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PODCAST

First Time Go

Benjamin Duchek

A weekly podcast highlighting the creators of independent film and the business behind it. Hosted by Ben Duchek.

tv & film film interviews

All Episodes

43:22

Bloomberg Green Docs Part 1: The Judges

First Time Go ·

2024/07/23

This week is all about the Bloomberg Green Docs festival, held in Seattle on July 12, 2024. Thanks to Bloomberg Climate, especially Emily Anton and Courtney J. Boland, I interviewed most of the judges and all of the five finalists.Taken altogether, they paint a picture of where the industry is going in regards to climate documentaries; how nonprofits are changing views through both narrative and documentary filmmaking; the secrets to success in a tough industry; and what they were looking for from

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28:54

Kate Markham

First Time Go ·

2024/07/19

Independent cinema won't save itself. People have to go to local art house theaters and support the films they are showing if they want them to survive. And by them, I mean the theaters and the filmmakers.The good news is: we have a day coming up where you can do just that. Art House Theater Day is July 25th, 2024, and my guest, Kate Markham, managing director of Art House Convergence, is here to talk about it. We talk about how she got started at the organization; trends in art houses; the rise

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63:38

Pedro Freire

First Time Go ·

2024/07/16

There's not been another episode like it. And maybe that's because I've never had a Brazilian filmmaker on the show. But that changes with Pedro Freire, director of Sundance favorite MALU.It's stunning the amount of ground and insight we cover in this episode, and a recap feels a little inadequate to the brilliance of Pedro's mind, but here goes: we talk about how he got his start in filmmaking (watching films with an obsession for years); teaching film in Cuba; the state of

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1:53

Indie Film Highlight: THE KIDS ARE ALL RIGHT (2010)

First Time Go ·

2024/07/15

Every Sunday, I'll post a quick video -- and podcast -- about an indie film from at least a year ago. Today's film: THE KIDS ARE ALL RIGHT (2010).Director: Lisa CholodenkoStory: Ruby Caster; Clara McGregor; Vera BulderCast: Julianne Moore; Annette Bening; Mark RuffaloSYNOPSISLesbian couple Nic and Jules have been together for twenty years, bringing up two children thanks to the contributions of a anonymous sperm donor. As 18-year-old daughter Joni prepares to leave for college, she and

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25:41

Avery Warsaw & Chloe Fontenot

First Time Go ·

2024/07/12

There's something so special about having filmmakers who are writers -- or writers who are filmmakers -- on the show because of their turns of phrase are so...well, literary. You'll hear it several times in this episode from both Avery & Chloe: those little twists of words that turn a sentence into an image and an image into a memory. I didn't think I could be more excited for their film, THE BALLAD OF LORETTA RAY, now crowdfunding on Seed & Spark, but: listen to them talk about

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66:57

Scott Monahan (Re-Release)

First Time Go ·

2024/07/09

I’m re-releasing one of my favorite episodes of the pod, my conversation with Scott Monahan, director of ANCHORAGE.Until July 18th, you can vote for ANCHORAGE on Decentralized Pictures — here's the link — and their team can win $2500 for their next project.Given that this is one of my favorite episodes, and one of my favorite dudes, how could I not re-release to support?So go vote for ANCHORAGE now. (This is assuming you've seen this great indie film. If you haven't, what are you waiting

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1:54

Indie Film Highlight: BLEEDING LOVE (2023)

First Time Go ·

2024/07/07

Every Sunday, I'll post a quick video -- and podcast -- about an indie film from at least a year ago. Today's film: BLEEDING LOVE (2023).Director: Emma WestenbergStory: Ruby Caster; Clara McGregor; Vera BulderCast: Clara McGregor; Ewan McGregor; Jake Weary; Kim ZimmerSYNOPSISA father takes his estranged daughter on a road trip to get her out of trouble, leading to their strained relationship being tested as they meet all types of strangers along the way.Watch The Episode on YouTube.Subscribe

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45:33

Corey Deshon

First Time Go ·

2024/07/02

Happy Fourth of July! As the podcast enters its second year, I can't think of a better person to spend it with than Corey Deshon. In this episode, he breaks down exactly how he went about making his first feature, DAUGHTER (2022); how he got involved in filmmaking; whether you can see a through-line in his work from short films to feature; how much you should take into consideration the genre's reaction to your film; and what's next for Corey.Corey talks about how DAUGHTER is a calling

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2:43

Indie Film Highlight: HAPPINESS (1998)

First Time Go ·

2024/06/30

Every Sunday, I'll post a quick video -- and podcast -- about an indie film from at least a year ago. Today's film: HAPPINESS (1998).Director: Todd SolondzWritten By: Todd SolondzCast: Jame Adams; Jared Harris; Lara Flynn Boyle; Phillip Seymour Hoffman; Cynthia Stevenson; Dylan BakerSYNOPSISThis dark ensemble-comedy is centered on the three Jordan sisters. Joy (Jane Adams) moves through lackluster jobs with no sense of purpose. Now employed teaching adults, she is dating a student, Russian

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1:55

Indie Film Highlight: BEGINNERS (2010)

First Time Go ·

2024/06/09

Every Sunday, I'll post a quick video -- and podcast -- about an indie film from at least a year ago. Today's film: BEGINNERS (2010).Director: Mike MillsScreenplay: Mike MillsCast: Ewan McGregor; Christopher Plummer; Mélanie LaurentSYNOPSISAfter his mother dies, Oliver (Ewan McGregor) is stunned when his father, Hal (Christopher Plummer), recently diagnosed with terminal cancer, comes out of the closet. When Hal passes away a few years later, Oliver grows depressed, struggling with his

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30:54

Brennan Hershock

First Time Go ·

2024/06/04

I urge you to go watch TWICE THRICE TOLD and if you’ve seen something like it, let me know. And once you hear the story behind it — no post-production, one take — you’ll be simply astonished by Brennan Hershock’s story.In this episode, we talk about how ex-FBI agents helped Brennan get his passport renewed in time to go to the Straight 8 events in Cannes and London; what the Straight 8 competition is; how he feels about short films and niche film competitions like Straight 8; and what's next for

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2:15

Indie Film Highlight: EVERYBODY WANTS SOME!! (2016)

First Time Go ·

2024/06/02

Every Sunday, I'll post a quick video -- and podcast -- about an indie film from at least a year ago. Today's film: EVERYBODY WANTS SOME!! (2016).Director: Richard LinklaterScreenplay: Richard LinklaterCast: Glen Powell; Tyler Hoechlin; Zoey DeutchSYNOPSISIn 1980 Texas, a college freshman meets his new baseball teammates, an unruly group of disco-dancing, skirt-chasing partyers, and they navigate their way through the freedom and responsibilities of unsupervised adulthood.Watch The Episode:

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17:13

Patiparn Boontarig + First Film Screening In Seattle

First Time Go ·

2024/05/28

I talk with film director Patiparn Boontarig about his debut film, SOLIDS BY THE SEASHORE. Described as a "tender, atmospheric debut...set in a coastal town in southern Thailand", the reviewer wrote that the film "uniquely tackles climate change, tradition, identity, and LGBT love."I felt the same way -- it's a gorgeous meditation best seen in a theater. And if you live in the Pacific Northwest, you can on July 10th -- the podcast is hosting its first film screening at the Beacon

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3:21

Indie Film Highlight: THE FLORIDA PROJECT (2017)

First Time Go ·

2024/05/27

Every Sunday, I'll post a quick video -- and podcast -- about an indie film from at least a year ago. Today's film: THE FLORIDA PROJECT (2017).Director: Sean BakerScreenplay: Sean Baker; Chris BergochCast: Brooklynn Prince; Willem Dafoe; Bria VinaiteSYNOPSISSet in the shadow of the most magical place on Earth, 6-year-old Moonee and her two best friends forge their own adventures, while Moonee's struggling mom and a kindhearted motel manager protect the kids from the harsh reality that

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33:35

Sierra Urich

First Time Go ·

2024/05/24

I talk with filmmaker Sierra Urich about her film JOONAM, which premiered at the Sundance Film Festival on January 21, 2023 and has gone on to win several awards as well as nominated for an Independent Spirit Award.In this episode, we talk about the deeply personal film she made; how to make a documentary film stand out in the crowded doc landscape; the fact that making Sundance is only the start of your journey, not the end; what you should be doing at any film festival you attend; and the

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2:26

Indie Film Highlight: OWNING MAHOWNY (2003)

First Time Go ·

2024/05/19

Every Sunday, I'll post a quick video -- and podcast -- about an indie film from at least a year ago. Today's film: OWNING MAHOWNY (2003).Director: Richard KwietniowskiWriters: Gary Stephen Ross; Maurice ChauvetCast: Philip Seymour Hoffman; Minnie Driver; Maury ChaykinSYNOPSISA bank manager with: (a) a gambling problem and (b) access to a multimillion dollar account gets into a messy situation. Based on the story of the largest one-man bank fraud in Canadian history.Watch The Episode:

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19:16

Anne Thorens

First Time Go ·

2024/05/17

What happens when your complex short film DIAGONALE hits 50 million views on YouTube (well -- now 58 million and maybe much higher when you're reading this)? Anne Thorens will tell you...and the story is incredible.Over the objections of some crew members, Anne made the story SHE wanted to make and the result is the most watched short in the history of Short of the Week. In this episode, we talk about trusting yourself; how to film intimate relations; the market for short films; Swiss

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36:22

Morgan Chen

First Time Go ·

2024/05/14

I talk with filmmaker Morgan Chen about his amazing life story -- from Oregon to Atlanta, and now about an upcoming documentary -- SCHOOL OF THE OPEN -- in New Hampshire. It's a journey you won't want to miss. In this episode, we talk about his unique and powerful journey; his style of documentary filmmaking; his excitement (with trepidation) for hybrid docs and AI; the underlying values that underpin his upcoming feature doc; and what's next for this visionary, thoughtful

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2:07

Indie Film Highlight: TWO LOVERS (2008)

First Time Go ·

2024/05/12

Every Sunday, I'll post a quick video -- and podcast -- about an indie film from at least a year ago. Today's film: TWO LOVERS (2008).Director: James GrayWriters: James Gray; Ric MenelloCast: Joaquin Phoenix; Vinessa Shaw; Gwyneth PaltrowSYNOPSISFollowing a broken engagement, sometime photographer Leonard Kraditor (Joaquin Phoenix) moves in with his parents in Brighton Beach. He soon becomes involved with Sandra (Vinessa Shaw), an honest and sensible young woman. They appear to be a perfect

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53:33

Joshua Caldwell (Re-Release)

First Time Go ·

2024/05/07

If your film makes it to number one on Netflix, you get a re-release of your podcast episode. Congratulations to Joshua on the success of this film.From 2023: I talk with Joshua Caldwell, director of MENDING THE LINE. We talk about making films in high school, the film school of just making films, and how he brought MENDING THE LINE to life in an industry that doesn’t fund military and veteran films.How did he do that? What choices did he make to appeal to the widest audience? Every director who

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227 results

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