Filmwax Radio

Author Sam Wasson ("The Big Goodbye", "The Oral History of Hollywood") returns to the podcast to discuss his latest book, "The Path to Paradise: A Francis Ford Coppola Story" (Harper Collins, 2023).

This episode celebrates the memory of filmmaker Nancy Buirski who died recently, and her latest film, "Desperate Souls, Dark CIty and the Legend of Midnight Cownoy" which has been shortlisted for an Oscar. Producers Simon Kilmurry and Susan Margolin are the guests. Also, filmmaker PJ Raval discusses his latest documentary, "Who We Become", now on Netflix.

Two non-fiction filmmakers on this episode: first Reed Harkness and his highly personal documentary "Sam Now" about his half-brothers search for his long estranged mother; and Philip Shane returns to discuss his short film "Jade Doskow: Photographer of Lost Utopias".

The filmmaker Stephen Frears ("The Queen") discusses his latest film, "The Lost King" which opens Friday, March 24th in theaters. Also, the director John Clayton Doyle and film's subject Doug McCorkle with their hybrid fiction/non-fiction film "I'm An Electric Lampshade". That film is currently on demand and on digital platforms.

NYU Film Professor Dana Polan makes his first appearance on Filmwax to discuss this Sunday's nominees and make some predictions. We also discuss Polan's books, of which he has published more than 10.

The actor Tim Roth ("Pulp Fiction", "Bergman Island") returns to Filmwax to discuss his new film, shot in New Zealand, called "Punch". Also filmmaker Matthew Newton returns to discuss his latest film, "Among The Beasts". Both films are available on demand.

Actors Mia Wasikowska and Eric Bana have a new movie called "Blueback" which is currently in theaters. Also, documentary filmmaker R. J. Cutler ("Belushi", "The War Room") stops by to discuss his new docu-series "Murf the Surf" which is currently streaming on MGM+.

The Executive Director of The Bardavon in Poughkeepsie and UPAC (The Ulster Performing Arts Center) in Kingston, Chris Silva, is the guest. Chris discusses his long history in running theaters in San Francisco and in New York before relocating to the Hudson Valley back in the mid-1990's.

Co-founder and Executive Director of the Woodstock Film Festival, Meira Blaustein, is the guest. The Festival was launched in 2000 and has quickly become one of the most respected and influential regional film festivals in the US. Blaustein has been running it ever since.

The iconic actor Judd Hirsch ("Taxi", "The Fablemans") is in a new indie comedy called "iMordecai" which opened on Friday, February 10th. Also, documentary filmmaker Colin Askey discusses his documentary "Love in the Time of Fentanyl" which premieres on PBS's Independent Lens on February 13th.

Two of the co-founders of HUDSY, Laura Kandel and Jesse Brown, are my guests. HUDSY is a community-inspired platform with a mission to bring Hudson Valley creatives closer together online and in-person, fostering connection in innovative, collaborative, and unique ways in order to counteract the disconnection rampant in this digital world.

A new documentary about the Laemmle family and their chain of arthouse cinemas opens this weekend in NYC. It's called "Only in Theaters" and we have Greg Laemmle & filmmaker Raphael Sbarge. Also, the programmer of DCTV's new documentary theater called the Firehouse Cinema, Dara Messinger.

The filmmaker GIa Coppola makes her first appearance. She is one of 7 directors on a new experimental anthology film called "The Seven Faces of Jane." Also, actor William Mapother stops by to discuss a new dramatic feature he acts in and has also produced called "On Sacred Ground." Both films open in select theaters and on demand on Friday, January 13th.

French American documentary filmmakers & brothers, Jules & Gédéon Naudet, have made a documentary about January 6th currently on the Discovery+ streaming service; also, filmmaker Lizzie Gottlieb has a new documentary about her father, editor/publisher Robert Gottlieb's 50 year plus professional relationship with the historian/author Robert Caro called "Turn Every Page".

Mark Barden of Sandy Hook Promise, an organization he helped found after the killing of his son at the Sandy Hook school shooting in 2012, is the guest. He discusses a new documentary called "A Father's Promise" in which he participated & which is currently screening in NYC. Also, the team behind the new podcast "George Bailey Was Never Born", Ray Nowosielski & Dave Cassidy.

Natalia Leites (HANDMAIDS'S TALE) returns to the podcast after many years to discuss her latest work including having directed the first 3 episodes of the new Hulu series BLACK CAKE. Also, making his directorial debut, Travis Burgess discusses his film HAYSEED which just became available on streaming platforms and stars Filmwax friend Bill Sage (SIMPLE MEN, WE ARE WHAT WE ARE) who joins him.

Filmwax celebrates 2 fascinating & relevant documentaries in this episode. In the 1st segment we have one of the co-directors, Jennifer Tiexiera, whose new documentary "Subject" focuses on the impact of being a subject of a documentary and how that can change your life for better or worse. The other guest in this subject is the subject of the Netflix doc "The Staircase", Margie Ratliff who also services as a producer of Subject documentary. In the 2nd segment of this episode, doc filmmaker Kevin Duncan Wong and his film "Home is a Hotel", about various folks who live in Bay Area SRO's due to the housing crisis. The film really humanizes these people. One of them, Sylvester, a local Bay artist is my other guest in this segment.

The documentary filmmaker Vin Liota makes his first appearance on the podcast to discuss his recent film "Objects". Vin's film follows three unique people who have held onto something that gained incredible meaning for them over decades.

The animator/filmmaker Signe Baumane makes her first appearance on FIlmwax with her latest feature film, "My Love Affair With Marriage". Her film opens at the Quad Cinema in NYC on Friday, October 6th.

Liz Abzug, daughter of Bella, is the guest. I invited Liz on to discuss her relationship with the director Jeff L. Lieberman, who made the documentary "Bella: This Woman's Place is in the House".