Film Festival Friends

Brandon R. Nicholas
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  • FILM INTERVIEWS

The queer stories behind our queer stories! Film Festival Friends is an interview podcast hosted by filmmaker Brandon Nick, featuring conversations with indie filmmakers celebrating queer cinema, craft, and community. Brandon has intimate, process-driven conversations with filmmakers he's met during his festival circuit run and explores the work behind the work: the triumphs, the tragedies, the tricks, and everything in between. This isn’t press. It’s dialogue. Video Podcast available on YouTube and Spotify.

Episodes

  1. How Community (and a Little Weed) Made This Dream Short Film Come True | City of Dreamz

    6D AGO

    How Community (and a Little Weed) Made This Dream Short Film Come True | City of Dreamz

    Description In this episode of Film Festival Friends, Brandon Nick sits down with filmmaker Imani Celeste to talk about her short film City of Dreamz and how community, resourcefulness, and a little weed helped bring her debut short to life. Imani shares how she made the film for $8,750 — casting friends, family, and a stranger off the sidewalk — and shot it in her parents' apartment while figuring out filmmaking on the fly. The conversation also digs into the collaborative magic behind the film's trippy visual and sound design, the ebbs and flows of the festival circuit from quiet stretches to Palm Springs and NewFest, and what it means to tell unapologetically Black queer stories on screen. Then, Imani brings her full creative energy to the 60-second pitch — sucking Mekhi Phifer and Wanda Sykes into a TikTok-induced animated world where they have to fight their way back to reality. ABOUT FFF: Film Festival Friends is a podcast about queer cinema, craft, and culture. Hosted by Brandon Nick. FULL SHOWNOTES AVAILABLE ON OUR WEBSITE: www.brandonnick.com/filmfestivalfriends FOLLOW + CONNECT Podcast IG: @filmfestivalfriends Host IG (Brandon R. Nicholas): www.instagram.com/brand0nnick Guest IG: https://www.instagram.com/imani_celeste/ WATCH / LISTEN Watch the full episodes (video): https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL-N87lnMjPV2yRkXz5uO9eIdJSZfzRh83 Listen on Spotify (video): https://open.spotify.com/show/4QXQgQGdDoE627BJmW82l0?si=a1f3bb9c437645dc Listen on Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/au/podcast/film-festival-friends/id1875343325 SUPPORT THE SHOW If you want to help keep the cameras rolling and the conversations flowing: Patreon: www.patreon.com/cw/brand0nnick or make a one-time donation via CashApp/Venmo @brand0nnick Share Film Festival Friends with your friends! Take the conversation to social media using #FilmFestivalFriends CHAPTERS 00:00:00 Cold Open & Intro 00:00:58 Meet Imani Celeste & City of Dreamz 00:02:43 Funding the Film: $8,750 & the NYU Grant 00:03:17 Cast & Crew: Directing the People You Love 00:13:01 Building a Crew from Scratch 00:16:29 Post-Production: Making the Audience Feel High 00:28:00 Music Licensing Problems & Making Your Own Song 00:31:14 Life on the Festival Circuit 00:46:00 The Shot That Almost Went Wrong 00:47:31 "Black Queer Film Is Freedom" 00:48:59 60-Second Pitch: The Adventures of Kiki & Max

    44 min
  2. From DIY Web Series to Studio-Supported Cinema | Them That's Not

    MAR 18

    From DIY Web Series to Studio-Supported Cinema | Them That's Not

    Description In this episode of Film Festival Friends, Brandon Nick sits down with filmmaker Mekhai Lee to talk about his short film Them That’s Not and the leap from DIY web series to studio-supported filmmaking. Mekhai shares how grief and spiritual guidance shaped the film’s origin about a grieving queer woman, which he made for $20k film after winning NewFest x Concord Sound and Scene grant. The conversation also explores the differences between making "popular" work vs "reputable" work and what it means to grow as a Black queer filmmaker in the festival circuit. And of course, Mekhai's take on 60-second pitch where Teyana Taylor uses a magic timepiece to save Tom Holland's life. ABOUT THEM THAT'S NOT:  A prison furlough brings an estranged father and his distant daughter together at their mother's repass. ABOUT FFF: Film Festival Friends is a podcast about queer cinema, craft, and culture. Hosted by Brandon Nick. Full show notes and transcript available on our website: www.brandonnick.com/filmfestivalfriends FOLLOW + CONNECT Podcast IG: www.instagram.com/filmfestivalfriends Host IG (Brandon R. Nicholas): www.instagram.com/brand0nnick Guest (Mekhai Lee): www.instagram.com/lifeofkhaiii__/ WATCH / LISTEN Watch the full episodes (video): https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL-N87lnMjPV2yRkXz5uO9eIdJSZfzRh83 Listen on Spotify (video): https://open.spotify.com/show/4QXQgQGdDoE627BJmW82l0 Listen on Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/au/podcast/film-festival-friends/id1875343325 SUPPORT THE SHOW  If you want to help keep the cameras rolling and the conversations flowing: Patreon: www.patreon.com/cw/brand0nnick or make a one-time donation via CashApp/Venmo @brand0nnick Share Film Festival Friends with your friends! Take the conversation to social media using #FilmFestivalFriends CHAPTERS 00:00 Welcome 01:56 Turning Grief Into Story 05:26 Winning the NewFest x Concord Grant 09:01 Casting a Deaf-Led Queer Short 14:02 From DIY Series to Studio-Supported Cinema 24:39 What the Festival Circuit Has Taught Him 35:42 Editing, Collaboration, and Cutting Scenes 52:50 “Black Queer Film Is Explorative” 55:55 Teyana Taylor, Tom Holland, and a Magical Wristwatch

    45 min
  3. The Emergence of Ballroom’s New Generation of Filmmakers | Make Some Room

    MAR 4

    The Emergence of Ballroom’s New Generation of Filmmakers | Make Some Room

    Brandon Nick sits down with first-time filmmaker Trey Sherman to chat about how his film Make Some Room, about the kiki house of Marciano, made some room for him both as a member of Ballroom and as a filmmaker. Trey relives the trauma of losing his hard drive (in the most chaotic way, mind you) as they discuss that moment’s beautiful aftermath, including winning an award! Trey opens up about the responsibilities of documenting a culture you love while still earning your place in it, and the responsibility of keeping Ballroom’s magic and sacredness intact even as the film finds a wider audience. And of course, a 60-second Horror pitch so bizarre, you can’t even name it. Film Festival Friends is a podcast about queer cinema, craft, and culture. Hosted by Brandon Nick. Full show notes and transcript available on our website: www.brandonnick.com/filmfestivalfriends FOLLOW + CONNECT Podcast IG: @filmfestivalfriendsHost IG (Brandon R. Nicholas): @brand0nnick WATCH / LISTEN Watch the full episodes (video): https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL-N87lnMjPV2yRkXz5uO9eIdJSZfzRh83Listen on Spotify (video): https://open.spotify.com/show/4QXQgQGdDoE627BJmW82l0?si=a1f3bb9c437645dcListen on Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/au/podcast/film-festival-friends/id1875343325 SUPPORT THE SHOW  If you want to help keep the cameras rolling and the conversations flowing: Patreon: www.patreon.com/cw/brand0nnick or make a one-time donation via CashApp/Venmo @brand0nnickShare Film Festival Friends with your friends!Take the conversation to social media using #FilmFestivalFriendsCHAPTERS 00:00 Cold Open + The 25-Word Logline Challenge 01:49 What Is Make Some Room? The House, the Drama, the Return 05:50 Filming as a Newcomer: Cameras, Comfort, and “Sacredness” 08:08 No Budget, Big Vision: Making the Doc With What You’ve Got 14:33 The Hard Drive Disaster + Rebuilding the Edit From Scratch 21:20 Ballroom Onscreen: Technical Rhythm + Emotional Beats 29:01 Community Support, Survival, and the Ask 35:33 Responsibility at the Intersection of Ballroom + Filmmaking 41:37 First Festival, First Year, First Win: Best Documentary Short 43:44 “Black Queer Film Is…” & 60-Second Pitch: Grandma’s Bra Horror 48:43 Final Blessings + Sign-Off

    49 min
  4. A Drag Queen Survived a Hate Crime. Then Made a Film About It | After What Happened At the Library

    FEB 20

    A Drag Queen Survived a Hate Crime. Then Made a Film About It | After What Happened At the Library

    Filmmaker and drag artist Kyle Casey Chu joins host Brandon Nick to pull back the curtain on After What Happened at the Library, his autofictional short about surviving a viral hate crime and the raw, disorienting aftermath of public trauma. Kyle shares how he grant-funded the film, why he reluctantly stepped in as the lead, and what it means to reclaim your own story when the internet tries to write it for you. Plus, Kyle pitches a horror film about a broken vibrator, starring Hiroyuki Sanada and John Cho. Yes, really. Film Festival Friends is a podcast about queer cinema, craft, and culture. Hosted by Brandon Nick. Full show notes and transcript available on our website: www.brandonnick.com/filmfestivalfriends FOLLOW + CONNECT Podcast IG: @filmfestivalfriends Host IG (Brandon R. Nicholas): @brand0nnick WATCH / LISTEN Watch the full episodes (video): https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL-N87lnMjPV2yRkXz5uO9eIdJSZfzRh83 Listen on Spotify (video): https://open.spotify.com/show/4QXQgQGdDoE627BJmW82l0?si=a1f3bb9c437645dc Listen on Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/au/podcast/film-festival-friends/id1875343325 SUPPORT THE SHOW  If you want to help keep the cameras rolling and the conversations flowing: Patreon: www.patreon.com/cw/brand0nnick or make a one-time donation via CashApp/Venmo @brand0nnick Share Film Festival Friends with your friends! Take the conversation to social media using #FilmFestivalFriends CHAPTERS 00:00 Meet Kyle Casey Chu + the 25-Word Logline Challenge 01:41 From Incident to Production: Funding, Grants & the 3-Year Timeline 06:05 Recreating Trauma Onscreen: Why Kyle Ended Up Starring in His Own Story 16:35 Festival Experience, Feature Plans & What Got Left Out (The Sheriff Call) 21:54 What Got Left Out: The Sheriff’s Call & Misreading Drag Satire 27:04 Social Media Whiplash and Parasocial Overload 34:57 Gut Instincts & Creative Integrity: The Script Notes They Didn’t Shoot 40:11 Queer Film is… and 60 Second Pitch 44:54 Final Blessings & Sign-Off: Supporting Queer and BIPOC Filmmakers

    46 min
  5. This Indie Director Uses AI in her Filmmaking | DENIM

    FEB 7

    This Indie Director Uses AI in her Filmmaking | DENIM

    Brandon Nick sits down with Tedra Wilson aka TT the Artist to talk DENIM, her genre-bending, SXSW award-winning doc celebrating LGBTQIA+ creativity. TT lifts the curtain behind the films’ journey, which includes a thieving, sabotaging producer. Then it’s DIY grit vs. mainstream polish, a riveting kiki on the intersection AI and art, festival stories, and a lesbian love-story starring Queen Latifah and Vivica A. Fox. DENIM is available to watch on Vimeo: https://vimeo.com/1076532222 Festival Mentions: SXSW, Best Director at SeriesFest, NewFest 37, Bushwick Film Festival Film Festival Friends is a podcast celebrating queer cinema, craft, and culture. Hosted by Brandon Nick. Full show notes and transcript available on our website: https://www.brandonnick.com/post/fff-02-denim FOLLOW + CONNECT Podcast IG: @filmfestivalfriends Host IG (Brandon R. Nicholas): @brand0nnick WATCH / LISTEN Watch the full episode (video): https://youtu.be/Iswyxfw0cJM Listen on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/4QXQgQGdDoE627BJmW82l0?si=DY7FRQ7-T02cCNP_6RWghg Listen on Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/film-festival-friends/id1875343325 SUPPORT THE SHOW  If you want to help keep the cameras rolling and the conversations flowing: Patreon: www.patreon.com/cw/brand0nnick or make a one-time donation via CashApp/Venmo @brand0nnick Share Film Festival Friends with your friends! Take the conversation to social media using #FilmFestivalFriends 00:00 Introduction and Guest Introduction 01:53 Funding and Development of DENIM 08:14 Challenges and Successes in Filmmaking 27:23 AI in Art and Filmmaking 37:52 Corporate Giants and the American Pie 38:16 AI in Film Production: Process and Tools 46:49 Festival Experiences and Representation 01:05:43 60-Second Pitch

    57 min
  6. From Poem to the BAFTAs Nomination: Two Black Boys In Paradise

    FEB 7

    From Poem to the BAFTAs Nomination: Two Black Boys In Paradise

    In this episode of Film Festival Friends, host Brandon Nick connects with Dean Atta and Baz Sells to talk about their BAFTA-nominated animated short, Two Black Boys in Paradise. They reflect on the five-year journey to bring the evocative stop-motion film to life, and the trust and grace that made their collaboration possible. The conversation digs into Black queer representation, the impact of Moonlight, and the film’s glowing festival reception, before Dean and Baz “announce” their next collab starring Teyana Taylor and Morgan Freeman. Film Festival Friends is a podcast celebrating queer cinema, craft, and culture. Hosted by Brandon Nick. Full show notes and transcript available on our website: https://www.brandonnick.com/post/fff-01-two-black-boys-in-paradise FOLLOW + CONNECT Podcast IG: @filmfestivalfriends Host IG (Brandon R. Nicholas): @brand0nnick WATCH / LISTEN Watch the full episode (video): https://youtu.be/Iswyxfw0cJM Listen on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/4QXQgQGdDoE627BJmW82l0?si=DY7FRQ7-T02cCNP_6RWghg Listen on Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/film-festival-friends/id1875343325 SUPPORT THE SHOW If you want to help keep the cameras rolling and the conversations flowing: Patreon: www.patreon.com/cw/brand0nnick or make a one-time donation via CashApp/Venmo @brand0nnick Share Film Festival Friends with your friends! Take the conversation to social media using #FilmFestivalFriends CHAPTERS 00:00 Introduction and Icebreaker 02:09 The Journey of 'Two Black Boys in Paradise' 05:11 Challenges and Triumphs in Production 13:58 Themes and Impact of the Film 33:40 Reflecting on the Film's Impact 35:12 Awards and Recognition 38:59 Festival Experiences and Future Prospects 50:54 60-Second Pitch

    56 min

  7. SEASON 1 TRAILER

    Film Festival Friends - Trailer

    FILM FESTIVAL FRIENDS 🎙️ A podcast rooted in queer cinema, community, and craft. Not press. Just real conversations with indie LGBTQ+ filmmakers I’ve met on the festival circuit. Launching soon. Follow for the first drop. 04yf4sTxH7mGobtvgKHN

    1 min

Trailer

About

The queer stories behind our queer stories! Film Festival Friends is an interview podcast hosted by filmmaker Brandon Nick, featuring conversations with indie filmmakers celebrating queer cinema, craft, and community. Brandon has intimate, process-driven conversations with filmmakers he's met during his festival circuit run and explores the work behind the work: the triumphs, the tragedies, the tricks, and everything in between. This isn’t press. It’s dialogue. Video Podcast available on YouTube and Spotify.

Information

  • Creator
    Brandon R. Nicholas
  • Years Active
    2K
  • Episodes
    7
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    © 2026 © 2026 Film Festival Friends
  • Show Website
    Film Festival Friends