2022. The Sunday Service is back on air this year as Someday Service.
S1 · E296
October 21 · 17 min
The Last Place on Earth - Director David Gardner & Producer Shayne McGrath
THE LAST PLACE ON EARTH is a thrilling, nine-year journey into the heart of Sumatra’s Leuser Ecosystem—a 2.6-million-hectare rainforest where tigers, elephants, rhinos, and orangutans still roam free. Filmed by a dedicated mostly Indonesian crew, this investigative documentary follows a group of extraordinary wildlife activists as they risk everything to save one of Earth’s last untouched wildernesses from the devastation of the illegal palm oil industry. From dramatic animal rescues and high-stakes arrests of poachers to the reforestation of thousands of hectares, each victory underscores the power of human determination in the face of overwhelming odds. “The Last Place on Earth” reveals the urgent need to protect our planet’s most irreplaceable treasures before it’s too late. Director David Booth Gardner joins us in conversation. About the filmmaker - A visionary entrepreneur, David Booth Gardner possesses a diverse professional background in sports PR/management and as a writer, director and producer. Having produced hundreds of hours of programming for leading networks and Fortune 500 companies, Gardner knows exactly what it takes to successfully execute media projects for brands of all sizes. CEO & CO-FOUNDER, LIKUID ART
S1 · E295
October 20 · 12 min
The Cycle of Love - Director Orlando von Einsiedel
In 1977, PK, a 23-year-old street artist from a marginalized “untouchable” family in Delhi, set out on an extraordinary 6,000-mile journey across continents with little more than a handful of paintbrushes and a secondhand bicycle. Driven by an unwavering desire to reunite with Lotta, the Swedish woman who had captured his heart, he travels through unfamiliar landscapes, navigating borders, language barriers, and the limits imposed by class and circumstance. What begins as a deeply personal quest unfolds into a remarkable story of resilience, chance, and human connection. Along the way, PK encounters strangers who offer kindness, skepticism, and support, revealing the unpredictable ways in which lives intersect across cultures. Director Director Orlando von Einsiedel joins us for a spirited conversation on his own journey and what the story of P.K. and Lotta taught him about the power of love. About the filmmaker - The Cycle of Love Director Orlando von Einsiedel is an Academy Award–winning director and founder of the UK-based creative studio Grain Media. His work includes the Academy Award–winning THE WHITE HELMETS and the Academy Award–nominated VIRUNGA, as well as the BIFA-winning EVELYN, the Emmy-nominated LOST AND FOUND and CONVERGENCE: COURAGE IN A CRISIS, the Platino-nominated THE LOST CHILDREN, and the critically acclaimed Netflix series HEART OF INVICTUS. His latest project, THE CYCLE OF LOVE, is forthcoming. As an executive producer, his credits include the Academy Award–winning LEARNING TO SKATEBOARD IN A WAR ZONE (IF YOU’RE A GIRL), the Emmy-nominated SCOUTS HONOR, and the Emmy Award–winning BUY NOW!.
S1 · E283
October 19 · 17 min
The Art of Adventure - Director Alison Reid
From Alison Reid, the director of the critically acclaimed documentary about the late and beloved zoologist Anne Innis Dagg, The Woman Who Loves Giraffes, comes her latest feature documentary, THE ART OF ADVENTURE. An exhilarating road-trip film and a heartfelt love letter to the natural world, The Art of Adventure is an inspiring and deeply human documentary about the extraordinary lifelong friendship between world renowned wildlife artist Robert Bateman and fearless biologist Bristol Foster. Now in their 90’s, they still find sanctuary in nature. Their story is a moving reflection on legacy, mortality and the wisdom of our elders, and a reminder that humanity and nature are inseparable. About the filmmaker - Director and Producer Alison Reid is an award-winning Canadian filmmaker known for stories of adventure and exploration of the human spirit. After a groundbreaking career as a stunt performer and one of North America’s first female stunt coordinators, she founded Free Spirit Films to pursue bold, character-driven storytelling. Her debut feature, the LGBTQ2+ comedy The Baby Formula, opened the Mannheim Heidelberg Film Festival in 2008 and screened world-wide. She went on to direct and produce the critically acclaimed feature documentary The Woman Who Loves Giraffes, which won multiple Best Film and Audience Awards and enjoyed a wide theatrical release across Canada and the United States. With positive reviews by The New York Times, The Washington Post, LA Times, Variety and The Wrap, the film holds a 100% Fresh rating on Rotten Tomatoes and continues to resonate with audiences worldwide. Continuing her work spotlighting iconic, inspirational people, Alison’s new feature documentary The Art of Adventure celebrates a transformative 1957 journey by wildlife artist Robert Bateman and biologist Bristol Foster. Early on the festival circuit, the film won multiple awards, finding enthusiastic audiences. When not making films, Alison enjoys directing television.
S1 · E294
October 15 · 15 min
Miss Representation: Rise Up - Director Jennifer Siebel Newsom
Over a decade after Miss Representation exposed the media's contribution to the under- representation of women in leadership, Miss Representation: Rise Up dives deep into the cultural backlash against women's agency and power. With the proliferation of AI and deepfakes, this new era of tech-facilitated violence is exacerbating sexism and misogyny towards women and girls, in an attempt to control and silence them. With inspiring young women at its core, Miss Representation: Rise Up interweaves young women’s personal journeys alongside powerful voices in media, culture, leadership, and academia to reimagine a future that finally uplifts women and girls. We are joined by the Director and Producer of Miss Representation and Miss Representation: Rise Up! Jennifer Siebel Newsom. About the filmmaker -Jennifer Siebel Newsom is an award-winning filmmaker, influential thought leader on gender equality, and the First Partner of California. After graduating with honors from Stanford University and Stanford’s Graduate School of Business, she wrote, directed, and produced the award-winning documentary Miss Representation (2011), which explores the media's misrepresentation of women and girls and theresulting underrepresentation of women in positions of power and influence in America. As a result of Miss Representation's impact, she launched The Representation Project, a nonprofit organization that uses film, media, and education as catalysts for cultural transformation. Her subsequent films — The Mask You Live In (2015), The Great American Lie (2019), and Fair Play (2022) — further explored masculinity, systemic inequality, and domestic inequity. Jennifer also executive- produced the Emmy Award-winning and Academy Award-nominated The Invisible War (2012), and the Emmy Award-winning documentaries The Hunting Ground (2015) and On the Record (2020).
S1 · E293
October 15 · 16 min
Case 137 - Director Dominik Moll
Following the Yellow Vest protests of Paris in 2018, internal affairs officer Stéphanie Bertrand must investigate the conduct of her fellow police officers during the demonstrations. Though striving to remain objective, Stéphanie’s position leaves her at stark odds with the rest of the police force. When she scrutinizes the near-fatal assault of a teenage protester from her hometown, Stéphanie is met with growing institutional pressure to drop the case and move on. The further her investigation develops, the more Stéphanie’s faith in the system she belongs to is tested. From Dominik Moll, the award-winning French director of The Night of the 12th, comes his latest procedural -- “a piercing slow-burn examination of police brutality” (The Hollywood Reporter) led by the “marvelous” (Screen Daily) Léa Drucker in a César-winning role for Best Actress. Timely and socially resonant, CASE 137 is a tautly constructed study of institutional violence which asks charged questions about corruption and accountability in the criminal justice system. About the filmmaker - After considering a career as a wildlife filmmaker, Dominik Moll discovered the films of Alfred Hitchcock and decided to switch to fiction. He studied film at the City College of New York and at the IDHEC in Paris, where he met his long-time collaborator Gilles Marchand. Together they have written the screenplays for most of their individual films. In the 1990s, Moll worked as an editor and an assistant director (notably with Laurent Cantet and Marcel Ophuls) and directed his first feature, Intimité (1994). His second film, With a Friend like Harry, was screened in competition in Cannes in 2000 and was a hit with critics and audiences, winning 4 Césars. In his following films, Moll continued to explore genre movies, while integrating more and more social themes. In 2023, The Night of the 12th won 7 Césars after being praised by both critics and audiences. Dominik Moll has also worked on two international series, including Eden (for Arte) on the intersecting destinies of migrants throughout Europe. His latest film, Case 137, is being presented in competition at the 2025 Cannes Film Festival. Its French release is scheduled for November 19th.

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