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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 never before-heard stories of life on and off the set in the upcoming documentary film Burt Reynolds: The Last Interview, directed by our guest on this week’s podcast, Rick Pamplin. I’m thrilled to welcome him to talk about all this and more on this week’s Viewfinder Podcast. See the film's official trailer here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_rkVMgeOYjU Find out more about Burt Reynolds: The Last Interview and Rick's other film Movie Money Confidential here: https://www.moviemoney.com/ Music by Audionautix.com

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 hearing in her left ear.  Despite those physical struggles, Fields excelled as both a student and an athlete, dazzling fans with her acrobatics as a member of the Utah State University women’s gymnastics team. In 1976, her agility caught the eye of famed movie and TV stunt performer Paul Stader, who prepared her for the next chapter of her remarkable life: Hollywood. Fields broke the proverbial glass ceiling for female stunt actors while taking the leaps, hits and falls for some of Hollywood’s greatest stars on the big screen in The Swarm, The Howling, The Concorde: Airport '79, Beyond The Poseidon Adventure, and Clint Eastwood’s The Gauntlet. She made her mark on the small screen, too, in made-for-TV movies such as High Midnight and The Coven and shows like Scarecrow and Mrs. King, Murder, She Wrote, The Fall Guy, Dynasty and Matlock. Simultaneously, Fields also came into her own as a speaking performer with appearances alongside Eastwood in The Gauntlet, James Garner on The Rockford Files, Bruce Boxleitner on Scarecrow and Mrs. King, Jeff Goldblum in The Legend of Sleepy Hollow, Olivia de Havilland and Fred Macmurray in Irwin Allen’s 1978 disaster movie The Swarm, and Dick Van Dyke in director Stanley Kramer’s 1979 religious drama The Runner Stumbles. In 1985 Fields became the first stunt performer-turned speaking actor to become a prominent part of a motion picture’s ensemble cast when she co-starred in the chilling medical thriller Hellhole, but when a calamitous car crash almost ended her life and career, she began a physically painful but spiritually rejuvenating journey that led to the second act of her storybook show business story: being a prolific, award-winning filmmaker, screenwriter, vocalist, songwriter and published author.  Fields has written two books: the biographical Cartwheels and Halos: The True Marneen Fields Story, published by Trilogy Publishing (a division of religious cable network TBN), and The Illusive Craft of Acting: An Actor's Preparation Process, her acclaimed instructional guide for aspiring on-camera performers. Her screenplays have won or been nominated for numerous awards.  She’s also written and performed original songs, such as “I’m Gonna Be A Hollywood Stuntman” (based on her screenplay Johnny Hawk A.K.A Hard Nuts), “I’ll Never Kiss His Lips Again”, “Release My Love” and “I’ve Never Ever Stopped Loving You”, just to name a few. On this edition of the Viewfinder Podcast, Marneen talks to me about not just her extraordinary experiences as an actor and stuntwoman but also two upcoming projects that chronicle the public and private sides of her fascinating history. First, there’s the feature-length film Who's Gonna Take Care Of Me?, written, produced and directed by Fields and starring the actor in the emotionally challenging role of her late, schizophrenia-afflicted mother.  Then, we discuss the soon-to-be published book Rollin' With The Punches. Co-authored by Fields and prolific film historian John Harrison, the volume is a comprehensive compendium of both her outstanding stunt career and her memories of life as “Hollywood’s Original Fall Girl”. I’m honored and delighted to have Marneen join me now on the Viewfinder Podcast. Check out Marneen's IMDB page for a full list of credits: https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0276312/ Follow The Viewfinder Podcast on Twitter @ViewfinderPod On Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TheViewfinderPodcast Music by Audionautix.com

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, debuting later this year on Gala Film (a division of Gala Games, itself a leader in blockchain-backed gaming). Co-produced by Gala and Bianchi’s Exertion3 production outfit, and distributed on the popular Ethereum blockchain (which David and I will talk about later on in our interview), this groundbreaking new 8 episode thriller is set in the dangerous underworld of a near-future Los Angeles, where a scarred yet skilled ex-soldier (Grimm, played by Bianchi) combines the power of the web - which he connects to through a highly potent brain implant - with the power of his intellect to survive in a city imperiled by menacing thieves and malicious hackers.  Once RZR’s first season debuts, viewers will get an opportunity to buy valuable non-fungible tokens - or NFTs - collectible items including a free link to the entire series and extra behind-the-scenes footage, plus other extras that will be announced in the months to follow.  RZR’s page on Gala Film: https://film.gala.com/films/rzr  Follow The Viewfinder Podcast on Twitter @ViewfinderPod  On Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TheViewfinderPodcast Music by Audionautix.com

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 during the Siege of Port Hudson, and whose heroism and sacrifice during the Civil War made him a catalyst for both the abolition of slavery in America and the beginning of full civil rights for Black Americans in the centuries since the end of the Civil War. Andre Cailloux's story, as well as that of his bond with White abolitionist priest Father Claude Maistre, who ministered to Andre and his fellow troops against the wishes of his superiors in the New Orleans Archdiocese, had been all but forgotten by everyone except for the most experienced historians. No photos or journals of Andre's survived, which made the job of telling this story harder than Dane and Lauren could have comprehended. Luckily, thanks to commentary from local historians and experts, archival paintings and news clippings from the Civil War era, and sequences featuring artist Langston Allston creating an epic mural that commemorates the lives of Andre, his family and Father Maistre outside the very same church that brought them together - the former St. Rose de Lima Catholic Church located on Bayou Road in New Orleans, now known as the Andre Cailloux Center for Performing Arts and Cultural Justice - the incredible life of one of American history's most unsung heroes is finally on the record. Check out the film on Amazon Video: https://www.amazon.com/gp/video/detail/B0B8M83R6F/ Find out more about CAILLOUX: THE FIGHT TO FREEDOM on its official web site: https://www.caillouxthemovie.com/ More details about the film on Facebook:  https://www.facebook.com/CaillouxTheMovie/ On Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/caillouxthemovie/ Follow The Viewfinder Podcast on Twitter @ViewfinderPod On Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TheViewfinderPodcast Music by Audionautix.com 

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 life in showbiz as they do the possibilities, which is why they’ll be starting a new podcast premiering this Spring - called You Just Have To Trust The Process - that will help current and future Tinseltown newbies to learn what it really takes to be a success in the glamorous yet unforgiving world of entertainment, and how they can keep the inherent pressures of that world from overtaking them. Sam and Dani will co-host You Just Have To Trust The Process, and they co-produced the show with Noelle Mpinga, who also co-created it with Sam. I’m honored to have Sam and Dani join me now on this podcast to talk about their upcoming show, and how the topics and guests they’ll bring forward on that show will enhance the lives of Hollywood’s next generation of leaders. Connect with You Just Have To Trust The Process on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/youjusthavetotrusttheprocess/ Follow The Viewfinder Podcast on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TheViewfinderPodcast On Twitter: @ViewfinderPod Music by Audionautix.com 

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 been forced to deal with the most heartbreaking crisis of his life: seeing his beloved mother and former concert pianist Betty Lou (played by Babs George) slowly succumb to the memory-stealing effects of Alzheimer’s disease. While this crisis takes a painful toll on both mother and son, they eventually find out that their love for each other - and for music - is far stronger than the illness that’s changed their lives. Long, whose own mother passed away from Alzheimer’s several years ago, wrote and directed Betty Lou Had A Son to reach not only audiences who’ve found themselves caring for those impacted by this horrible disease, but to examine a rarely explored yet incredibly important side of parenthood in film: the relationship - and love - between mother and son. David accomplished that in a thought-provoking, tender and memorable way, as he tells us now on this week’s Viewfinder Podcast. Follow The Viewfinder Podcast on Twitter: @ViewfinderPod On Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TheViewfinderPodcast Music by Audionautix.com

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-person and virtually as part of this year’s top 20 finalists for the prestigious Film Prize. The top five honorees for the 2022 Prize were BAMBER BRIDGE, directed by and co-starring Mark Bonner (last year's Grand Prize winner for SHREVEPORT SON), CREDIT, directed by the husband and wife team of Patrick and Susan Kirton, UNICORN POOP, directed by and co-starring Lorna Street Dopson, BETTY LOU HAD A SON, directed by and co-starring David Michael Long, and this year's Grand Prize winner, THEY GROW UP SO FAST, directed by and co-starring John Beach. All of these films will soon premiere nationwide on cable channel Shorts HD, with more festival appearances to come. I hope to have David, Lorna and John on to discuss their projects on a future edition of The Viewfinder Podcast. This week, though, I'm thrilled to have Mark, Patrick and Susan on our show to discuss their outstanding Louisiana Film Prize projects, which are, respectively, BAMBER BRIDGE and CREDIT. Set in World War II, BAMBER BRIDGE stars Bonner as Carter Jones, a Black American soldier in the midst of a pen pal friendship with a White British officer, Elaine Rose (played by Emma Rose Wagner). As their connection unexpectedly goes from long distance to up close and personal during a night out at a local bar, the evils of racism put Carter and Elaine in as much jeopardy off the battlefield as their countrymen face on it. Co-directed by veteran actors Patrick and Susan Kirton, written by Susan Kirton and with its script adapted by her daughter Haley (who also co-stars in the film and worked as a first assistant director on the project), CREDIT is the heartfelt and heartwarming story of a once-successful actor (Richard Washington, played by longtime GENERAL HOSPITAL star Brad Maule) who mentors a teen pop star-turned silver screen newcomer (Mason Scott, played by the Kirtons' son Eric) as he prepares to star in his first movie. With Richard’s career all but stalled thanks to a tabloid scandal, he sees promise in Mason, and by teaching him, he sees a chance to rehabilitate his damaged reputation - much to the outrage of Mason’s controlling, image-conscious agent Sam Siegal (played by Blayne Weaver), who’ll leave no stone unturned in keeping his young wunderkind from possibly meeting the same fate as the man who’s helping him to finally become a serious thespian. Filmmakers, register for next year’s Film Prize here: https://prizefest.com/film/ Follow The Viewfinder Podcast on Twitter: @ViewfinderPod On Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TheViewfinderPodcast Music by Audionautix.com

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.  That knowledge paid off as Ives completed his first solo feature film, the unnerving heist thriller Solid Rock Trust (which he wrote, directed and distributed via his production company Flashbulb Films). You can already rent or buy it on Amazon Video, and the movie will later be available on services like YouTube Movies, Tubi, IMDB and Google Play. Set almost entirely in one location, Solid Rock Trust stars Koko Marshall - in one of the most remarkable performances I've seen in any movie or TV series this year -  as Maddie, an expert criminal who coordinates a complex bank robbery that initially runs like clockwork as she deceives, persuades and manipulates a corps of disparate thieves. Yet the carefully planned job falls apart as Maddie’s fake identities are uncovered, and as her team's mission soon turns into a bloodbath. Once she's confronted by her estranged lover and heist team member Rowan (played by Alexander Hearth), Maddie must choose between love and money - and the consequences of her choice could destroy them both. Now I'm honored to welcome Rick Ives to talk about how his incredible debut film went from script to screen on this week's Viewfinder Podcast. Check out Flashbulb Film's Linktree page, featuring links to rent/buy Solid Rock Trust and the studio's social media networks: https://linktr.ee/flashbulbfilms Follow The Viewfinder Podcast on Twitter @ViewfinderPod On Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/TheViewfinderPodcast Music by Audionautix.com 

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 all but pale in comparison to the cruelty and discrimination leveled against people of different cultures and ethnicities. Inside this landscape lives a young Asian-American child, Luke (played by Coulter Ibanez). One afternoon, Luke and his mother, an immigrant from Thailand named Noi (Jazz Sunpanich), go on what soon becomes an emotionally revealing stop at a gas station mini-mart as Luke sees the girl of his dreams: Emma (played by Christina Gobes), who like her father David (portrayed by Michael Giese), is White. Luke and Emma learn that in spite of their different ethnic backgrounds, they have far more in common than they believe, but their connection is tested severely in a world where bigotry poisons the heart as much as it does the mind. Inspired by Wilson’s own childhood and experiences growing up in a biracial family, the filmmaker sought to create what he called a "semi-autobiographical" drama in making LUKE AND EMMA. It's a story that presents kids and the biracial community in a smart, authentic light. It's a story that's certain to make audiences reexamine - and hopefully, overcome - their inherent prejudices. It's a story that features characters who just want their piece of the American Dream, but whose pursuit of that dream is made harder in a country that in many ways hasn't yet become 'a more perfect union'. LUKE AND EMMA has already been shot as a proof-of-concept for a planned feature film expansion, and is now seeking donations to finish its production on crowdfunding service Seed & Spark. I'm honored to welcome in Levi Wilson to talk about this thought-provoking and relevant project on this week's show. Contribute to LUKE AND EMMA's Seed&Spark campaign here: https://seedandspark.com/fund/luke-and-emma Follow The Viewfinder Podcast on Twitter @ViewfinderPod On Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TheViewfinderPodcast Music by Audionautix.com

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, while more lighthearted in tone than his previous two shows, continues to spotlight the modern Black experience in America through powerful, relatable and authentic characters. That series is called SILVER AND GOLD, an exciting, fun and highly suspenseful look at a team of skilled thieves - Charles Goldar, played by Quentin Williams, and Bahiya Payne, portrayed by Britanney Traylor - who make the move from small-time cons to big-time ripoffs. With their new partners, skilled computer hacker Cierra Valentine (played by Alonge’s real life sister, Shani Hawes) and hard-nosed bandit Sosa Gerena (played by Roberto Cruz, Jr.) backing them up on each scam, Charles and Bahiya are out to pull the rugs, jewels and money out from their unwitting targets, but instead they find themselves in more danger than they ever could have anticipated. SILVER AND GOLD’s first season premiered on Tuesday, October 11th, with new episodes airing each subsequent Tuesday exclusively on Jaro, a subscription service dedicated to delivering the best movies, web series, art and journalism made by and for Black audiences. All ten episodes will be available on Jaro’s web site and Roku channel. Links to both platforms are available in the notes for this week’s podcast. SILVER AND GOLD, and Hawes’ next series - the more serious-minded drama GOOD BLACK MAN, its streaming debut yet to be determined - had their world premieres several weeks ago at the recent Minnesota Web Fest, where both shows took home several awards. In addition to sharing the honors for Best Marketing, SILVER AND GOLD won for Best Series Script, and GOOD BLACK MAN was honored for Best Representation of Communities of Color. I’m honored to welcome back Alonge Hawes to talk about all this and much more on this week’s Viewfinder Podcast. Watch SILVER AND GOLD on Jaro Media’s web site: https://jaromedia.watchjaro.com/silver-gold/ The series is also available on Jaro Media’s Roku channel: https://channelstore.roku.com/details/1daa6892e627a7aa6e05ce1d5890dfff/jaro-tv Follow The Viewfinder Podcast on Twitter @ ViewfinderPod On Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TheViewfinderPodcast Music by Audionautix.com

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 created for LGBTQ women, their personal challenges threaten to jeopardize their public reputations as much as they do their happiness in the new short film DIVR. This week on the Viewfinder Podcast, I’m joined by two of the brilliant filmmakers behind this award-winning drama: writer Rae Binstock and director Zoey Martinson. Adapted by Binstock from her original episodic pilot screenplay, DIVR had its most recent screening at the Hollyshorts Film Festival in Los Angeles, and while the series version of this film is still in development, its next screenings will take place this September at the New York Latino Film Festival and at the Portland Film Festival in October, among others. The film co-stars Maria Fernanda Diez (who also co-produced DIVR with Binstock) as Sula, who along with business partners Rebecca (played by B. Bastian) and McQueen (played by Bianca Norwood) instantly become rock stars in the business world and in the LGBTQ community as their popular app - named DIVR - thrusts them into a rapidly uncomfortable spotlight; one made even more difficult as behind the scenes, Sula falls in love with a straight male (Eric, played by George Olesky), Rebecca fights a heartbreaking battle with bipolar disorder and McQueen struggles with her sexual identity. With these complications putting their credibility and that of their business at stake, all three women must choose between being true to themselves at the risk of being revealed as frauds, or keeping up appearances while privately carrying on a costly deception. DIVR is a great film, and I am honored to have Rae and Zoey on the show to talk about it. Follow Rae Binstock on Twitter and Instagram: @highlyraeted Follow Zoey Martinson on Twitter and Instagram: @ZoeyMartinson Rae's web site: https://www.raebinstock.com/ Zoey's web site: https://www.zoeymartinson.com Follow The Viewfinder Podcast on Twitter @ViewfinderPod Follow The Viewfinder Podcast on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TheViewfinderPodcast Music by Audionautix.com

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 situation as an overwhelming challenge, including the title protagonist in the new drama AVA: A TWIST IN THE ROAD (written, directed by and starring our guest on this week’s Viewfinder Podcast, actor Catherane Skillen). Catherane plays Ava, an older woman who’s seemingly set for life thanks to her longtime lover, the financially secure - albeit already married - businessman Bobby (played by Bill Lewis).  Yet when Bobby’s sudden death from a heart attack robs Ava of her beloved companion, it also takes away her equally irreplaceable sense of personal security. While Ava tries to make sense of this tragedy, Bobby’s vengeful son Bob Jr. (played by Steve Dellatori) sees her as a home wrecker who’s destroyed his family as his mother - and Bobby’s longtime wife - struggles with mental illness.  Luckily for Ava, she has the invaluable support of friends who’ve been with her no matter how rough her new life will get: Leanne, played by Tannis Benedict, and artist Walter, played by David Willis. Through many fits, starts and stumbles, Ava doesn’t just get a crash course in personal independence as she attempts to find a new job and support herself. In fact, Ava learns that her best life may be just around the corner.  The film is now streaming on Amazon Prime, Tubi, Google Play, The Roku Channel and YouTube, and I’m honored to have  Catherane on the Viewfinder Podcast to talk about it.  Rent or buy the movie on Amazon Prime: https://www.amazon.com/gp/video/detail/amzn1.dv.gti.532cfb51-0c4d-4473-acdd-d8fefddb9e16  On Google Play: https://play.google.com/store/movies/details?id=-XQbwBo_23Y.P  On YouTube Movies: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MHy__lbazYM Watch for free on The Roku Channel: https://therokuchannel.roku.com/watch/c4a29b3649a06d30c9f4f7a19ae9b433  Watch for free w/ads on Tubi: https://tubitv.com/movies/639629/ava-a-twist-in-the-road  Find out more about AVA: A TWIST IN THE ROAD on its social media pages: Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/avaatwistintheroad  Twitter: https://twitter.com/avaatwistmovie  Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/avaatwistintheroadamovie/  Follow Catherane on her official web site: https://catheraneskillen.com/  Catherane’s Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/catherane  Catherane’s Twitter page: https://twitter.com/Catherane  Catherane’s Instagram page: https://www.instagram.com/catheraneskillen/  Follow The Viewfinder Podcast on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TheViewfinderPodcast Follow The Viewfinder Podcast on Twitter @ViewfinderPod Music by Audionautix.com 

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 is filmmaker and screenwriter Alice Wells, who joins us on today's Viewfinder Podcast to detail the impressive myriad of production services Cordell offers - from a full company of experienced performers in visual and sound media to in-depth training, story development and coverage for screenwriters to a state-of-the-art suite of pre and post-production programs in various areas. Cordell's also got an attractive slate of series, short films and features that range from the hilarious to the hair-raising to the heartwarming, including the comedy/horror series JOHN SUNSHINE'S LOST ROCK 'N ROLL TAPES (co-created by Wells and her partner in the company, actor/screenwriter David J. Keough, who also stars in the series) and the upcoming documentary MENTAL HEALTH AND HORROR. Co-executive produced by Wells and Keough, the film explores how an otherwise scary yet incredibly ridiculed genre - horror - has incredibly been proven to be a major healing tool for those struggling with mental health problems. Now on the Viewfinder Podcast, Wells talks to us about all of Cordell’s outstanding services and content, which as she tells us, are all meant to reflect and achieve the goals that make up Cordell’s three most important principles: diversity, inclusion and representation. Cordell Productions’ web site: https://www.cordellproductions.com/ Cordell’s Twitter page: https://twitter.com/cordell_prods Cordell’s Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/cordellproductions/ For more information on Cordell Productions, contact Alice Wells: alicewells@cordellproductions.com Follow The Viewfinder Podcast on Twitter: https://twitter.com/viewfinderpod On Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TheViewfinderPodcast Music by Audionautix.com

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 Tribeca Film Festival in New York, and two more screenings are scheduled for it - one at the Hollyshorts Film Festival in Los Angeles and the other at the Hip-Hop Film Festival (also in New York). Both festivals will run from August 11th through the 20th. Next, we bring you a conversation with one of our returning guests, Creighton Hobbs, who last joined us several years ago to talk about his autobiographical documentary HOW MANY CHANCES, and now comes back to the Viewfinder Podcast to discuss his latest feature-length project, the gritty crime drama BINDED BY TRAGEDY, which as of this airing is currently in production. Follow Rell on Twitter and Instagram: @RellBattle Follow BINDED BY TRAGEDY's Facebook page for more updates on the film: https://www.facebook.com/bindedbytragedymovie Follow The Viewfinder Podcast on Twitter: @ViewfinderPod Follow the show on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TheViewfinderPodcast Music by Audionautix.com 

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-written and co-created by this week’s guest on The Viewfinder Podcast, acclaimed filmmaker Nic Collins. BEACHED’s first episode introduces us to the Wail (portrayed by series co-creator and co-writer Sean Godsey) who unexpectedly becomes the subject of a heated argument between an estranged couple - Paige, played by Paige Klone, and Melina, played by Jenny Austin - after Melina discovers the Wail washed ashore and brings him back to dry land. When their bickering leads to a tragic conclusion, the Wail at first assumes it was his fault, only to realize that his presence is urgently needed in a world where darkness both tempts and consumes society’s most vulnerable. Episode 2 has the Wail coming to the aid of a suicidal man (Robbie, played by Deprece Reddick), while its third episode sees the formerly sea-bound creature pursued by both an overly inquisitive reporter (Simmons, played by Aliza Pearl) and a villainous hunter (Rimpow, played by Cooper Johnson) who’s single-mindedly focused on both capturing the Wail and getting vengeance on him - and the world -  for turning him from a pirate into a humanoid. Like its grotesque-looking yet heroic and gentle lead character, BEACHED as a series is its own one-of-a-kind beast. On its surface, it is science fiction but the show’s first three episodes powerfully incorporate significant dashes of humor, action, suspense and emotional drama. That’s one of many reasons why in March 2020, BEACHED was chosen to have its world premiere at the legendary South By Southwest film festival before the event was ultimately canceled due to the coronavirus lockdown. Collins and Godsey plan to produce 8 more episodes for the show’s first season (11 total) sometime in the near future. Now on the Viewfinder Podcast, Collins - an award-winning director, screenwriter and editor whose work includes music videos, shorts and feature films and web series - joins us to talk about how BEACHED came into existence, and how its incredible multi-genre storytelling approach transcends the usual trappings of sci-fi entertainment. Find out more about Nic and his film work on his official website: https://www.niccollins.com/ See Nic’s films and videos on his YouTube channel, Nic Collins Films: https://www.youtube.com/c/niccollinsfilms Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/niccollins.jpeg/ TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@niccollinsfilms Connect with Sean Godsey on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/scannedlife/ Follow The Viewfinder Podcast on Twitter @ViewfinderPod Follow the show on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TheViewfinderPodcast Music by Audionautix.com

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, summer camp is as much a coming-of-age experience for the counselors as it is for the campers. The show’s award-winning pilot episode has already been produced, with its most recent showing taking place at the eighth annual SeriesFest in Denver, Colorado. Joining me on this week's show are the creator and co-writer of TIMBERWOOD, Blake McWilliam - himself a former camp counselor-turned writer and filmmaker - and series co-star Jeremy Holm (best known for his roles in acclaimed shows like MR. ROBOT, HOUSE OF CARDS and many others). Holm plays Ray Raymond, the no-nonsense owner of a summer camp - called TIMBERWOOD - where its madcap coterie of not quite grown-up counselors sex up, booze hard, prank harder and blow off plenty of steam both on and off-duty. The pilot episode takes place in the week before camp season officially begins, when Ray leads the camp’s misfit employees through the paces of a week-long counselor orientation period. Yet when the rebellious counselors’ beloved leader Ryan (played by Michael Trevino) suddenly gets busted for weed possession after an otherwise fun day on the job, someone else must guide the camp’s staff into another hectic season. That someone else turns out to be one of Ryan’s many admirers: Liam (played by Giullian Yao Gioiello), who finally has a chance to prove he’s got the personality and the integrity to follow in Ryan’s much-missed footsteps. TIMBERWOOD also co-stars David Reale as the awkward and frequently self-sabotaging boys’ head counselor William, plus Ariane Rinehart as Kira, a camper-turned camp counselor whose aspirations to be as successful as her ambassador mother put a strain on her otherwise joyous summer, and Jessie Komitor as Cam Gladwell, a brilliant, hard-working and often sarcastic counselor. Two more members of the show’s cast also co-wrote the pilot episode with McWilliam: AJ Vaage, who portrays Camp Timberwood’s water skiing instructor Olly, and Ian Fisher, who co-stars as Kyle, an emotionally complex newcomer to both summer camp and the camp lifestyle. Ashlei Sharpe Chestnut plays the headstrong tennis instructor Becca, while Layla Khoshnoudi rounds out the cast as the camp’s curious yet outspoken head of drama, Talia. Filmed at the same upstate New York camp that once employed McWilliam, TIMBERWOOD is, as of now, hoping to find funding for production of an additional 10 episodes for the show's first season. McWilliam and Holm join me to talk about not just the making of this raunchy yet very funny and heartfelt show, but also about how their memories of life at summer camp inspired their amazing work on TIMBERWOOD. Follow The Viewfinder Podcast on Twitter @ViewfinderPod On Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/TheViewfinderPodcast Music by Audionautix.com 

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 constantly contested rights under a harsh microscope: the right to bear arms. Unlike the fact-based trials presented in JUSTICE, the dispute that Morrison presents in LIBERTY is fictional but no less relevant to the gun violence epidemic. In LIBERTY, two litigants confront each other in an emotional case that carries criminal implications: former Second Amendment advocate-turned gun control campaigner Jackson Owens, whose family was killed during a rally organized by the National Rifle Association, and the fictional president of the powerful organization, named Dwayne LaFollette, who is accused of inciting the violent attack through his increasingly zealous speech at that rally. Morrison places this hypothetical trial in the current context of America’s unending gun violence crisis, while adding the invaluable historical perspectives of the Founders who observe this dramatic litigation and debate the Second Amendment’s ramifications from a one-way window: John Adams, Alexander Hamilton, Thomas Jefferson, James Madison and George Washington. Though he is not historically mentioned as one of the Founding Fathers, Hamilton’s bitter enemy (and later assassin) Aaron Burr, is also part of these conversations, and his rivalry with Hamilton brings further intensity to LIBERTY’s drama, a story that’s all the more timely - and urgent - given the lack of legislative action to address gun violence in America. On a much lighter note, Morrison will also discuss her other major literary project, a book that celebrates the love that she and all of us have for our pets - including her own: FOR THE LOVE OF BUDDY. That and much more now on this week’s Viewfinder Podcast. Dyanna Morrison’s official web site: https://dyannamorrison.com/ Purchase LIBERTY on Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Liberty-Justice-Trilogy-Dyanna-Morrison/dp/1735911666 LIBERTY is also available from Barnes and Noble: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/liberty-dyanna-morrison/1140045223 Purchase FOR THE LOVE OF BUDDY on Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B09NZSMXX5/ref=dbs_a_def_rwt_hsch_vapi_tkin_p1_i0 FOR THE LOVE OF BUDDY is also available from Barnes and Noble: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/for-the-love-of-buddy-dyanna-morrison/1140808575?ean=9798985253818 Follow The Viewfinder Podcast on Twitter: https://twitter.com/viewfinderpod Follow the show on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TheViewfinderPodcast Music by Audionautix.com

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 dramatic literary presentation of her as-yet un-produced stage play JUSTICE places America's founding fathers - John Adams, Benjamin Franklin, Alexander Hamilton, Thomas Jefferson, James Madison and George Washington - as distant yet impassioned observers in the courtroom of its fictional protagonist, present-day Judge Grace Porter, as she tries two highly politicized cases involving the right to free speech. The first involves the mass protests that took place during the inaugural ceremonies for former President Trump, while the other depicted in this play is loosely based on the prosecution that followed the tragic ‘Unite The Right’ rally in Charlottesville, Virginia in August of 2017, which resulted in the deaths of civil rights activist Heather Heyer and two Virginia State Police troopers. JUSTICE is the first in a trilogy of stories involving Judge Porter, with the second, titled LIBERTY, putting on trial another cherished yet challenged American right: the right to bear arms. Both books are available in paperback and digital on Amazon, Barnes and Noble and other stores, wIth the final part of the trilogy in the pre-planning stages. Purchase JUSTICE on Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Justice-Dyanna-Morrison/dp/1735911615 JUSTICE is also available on Barnes and Noble: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/justice-dyanna-morrison/1138587584?ean=9781735911625 Follow The Viewfinder Podcast on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TheViewfinderPodcast On Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/ViewfinderPod Music by Audionautix.com

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 on the studio’s YouTube channel TromaMovies, INNARDS is directed by the marvelous Lily-Hayes Kaufman (herself a great filmmaker in addition to being the daughter of Troma founder Lloyd Kaufman) and is co-written by Don K. Hooper (New York Times best-selling co-author of the acclaimed children's anthology BLACK BOY JOY) and Daryn Strauss (creator of the award-winning thriller series I AM YOU). The show is filled with hilarious parodies and takeoffs on familiar genres, like daytime soap operas and even music videos, as evidenced by the one you'll see in the first episode. It features an original song, also titled INNARDS, which was co-written by Hooper, who appears in a film noir sequence during the show’s soap spoof 'The Young and The Lunchless'. We’re honored to have Lily-Hayes, Don, and Daryn join us now to talk about INNARDS on this week's Viewfinder Podcast. Watch INNARDS on TromaMovies' YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLLnfvt0TjwhqiXIOt4sacNwoiPgLZuUJn Follow The Viewfinder Podcast on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TheViewfinderPodcast On Twitter: @ViewfinderPod Music by Audionautix.com

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, where a bitter argument between two young women (played by Jessica Mia Pulido and Cara Burns) rapidly becomes an urgent matter of life and death for them both.  Logan and Dustin hope that this important project will spark much-needed conversation among audiences about the ongoing problems of bigotry, gun violence, bullying and suicide in our society, and most of all, conversations about finding effective solutions to combat these problems. Logan and Dustin are also veteran podcasters, with their show "Inside The Crazy Ant Farm" giving listeners and viewers the latest news from Hollywood and in-depth interviews with established and new talent from across the entertainment world.  I'm honored to have them join me on this week's Viewfinder Podcast to discuss that aspect of their work, and of course, their first filmmaking endeavor in DEADLINES.  Crazy Ant Media's web site: https://crazyantmedia.com/ Watch Inside The Crazy Ant Farm on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCEM41V4Z6xCb5uc7Gyk4svg  Find out more about Inside The Crazy Ant Farm, including full links to listen to the show: https://crazyantmedia.com/inside-the-crazy-ant-farm Follow The Viewfinder Podcast on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/TheViewfinderPodcast On Twitter: @ViewfinderPod Music by Audionautix.com