First Time Go Director's Club

Every Sunday, I'll post a quick video -- and podcast -- about an indie film from at least a year ago. Today's film: THE FLORIDA PROJECT (2017).
Director: Sean Baker
Screenplay: Sean Baker; Chris Bergoch
Cast: Brooklynn Prince; Willem Dafoe; Bria Vinaite
SYNOPSIS
Set in the shadow of the most magical place on Earth, 6-year-old Moonee and her two best friends forge their own adventures, while Moonee's struggling mom and a kindhearted motel manager protect the kids from the harsh reality that surrounds them.
Watch The Episode: https://youtu.be/WNw_njqdD4c?si=48lbYuQLTWX21OHh
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I talk with filmmaker Sierra Urich about her film JOONAM, which premiered at the Sundance Film Festival on January 21, 2023 and has gone on to win several awards as well as nominated for an Independent Spirit Award.

In this episode, we talk about the deeply personal film she made; how to make a documentary film stand out in the crowded doc landscape; the fact that making Sundance is only the start of your journey, not the end; what you should be doing at any film festival you attend; and the importance of making a story that's true to you rather than trying to figure out what to sell.

Sierra engaged with the tough questions, and what emerges from this conversation is an extraordinarily thoughtful examination of what it's like as a documentary filmmaker today.

Check the link to the film on Instagram for screening times and locations.

Sierra's Indie Film Highlight: Camden International Film Festival; True/False Film Fest

Links:

JOONAM Website (https://www.joonamfilm.com/)

JOONAM on Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/joonamfilm/)

Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/first-time-go/exclusive-content

Every Sunday, I'll post a quick video -- and podcast -- about an indie film from at least a year ago. Today's film: OWNING MAHOWNY (2003).

Director: Richard Kwietniowski

Writers: Gary Stephen Ross; Maurice Chauvet

Cast: Philip Seymour Hoffman; Minnie Driver; Maury Chaykin

SYNOPSIS

A bank manager with: (a) a gambling problem and (b) access to a multimillion dollar account gets into a messy situation. Based on the story of the largest one-man bank fraud in Canadian history.

Watch The Episode: https://youtu.be/rFd0xWRsMFQ

Subscribe to our YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/@firstgopod

Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/first-time-go/exclusive-content

What happens when your complex short film DIAGONALE hits 50 million views on YouTube (well -- now 58 million and maybe much higher when you're reading this)? Anne Thorens will tell you...and the story is incredible.

Over the objections of some crew members, Anne made the story SHE wanted to make and the result is the most watched short in the history of Short of the Week. In this episode, we talk about trusting yourself; how to film intimate relations; the market for short films; Swiss filmmaking; and when to expect a feature from Anne. I absolutely cannot wait to see that film.

If you ever needed a pod episode as an indie filmmaker to help you trust yourself, this is it.

Anne's Indie Film Highlight: OLGA (2021) dir. by Elie Grappe; THE LAND WITHIN (2022) dir. by Fisnik Maxville; LAST DANCE (2022) dir. by Delphine Lehericey

Links:

DIAGONALE (2019) dir. by Anne Thorens (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ev2g6U30XU0)

Anne Thorens' Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/annethorens/)

Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/first-time-go/exclusive-content

I talk with filmmaker Morgan Chen about his amazing life story -- from Oregon to Atlanta, and now about an upcoming documentary -- SCHOOL OF THE OPEN -- in New Hampshire. It's a journey you won't want to miss.

In this episode, we talk about his unique and powerful journey; his style of documentary filmmaking; his excitement (with trepidation) for hybrid docs and AI; the underlying values that underpin his upcoming feature doc; and what's next for this visionary, thoughtful filmmaker.

Morgan's Indie Film Highlight: THE WAR ROOM (1993) (https://boxd.it/1tWa); Errol Morris (https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0001554/)

Links:

Morgan Chen Productions (https://www.morganchenproductions.com/)

Morgan Chen's Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/speedomorgan/)

Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/first-time-go/exclusive-content

Every Sunday, I'll post a quick video -- and podcast -- about an indie film from at least a year ago. Today's film: TWO LOVERS (2008).

Director: James Gray

Writers: James Gray; Ric Menello

Cast: Joaquin Phoenix; Vinessa Shaw; Gwyneth Paltrow

SYNOPSIS

Following a broken engagement, sometime photographer Leonard Kraditor (Joaquin Phoenix) moves in with his parents in Brighton Beach. He soon becomes involved with Sandra (Vinessa Shaw), an honest and sensible young woman. They appear to be a perfect match, then Michelle (Gwyneth Paltrow) enters the picture. Beautiful but manipulative, she wraps him around her finger, even though she has a rich, married boyfriend.

Subscribe to our YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/@firstgopod

Watch on YouTube now: https://youtu.be/g-rX9TpRFVU

Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/first-time-go/exclusive-content