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First Time Go

Benjamin Duchek
  • 5.0 (9)
  • FILM INTERVIEWS
  • UPDATED WEEKLY

A weekly podcast highlighting the creators of independent film and the business behind it. Hosted by Ben Duchek.

  1. Jeffrey Roth

    13H AGO

    Jeffrey Roth

    Filmmaker Jeffrey Roth has never shied away from intriguing topics, looking to find the humanity behind some of the world's most influential stories: the Apollo astronauts, vice presidents of the United States, or a famed Egyptologist like he does in THE MAN WITH THE HAT (2026). He brings an eye for the story, not the politics, and that's what makes him an amazing filmmaker . In this episode, Jeffrey and I discuss: what's the best way to describe his newest film;how he got started in filmmaking;why he's interested in the human element of history;film in documentaries and his view on hybrid docs and re-enactments;the political environment and reaction if he announced he was doing a documentary on any sort of figure today versus when he did 41 (2012);the wild and bold story of how he secured the ability to make THE MAN WITH THE HAT;what he owes a subject as a documentarian;how he structured THE MAN WITH THE HAT;the name of the film and how he chooses topics;what's next for him. Jeffrey's Indie Film Highlight: FOR ALL MANKIND (1989) dir. by Al Reinert Memorable Quotes: "It's always one step ahead of you then where you really think that you should be."  "I was with a buddy at a an event with these Apollo astronauts and we were just sitting around listening to them. And somebody had just mentioned it would be very interesting to see and watch a story about who they are as opposed to the science or the technology." "41 is not how to love or hate a Republican. It's about a story and a man...who happened to become president." "I would rather go to Egypt and shoot the antiquities there and shoot it either artistically, stylistically, whatever you wanna call it rather than get on a set." "I don't think the [political atmosphere] has changed. I would say it's probably heightened." "They made a big event with George and Barbara, with eight Apollo astronauts, six of the guys that walked on the moon in this one event. We showed the room and I walked out of there that night thinking I'll never see this guy again. But that was fun." "I owe them respect. I owe them honesty and to try to let them know really what the goal is. I don't want to tell them too much about what I'm trying to do. Because I don't want them to think about it. I want to...try to get the real person if I can. So when I'm sitting in an interview situation, I do not like to give the questions in advance." "I don't like to put somebody's name or really hit home to make the title too specific to what you're doing." Links: Watch THE MAN WITH THE HAT (2026) Follow THE MAN WITH THE HAT Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/first-time-go/exclusive-content

    34 min
  2. Indie Film Highlight: TO THE WONDER (2012)

    5D AGO

    Indie Film Highlight: TO THE WONDER (2012)

    Watch This Episode On YouTube Every Sunday, I'll post a quick video -- and podcast -- about an indie film from at least a year ago. Today's film: TO THE WONDER (2012) Director: Terrence Malick Writer: Terrence Malick Cast: Ben Affleck; Olga Kurylenko; Javier Bardem SYNOPSIS After falling in love in Paris, Marina and Neil come to Oklahoma, where problems arise. Their church's Spanish-born pastor struggles with his faith, while Neil encounters a woman from his childhood. Subscribe to our YouTube channel Follow us on Letterboxd Follow us on Instagram Follow us on X Follow us on Facebook Follow us on TikTok Follow us on LinkedIn Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/first-time-go/exclusive-content

    2 min
  3. Robert Ham

    JAN 16

    Robert Ham

    My guest today, director Robert Ham, has lived a life of service -- to his country, to art, to his family -- and it moved me deeply to host him for the podcast. We talk about his military service in the Army as a combat cameraman; losing his wife to cancer and making a documentary about her beautiful life, of honoring a 9/11 family with his latest film, ZZASLOW K-427, which is screening in New York City on January 18th, 2026. And if this sounds heavy, that's the duopoly of sometimes difficult service. I can't speak to any other profession like medicine that often walks the line so closely with the fragility of life, but in the military, a positive outlook even in the harshest conditions is the only way you'll make it through, and that spirit is reflected today on the podcast. Welcome to our world.  In this episode, Robert and I discuss: the instant rapport of veterans, immaterial of branch and age;how he joined the military as a combat cameraman and the advice he'd giving aspiring filmmakers thinking about joining the military (OCS is officer candidate school; new recruits can attend with a four-year degree);how he became the most decorated combat cameraperson in Army history;graduate school at USC and earning a Tillman Scholarship from the Pat Tillman Foundation;why he started his own production company, HAMMR Productions;the challenge of showing PTSD on screen and what he thinks of veteran-focused films;weighing his own mental health with making realistic films about painful parts of his life;his reflections on MADE WITH MELANIE (2022) and his advice for people embarking on a similar journey;releasing indie films on YouTube;working on different topics than military related films?how INTERPRETERS WANTED (2023) is a great primer for learning more about the U.S. relationship with Afghanistan;why he edits his own projects;the story behind ZZASLOW K-427 (2025), which is screening in NYC on January 18th;the festival strategy for his films;what's next for him. Robert's Indie Film Highlights: WARFARE (2025) dir. by Ray Mendoza; MY DEAD FRIEND ZOE (2024) dir. by Kyle Hausmann-Stokes; HOLLYWOOD GRIT (2025) dir. by Ryan Curtis; SAND CASTLE (2017) dir. by Fernando Coimbra and Chris Roessner; Rebecca Murga; Maximilian Uriarte; Mike Dowling Memorable Quotes: "As going through the unique experience of being in the military and then coming out of the military and now being labeled a veteran, which becomes so much part of our personality...when I meet other veterans, it is that common bond." "I did extra work. I was a Marine in FLAGS OF OUR FATHERS (2006) as an extra." "Same thing with everybody in the military. It's hard. You're asked to do morally complicated things that you have to then live with. And so that's the first thing that I would approach it with is that like, where do you stand?" "It feels like the further you get away from the source of anything, the further from the truth you're gonna get, right?" "I've always used the camera to almost separate myself from the trauma." "All I could do was film. I don't know, I'm not a doctor, I'm not, I'm like trying to read these crazy things that she's researching and that we're looking together and taking notes when doctors tell us diagnoses and what we're trying to do and what options and medicines and stuff I've never heard of before." "We had the conversation about how we share this with the world and she just basically said, I trust you."  "She was a great person. She was a wonderful woman. She deserved a film to be made about her."  "It does come back down to my own inability to know how to help a helpless situation." "I have four kids. I'm married, I have a mortgage. So whoever calls up and says, we got a budget, I'm like, okay, let's do this." "I'm very self-critical of my edits and I don't hold onto things very closely. As a director, you shoot something and you're like, oh, this is it. And then the editor has to be like, no, that wasn't it." Links: Follow Robert On Instagram HAMMR Productions Watch MADE WITH MELANIE (2022) Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/first-time-go/exclusive-content

    1h 3m
  4. Sam Mandich

    JAN 13

    Sam Mandich

    Every once in awhile, I talk with someone who completely changes how I view independent filmmaking and those creating the most inventive films. Lately, that was writer/director/dancer Sam Mandich, whose work was influenced by her beginnings in dance. When you watch her films, it all makes sense -- the spare movement and the focused direction -- it comes from her amazingly unique background. An experimental dance film? A psychological coming of age horror? Sign me up for the next few years of Sam Mandich's work. What an astonishing person and I'm so glad to talk with her today for the pod. In this episode, Sam and I discuss: how dance informs her filmmaking;the amazing through-line in dance, conformity, and coming of age stories;what she got out of attending incredibly selective programs like the Paris College of Art and the American Film Institute;why she was selected by her peers at programs like these for higher honors and how it relates back to dance;the signs that people handled selective opportunities poorly;the simplicity -- and complexity -- of her latest works like JIA (2025) and ANGELS;her work on a new experimental dance film (!!);what it is like for her directing other peoples' projects;how she developed her writing skills and working on a script she didn't write;the fact that coming of age stories have become more immediately told and what that means for the future;the various stages of release for her films and the emphasis of top film schools on festivals;what Square Peg Social was like for her;what's next. Sam's Indie Film Highlight: MA (2015) dir. by Celia Rowlson Hall Memorable Quotes: "when I was living in New York and commuting everywhere with my headphones on, suddenly everyone's a dancer." "With dance, it's so interesting because it's an art that's about honing in on your personal craft, and how your singular way of expression feels." "Going back to dance, there's been so many times where you're thrown into environments where you don't know anyone and you're immediately expected to be open and soft and receive like people's most vulnerable stories and then tell them through your own body." "All of these experiences I've been reflecting on so much when I'm doing...I try to journal every morning and try to understand why I am feeling the way I'm feeling about something." "Even though art is so personal, it's really healthy to try to not take things personally." "Directing is a pretty lonely profession...so I think for certain stories, I'm really drawn to collaboration for that sense." "Working on my own scripts, there is a certain vulnerability that comes with the solitude of that...manifests in the story as well." "When you're choosing to make a film with someone, you're choosing to be in a relationship with them. So it's it's a little bit of you. It's a little bit of me, and we figure it out together." "Coming of age can happen at any age." Links: Follow Sam On Instagram Sam Mandich's Website Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/first-time-go/exclusive-content

    38 min
  5. Indie Film Highlight: THE END OF THE TOUR (2015)

    JAN 11

    Indie Film Highlight: THE END OF THE TOUR (2015)

    Every Sunday, I'll post a quick video -- and podcast -- about an indie film from at least a year ago. Today's film: THE END OF THE TOUR (2015) Director: James Ponsoldt Screenplay: Donald Margulies Cast: Jason Segal; Jesse Eisenberg SYNOPSIS David Lipsky, a reporter with the Rolling Stone magazine, interviews acclaimed novelist David Foster Wallace for five days, during which they form a unique bond. Subscribe to our YouTube channel Follow us on Letterboxd Follow us on Instagram Follow us on X Follow us on Facebook Follow us on TikTok Follow us on LinkedIn Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/first-time-go/exclusive-content

    2 min
  6. Jonny Durgan

    JAN 9

    Jonny Durgan

    Making a film called G.S.W (2025) (gun shot wound in medical jargon) in a country with very little gun shot wounds is a choice by British director Jonny Durgan, and I'd argue it's an excellent one. The film works for all sorts of reasons -- Jonny's advertising background; a great script; a fantastic acting performance by Genevieve O'Reilly -- or ten other ones. We explore all the reasons in the pod. In this episode, Jonny and I discuss: whether his sense of humor is a reason for his success;naming a film G.S.W. and what he wants people to know going into watching it;his transition between advertising and filmmaking;how advertising informs his filmmaking;the release strategy process for short films and what he might do differently;his ability to find great actors for his films and its affect on getting his films made;don't be shy on sending out your script if you believe in it!;casting for short films;how the US market views the film given the higher rate of gun violence;making indie films in Britain.what's next for him. Jonny's Indie Film Highlight: A FRIEND OF DOROTHY (2025) dir. by Lee Knight; PROTEIN (2024) dir. by Tony Burke Memorable Quotes: "I grew up quite in a rural area, so to...say to someone, I want to be a film director, they might as well have said, I wanna be a NASA astronaut." "For short films in particular, you really have to be tight with your story because there's no...time to spare." "And then I put the phone down and immediately pick up the phone to the producer, and said good news and bad news. Good news: Genevieve's in. Bad news: we've got five weeks." "One of the things I've learned is to always leave space for the actors to do their thing." "I feel like the kind of the talent of people coming through is so much greater than it's ever been. It's just I feel now that we could be in a golden age of short film really, or independent film, hopefully." Links: Follow GSW On Instagram Jonny Durgan's Website Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/first-time-go/exclusive-content

    23 min
  7. Joecar Hanna

    JAN 6

    Joecar Hanna

    Watch This Episode On YouTube It's hard for me to conjure up another word for Joecar Hanna's award-winning short films, DELIVER ME (2003) and TALK ME (2025), other than: masterpiece. They push the boundaries of cost, intimacy, and what the medium itself can deliver. If you're able to see them -- maybe reach out to Joecar on social media and be nice, it might work -- do so. Near the end of the episode, he gets to an important point: intimacy content still hasn't been taken over by AI. What a unique filmmaker here today for the podcast; director/writer/actor, even willing to work blue, Joecar Hanna. In this episode, Joecar and I discuss: what it's like having masterpieces of short films unavailable for viewing;if there's a part of filmmaking that doesn't appeal to him;how he got started in filmmaking and why he decided to get his MFA at NYU;telling "your story" if you don't have a story to tell;changing "find your voice" to "find your perspective";how to think of his last two films with similar names;his ability to pull off so many things with his films -- art department, makeup, intimacy coordination -- with so little money;the focus of his art at the intersection of intimacy and love;the amazing story (and Spike Lee's encouragement) about him acting in intimate scenes;why so many filmmakers shy away from the level of intimacy that's in his projects;if he's happy with NYU's focus on top festivals and his recommendations for others;what people are looking for in films if it's not quality?his next project and how people should approach film festivals. Joecar's Indie Film Highlights: AFTER THIS DEATH (2025) dir. by Lucio Castro; DRUNKEN NOODLES (2025) dir. by Lucio Castro; THE MAN FROM EARTH (2007) dir. by Richard Schenkman Memorable Quotes: "And they always tell you to keep it private and to preserve the status and all this kinds of things, right? That, for a short, I sometimes wonder really if it's necessary." "Racism in Europe -- in particular, Spain -- is completely different to how racism could be here, right? It's more invisible. It's more like little details." "Do I need to go to film school? And the truth is I could focus while I had all the other crafts, I could focus on the last one that I needed to train, which was writing."  "How can I tell this story and can I condense when I don't have tools or I don't have money."  "When you're in film school and you have many people helping you, obviously they're not getting paid." "For TALK ME, I had to go back and ask every single person I knew for the last 20 years favors." "I really like to talk about what I call little prisons of, or cages, from people...that we like to put ourselves in." "They have to know me and they have to know that I'm not a creepy person that is just...trying to get everyone naked." "There's 300 people in this room seeing our butts right now."  "When I won TIFF, no one called me next day."  "We can't be too precious about what we have." "Even if you go to Sundance Labs right now, you can find people struggling with financing. You better hurry." "Good thing for now is the [AI] limitation with intimacy content is not allowing people to do that yet." Links: Follow Joecar On Instagram Joecar Hanna Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/first-time-go/exclusive-content

    1h 1m
  8. Indie Film Highlight: BUNNY (2025)

    JAN 4

    Indie Film Highlight: BUNNY (2025)

    Watch This Episode On YouTube Every Sunday, I'll post a quick video -- and podcast -- about an indie film from at least a year ago. Today's film: BUNNY (2025) Director: Ben Jacobson Writers: Mo Stark; Ben Jacobson; Stefan Marolachakis Cast: Mo Stark; Ben Jacobson; Liza Colby SYNOPSIS Over one wild summer day and night in their East Village tenement, streetwise hustler Bunny and his friend Dino scheme with a crew of eccentric neighbors to cover up a dead body. Chaos reigns as the clock ticks and the heat rises. Subscribe to our YouTube channel Follow us on Letterboxd Follow us on Instagram Follow us on X Follow us on Facebook Follow us on TikTok Follow us on LinkedIn Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/first-time-go/exclusive-content

    2 min
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About

A weekly podcast highlighting the creators of independent film and the business behind it. Hosted by Ben Duchek.

Information

  • Creator
    Benjamin Duchek
  • Years Active
    2023 - 2026
  • Episodes
    92
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    © Benjamin Duchek 2023
  • Show Website
    First Time Go
  • Provider
    Benjamin Duchek