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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

34:32

Nathan Schiltz

First Time Go ·

2024/09/13

I mean this in the best possible way: Nathan Schiltz doesn’t give a fuck. About chasing laurels for your short films. The professors at Woodbury. THE FABELMANS saying you are going to get the girls by becoming a film geek.What he does care a lot about is the quality of his art. This is what made the episode so much fun for me. If you think I’m describing somebody with a nihilistic point of view, that’s not what I’m saying. He’s that dedicated to his art that he’s tuning out everything else and

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50:10

P.D. Viner

First Time Go ·

2024/09/09

I can say with certainty I've never laughed more when discussing dead bodies than I did with P.D. (Phil) Viner, currently crowdfunding for LAST NIGHT TOGETHER on Kickstarter. You can tell straightaway Phil is a born storyteller, whatever the medium.In this episode, we discuss:how he got started in filmmaking;whether crazy trips to film school in Moscow was part of a concerted plan to get "out there" or not (it was not);"write what you know" -- Phil considers it bollocks;his

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1:15

Indie Film Highlight: WILDLIFE (2018)

First Time Go ·

2024/09/07

Every Sunday, I'll post a quick video -- and podcast -- about an indie film from at least a year ago. Today's film: WILDLIFE (2018).Director: Paul DanoScreenplay By: Paul Dano; Zoe KazanCast: Carey Mulligan; Ed Oxenbould; Bill Camp; Jake GyllenhaalSYNOPSIS14-year-old Joe is the only child of Jeanette and Jerry—a housewife and a golf pro living in a small town in ’60s Montana. Nearby, an uncontrolled forest fire rages, and when Jerry loses his job, he decides to join the cause of fighting it,

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32:09

Tanya Upshur

First Time Go ·

2024/08/21

The UnShushed! Film Festival is coming to Washington, DC on October 13th, 2024 for its inaugural year. In this episode, I talk with its founder, filmmaker Tanya Upshur.The UnShushed! Film Festival is a "festival for fantasy, horror noire, Southern Gothic and Afrofuturism films by Black women and emerging filmmakers creating genre films with Black women protagonists."Tanya brings so much energy to the conversation, talking about how she got started in film; her work as a filmmaker and the

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1:58

Indie Film Highlight: THE HYPNOSIS (2023)

First Time Go ·

2024/08/18

Every Sunday, I'll post a quick video -- and podcast -- about an indie film from at least a year ago. Today's film: THE HYPNOSIS (2023).Director: Ernst De GeerWriters: Ernst De Geer; Mads SteggerCast: Asta Kamma August; Herbert Nordrum; Andrea EdwardsSYNOPSISYoung entrepreneurial couple André and Vera get the chance to pitch their female health app at a prestigious competition. Before going there, Vera tries hypnotherapy to quit smoking and her attitude changes. André starts to behave

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28:46

So Young Shelly Yo

First Time Go ·

2024/08/15

This is what you have to give to be successful in indie films: everything.I'm so proud to share my conversation with So Young Shelly Yo at the start of her Los Angeles theatrical run with SMOKING TIGERS. The film won the AT&T Tribeca "Untold Stories" competition in 2022 and after it screens in LA, it will stream on MAX starting August 23, 2024. Expect it to show up in indie awards season.In this episode, we talk about how she got started in film; the deeply personal nature of SMOKING

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20:25

Leonardo Perez

First Time Go ·

2024/08/13

Have you ever watched a film about a middle-aged man falling in love with a public bus? In the spirit of Yorgos Lanthimos comes Leonardo Perez and his film MOTORIZED LOVE, currently crowdfunding on Indiegogo.In this episode, Leonardo and I talk about his Mexican-American heritage, the originality of absurd films; how best to tell culturally appropriate films; why he chose Indiegogo and how he secured the nonhuman portion of the film (i.e. the bus). Cheers for Mexican-American filmmaking, cheers for

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2:21

Indie Film Highlight: BARNEY'S VERSION (2010)

First Time Go ·

2024/08/11

Every Sunday, I'll post a quick video -- and podcast -- about an indie film from at least a year ago. Today's film: BARNEY'S VERSION (2010).Director: Richard J LewisStory by: Mordecai RichlerScreenplay: Michael KonyvesCast: Paul Giamatti; Rachelle Lefevre; Rosamund Pike; Dustin HoffmanSYNOPSISToward the end of his life, Barney Panofsky (Paul Giamatti) looks back on his triumphs and tragedies, beginning with an ill-fated relationship with Clara (Rachelle Lefevre), whom he marries when she

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46:10

Daniel Lesser

First Time Go ·

2024/08/09

Speeding in a Mini and filming it for a short? Aussie-born? That's our podcast gold, and Dan Lesser blew away all expectations, as he crowdfunds for his film ONE TWENTY SIX.In this episode, we talk about how he got his start in film as an Australian in Los Angeles and how his commercial work influences his narrative style. We get into the state of comedy; the weeds of what it's like, technically, casting child actors and filming a moving car; whether he views brand activations as possible in

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23:47

Hyejin "Grace" Park

First Time Go ·

2024/08/06

Filmmaker Hyejin "Grace" Park has such incredible range as an indie filmmaker: she's directed everything from sci-fi to gangster films and made them her own in a way that's utterly enchanting and unique. Her Vimeo page is a testament to her range as a filmmaker.In this episode, we discuss how she got started in filmmaking; her goal of making sure minority filmmakers feel seen; how life experiences have made her a better filmmaker; the depth of the story behind her genre-breaking film

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1:57

Indie Film Highlight: THE VISITOR (2007)

First Time Go ·

2024/08/05

Every Sunday, I'll post a quick video -- and podcast -- about an indie film from at least a year ago. Today's film: THE VISITOR (2007).Director: Tom McCarthyWritten by: Tom McCarthyCast: Richard Jenkins; Haaz Sleiman; Danal GuriraSYNOPSISWhen professor Walter Vale (Richard Jenkins) travels to New York for a lecture, he's stunned to find illegal immigrants Tarek (Haaz Sleiman) and Zainab (Danai Gurira) living in his apartment. It comes out that it was rented to them by a swindler, and

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40:33

Straight 8 Competition Winners

First Time Go ·

2024/08/02

On July 24, 2024, I recorded this episode live with several of the 2024 Straight 8 winners. Check back soon for our next live episode.Straight 8 is a filmmaking challenge that invites anyone to make a film on a single cartridge of super 8mm film without editing or post production.If you're reading this and haven't seen the Straight 8 films, go see them. And here are the five films we'll be talking about. I'll wait.Ready? Shocked? I was -- by how amazing these films are. In this

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41:33

Will Mustin

First Time Go ·

2024/07/30

If you like filmmaking with film, “slice of life”/character studies, and 1980s camp party films, you’re welcome to join our club. In today’s episode, I talk with filmmaker Will Mustin about all these things and his new film currently crowdfunding on Kickstarter, WHILE THE SUN SHINES.In this episode, we talk about how he got his start; the importance of building your team, whether it's at film school or not; how utilizing film makes him a more disciplined filmmaker; the importance of mood,

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1:56

Indie Film Highlight: THE PERFECT CANDIDATE (2019)

First Time Go ·

2024/07/28

Every Sunday, I'll post a quick video -- and podcast -- about an indie film from at least a year ago. Today's film: THE PERFECT CANDIDATE (2019).Director: Haifaa al-MansourScreenplay: Haifaa al-Mansour; Brad NeimannCast: Mila Al Zahrani; Khalid Abdulrahman; Nojoud Ahmed; Reem FahadSYNOPSISA determined young doctor runs for city council after the incumbent repeatedly ignores her request to fix the muddy road leading to her clinic. Despite the community's struggle to accept her as the

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41:20

Bloomberg Green Docs Part 2: The Finalists

First Time Go ·

2024/07/26

After listening to all five finalists of the Bloomberg Green Docs, be honest -- there's no way you can tell who won. They are all that good. In part 1, I talked to the judges and today, you'll hear from the five finalists.LIFE WITH BATS by David LuffCLIMATE DIARIES: HEATHER'S STORY by Berit Anderson and Ali ScattergoodFINDING HOME by Maria StanishevaGROVE OF GIANTS by Bree SandersSAVING GLACIERS by Ciril JazbecAnd you'll hear who won. But as David Luff says, they all won by being a

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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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282 results

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