Making Media Now

Joining host Michael Azevedo on this episode is Ben Flaherty, the director of Shuffle, a film that won the documentary jury award at the 2025 SXSW festival.  This powerful documentary provides a look into the lives of three Florida residents who struggle to free themselves from a predatory system of for-profit recovery centers that benefit from their reliance on substances. The film depicts a depressingly familiar pattern of institutions failing the very individuals they exist to help. A former addict himself, Ben Flaherty uses his own sobriety journey as a starting point to discuss the ways that corrupt facilities can play with patients’ lives as a means of scamming insurance companies, ultimately making the argument that true recovery can only be accomplished through a communal effort of people who genuinely care about each other. Learn more at www.stoptheshuffle.com Making Media Now is sponsored by Filmmakers Collaborative, a non-profit organization dedicated to supporting media makers from across the creative spectrum. From providing fiscal sponsorship to presenting an array of informative and educational programs, Filmmakers Collaborative supports creatives at every step in their journey. About the host: www.writevoicecreative.com and https://www.linkedin.com/in/michael-azevedo/   Sound Engineer: A.J. Kierstead  

Joining host Michael Azevedo on this episode is Rick Goldsmith, the director of the documentary “Stripped for Parts: American Journalism on the Brink. Rick’s film offers a clear-eyed look at the current state of journalism in the United States with a focus on the insidious threat from a secretive hedge fund that has put America’s free press at risk.   Alden Global Capital, operating in the shadows, has managed to upend countless local newsrooms in the past 15 years. But their profit-at-all-costs efforts have not gone un-checked.   This powerful, eye-opening 90-minute documentary tracks the courageous efforts of investigative reporter Julie Reynolds, Denver Post editorialist Chuck Plunkett and a handful of others, backed by the NewsGuild union, who go toe- to-toe, at great personal risk, with Wall Street interests in a battle to save local journalism across the United States.   The film is available for streaming and repeat broadcasts: Streaming – From October 1st to December 31st, the film is available for free at PBS.org or the PBS app (sometimes called “PBS video”) through Roku, Apple TV, Google Play or most smart TVs Broadcast – check our website here for more dates and times, which we will be updating periodically. You can also check your local listings.     October 20th at 5pm PT/8pm ET, (and then 3 repeat airings that week) on the PBS World Channel broadcast everywhere, check your local listings to see if your local station carries the World Channel or check the schedule on our website.  Making Media Now is sponsored by Filmmakers Collaborative, a non-profit organization dedicated to supporting media makers from across the creative spectrum. From providing fiscal sponsorship to presenting an array of informative and educational programs, Filmmakers Collaborative supports creatives at every step in their journey. About the host: www.writevoicecreative.com and https://www.linkedin.com/in/michael-azevedo/   Sound Engineer: A.J. Kierstead

Host Michael Azevedo is joined on this episode is Clay Tweel, director of a powerful new documentary called "The Bitter Pill."    Clay’s film—which debuted on PBS on 9/22 and will be available to stream on PBS digital until December 10-- follows the charismatic West Virginian plaintiff attorney Paul Farrell, Jr, as he wages a legal war against some of the world’s largest pharmaceutical companies in a landmark battle fueled by personal stakes.    A powerful chronicle of justice, accountability, and resilience, the Bitter Pill is set in Farrell’s hometown, Cabell County, West Virginia, a community at the epicenter of America’s opioid epidemic, where 20% of babies are born addicted to opioids.    A plaintiff attorney, Farrell is determined to recover damages, bring justice to his neighbors, and rebuild a community ravaged by corporate greed.    Making Media Now is sponsored by Filmmakers Collaborative, a non-profit organization dedicated to supporting media makers from across the creative spectrum. From providing fiscal sponsorship to presenting an array of informative and educational programs, Filmmakers Collaborative supports creatives at every step in their journey. About the host: www.writevoicecreative.com and https://www.linkedin.com/in/michael-azevedo/   Sound Engineer: A.J. Kierstead

On May 8, 1970, “the Hard Hat Riot” erupted in lower Manhattan. At midday, construction workers, including those building the World Trade Center, violently clashed with students demonstrating against the Vietnam War.   Workmen saw the protesting students as privileged “draft dodgers” disparaging the country and those who fought for it. On the other side, many student activists saw the workers as pawns, unwilling to see the changes that America needed.    On this episode, host Michael Azevedo speaks with Marc Levin, the director of "Hard Hat Riot," a new documentary that will broadcast on PBS’ American Experience on September 30 and be available online thereafter.    "Hard Hat Riot" tells the story of a struggling metropolis (NYC), a flailing president (Nixon), a divided people, and a bloody juncture when the nation violently diverged ― culminating in a new political and cultural landscape that radically redefined American politics and foreshadowed the future.   Marc Levin is an award-winning, independent filmmaker dedicated to telling powerful, real stories in a unique, authentic style.   He has won four Emmys, four duPont-Columbia Awards, the Peabody Award, the Grand Jury Prize at Sundance, and the Camera d’Or at the Cannes Film Festival. Highlights include: Slam, his breakout festival hit; Brick City, the groundbreaking docu-series about Newark, New Jersey’s charismatic Mayor Cory Booker; Gang War: Bangin’ in Little Rock; Emmy-winning Thug Life in DC for HBO; Chicagoland, a docu-series for CNN and Robert Redford’s Sundance Productions, nominated for a 2014 IDA Award for Best Limited Series.   Making Media Now is sponsored by Filmmakers Collaborative, a non-profit organization dedicated to supporting media makers from across the creative spectrum. From providing fiscal sponsorship to presenting an array of informative and educational programs, Filmmakers Collaborative supports creatives at every step in their journey. About the host: www.writevoicecreative.com and https://www.linkedin.com/in/michael-azevedo/   Sound Engineer: A.J. Kierstead

Joining host Michael Azevedo on this episode is Andy DeMeo, the creator and host of the Granite Goodness podcast and Substack newsletter.   Andy has a belief that most news thrives on outrage, fear, and conflict. And he created "Granite Goodness" in order to take a different approach. The podcast and newsletter highlights what Andy calls real progress happening across New England in science, tech, sustainability, business, economics, infrastructure, and more. It’s Andy’s contention that when people see a better world is possible, they are more likely to build it. At the core of "Granite Goodness" is a belief that optimism is pragmatic, not naive. And it just may contagious! Making Media Now is sponsored by Filmmakers Collaborative, a non-profit organization dedicated to supporting media makers from across the creative spectrum. From providing fiscal sponsorship to presenting an array of informative and educational programs, Filmmakers Collaborative supports creatives at every step in their journey. About the host: www.writevoicecreative.com and https://www.linkedin.com/in/michael-azevedo/   Sound Engineer: A.J. Kierstead

Host Michael Azevedo is joined by veteran film and television director Rob Spera.   Rob’s been on the faculty at the American Film Institute for over 20 years. His feature films include The Sweet Life, Fathers and Sons, and the cult classic Leprechaun in the Hood.    His numerous television credits include Criminal Minds, Supernatural, Suspect Behavior, and Army Wives. During four seasons as Resident Director at the Tony award-winning Actors Theatre of Louisville, he directed over 75 productions. And he is currently the Head of Directing at Rideback Rise, a Fellowship Program for mid-career screenwriters who are making the move to directing.    Rob discusses his book called the Film/TV Director's Field Manual: 70 Maxims to Change Your Filmmaking. Rob considers the manual to be an "anti-textbook" meant to be kept in a filmmaker's back pocket on set to provide distilled guidance with far-reaching results.   The roughly 200 page book is a collection of 70 maxims that distill filmcraft techniques to their essence, making them readily accessible to the filmmaker. The book is filled with valuable first-hand insight and guidance.    Making Media Now is sponsored by Filmmakers Collaborative, a non-profit organization dedicated to supporting media makers from across the creative spectrum. From providing fiscal sponsorship to presenting an array of informative and educational programs, Filmmakers Collaborative supports creatives at every step in their journey. About the host: www.writevoicecreative.com and https://www.linkedin.com/in/michael-azevedo/   Sound Engineer: A.J. Kierstead

Joining host Michael Azevedo on this episode are Jen Bradwell and Todd Boekelheide, the married co-directors of "Make A Circle," a new documentary that offers a rare, inside look at the lives of child care providers and early educators — the backbone of a child care system on the brink.   The film premieres Monday, September 1 streaming nationally on PBS.org, the PBS app and on PBS TV stations (check local listings) across the country.    As Jen Bradwell says: “Make A Circle is a love letter to early educators and a portrait of a child care system in crisis. The film delves into one of the greatest disconnects in American society: the importance of a child’s first five years versus how the work of early care and education is valued.”   Often viewed as “babysitters,” the dedicated educators in Make A Circle create magic in the classroom, face struggles at home, and remain passionate about their profession. The film gives voice to these educators and their ideas on the best ways to improve the system.    Making Media Now is sponsored by Filmmakers Collaborative, a non-profit organization dedicated to supporting media makers from across the creative spectrum. From providing fiscal sponsorship to presenting an array of informative and educational programs, Filmmakers Collaborative supports creatives at every step in their journey. About the host: www.writevoicecreative.com and https://www.linkedin.com/in/michael-azevedo/   Sound Engineer: A.J. Kierstead

Joining host Michael Azevedo on this episode is Jonathan Berman, director of the newly restored documentary "Commune." Originally released in 2005, the film has been newly restored with vibrant sound and picture quality and is currently making the rounds at movie houses across the US.    Commune chronicles the story of Black Bear Ranch, launched in 1968 with help from luminaries like The Doors, Frank Zappa, and The Monkees. This abandoned goldmine transformed into a hub for radical living, fueled by the motto "Free Land for Free People."   The film is packed with rare interviews—including with well-know actor and frequent documentary narrator Peter Coyote—as well as home movies and candid stories that unpack the contradictions, challenges, and wild hope behind the commune movement.   From free love and experiments in co-parenting, to the practical struggles of survival, "Commune" lets viewers consider what it really takes to build, and sustain, genuine community.   Learn more about screenings near you: https://www.opensignalstudios.com/films/commune   Making Media Now is sponsored by Filmmakers Collaborative, a non-profit organization dedicated to supporting media makers from across the creative spectrum. From providing fiscal sponsorship to presenting an array of informative and educational programs, Filmmakers Collaborative supports creatives at every step in their journey. About the host: www.writevoicecreative.com and https://www.linkedin.com/in/michael-azevedo/   Sound Engineer: A.J. Kierstead  

Here's a brief update on the current status of public media.   In short: it ain’t good.   If you’re a regular listener to MMN, you probably know that over the more than 150 episodes that we’ve produced a sizable chunk of them involved conversations with documentary filmmakers whose work was broadcast on public media outlets like PBS and NPR.    Much of the reason that these documentaries have found a home at places like PBS is because they deal with important issues—issues that impact the health of our democracy, our natural environment, the rights of marginalized groups, and often compelling human interest stories that the commercial broadcast networks (ABC, CBS, NBC, and Fox) fear won’t attract a big enough audience to sell to advertisers.   That’s not to say that thoughtful, well-made, and illuminating documentaries can’t be found on commercial broadcast networks or subscription-funded streaming platforms like Netflix, Apple TV, or Amazon Prime.    But public media is often the last bastion of informational and educational programming that is (or was) available to all: free of charge and free of advertiser oversight.   On August 1, the Corporation for Public Broadcasting announced that it would shut down after nearly 6 decades of services. In the aftermath of the announcement, I read and heard lots of concern—and no small amount of confusion—about what that means and why it matters.   Lucky for me, later on that same day, I read, in the online publication Vulture, an extremely helpful overview of what CPB is and how its relationship to public media works written by journalist Nicholas Quah.   So I thought I’d take some time to share excerpts from that article to help those concerned understand exactly where things stand. The article, which I’ve linked to in our episode notes, is titled “The Future of Public Media Looks Rocky”   Making Media Now is sponsored by Filmmakers Collaborative, a non-profit organization dedicated to supporting media makers from across the creative spectrum. From providing fiscal sponsorship to presenting an array of informative and educational programs, Filmmakers Collaborative supports creatives at every step in their journey. About the host: www.writevoicecreative.com and https://www.linkedin.com/in/michael-azevedo/   Sound Engineer: A.J. Kierstead

Documentary filmmakers Ellen Martinez and Steph Ching join host Michael Azevedo to discuss Slumlord Millionaire, winner of the Audience Award at the 2024 DOC NYC Film Festival. The film explores the rapid gentrification of New York City neighborhoods and the housing crisis sweeping not only New York but the nation. Told through the stories of a group of fearless residents, activists and nonprofit attorneys who fight corrupt landlords and developers for the basic human right to a home, the film premieres on the PBS series VOCES on Monday, July 28. It will also be available on all PBS digital streaming platforms starting on that same date. Ellen Martinez and Steph Ching previously directed and produced After Spring, a feature documentary about the Syrian refugee crisis. The film was executive produced by Jon Stewart, had its world premiere at the Tribeca Film Festival, was broadcast on Starz and received a Frontline Award for Documentary Journalism. Additionally, Ellen & Steph were both honorees on DOC NYC’s inaugural "40 Under 40" list as directors. Making Media Now is sponsored by Filmmakers Collaborative, a non-profit organization dedicated to supporting media makers from across the creative spectrum. From providing fiscal sponsorship to presenting an array of informative and educational programs, Filmmakers Collaborative supports creatives at every step in their journey. About the host: www.writevoicecreative.com and https://www.linkedin.com/in/michael-azevedo/   Sound Engineer: A.J. Kierstead