Making Media Now

On this episode, host Michael Azevedo continues a short series of conversations with documentary filmmakers whose films will be featured at the New Hampshire Film Festival, which takes places in Portsmouth NH from 10/12-15.   Both of films discussed on this episode explore life for women in worlds usually dominated by men. First up is a chat with Olivia Kuan, the director of a documentary called "The Herricanes," which tells the story of the Houston Herricanes, one of the teams that, in the 1970s, made up the first-ever women's full tackle football league known as the National Women's Football League. And it just so happens that Olivia’s mother played safety on the Herricanes for four seasons!    Later in the episode, Michael speaks with director Maggie Contreras, whose documentary, "Maestra," follows five internationally-based women as they prepare for and perform in La Maestra, the only competition in the world for female orchestra conductors.   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 

With this episode we begin a short series of conversations with documentary filmmakers whose work will be featured at the upcoming New Hampshire Film Festival, which will take place in Portsmouth, NH from October 12-15. For more info about the festival, including its line-up of films, visit NHfilmfestival.com.   First up, host Michael Azevedo chats with Pete Davis, the co-director of a documentary called "Join or Die" which depicts the half-century story of America's civic unraveling through the journey of legendary social scientist Robert Putnam, whose groundbreaking "Bowling Alone" research into America's decades-long decline in community connections could hold the answers to our democracy's present crisis.   Pete Davis, who along with Rebecca Davis, co-directed the film, is also a writer and civic advocate. And, he just so happens to be a former student of Robert Putnam’s. He is the author of “Dedicated: The Case for Commitment in An Age of Infinite Browsing.” And he's the co-founder of the Democracy Policy Network, a organization focused on raising up ideas that deepen democracy.   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 this episode host Michael Azevedo is joined by Jonathan Decker and Alan Seawright, the creators of a hugely successful and highly entertaining and insightful YouTube series called Cinema Therapy.   Founded in 2020 by its hosts: Jonathan, a marriage and family therapist, and Alan, a filmmaker, the channel has built a following in part by holding faux therapy sessions for heroes, villains and onscreen couples, treating movie plots and characters as case studies for mental health topics.    Some typical titles: "7 Movie Marriages That Are Actually Healthy," “Psychology of a Hero: ‘Hulk’ and Anger Management,” and “Movie Couple Therapy: ‘Shrek.’”   The hosts and their team shoot the videos in the basement of Seawright’s Utah home. By YouTube’s count, many episodes have been viewed more than a million times each.   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 Dominic López, the director and co-writer of the independent feature film "Little Jar."  The movie was filmed in the height of the Covid pandemic with a five-person crew at a single location in just two weeks on a budget of what Dominic refers to as "hail-mary favors and pennies from locked-down pockets.”    "Little Jar" debuted at the Austin Film Festival in 2022 and won over audiences and critics alike. The film has since gone on to have a successful festival run--including winning big at the Paris Film Festival--before finding its home at Good Deed Entertainment to be released for VOD streaming on September 12th.   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 this episode, host Michael Azevedo is joined by two guests to discuss a new film called "Canary," a documentary about a climate scientist who has been referred to as “the closest living thing to Indiana Jones.”   Danny O’Malley, a producer on the Netflix series “Chef’s Table,” directed the film along with MIT-trained Neuroscientist Alex Rivest, PhD. It’s set to open in limited release on Sept. 15 followed by a one-night-only special nationwide screening on Sept. 20.    The subject of the film is Dr. Lonnie Thompson, an explorer “who went where no scientist had gone before and transformed our idea of what is possible.” Daring to seek Earth’s history contained in glaciers atop the tallest mountains in the world, Lonnie found himself on the frontlines of climate change—his life’s work evolving into a salvage mission to recover these priceless historical records before they disappear forever.   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 Brian Raftery, the writer and host of a fascinating narrative podcast on the Ringer podcast network called ‘Do We Get to Win This Time?’ an 8 episode podcast series that examines how Vietnam movies have shaped the way we think about the Vietnam War.   ‘The Deer Hunter.’ ‘Apocalypse Now.’ ‘First Blood.’ ‘Platoon.’ They’re among the hit films dealing with the Vietnam War—a conflict that divided moviegoers and inspired filmmakers. For decades, Hollywood released countless films about the war and its fallout—from action flicks to combat tales to sweeping dramas.    Through exclusive new interviews, ‘Do We Get to Win This Time?’ chronicles the making of Hollywood’s most ambitious and controversial Vietnam movies. Along the way, we also learn how these films reflected and shaped moviegoers’ feelings toward the war—and toward each other.   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 of Making Media Now is feature-film director & producer Chaysen Beacham to talk about his film  "Polara." "Polara" tells the story of TJ, who on this 18th birthday, receives a key from a father he’d last seen as he was hauled off to prison 8 years previously.   With the key is the address for a proposed meeting - 3000 miles away and in two weeks.  The key unlocks a timeworn 1968 Polaaara convertible, with a coffin welded to its floor.  With each decision that follows, TJ plunges deeper into the mysterious and beautiful landscapes we all navigate – on our own, with our tribe, through the shifting turns of the road ahead. 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 writer, producer and director Christine Yoo. Christine joins Michael to talk about her documentary "26.2 to Life," which brings viewers to San Quentin State Prison to watch prisoners train for a marathon that’s run inside the prison walls. The film has been enthusiastically received at numerous film festivals across the country, winning the Audience Award at the Santa Barbara Int'l Film Festival and the Seattle Int'l Film Festival. It will be featured at the Woods Hole Film Festival, held in Falmouth, MA, from July 29 to August 13. Additionally, the film will be opening in theaters in LA NY SF and Seattle on 9/22, followed by a 48-hour nationwide virtual premiere at Sept 29-Oct 1. Ticket information here. In addition to directing "26.2 to Life," Christine is the Co-Executive Producer of "The Winning Spirit," from Executive Producer Michael Strahan and The Story Lab, a 6-part docu-series that follows the Ka-Who-Ku High School football team on the North Shore of Oahu through their 2021 championship season. She has produced non-fiction series on National Geographic, The History Channel, and Oxygen.  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 this episode host Michael Azevedo welcomes back Boston Globe film critic Odie Henderson to talk about labor unrest among Hollywood writers and actors.   Both the Writers Guild and SAG-AFTRA (the actors union) are officially on strike. The writers began walking the picket line in early May and the 160,000 SAG-AFTRA members voted to go on strike on July 13. Both guilds are very concerned about how they’re being compensated for streaming content and about how the use of Artificial Intelligence in movie making will impact their livelihoods.   Odie also shares with us his fave movies so far of 2023 and we chat about two big releases that open this week: Barbie and Oppenheimer. Or, as Odie refers to them BarbieHeimer!   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 by Anne Zeiser. Anne is a critically acclaimed social impact producer and media strategist. Her background as a broadcast journalist, marketing executive, and social advocate uniquely positions her as the architect of successful media-driven productions and social impact campaigns. She has stewarded iconic documentary, drama, lifestyle and children’s series and specials for PBS. She’s also produced news for CBS, managed consumer brands for national marketing firms, and has served in government and on political campaigns. Integrating all of these perspectives, Anne founded Azure Media, which develops high profile projects for broadcast and digital platforms that fuel social impact in communities, schools, and capitols.   Most recently, Anne served as EP for "Muraling Austin," a 3-part documentary series that explores the art and artists behind the vibrant public murals found in Austin TX.    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