WE BOUGHT A MIC

WBAM Studios

WE BOUGHT A MIC (WBAM) is a pop culture podcast hosted by Ernest Calderon, Hunter Mobley, and Drew Dietzen, three friends who have had conversations about all things film, TV, music, etc. for over a decade. All they needed was to buy a mic. So they did.

  1. 23. Apr.

    Live from the Red Carpet at the 2026 Florida Film Festival

    We bring you some quick interviews with filmmakers at the historic Enzian Theater for the Florida Film Festival. We chat about their films and then ask them to choose: Cruise or Hanks? ​David Anthony Ngo (Never Get Busted!): Fresh off a Sundance premiere, David discusses his "Tiger King in the war on drugs" documentary, executive produced by the team behind Searching for Sugar Man.​Matthew Serrano (Xolo): The LA-based filmmaker and Defunctland collaborator talks about the challenges of directing a senior rescue dog in a narrative involving the Aztec god of death.​Maggie Brill (All at Once): A deep dive into New York filmmaking, navigating surprise concerts in Central Park, and the importance of queer coming-of-age representation.​Khoa Ha & Victor Velle (Y Vân: The Lost Sounds of Saigon): The search for the lost legacy of the "Quincy Jones of Saigon" and the journey of rediscovering a family musical heritage across two continents.​We talk to Lena Greene (Tuna Tartare) about Broadway-singing trash, Sasha Shin (Juicy and Sweet) on being "haunted by apples," and Shengwei Zhou (Perfect City: The Mushroom) on using stop-motion to process grief. ​ Plus, Eddie Mauldin (Dreams) and Ryan McCown (Crab Diane) discuss everything from "nontraditional" mental health to cosmic crustacean colonies.​Kim Blanck (Gloria): The Tribeca alum shares the "pre-pro panic" of filming on her own block and working with Gilmore Girls’ Emily Kuroda.​Jorma Taccone joins us to discuss his new film Over Your Dead Body (hitting theaters April 24th!).

    28 Min.
  2. 20. Apr.

    Interview with 'JUNKIE' Writer-Director William Means and Star Rocky Shay

    Here's our conversation with the team behind the Award-Winning film 'JUNKIE' - writer-director William Means and lead actor Rocky Shay. The film won both the Grand Jury and Audience Awards in the Narrative Feature category at the 2026 Florida Film Festival. ---- About the film: Junkie, the gritty debut feature from writer-director William Means, follows a haphazard 72 hours in the life of Stevie Chapman (played by real-life recovering addict Rocky Shay). A perpetual screwup running on empty, Stevie has escaped rehab (again). On the run, she sets out to make amends and reconcile with her estranged, gay son, Liam, before she skips town for good. Through Stevie’s eyes, we are plunged into an eccentric tour of America’s southern underbelly. An unforgettable odyssey, Junkie evolves into a touching, emotionally raw mother-and-son story about dignity, identity, and the fragile hope of redemption. Executive produced by Patty Jenkins (Monster, Wonder Woman), Junkie announces a bold new voice in Means, while Rocky Shay’s fearless, darkly comic, and deeply human performance as the bonkers yet endearing Stevie stands as one of the great breakout performances of this year’s festival. Director Bio: William Means (Junkie) (he/him) is a Los Angeles-based writer and director who earned his MFA in directing at the AFI Conservatory in 2021. Since AFI, William worked alongside cinematographer Lawrence Sher as well as director Patty Jenkins. His most recent short, “Blue Square Heart,” qualified for the 2024 Oscars®.

    47 Min.

Info

WE BOUGHT A MIC (WBAM) is a pop culture podcast hosted by Ernest Calderon, Hunter Mobley, and Drew Dietzen, three friends who have had conversations about all things film, TV, music, etc. for over a decade. All they needed was to buy a mic. So they did.