Episode 220: Donna: Stronger than Pretty

This episode is very special and very bittersweet. You may remember when I spoke with Jaret Martino and Pat Branch when they made the short called Stronger than Pretty. Well, they are back because the feature film version, Donna: Stronger than Pretty is about to have its worldwide release on February 23rd, after a great festival run. I also had the honor to talk to Donna Martino herself, Jaret’s mom, whose story the film tells. We recorded this last February on the weekend of its festival premiere, where it won basically all the awards. It was impossible to know at the time that Donna would be diagnosed with cancer very shortly afterward, and she passed away on September 3rd of 2020. As you will hear, Donna was a remarkable woman and mother and Jaret’s tribute to her in the form of this film will inspire you, as it has inspired me.

Pat and Jaret co-wrote the script, and Jaret directed it. I start out talking with Jaret and Donna, and Pat joins later on, fresh from an awards ceremony where she was collecting all the trophies. I’m so happy for them for the success of this film and what a beautiful tribute it is to Donna and her story of strength and perseverance.

Episode 219: Sista Brunch hosts Fanshen Cox and Anya Adams

For this episode, I got to meet the brilliant hosts of the Sista Brunch podcast. Sista Brunch is a podcast about black women+ thriving in entertainment & media careers. My two guests are Fanshen Cox and Anya Adams.

Fanshen is an Award-winning playwright, actor, producer & educator She just wrapped up seven years of touring her one-woman show: One Drop of Love and she is also a Producer and Development Executive at Matt Damon and Ben Affleck’s Pearl Street Films. She serves on the board of The Annenberg Inclusion Initiative and on the Kennedy Center’s Turnaround Arts Equity Advisory Committee. And Fanshen is also a co-author of the Inclusion Rider which was announced at the 2018 Oscar awards by Frances McDormand.

Anya Adams is an award-winning director, most recently taking home the NAACP Image Award for Best Director in Comedy for 2020. Anya’s career skyrocketed after directing an episode of Blackish in 2017. Since then she has gone on to direct the Netflix pilot Ginny and Georgia, episodes of The Good Place, Single Parents, G.L.O.W., Charmed, Fresh off the Boat, Speechless and many more.

This is juicy, and it is real talk. The f-bombs fly. You’ve been warned. And go subscribe to Sista Brunch. Although I don’t even need to tell you that. You are about to fall in love.

Episode 218: Sienna Beckman, Co-founder & Creative Director of Emergence Films

Today I got to speak with Sienna Beckman from all the way across the pond. Sienna is the Co-founder & Creative Director of Emergence Films (based in London & LA).  Living and working in Los Angeles for 10 years, Sienna has produced for NBC Universal, Scott Free Productions, Verizon go90, Fullscreen Media, Esquire TV, Refinery29, Prettybird Entertainment, and Disney’s Maker Studios, among others.

Emergence Films is a film and television development and production company dedicated to championing female filmmakers and committed to creating more opportunities for underrepresented voices in storytelling around the world. In addition to producing, Sienna is an active member of Women in Film & TV UK and Times Up UK, and she hosts a speed-networking event series with WFTV to promote the hiring of more female crew members, creatives, and technicians.

We talked all about her finding her place in London and growing her company.

Episode 217: Sujata Day, Actor, Writer, Director

Today, I got to catch up with previous guest, Sujata Day. With her infectious personality and unique sense of humor, Pittsburgh native Sujata Day has firmly established herself in Hollywood as a performer, creator, writer, and director. She regularly performs in Upright Citizen Brigade's hit Asian AF show.

Sujata is known for her starring role as CeCe in Issa Rae’s The Misadventures of Awkward Black Girl. She's recurred for three seasons on HBO's Insecure.

Sujata is a Sundance Lab fellow, Sundance Film Festival influencer, and Sundance Collab advisor. Her short film, Cowboy and Indian, sold to a major studio for series development with Sujata writing, producing and starring. She served as HBO Visionaries Ambassador in 2019. She directs This Is My Story, a series in which beloved storyteller LeVar Burton narrates real life personal experiences of everyday racism.

Sujata's debut feature film, Definition Please, is currently screening on the virtual film festival circuit, starting with its World Premiere at Bentonville Film Festival in August 2020.

Episode 216: Cecilia Escobar, Founder, Accountant, Payroll Expert

For this episode, I sat with Cecilia Escobar, Founder and President of Smart Accounting Solutions. With more than 30 years of Entertainment Payroll and Accounting Expertise Cecilia has held executive and senior management roles for multiple entertainment payroll companies like Media Services and Axium, and most recently, she was the Vice President of Payroll Operations at Entertainment Partners. 

In between these positions, she freelanced as a payroll and production accountant on major motion pictures and studios for over 18 years.

Cecilia is a Multi-Cultural Client Business Partner, leading efforts for Multi-Cultural Diversity in the Industry. She has hosted many Diversity Client events as well as sponsorships to Diversity Production Summits and Trade Shows. One of her latest pet-projects is bridging Latin American Film Productions with their US counterparts. 

Cecilia is currently a member of multiple entertainment industry associations including N.A.L.I.P., Women In Film, and Hispanic Professionals.

She has just started a non-profit called Sandbar Sanctuary – a Horse Rescue and Equine Therapy for Abused Women. With her love of horses, she hopes to help women bond and find a way to heal through therapeutic equine experiences. 

To reach Cecilia: Info@sasolutionsinc.com

Episode 214: Jennifer Aurianne DaRe, CEO, Founder, Manager, Producer

Jennifer Aurianne DaRe is the founder and CEO of ATN Entertainment, a premiere talent management company in Los Angeles that specializes in the representation of artists in entertainment from film, television, music, literature and more. Since founding ATN in 2015, she has grown the roster to over 100 clients under her leadership, including a strong presence of women and the LGBTQ community.

Now in her fifth year of running the company, DaRe’s tenure has resulted in tremendous success with previously unknown clients achieving acclaim. Her accomplishments led to the launch of the production and development division of the company, ATN Productions. The debut project for the banner will be a TV adaptation of the YouTube comedy series “PANIC,” which is slated for release in Q2 of 2021.

Prior to the founding of ATN Entertainment, DaRe was an executive vice president at a then reputable management company that she transitioned to from her time as an independent music manager for bands, record producers and solo artists. Her music connections developed as the singer and manager of the successful folk-rock band, The Extinct. For 12 years, The Extinct shared stages with artists such as Stone Temple Pilots, No Doubt, Incubus, Maroon 5 (Kara’s Flowers), Alien Ant Farm as well as many other successful acts of the 90’s.

Jennifer was also sole producer and curator of The ATN Showcase from 2005 - 2013 that featured musical artists from all over the globe at the SXSW music festival. It was the largest and longest-running independent showcase in SXSW history at the time.

Jennifer’s experience, expertise and work ethic make her one of the most respected and sought after talent managers in the business, and after hearing this, you will know why.

Episode 213: Finnerty Steeves, Actor, Writer, Producer

For this episode I got to sit with Finnerty Steeves. Now, you know Finnerty as an actor from the shows, Orange is the New Black, Half Life, Louie, House of Cards, Smash, Sopranos – basically everything, including a lot of Broadway credits. What you may not yet know is that she just wrote, produced and starred in her own feature film called Before/During/After. This sharp-witted dramedy studies a middle-aged NYC theatre actress suddenly forced to figure out the kind of person she wants to portray in real life when her marriage comes to an end after she catches her husband cheating.

It is a gorgeous film and for this particular middle-aged woman who got divorced, it really resonated. We had a delicious talk about acting, the craft, the journey of making a movie and of going through one of those life experiences that really makes you who you are.

Episode 212: Chloë Thomas, Director

For this episode, I spoke with BAFTA and RTS nominated Chloë Thomas who is in the UK and most recently directed all episodes of the psychological thriller The Deceived, created by Lisa McGee of Derry Girls fame and Tobias Beer.

Just before that Chloë directed episodes of Harlots and Victoria and she is attached to direct the feature film Making Babies - a rom-fertility-com by Deborah Frances-White, with Redwave Films. 

Previously, Chloë was known for comedy directing; Sharon Horgan’s early sitcom Angelo's, followed by being BAFTA nominated for directing the first ever series of Horrible Histories.

Chloë also develops her own pilots through her company One Glove Films.  We had a good chat about directing, both as a woman and an introvert, and exploring new models of power.

Episode 201: Lesli Linka Glatter, Director

For this episode, I was lucky enough to meet Lesli Linka Glatter. Lesli is a director of film, network, and premium cable television drama, with both pilots and episodes to her credit. Lesli’s TV work includes Homeland, The Newsroom, The Walking Dead, Justified, Ray Donovan, Masters of Sex, True Blood, Mad Men, The Leftovers, The Good Wife, The West Wing, NYPD Blue, ER, Freaks and Geeks and Twin Peaks. Lesli has also directed numerous pilots including Gilmore Girls, Pretty Little Liars and SIX. Her films include Now and Then, The Proposition and for HBO, State of Emergency.

Lesli is currently the Executive Producer/Director of the award winning series Homeland. Lesli has received eight Emmy nominations, seven Directors Guild Award nominations, winning twice for Mad Men and Homeland, as well as a Humanitas Award nomination for HBO’s State of Emergency. Lesli is currently developing projects for Netflix, Amazon, Showtime, Epix and her next project is The Bankers Wife , an eight-part mini series for Amazon.

Lesli serves as the First Vice President of the Directors Guild of America, is on the DGA’s Western Directors Council, serves on the Executive Committee of the Directors Branch of The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. She is also an advisor at the Sundance Institute’s Director’s Lab. Lesli has been committed to mentoring for many years and most recently help develop the successful NBC program, Female Forward. Lesli has received the Caucus Foundation Award, the Dorothy Arzner Directing Award from Women in Film and the Franklin Schaffner Award from the American Film Institute and most recently, an Honorary Degree from the American Film Institute.

Prior to her work as a director, Lesli was a modern dance choreographer who worked throughout Europe, Asia and the U.S.

Episode 138: Julia Camara, Filmmaker, Writer

This episode is brought to you by:

To kick off this year, I sat down with writer and filmmaker Julia Camara. Originally from Brazil, Julia has made several award-winning shorts. She has also written the feature films Area Q, Open Road, and Occupants. She recently released her experimental feature film called In Transit, which won Best Experimental film at the Glendale International Film Festival and is available to rent or buy on Amazon Video.

We talked about her career, her films, and spent a minute unpacking the Kavanagh hearings, as we recorded during that week. Somehow, we kept our sense of humor, because we laugh a lot about the absurdity of gender inequality.

Episode 134: Julia Lynn Huffman, Storyteller, Filmmaker, Coach

This episode is brought to you by:

Julia started out in broadcast journalism and acting, and then transitioned to working behind the camera. Having worked in the television industry for over two decades and cutting her teeth as a coordinator, writer, producer, shooter and editor for companies like E! Entertainment, Steven Bochko Productions and HGTV, Julia went on to direct, write and produce her own feature film and become one of a handful of female directors to win multiple awards in the film festival circuit and secure world-wide distribution for her first feature film, endorsed by Dr Jane Goodall, Medicine of the Wolf.

Julia just finished her short film WOLF SPIRIT starring world renowned National Geographic photographer Jim Brandenburg and will be using the film as a tool for education about the value of wolves and their necessary place on the north American landscape.

We talked about her passion projects, tenacity in the business, and the state of women in the world. As we do.

You can reach Julia via LinkedIn here: https://www.linkedin.com/in/julia-h-30a7734/

Episode 131: Monique Sorgen, Writer, Director

This episode is brought to you by:

Monique is a writer and director of TV and film. After graduating from UCLA, Monique worked as a director’s assistant in television dramas and comedies. She then made a short film, Pants on Fire, which garnered international distribution and led to writing jobs such as “Blind Date,” and for variety and alternative shows on Comedy Central, and VH1; after which she landed a staff position at ABC in a development think tank.

Monique has also written the feature films The Babymaker, a Chinese remake of the film Love Stinks, Rock n’ Roll Princess, and All the Way Down. In 2014, she was selected as a finalist for the ABC TV writing program. During this time, Monique also completed her first novel, How Long You Should Wait to Have Sex.

Her most recent directing work includes several music videos, a web series pilot, and 3 unscripted series for the international network Fashion One, which she produced in the Philippines.  

There is more, but I will let her tell it in the interview. Also, she has many stories about being the only woman in a writer’s room. Let’s just say it wasn’t awesome, but it does seem to be getting better.

Now, a brief disclaimer. We conducted this interview outside in a park. So, there is plenty of ambient noise of children, traffic, and an ill-times roofer across the street. Pretend you are on a nature walk and having this conversation with Monique. It will be worth it, I promise.

You can reach Monique here:

Twitter: http://twitter.com/#!/moniquesorgen 

Vimeo: http://vimeo.com/moniquesorgen

Facebook:  https://www.facebook.com/moniquesorgenlove/

Website: https://sorgenm.wixsite.com/moniquesorgen

New Short Film website: https://sorgenm.wixsite.com/sorrynotsorry

Short film twitter: https://twitter.com/NotSorryFilm 

Book: "HOW LONG YOU SHOULD WAIT TO HAVE SEX" on Amazon:

http://www.amazon.com/How-Long-Should-Wait-Have-ebook/dp/B00CCH4VIQ

Episode 130: Ellen Gerstein, Actor, Writer, Producer, Director

This episode is brought to you by:

Ellen is an award-winning writer, director, producer, and actor. She is a member of: Women In Film, The Alliance of Women Directors, LA Film Team, Film Independent, The Actors Studio and SAG-AFTRA. Apart from having a million credits in film, television and theatre, she has also worked as a psychotherapist, and a stand-up comic.

Without sounding too biased, this is one of my very favorite interviews. If you have ever studied acting in New York, this will take you back. Ellen is delicious, and prepare yourself, you are about to fall in love with her.

You can find Ellen here: www.ellengerstein.com

Episode 97: Sujata Day, Actor, Writer, Producer, Director

Sujata is an Actor. She is known for her roles as Sarah on HBO’s Insecure, and as CeCe in the precursor to that show, Awkward Black Girl. She is also a Writer, Producer, and Director and has several other shorts and series produced as well as more projects in development.

We talked about what it’s like to be a woman of color in Hollywood when you don’t really fit into other people’s preconceived notions. We also talked about this year’s very promising pilot season that features many characters of color that are not caricatures, but rather real people. Things are looking up!

Episode 95 Melissa Vitello, Filmmaker

Melissa is an independent filmmaker. Her film “Speak Now” is available on Amazon Prime, and she has several more projects going at the same time.

She writes, directs and produces, and we discuss the life of an indie filmmaker. Her husband is her business partner and we also talked about balancing work and home and when you get to win the tie breaker.

You can find Melissa here:

Instagram: @francescanatalephoto

Twitter: @darkheartwriter

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/darkheartfilms/
 

The Sound of Settling: https://www.facebook.com/soundofsettlingmovie/?ref=bookmarks

Newsletter sign up: http://eepurl.com/b3ct39

Episode 91: Christina Kallas, Director, Writer, Professor

This episode is brought to you by...

Christina is a Writer, Director, and a Professor. Her latest film The Rainbow Experiment recently debuted at Slamdance to much acclaim. Her first film, 42 Seconds of Happiness won numerous awards, including Best Feature Film at WTxFF in Texas, Best Ensemble Cast at Harlem IFF, Indie Spirit Award and Best Ensemble Cast at Princeton IFF, just to scratch the surface.

She has been teaching at Columbia University’s and Barnard College’s Film Programs since 2011, and is the author of six books, including Creative Screenwriting: Understanding Emotional Structure and Inside the Writers’ Room (Palgrave/Macmillan, 2010 & 2014).

She has a unique perspective on the writing process, actors, and multi-protagonist filmmaking. She has the voice of an artist.

Episode 83: Selyna Warren and Marissa Read, Producers, Writers, Actors, Directors

Selyna and Marissa are Show Runners/Executive Producers of their YouTube Red show called Foursome. They sold their first show at 24 and they are going strong, making their unique mark in this business. They are prolific writers, passionate actors, and have just added Directors to their resumes.

And they have warned you, steer clear of the common table at Republic of Pie if you don’t want to get caught in their uproar.

Episode 82: Rachel Feldman, Director, Writer

Rachel is a Director and Writer. She has Directed many hours of television as well as films, and is currently developing the Lilly Ledbetter story for a feature film that she will also direct. Having been in this business since she was the voice of Lucy in the Peanuts cartoons, she has an important perspective on this business and where we are headed – for women in particular.

She has been directing television since Doogie Howser. And yet, she is asked to shadow before being hired. The hiring criteria for men and women is still different, and we are still operating under the myth that women in general need more training. There are hundreds, if not thousands, of female directors ready to work right now. No more training required. Let’s shift the focus away from more training and onto the people who hire to insist on more inclusion.

And you can sense an artist when you are talking to them.

Episode 78: Jen McGowan, Director

Jen McGowan is a film Director who directed the shorts Confessions of a Late Bloomer and Touch, and the feature film Kelly and Cal, which is a delicious movie that you can see on the streaming platforms. This film won the Gamechanger award at SXSW. She is currently finishing her next film called Rust Creek.

Jen is also the founder of the amazing group for women in this business called Film Powered – which she tells us all about.

If you are in LA in the film community, you have seen Jen everywhere lately. She has a big online platform, she is speaking on panels, she is doing the work. A somewhat reluctant activist, she is paving the way forward for the women behind her.

And this: As long as women don’t get to tell the stories, we will have no control over our destiny.

You can find Jen here.

Episode 70: BARE and Get In Touch

Kerith Lemon and Rebecca Hall wrote and produced a beautiful short film called BARE. Rebecca was diagnosed with breast cancer at 25, and the film explores an extraordinary moment of sisterhood along her journey. Cancer sucks, but the sisterhood gives us hope. As it always does.  You can see a trailer of the film here.

Social Links

https://www.facebook.com/BareAShortFilm/

https://twitter.com/bareshortfilm

https://www.instagram.com/bareshortfilm/

Betsy Nilan is the President of the Get In Touch Foundation, which is dedicated to breast health education and awareness, starting at an early age. You can get involved with the foundation here.