Filmmaking Confidential Steve Balderson

To celebrate the release of our film "Alchemy Of The Spirit" this week we revisit Mr. Balderson's discussion with cult icon Mink Stole!  Mink co-stars in "Alchemy" alongside Xander Berkeley and Sarah Clarke   

Watch "Alchemy Of The Spirit" on Prime Video:
https://www.amazon.com/gp/video/detail/B0B8RLM38M

Alchemy of the Spirit stars Xander Berkeley (Candyman, “24”), Sarah Clarke (“24”, “Covert Affairs”), and cult icon Mink Stole (Female Trouble, Pink Flamingos). The film premiered in Europe at Fantasporto in April, 2022, picking up a nomination for Best International Feature, and went on to screen around the globe to critical acclaim, including the Philadelphia Independent Film Festival (taking home Best Feature Film Science Fiction), the Atlanta Underground Film Festival (taking home Best Director) and the International Sci-Fi & Fantasy Film Festival (dominating the awards with Best in Show, Best Director for Balderson, Best Actor for Berkeley, and Best Actress for Clarke).
Mink Stole is best known for her work in the films of John Waters. Her film career began as a party guest in Waters' film Roman Candles. Since then, she has appeared in all of John Waters' feature films from Pink Flamingos, Female Trouble, Desperate Living, Cry Baby, and Serial Mom (opposite Kathleen Turner) to name a few. She has appeared in a number of films and television shows, such as Stuck! directed by Steve Balderson, and is the lead singer of Mink Stole and Her Wonderful Band, of which musicians Kristian Hoffman, George Baby Woods, and Brian Grillo have been members.  

For more information, visit:
https://www.dikenga.com/alchemy-of-the-spirit

(repeat episode)

To celebrate the release of our film "Alchemy Of The Spirit" this week we revisit Mr. Balderson's discussion with Dr. Joseph Suglia, who offers his analysis of the film.   

Philosopher and Author Dr. Joseph Suglia dissects Steve Balderson's new art film ALCHEMY OF THE SPIRIT which stars Xander Berkeley, Sarah Clarke, and cult icon Mink Stole.  The film premiered in Europe at Fantasporto in April, 2022, picking up a nomination for Best International Feature, and went on to screen around the globe to critical acclaim, including the Philadelphia Independent Film Festival (taking home Best Feature Film Science Fiction), the Atlanta Underground Film Festival (taking home Best Director) and the International Sci-Fi & Fantasy Film Festival (dominating the awards with Best in Show, Best Director for Balderson, Best Actor for Berkeley, and Best Actress for Clarke).

In the discussion today: the illusion of time, ancient religions, archaic religiosity, life and death, resurrection, the regeneration of time, the birth of the cosmos, the end of the world, Alan Watts, David Lynch, Shakespeare, and consciousness.
(Correction: At one point, Dr. Suglia misnames the character Leontes by calling him "Leonatus.")

Watch "Alchemy Of The Spirit" on Prime Video:
https://www.amazon.com/gp/video/detail/B0B8RLM38M

For more information, visit:
https://www.dikenga.com/alchemy-of-the-spirit

(repeat episode)

This special Season Two finale features producer/director Anthony Pedone.  Pedone has produced, written, directed, or shot over 24 features, documentaries, and short films.
In 2015, he produced THE STRONGEST MAN, which premiered at Sundance and was released theatrically and on VOD by Film Buff and Sundance Global. In 2018, his directorial debut AN AMERICAN IN TEXAS won the Dutch Golden Stone Award at the Scenecs Film Festival in Hilversum, Holland and was distributed by Gravitas Worldwide.
Most recently, he produced HBO's ONE NATION UNDER STRESS, with director Marc Levin and Dr. Sanjay Gupta; STOCKTON ON MY MIND (HBO) and MY HEART CAN'T BEAT UNLESS YOU TELL IT TO (TRIBECA 2020).

Clara Ritger grew up in the small town of Huntington Beach, California, where she learned what real Mexican food tastes like and how to cut the line at Disneyland. At the ripe old age of two she ran as far ahead of her parents as her child leash would take her on the Yosemite trails to ask random strangers questions about why they were hiking and if they would be her friend. Since then, she has continued to ask why but usually refrains from asking subjects during interviews if they want to be her friend.

She attended the University of Notre Dame, where she graduated cum laude with a B.A. in Political Science and Film, Television and Theatre in May 2013. She also has a minor in Journalism, Ethics, and Democracy, because why do college if you can’t do it all?

Clara is a freelance video director and producer based in New York, NY. She works across mediums in digital, TV and film, and has recently worked with NBC News, the Wall Street Journal and PBS. Her curiosity about the world has led her to tell stories across industries, including finance, health, food, travel, fashion, and the environment. She partners with media companies, brands, and nonprofits to create emotional, shareable stories.

Prior to moving to NYC, Clara was based in the Washington, D.C. area as a Producer at Green Buzz Agency, where she created documentary style videos for major brands and nonprofits, including Upworthy and Make-A-Wish. She has also written and/or done multimedia work for National Journal, The Indianapolis Star, USA Today, The Philadelphia Inquirer, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, Pittsburgh Tribune-Review, Patriot-News, Morning Call, Capitolwire, Northern Virginia Magazine, 88.1 WVPE NPR, the Reno Gazette-Journal, NDtv News and the oldest collegiate publication in the United States, Scholastic magazine.

Clara really likes coffee, and once bought everything on the menu at Starbucks because she had extra monopoly money at school and wanted to find out what her favorite drink actually was. It cost her $134.80. She also enjoys cooking and a good book. She is not one of those freak people who enjoys running, but she does it anyway, because it is good for you, or something like that. Her middle name is Lucille, which invariably comes up in conversation, so now you know.

Clara does not feel that autobiographies – especially at her age – should be taken seriously.

John Gaspard is author of the Eli Marks mystery series as well as four other stand-alone novels, "The Greyhound of the Baskervilles," "A Christmas Carl," "The Sword & Mr. Stone" and "The Ripperologists." He also writes the Como Lake Players mystery series, under the pen name Bobbie Raymond.  In real life, John’s not a magician, but he has directed six low-budget features that cost very little and made even less – that’s no small trick. He’s also written multiple books on the subject of low-budget filmmaking. Ironically, they’ve made more than the films. Those books ("Fast, Cheap and Under Control" and "Fast, Cheap and Written That Way") are available in eBook, Paperback and audiobook formats.

Austin Young is from Reno, Nevada and currently lives and works in Los Angeles. The foundation of his career is from studying at Parsons in Paris. Early in his career, Austin transferred his interests from traditional portrait painting towards a long celebrated career in portrait photography. In many ways, Austin is more accurately described as an image-maker: his projects illustrate the sublime qualities of character that make celebrated people unique. Based on a nuanced visual language of pop-culture iconography, his trademark style and techniques have captured a broad palette of musicians, artists and celebrities including Debbie Harry, Leigh Bowery and Margaret Cho, among others. In multiple bodies of work, Austin confuses personality and identity issues in confrontational and unapologetic image making about people who often split gender roles, stereotypical constraints and socially-constructed identities.

Austin is co-founder and artist of Fallen Fruit, artist duo Austin Young and David Allen Burns, a contemporary art collective that uses fruit as a material for projects that investigate the hyper- qualities of collaboration. 

“Austin Young reconstructs tropes of pop art and pop culture into alarmingly brilliant new icons” - Shana Nys Drambot

"Working with Austin Young is like being alone in a room with a spirit who wants to meet you. He is not interested in your mortality: he is interested in your immortality. [...] He reminds me of the great Hollywood portrait photographers from another era, of George Hurrell, in particular, who was interested in the painting, not the snapshot. There is always a place for the secular in journalism. Thankfully that place will not be in Mr. Young's studio." - Diamanda Galás

"Austin Young is the best artist working in photography today. His work captures beauty at its most vital, carnal, visceral, alive! His exuberant intensity is matched by his innate sense of balance and upmost respect for glamour, in all of its many decent and indecent forms. His work will be seen as important historical reference for our times, and his name will be legend." - Margaret Cho

"Austin's images are, like me, the best of both worlds. Flawless and perfect, they are dreamily artificial -- while somehow simultaneously remaining organic, genuine and very real." - Jackie Beat

“I was beyond thrilled when Austin Young expressed interest in photographing Peaches Christ, not only because I knew Austin would create a gorgeously iconic Peaches image (which he did) but because it meant I’d be included in a brilliant body of work I’ve admired for years. Austin Young’s subjects are my idols and his portraits pay glamorous tribute to the often over-looked world of dark divas, drag superstars, and underground film icons." - Peaches Christ

“I’m pretty unabashed in my enthusiasm for Austin Young’s work. I think he’s the most original photographer to emerge in America since David LaChapelle.” -Richard Metzger