Cinemafile

Mike Kaspar

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FILM INTERVIEWS

Cinemafile showcases the very best in independent, documentary and foreign films through our conversations with the more than 2,000 filmmakers who made them. Through Cinemafile we will do our best to bring the most interesting and accomplished filmmakers from around the world to your attention.

15 HR AGO

Matter of Time - Director Matt Finlin

Currently available on NETFLIX, MATTER OF TIME is a compelling documentary chronicling the fight to cure Epidermolysis Bullosa (EB), a rare and devastating genetic disease. Set against the backdrop of a powerful benefit concert organized by Pearl Jam frontman Eddie Vedder in Seattle, the film weaves together personal stories of patients and families, the scientific breakthroughs propelled by their advocacy, and the strength of a global community refusing to accept the status quo. Far more than a concert film, Matter of Time captures the emotional and physical toll of EB, the radical model of venture philanthropy driving progress, and the belief that art, science, and love can fuel a cure. With an original score by Broken Social Scene and candid interviews from all sides of the movement, the film is a rallying cry for what’s possible when people come together—with urgency and heart—for something bigger than themselves. Director Matt Finlin stops by to talk about the Vedder family contribution to something that feels increasingly doable, and getting to know Deanna, Eli, Charlie, Rowan, Garrett and the researchers who have dedicated their work to ending the crippling impact of Epidermolysis Bullosa. About the filmmaker - Matt Finlin is a Toronto-based director and producer known for crafting ] ] emotionally resonant stories that intersect art, social impact, and cultural memory. With a background in both documentary and commercial filmmaking, Finlin has spent over a decade building a body of work that reflects his deep interest in human connection, creative expression, and the power of storytelling to inspire real-world change. His first feature-length documentary, The Movie Man, premiered at the 2024 Santa Barbara International Film Festival and was praised for its heartfelt portrayal of a small-town cinema owner’s life, legacy, and love of film. Distributed by Mongrel Media, the film went on to screen at festivals across North America and aired on TCM and PBS. Finlin has collaborated extensively with Pearl Jam frontman Eddie Vedder and EB Research Partnership, using film to amplify awareness around Epidermolysis Bullosa (EB) and accelerate efforts to find a cure.

19 min
16 HR AGO

*2026 Sundance Award Winner - Dead Lover - Director Grace Glowicki

Winner of the Special Jury Award for Outstanding Performance at the 2026 Sundance Film Festival, DEAD LOVER is the story of a lonely Gravedigger who reeks so strongly of corpses that she can't attract a lover. She concocts fragrant perfumes in her workshop, but nothing can save her romantic prospects from her ghastly odor... Until one day, when Gravedigger meets Lover, an aristocratic dandy in town for his sister's funeral. Lover is different: numb to the pampered palette of the aristocracy, his loins are downright aroused by Gravedigger’s morbid stank. Before long, Gravedigger and Lover begin a rapturous love affair, become engaged, and dream of starting a family. Dead Lover is a hilarious, delirious, beautiful, horny, and wholly original Frankensteinian tale about the limits one Gravedigger will go to hold onto love. It is the sophomore feature from Grace Glowicki, who directed and stars as the love-obsessed, shovel-wielding Gravedigger turned mad scientist. Ben Petrie, Leah Doz and Lowen Morrow comprise the colorful cast of supporting characters, each playing multiple roles in the style of great romps such as Monty Python and Dr. Strangelove. About the filmmaker - Grace Glowicki is an actor, writer and director with a focus on unhinged yet emotional comedies. Her debut feature, Tito, premiered at the 2019 SXSW Film Festival, where it won the Adam Yauch Hornblower Award which honors “a filmmaker whose work strives to be wholly its own, without regard for norms or desire to conform.” Richard Brody at the New Yorker called it “an instant classic of acting." The film was acquired by Visit Films and distributed by Factory 25. Glowicki has starred in many acclaimed independent films such as Strawberry Mansion (Sundance ‘21), Until Branches Bend (TIFF ‘22, SXSW ‘23), Booger (Fantasia ’23), The Heirloom (Rotterdam ‘24), and “Her Friend Adam” (SUNDANCE ‘16, SXSW ‘16) for which she won a Sundance Special Jury Award for Outstanding Performance. Dead Lover is Glowicki’s sophomore feature.

18 min
1 DAY AGO

Immutable - Co-directors Charlie Sadoff & Gabriel London & film subject Danielle Dupree

IMMUTABLE is a feature documentary that follows a group of students from the Washington Urban Debate League as they fight to find their voices in a world that too often tries to silence them. Against the backdrop of a city marked by inequality, these young debaters confront daily challenges that range from housing instability to neurodivergence. For some, debate is a path to college. For others, it’s a lifeline. We meet them at a summer debate camp, where their journey begins—not just to win tournaments, but to sharpen arguments that reflect their own lives. One girl, autistic and fearless, demands the world see people with special needs as whole. Others argue for economic policy reforms while navigating poverty themselves. As multiple seasons unfold, Immutable captures the grit, intellect, and heart of students who are determined to not only become top-tier debaters but to change the course of their lives. Co-directors Charlie Sadoff, Gabriel London, and one of the film’s subjects Danielle Dupree join us to talk about getting to know the dedicated young men and women who participated in the highly charged, cut-throat world of competitive debating, as well as, the impact this journey has had on these students and their families. About the filmmaker - Charlie Sadoff is a producer, director and editor whose most recent film Against All Enemies premiered to critical acclaim at the 2023 Tribeca Film Festival, went onto to win multiple best documentary awards and after its release in 2024 was the number one ranked doc on the Apple TV charts. His early work includes the Emmy Award winning Liquid Television and Peter Gabriel’s VMA and Grammy Award winning music video Steam. Documentaries he has produced include For Our Daughters, The Mind of Mark Defriest which premiered at Hot Docs and aired on Showtime, Dream Riders (Sheffield Doc Fest, Discovery), the 10 part series The Rites of Autumn for ESPN and multiple docs for History and CBS Sports. Charlie seeks projects that can help affect meaningful change and Cut Poison Burn (Mill Valley) and The Harvest (IDFA, Epix) from executive producers Eva Longoria and Academy Award winners Shine Global both screened on Capitol Hill as part of efforts to move legislation. About the filmmaker - Gabriel London is an award-winning documentary filmmaker whose films have tackled major policy issues of the day from mass incarceration to climate change. Gabriel won the Albert R. Broccoli best film award for his first prison documentary, Turned Out, and went on to collaborate with Human Rights Watch on the first nationwide study of prison rape. The resulting films, No Escape: Prison Rape in America, received the Soros Criminal Justice Award and were instrumental in the passage of Prison Rape Elimination Act. Gabriel has made intimate documentaries with notable talent, including Drew Barrymore's film on voting, The Best Place to Start, and Snoop Dogg's autobiographical story, Youth Authority: California. Gabriel's most recognized work, The Mind of Mark DeFriest, won a number of awards at film festivals and went on to help reduce the title subject's sentence by over 70 years, before being aired on Showtime. In 2020, Gabriel directed The Definition of Insanity, which aired on PBS and has been used as a tool for mental health reforms nationwide.

16 min
2 DAYS AGO

*2026 SXSW Premiere - Beyond the Duplex Planet - Director Beth Harrington

In 1979, David Greenberger, a recent art school grad became activities director at a Boston nursing home. David began interviewing the residents, rejecting pat questions with the unexpected: "Which do you prefer- coffee or meat?” “What is embarrassment?” and “How close can you get to a penguin?” The result was The Duplex Planet, an early ‘zine characterized by humor, warmth and sincerity. Today David’s work takes the form of spoken word shows and recordings. Beyond the Duplex Planet explores notions of aging and its intersection with art and community. It’s also a slightly ironic look at the life of an artist devoted to documenting the elderly who is himself in his senior years. A long-time friend and collaborator with David Greenberger, our guest Beth Harrington directed and produced Beyond the Duplex Planet. About the filmmaker - Beth Harrington is an Emmy-winning, Grammy-nominated independent producer, director and writer, born in Boston and transplanted to the Pacific Northwest. She most often focuses on work that explores American history, music and culture. Harrington’s independent production Welcome to the Club – The Women of Rockabilly, a music documentary about the pioneering women of rock and roll, was honored with a 2003 Grammy nomination. This and other work reflect a long-standing love of music. She’s been a singer and sometimes guitarist, most noted for her years as a member of Jonathan Richman & The Modern Lovers on Sire Records. In 2015 her film The Winding Stream – The Carters, the Cashes and the Course of Country Music premiered at SXSW, later appearing in over 30 film festivals in the U.S. and abroad. Her latest projects include the documentary Beyond the Duplex Planet about artist David Greenberger, and Our Mr. Matsura, a historical film about a Japanese photographer’s unconventional work documenting the people of Washington State in the early 1900s.Harrington has also worked with public television stations WGBH in Boston and OPB in Portland producing, researching, and developing shows for both national and local air on series such as Nova, Frontline, History Detectives, Oregon Art Beat and Oregon Experience. Her film Fort Vancouver received a NW Emmy for Best Historical/Cultural Program in 2019 and her piece Once Upon a Time in the Northwest – The Music of Federale, a NW Emmy for Best Arts/Entertainment - Long Form Content in 2021.

17 min
2 DAYS AGO

*Oscar winner - Best International Feature Sentimental Value - Editor Olivier Bugge Coutté

Joachim Trier’s Academy Award winning Best International Feature Sentimental Value, is a riveting drama that follows sisters Nora and Agnes as they reunite with their estranged father, Gustav, a once-renowned director who offers Nora a role in what he hopes will be his comeback film. Nora turns it down, but soon discovers he's given the part to an eager young Hollywood star. The two siblings must now navigate a complicated relationship with Gustav while dealing with an American actress dropped right into the middle of their complex family dynamics. Sentimental Value has been nominated for 9 2026 Oscars, including: Best Picture, Best Director, Best Actress, Best Actor, Best Supporting Actress (2), Best International Feature Film, Best Screenplay and Best Editor, Olivier Bugge Coutté (Our Guest). About the filmmaker - 2026 Oscar nominee Olivier Bugge Coutté is an editor based in Denmark is a graduate of the National Film and Television School where he studied alongside his longtime collaborator, Joachim Trier. While some of his other credits include Thelma, The Apprentice, The Promised Land, Beginners and Copenhagen Does Not Exist, Olivier has cut all of Trier's films, including The Worst Person in The World which was nominated for the Academy Award for Best International feature, and the most recent film, Sentimental Value, which won the grand prize at the Cannes Film Festival this year.

13 min
2 DAYS AGO

*Oscar Winner - Best Documentary - Mr. Nobody Against Putin - Co-directors David Borenstein & Pasha Talankin

Pasha Talankin is an unlikely hero—a beloved Russian primary school teacher, known as a mentor and prankster who offers students a safe haven in his office. After Russia invades Ukraine, Pasha’s role in the school changes dramatically as he is reluctantly drawn into Putin’s propaganda machine. Forced to promote state-sanctioned messages and horrified by the transformation of his school and community, he struggles with guilt and a sense of powerlessness, leading him to become an international whistleblower. Directed by David Borenstein and co-directed by Pasha Talankin, this uniquely collaborative film is as captivating and joyful as it is eye-opening and sobering. Mr. Nobody Against Putin showcases rare footage that reveals the profound impact of Putin’s regime on the lives of everyday Russians, particularly its children. David Borenstein is a filmmaker based in Copenhagen. His award-winning films include Can’t Feel Nothing (CPH: DOX 2024), Love Factory (NYTimes 2021), and Dream Empire (IDFA 2016). In addition to his feature work, David has produced and directed television for countless international broadcasters, earning him the broadcast equivalent of the Pulitzer Prize.

16 min
4 DAYS AGO

Birita - Director Búi Dam

In this moving and deeply personal feature documentary, BIRITA, a family of theater-makers on the tiny archipelago of The Faroe Islands attempts to stage Shakespeare’s King Lear, casting the mother - celebrated theater actress Birita Mohr - who is living with Alzheimer’s in the lead role. Birita’s son Búi Dam, a theater director, leads the project—a controversial endeavor driven by his belief that, even though his mother can no longer speak, she longs to return to the stage. Directing the play, Búi must grapple with justifying the project’s premise, while his father, a retired theater director, tries to balance caregiving with his own well-being. As this remarkable drama unfolds, Birita’s joyful presence brings a surprising lightness to the process, leaving a profound impact on everyone involved. Director Búi Dam joins us to talk about the many challenges raised in the making of this powerful and uplifting film. About the filmmaker - BÚI DAM is a director, actor, and musician born who grew up in The Faroe Islands in a family of artists. He studied theater directing at the Danish National School of Performing Arts, acting at the London School of Dramatic Art, and music at FÍH in Iceland. He was mentored by Indian poet and playwright H. S. Shivaprakash and American jazz saxophonist John Purcell. He began his career as a jazz guitarist and composer, performing with renowned singer Eivør as well as other local musicians. A hand injury forced him to give up the guitar and step onto the stage as a singer and performer. Under the name BUDAM, he released two studio albums and toured extensively throughout Europe. He also composed music for several theater productions. He later transitioned fully into theater and film, acting, writing and directing. Dam’s work has earned him several awards, including Best Short Film at The Geytin Film Awards (2020), Best Actor at the Winter Film Awards in New York (2021), and the prestigious M. A. Jacobsen Award for his play Castle of Joy (2022). BIRITA is his first feature film. About the subject - BIRITA MOHR (born 1950) is a retired Faroese actress. She was a leading figure in Faroese theater for more than three decades, performing memorable roles in productions such as Antigone,The Crucible, The Prostitutes Will Precede You into the Kingdom of Heaven, The Lost Musicians, The Vagina Monologues, The Cherry Orchard, and many others. Her film credits include ATLANTIC RHAPSODY and BYE BYE BLUEBIRD, both directed by Katrin Ottarsdóttir. In 2023, Birita was awarded the prestigious Cultural Honorary Award by the Faroese government for her lifelong contribution to Faroese theater.

17 min
5 DAYS AGO

Pompei: Below the Clouds - Director Gianfranco Rosi

Between Mount Vesuvius and the Gulf of Naples, the ground shakes periodically and the fumaroles of the Phlegraean Fields taint the air. From the traces of history, memories of the subterranean world, and the concerns of the present, in black and white, a lesser-known Naples emerges and fills with voices, with lives. Below the clouds lies a territory crisscrossed by locals, worshippers, tourists, and archaeologists excavating a past that in museums will give new life and meaning to statues, fragments, and ruins. The train that rings Vesuvius makes its rounds as racehorses train along the shore. A teacher runs a makeshift afterschool for children and adolescents. Firemen in their command center calm the fears of the locals who call in, law enforcement tracks down tomb robbers, while in the port of Torre Annunziata, Syrian tankers unload Ukrainian grain. The land that skirts the gulf is a vast time machine. About the filmmaker – Gianfranco Rosi, born in Asmara, Eritrea, graduated from the New York University Film School. In India, he makes Boatman, about a boatman on the Ganges, presented at Sundance, Locarno and Toronto. In California he shoots Below Sea Level, about a community of homeless people, and wins the Orizzonti award at the Venice Film Festival. The next film is El Sicario ‐ Room 164, about a killer for Mexican cartels, which wins the Fipresci Prize at the Venice Film Festival. With Sacro Gra for the first time a documentary wins the Golden Lion at the Venice Film Festival. With Fuocoammare he wins the Golden Bear in Berlin, the European Film Academy award and other international prizes, and is nominated for an Oscar. Notturno, shot in the Middle East, in competition at the Venice Film Festival, was shortlisted for the Oscars.

24 min

Cinemafile showcases the very best in independent, documentary and foreign films through our conversations with the more than 2,000 filmmakers who made them. Through Cinemafile we will do our best to bring the most interesting and accomplished filmmakers from around the world to your attention.

Creator

Mike Kaspar
Years Active

2025 - 2026
Episodes

163
Rating

Clean
Copyright

© Copyright 2026 Mike Kaspar
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