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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

2:00

Indie Film Highlight: CAPTAIN FANTASTIC (2016)

First Time Go ·

2026/03/22

Watch This Episode On YouTubeEvery Sunday, I'll post a quick video -- and podcast -- about an indie film from at least a year ago. Today's film: CAPTAIN FANTASTIC (2016)Director: Matt RossScreenplay: Matt RossStars: Viggo Mortensen; Samantha Isler; George MacKaySYNOPSISBen Cash (Viggo Mortensen), his wife Leslie and their six children live deep in the wilderness of Washington state. Isolated from society, Ben and Leslie devote their existence to raising their kids -- educating them to think

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27:09

Victoria Blade

First Time Go ·

2026/03/20

She'll tell you acting is her calling, but then you listen to Victoria Blade sing and watch her direct -- her most recent film, VICKY WAKES UP (2026) won the episodes grand jury prize at the 2026 Slamdance Film Festival -- and I'm with you in thinking maybe three things are her calling.Filmmaker Victoria Blade is here to talk about her path to winning filmmaking prizes, and it starts with thinking she's going to be a dramatic actor and realizing she's can play comedy just as well

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28:22

RE-RELEASE: David Borenstein & The Best Documentary...

First Time Go ·

2026/03/17

Watch This Episode On YouTubeRE-RELEASE: I'm re-releasing this episode, in part to congratulate the team behind MR. NOBODY AGAINST PUTIN (2025), who won the Best Documentary Feature at the Oscars, and also give further background to director David Borenstein's comments at the event. After you listen to this episode and hear about his background, his words come from experience. Congratulations, team. So well deserved.From December, 2025:Surely he didn't know it then, but his work in media

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1:12

Indie Film Highlight: HARD EIGHT (1996)

First Time Go ·

2026/03/15

Watch This Episode On YouTubeEvery Sunday, I'll post a quick video -- and podcast -- about an indie film from at least a year ago. Today's film: HARD EIGHT (1996)Director: Paul Thomas AndersonScreenplay: Paul Thomas AndersonStars: Philip Baker Hall; John C. Reilly; Samuel L. Jackson; Gwyneth PaltrowSYNOPSISVeteran gambler Sydney befriends a young man named John, transforming into a Las Vegas casino champion. John falls for a prostitute, and the couple soon finds themselves in need of

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50:20

Special Slamdance Coverage: Mark Elijah Rosenberg

First Time Go ·

2026/03/13

If there's something that Mark Elijah Rosenberg hasn't done in film, I don't know what it is.Started Rooftop Films, which presents art and films around New York. Made a studio feature. Made deeply personal short films like ____ IN PARIS (2026), which he premiered at Slamdance this year. Made interactive art. Taught film. With a background like that, I knew the insight he would bring is incredible, and he doesn't disappoint here.The best part is you can tell Mark has thought about all

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39:03

Special Slamdance Coverage: Sylvia Ray

First Time Go ·

2026/03/10

My conversation with filmmaker Sylvia Ray was eye-opening for me in so many ways. Let's start from the top: SEAWEED SNACKS (2026) is phenomenal filmmaking that is slightly dark, extremely funny, and captures a social dynamic that we too often don't see on screen: dads at a birthday party. Sylvia directed it, and the film was a product of Film Independent's Project Involve, where the SEAWEED SNACKS team was the only one with three out of 31 people with kids.I'm seeing this from the

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23:41

Special Slamdance Coverage: Kate Cobb

First Time Go ·

2026/03/03

Watch This Episode On YouTubeKate Cobb is one of the most dynamic filmmakers working right now, and it's because she's willing to be an actress, an editor, a writer, a director, as well as empower everyone else on set to make the film happen. Her feature debut, OKIE (2024), was a revelation for its authenticity and heart, so it's no surprise that the filmmaker behind it is, too.Her new film, BRB (2026), premiered at Slamdance 2026 to fantastic reviews. It's a "love letter to

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1:32

Indie Film Highlight: MISTRESS DISPELLER (2024)

First Time Go ·

2026/03/01

Watch This Episode On YouTubeEvery Sunday, I'll post a quick video -- and podcast -- about an indie film from at least a year ago. Today's film: MISTRESS DISPELLER (2024)Director: Elizabeth LoWriters: Charlotte Munch Bengtsen; Elizabeth LoStars: Fei Fei; Wang ZhenxiSYNOPSISA Chinese woman hires someone to secretly end her husband's extramarital relationship in an attempt to save her marriage.Subscribe to our YouTube channelFollow us on LetterboxdFollow us on InstagramFollow us on XFollow

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23:46

Sammy LeMieur

First Time Go ·

2026/02/27

Watch This Episode On YouTubeI can't think of a better way to start special Slamdance coverage than with Sammy LeMieur, talking about his film, THE LEMIEURS (2026), which debuted at Slamdance this week.The logline: Fearing regret and desperate to keep hold of their history, the five sons of a small-town Minnesota matriarch must reconcile her aging, while her three grandsons running a funeral home face death head-on.I spend a fair amount of time in Minnesota so I can say: this is exactly what

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23:45

Charlotte Siller

First Time Go ·

2026/02/24

Treat your art like a startup is fantastic advice from filmmaker Charlotte Siller. She has a lot of great wisdom from her ten year journey into making a documentary. A CURIOUS IDOL is a film about the "life, and truth, of Louise Brooks", a film star but also an intellectual powerhouse.Charlotte and I discuss so many topics we don't normally talk about on the podcast -- an unvarnished take on not showing up for class in college and the blockchain. It is thrilling to share an episode with

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1:49

Indie Film Highlight: JACK GOES BOATING (2010)

First Time Go ·

2026/02/22

Watch This Episode On YouTubeEvery Sunday, I'll post a quick video -- and podcast -- about an indie film from at least a year ago. Today's film: JACK GOES BOATING (2010)Director: Philip Seymour HoffmanStory by: Robert GlaudiniCast: Philip Seymour Hoffman; Amy Ryan; John Ortiz; Daphne Rubin-VegaSYNOPSISSingle Jack (Philip Seymour Hoffman) drives a limo for a living and has a best friend, Clyde (John Ortiz), a married co-worker. Clyde and his wife decide to set up Jack with another friend,

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35:13

Boris Lojkine

First Time Go ·

2026/02/20

Part of the reason my guest, French filmmaker Boris Lojkine, has been so amazingly successful with his films, most recently SOULEYMANE'S STORY (2024), is his humility and understanding of how to portray people not like himself.Instead of making a "Parisian film about a middle age couple in the crisis of existential bullshit" -- his words -- he has made feature films that depict the life of an immigrant. Paris was the setting for his latest film, but he wanted it to come across as a

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1:32

Indie Film Highlight: CITY ISLAND (2009)

First Time Go ·

2026/02/15

Watch This Episode On YouTubeEvery Sunday, I'll post a quick video -- and podcast -- about an indie film from at least a year ago. Today's film: CITY ISLAND (2009)Director: Raymond De FelittaWriter: Raymond De FelittaCast: Andy Garcia; Steven Strait; Julianna MarguliesSYNOPSISPrison guard Vince Rizzo (Andy Garcia) wants to quit his job to become an actor, but he also needs to make up for lost time with Tony (Steven Strait), a long-lost son who's an inmate where Vince works. When Tony is

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37:34

Itonje Søimer Guttormsen

First Time Go ·

2026/02/10

Director, teacher, all around rebel Itonje Søimer Guttormsen premiered her latest film, the buddy comedy-drama BUTTERFLY (2026) at the International Film Festival Rotterdam, and came here to talk about the film, her career, and all the bad advice she got at film school for the podcast.When you watch BUTTERFLY, you get the sense of an assured filmmaker at work: a close to two hour runtime that goes quickly and a work of art that doesn't feel like it was made by a committee. It was made by a truly

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50:17

Sara Barger

First Time Go ·

2026/01/30

Most of the time, I'm hoping my guest will be a great one to have on the podcast, but with director + editor Sara Barger, I knew. She was an instructor as part of my documentary certificate program -- COVID killed the program -- but I got so much out of her thought process on how to make films. So when I saw her name listed prominently on the poster as the editor for her new film, DAD GENES, I knew I'd love to have her on the pod. I'm glad she agreed.As you hear in the intro, we talk

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34:33

Craig Downing

First Time Go ·

2026/01/27

It shouldn't surprise you that somebody who is out looking for "weird stories that connect and resonate" would direct DAD GENES (2026), the film about a sperm donor meeting his biological children. Craig Downing has been around the world looking for great stories and when he finds one, he sticks to it, no matter the time it takes to tell. DAD GENES took almost 7 years from idea to festival fruition, and that's a big credit to his team. Matt Isaac did a fantastic job producing as well

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1:53

Indie Film Highlight: SOULEYMANE'S STORY (2024)

First Time Go ·

2026/01/26

Watch This Episode On YouTubeEvery Sunday, I'll post a quick video -- and podcast -- about an indie film from at least a year ago. Today's film: SOULEYMANE'S STORY (2024)Director: Boris LojkineWriter: Boris Lojkine; Delphine AgutCast: Abou Sangare; Alpha Oumar Sow; Nina MeurisseSYNOPSISSouleymane, an asylum-seeking cyclist who delivers meals in Paris, has only two days to prepare for a crucial interview. This interview will determine his residence permit status.Subscribe to our YouTube

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33:44

Jeffrey Roth

First Time Go ·

2026/01/23

Filmmaker Jeffrey Roth has never shied away from intriguing topics, looking to find the humanity behind some of the world's most influential stories: the Apollo astronauts, vice presidents of the United States, or a famed Egyptologist like he does in THE MAN WITH THE HAT (2026). He brings an eye for the story, not the politics, and that's what makes him an amazing filmmaker .In this episode, Jeffrey and I discuss:what's the best way to describe his newest film;how he got started in

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63:21

Robert Ham

First Time Go ·

2026/01/16

My guest today, director Robert Ham, has lived a life of service -- to his country, to art, to his family -- and it moved me deeply to host him for the podcast. We talk about his military service in the Army as a combat cameraman; losing his wife to cancer and making a documentary about her beautiful life, of honoring a 9/11 family with his latest film, ZZASLOW K-427, which is screening in New York City on January 18th, 2026.And if this sounds heavy, that's the duopoly of sometimes difficult

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38:29

Sam Mandich

First Time Go ·

2026/01/13

Every once in awhile, I talk with someone who completely changes how I view independent filmmaking and those creating the most inventive films. Lately, that was writer/director/dancer Sam Mandich, whose work was influenced by her beginnings in dance. When you watch her films, it all makes sense -- the spare movement and the focused direction -- it comes from her amazingly unique background.An experimental dance film? A psychological coming of age horror? Sign me up for the next few years of Sam

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244 results

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