This week, The Viewfinder Podcast welcomes writer/director Mike Nicholas, whose romantic comedy short film SEX DATE recently won both Best Film and a cash prize of $50,000 at the 2024 Louisiana Film Prize in Shreveport. Follow The Viewfinder Podcast on X: @ViewfinderPod On Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TheViewfinderPodcast Music by Audionautix…

Composer Elena Maro's unsettling avant-garde/jazz hybrid soundtrack for director Ferguson Sauvé-Rogan's 1950's-set drama Carriage Return powerfully surrounds the on-screen conflict between a lazy, writer's block-afflicted playwright Lane Williams (played by Jeremy Parr) and his outraged ex-writing partner Charlie Marlow (played by Carlos Sanchez), …

Peer pressure. Bullying. Family troubles. The need to overachieve. Depressed and overwhelmed by these problems, many teenagers try to solve them not through therapy and medication but through illicit narcotics, alcohol, criminal recklessness, self-harm and, sadly, suicide. However, numerous organizations, parents, teen survivors of suicide attempts…

On this week’s show I’m honored and proud to bring you my conversation with an actor, producer and inspirational speaker whose story is one of the most inspiring you’ll hear. His name is Charles D. Clark. He’s appeared on such primetime TV hits as the Fox drama Empire, which co-starred Terrence Howard as hip-hop king Lucious Lyon, whose once-incarc…

This week, actor/writer/producer Kevin Spirtas - co-star and co-creator of the Emmy, GLAAD (Gay and Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation) and Indie Series Award-winning drama AFTER FOREVER - joins us to talk about the acclaimed series' third and final season, now streaming on Amazon Prime. Watch all 3 seasons of the show on Amazon:https://www.amazon…

Stranded aboard a distant outer space capsule, two women discover a danger bigger than any alien in writer/director Chris Maes' claustrophobic science fiction thriller HEMISPHERE. Maes joins us to discuss the making of his extraordinary first feature film on this week's Viewfinder Podcast.Check out HEMISPHERE on Amazon and Tubi TV:Amazon: https://w…

Currently seeking funds for its production on IndieGoGo, the chilling horror film SHADOWS OF THE NIGHT is in the viewfinder on this week's show. Our guests: director/co-writer/co-producer Todd Braley, co-star/co-producer and indie horror film legend Debra Lamb, and co-writer/co-producer Itai Guberman. For more information on how you can contribute …

Joining us on this week's podcast from the indie sci-fi drama DOLWA are its writer/director Alex Suszko and co-star/co-producer Jennifer Prettyman. Find out more about DOLWA on its Facebook page:https://www.facebook.com/DolwaMovieFollow The Viewfinder Podcast on X: @ViewfinderPodOn Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TheViewfinderPodcastMusic by Aud…

Today I'm honored to welcome actor and filmmaker Anike Tourse - the writer, director and co-star of AMERICA'S FAMILY, a new movie that probes America's harsh immigration policy and its impact on the country's undocumented immigrant community through the struggles and resilience of the Diaz family: a family whose lives are suddenly altered when U.S.…

This week, I’m honored to welcome Sarah Beim, the creator of the new LGBTQ dystopian thriller cataclysm.begins. Directed by Katherine Filiseta, the series is set in a world where a faceless but oppressive religious government called The Conclave mandates personal conformity and all but outlaws disagreement with its rule, the series - which is curre…

Directed by Matthew Mishory, the emotional and picturesque documentary film Fioretta is both about a father and son’s incredible search for their family’s ancestry and about how that quest links both the generationally different men - and their heritage - in extraordinary ways. Mishory's cameras accompany avid genealogist and acclaimed lawyer Rando…

Joining me on this week’s show are three of the brilliant minds behind the acclaimed fantasy web series REN: THE GIRL WITH THE MARK - co-creators Kate Madison and Christopher Dane, and showrunner Neil Oseman. The internationally popular series’ first season, which debuted in 2016 and has racked up as many fans as it has awards, is now approaching i…

Continuing the review of the 2023 Louisiana Film Prize, I'm honored to bring you my chat with this year’s winner of the event’s Best Performance award: actor Cheryl Shelton, the star of writer/director Monique Derouselle's grand prize-winning short THE CANDY LADY. In that film, Cheryl plays the titular candy lady - here named Debra. When she's not …

For the third straight year, The Viewfinder Podcast is thrilled to bring you a recap of the annual Louisiana Film Prize. Held each October in Shreveport, and with a brilliant series of short films and filmmakers competing for the event's grand prize of $25,000, the 2023 edition of Film Prize again showcased the excellence and talent of the Pelican …

Social media networks like Facebook, Instagram, X (formerly known as Twitter), Snapchat and Tiktok are the top sources of information and communication for teenagers worldwide. Unfortunately, some of them have used those platforms not to connect with their peers or to track their favorite interests but to put themselves - and their friends - in dan…

On this very special 100th episode of The Viewfinder Podcast, I'm honored to welcome back the brilliant writer/director Scott Sullivan (TRIGGER GIRL, THE UNKNOWABLE KATHRYN BONAIR, GRAVITY). This time, he tells us about his second feature-length film CHANCES, the compelling story of a troubled gang member who's given one final chance to escape from…

On our last show, we examined the humorous side of horror in the zany spoof HAUNTED HOUSE OF PANCAKES. This week on The Viewfinder Podcast, we transition to horror in its most emotional and frightening form as we discuss the psychological thriller DISREMEMBERED, the latest feature produced by Chicago indie horror entertainment specialists Acrostar …

When a demonic waffle maker possesses a local greasy spoon's once-scrumptious menu of bacon, toast, eggs, waffles and pancakes on Halloween night, the diner's hungry patrons take up forks, knives and everything but the kitchen sink in a life-and-death standoff with killer breakfast food in the outrageous horror comedy HAUNTED HOUSE OF PANCAKES. Her…

Whether it makes you giggle, gasp, weep or tap your feet, a live theatreperformance - be it of a play or a musical - is an experience that can breathe new life into everything from Hamlet to Hamilton. Across America and around the world, theatre companies of all sizes bring that experience to their communities, with each production making the most …

The new sci-fi musical comedy TWENTYONE21 is an exciting, immersive and entertaining audio experience where two best friends/21 year olds (Cici, played by Courtney Marie Simpson, and Funks, played by Tola Lawal) are convinced that their latest trip around the sun has bestowed upon them incredible powers. As they experience in every episode, however…

The Viewfinder Podcast stands in solidarity with SAG-AFTRA and the Writers Guild of America East and West as they continue to fight for better pay and better working conditions in the film and TV industries.This week, The Viewfinder Podcast is thrilled to welcome back to our show the brilliant actor and producer Gio Drasconi! In this latest intervi…

For American families who struggle to pay for their most important needs, getting and paying for good health care isn't just a matter of life and death; it's a matter of dollars and cents. In director Mike Hogan's bleak thriller The Cost, this unbearable situation strikes an average yet troubled family - Penny (Sophie Howell), a mom who shares the …

NOTE: The following interview was recorded prior to the SAG-AFTRA strike. The Viewfinder Podcast stands in solidarity with the members of SAG-AFTRA and the Writers Guild Of America East and West as they continue to fight for better pay and better working conditions in the film and TV industry. The funny and brilliant pairing of filmmakers Kyle Vorb…

In every language, the words we say to ourselves and to others can either heal or harm. Yet when those words are uttered on the radio airwaves, even the most provocative of personalities can never comprehend what consequences can result from their rhetoric, or anticipate who might be listening, as you will see and hear for yourself in the award-win…

Last July, I talked to writer/director Creighton Hobbs about his latest feature film, the violent and emotional crime drama Binded By Tragedy, which you can now watch on Amazon Prime. Now on this week’s show, Hobbs returns with more intriguing behind-the-scenes memories of the film’s production, and joining him in his first major interview about th…

In what would be his last on-camera conversation before his passing in 2018 at the age of 82, the legendary actor/filmmaker Burt Reynolds reminisced about the highs and lows of his time in Tinseltown, offered unmistakably blunt perspectives on the present-day entertainment industry, presented invaluable lessons on acting for stars-to-be, and told n…

This week’s guest is not just an incredibly talented actor, screenwriter, producer, director, stuntwoman, singer, songwriter and author. As you’ll hear shortly, Marneen Fields is also a survivor - in more ways than one. Born in Minot, North Dakota, she survived a childhood diagnosis of emphysema and an enlarged heart, plus the loss of 80% of her he…

Cryptocurrency. Blockchain. Non-fungible tokens. What do these popular and often perplexing terms have in common with a dystopian sci-fi serial? Here to answer that question is our guest on today’s Viewfinder Podcast, actor, writer and filmmaker David Bianchi - the creator, executive producer, star and co-writer of the dark high-tech drama RZR, deb…

Now streaming on Amazon Video for rent or purchase, and co-produced by Dane Moreton (who also directed) and Lauren Durr (who also edited), CAILLOUX: THE FIGHT TO FREEDOM vividly and informatively presents the extraordinary story of Andre Cailloux, an ex-slave turned Union Army soldier who led a Black battalion against the White Confederate Army dur…

For newcomers to the entertainment industry, such as those who’ve come to Hollywood after years of learning their chosen crafts in colleges across the country, staying in the business is frequently more difficult than breaking into it. Yet today’s guests on The Viewfinder Podcast - Sam Butlien and Dani Simmons - know as much about the pitfalls of l…

This week, we continue our recap of the 2022 Louisiana Film Prize by bringing you my interview with actor and filmmaker David Long, whose bittersweet drama Betty Lou Had A Son (which was part of the 2022 Film Prize top 5 finalists and will soon debut nationally on cable channel ShortsHD) tells the story of a musician, Louis (played by Long) who’s b…

A few weeks ago in Shreveport, the 2022 Louisiana Film Prize celebrated another remarkable collection of both films shot in the Pelican State and the remarkable artists who created them. On this week’s Viewfinder Podcast I'm honored to bring you my chats with some of the great filmmakers who shared their cinematic stories with audiences both in-per…

This week, we’re talking to filmmaker Rick Ives, and though may be a newcomer to the director's chair, he's learned that good storytelling depends as much on strong pacing as it does on strong narrative thanks to his time spent as part of the editing staff for Marvel Studios on shows like Loki, The Falcon and The Winter Soldier, and Ms. Marvel. Tha…

Writer/director Levi Wilson is my guest on this week's podcast. He joins me to discuss his bittersweet coming-of-age short film LUKE AND EMMA AND A GAS STATION ON FRANKLIN AVENUE, which takes the traditional "boy meets girl" tale and puts it in a realistic setting - 1986-era small town America - where, as it sadly still is in 2022, romantic crises …

My guest on today’s show is the amazing Alonge Hawes, who previously joined me on the show a few years ago to talk about the first 2 seasons of his critically acclaimed drama BLACK ON BOTH SIDES, which, like his equally honored debut series BLUE COLLAR HUSTLE, he created, co-starred in, wrote and co-produced. Now he’s back with a new series that, w…

In the high profile world of tech startups, integrity and honesty are as important to the success of everyone who's created the latest hot app or website as it is the products themselves. Yet for three out entrepreneurs and best friends who’ve reaped the rewards of immediate fame and success for themselves and the groundbreaking sex app they’ve cre…

What if you suddenly had to start your life all over again after not just losing someone you loved, but losing the very person who took care of all your needs? What if you had to not just cope with that overwhelming loss but to do so while learning the ins and outs of being a fully independent person? Anyone would obviously see this extraordinary s…

Even though independent film and TV production company Cordell Productions is a somewhat new entrant into the entertainment industry, it's already working to bring audiences quality content while also providing a much-needed space for actors and filmmakers from diverse backgrounds to develop that content.Its talented owner and co-managing partner i…

This week’s show features a pair of interviews with two extremely talented filmmakers. First, we begin with actor and comedian Rell Battle (Peacock's KILLING IT, SUPERIOR DONUTS, THE GOOD DOCTOR, KEY AND PEELE, BLACK-ISH), who created and stars in the new comedy/mystery web series OFF FAIRFAX. The pilot episode made its world premiere at the recent…

Beauty, as they say, is always skin deep. Sometimes, the most grotesque-looking individuals are blessed with qualities that are even more gorgeous and invaluable than appearance: kindness, love, care and concern for everyone they meet. That’s how it is with the half man/half whale protagonist of an incredible new web series called BEACHED, co-writt…

Every year in summer camps throughout the country, millions of kids play, learn and gain as many lasting friendships as they do memories. The same is also true for the adult counselors who teach, encourage and occasionally discipline their young charges during their stay. Surprisingly, as you'll see in the soon-to-debut comedy series TIMBERWOOD, su…

Picking up where JUSTICE left off is author and playwright Dyanna Morrison’s LIBERTY, which the second in a trilogy of currently unproduced plays that she’s published in literary form. In LIBERTY, Judge Grace Porter Haverhill - now married and about to become a mother - will try a case that puts another one of this country’s highly revered yet cons…

Over the past few years on The Viewfinder Podcast, we've brought you great interviews with very talented actors, writers and filmmakers who ply their respective trades in the cinematic world. Yet, there are other brilliant artists doing amazing work outside the world of the moving image. One of them is author and playwright Dyanna Morrison, whose d…

When you're trying to respond to an emotionally difficult situation, how you deal with it on the outside is as important as what you feel inside, but as you'll see in the wacky new comedy web series INNARDS, what happens in our brains as we attempt to make sense of life's weirdest crises. Produced by legendary schlockmeisters Troma, and streaming o…

This week's guests, filmmakers and podcasters Logan Austin and Dustin Bergmann of Crazy Ant Media, are using the power of cinematic storytelling to fight back against hate, violence and suicide through their directorial debut, the suspenseful yet timely short film drama DEADLINES. The film takes place in the immediate aftermath of a school shooting…

This week, we're joined by an up-and-coming actor and filmmaker whose growing filmography represents both his outstanding talent and his remarkable commitment to his craft. It's a commitment that's motivated and inspired by someone who's a very important source in his life, as we'll discuss with our guest, Gio Drasconi. Check out Gio's official web…

Today’s guest, Jeff Knoll, the co-creator and showrunner of a hilarious yet charming new comedy web series called COMING DISTRACTIONS, is someone who’s seen more than his share of interesting and entertaining moments both on and off the silver screen. His memories of working in several local movie theaters, including the one he currently runs in hi…

Almost 30 years before shows like Hulu’s ONLY MURDERS IN THE BUILDING and the box office hit KNIVES OUT grabbed audiences and awards while bringing a comic edge to the old-fashioned whodunit genre, actor and filmmaker Beau Marie brought together a zany but skilled company of actors to create one of the most twisted murder mystery comedies put on 16…

A few months ago, The Viewfinder Podcast brought you some great conversations with several of the brilliant actors and filmmakers who took part in the 2021 Louisiana Film Prize. Now with the eleventh annual edition of this incredible showcase taking place in Shreveport later this year, there's never been a better time - nor have there been better i…

Great characters in film and TV, and the brilliant actors who portray them, are often remembered as much for their spectacular looks as they are their masterful performances. Creating many of those looks for shows like Orphan Black, Shadowhunters, The Expanse, Hemlock Grove, Cardinal and the hit Netflix thriller Locke and Key is veteran hairstylist…