Hey everyone!

I'm thrilled to share another film festival interview with you. This time, I had a conversation with Portal to Hell director Woody Bess as well as the film's producer/star Trey Holland.

Portal to Hell is a film about Dunn, a debt collector whose routine life is interrupted by the sudden appearance of a portal to hell in his local laundromat.

Buy tickets for Portal to Hell's Slamdance screenings here.

I hope you enjoy this conversation as much as I did!

Portal to Hell screens at Slamdance 2025 – stay tuned for my full festival coverage!

Chapters

• 00:00 - Introduction & About Portal to Hell

• 01:45 - Inspirations for Portal to Hell

• 04:30 - The Writing & Story Development Process

• 07:30 - Visualizing the Supernatural & Production Challenges

• 10:30 - Dual Roles & Collaborative Dynamics

• 13:30 - Audience Expectations & Future Projects

• 16:30 - Final Thoughts & Conclusion

Click play on the video player above to watch the full video interview.

Your support makes interviews like this possible, so thank you for being part of Austin B Media!

Until next time!

• Hey, everyone!

  I'm thrilled to share another film festival interview with you. This time, I had the distinct pleasure of speaking with Elijah Sullivan, the creative force behind The Hole Story, premiering at Slamdance 2025! This documentary explores a mysterious sixty-foot hole discovered on Mount Shasta and the local legends and community surrounding it. Elijah wears many hats, so you'll hear about his unique perspective as the director, writer, producer, editor, and camera operator!

  Buy tickets for The Hole Story's Slamdance screenings here.

  I hope you enjoy this conversation with Elijah Sullivan! If you're attending Slamdance 2025, be sure to check out The Hole Story and support independent films.

  The Hole Story screens at Slamdance 2025 – stay tuned for my full festival coverage!

• 
  

  Chapters

• • 00:10 - Introduction

  • 03:00 - The Origins of The Hole Story

  • 07:15 - The Challenges & Ethics of Investigating the Mount Shasta Hole

  • 18:20 - The Role of Myths & Modern-Day Storytelling

  • 24:35 - Elijah’s Thoughts on Slamdance & Indie Filmmaking

  • 30:50 - Final Thoughts & What's Next for Elijah

• 
  

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  Support My Work

  Your support makes interviews like this possible, so thank you for being part of Austin B Media! If you want to become a Patron, head to ⁠⁠⁠Patreon.com/AustinBMedia⁠⁠⁠ or ⁠⁠⁠AustinB.Media/support⁠⁠⁠ for more information.

  
  

  Until next time!

Hey, everyone!

I'm thrilled to share another film festival interview with you. This time, I'm featuring Madeleine Farley, director and DP of Fist Bump, a documentary making its North American premiere at Slamdance 2025!

Fist Bump tells the story of Marcus Knight, a talented young adult with autism and cerebral palsy, and his journey to pursue his dreams on Broadway amidst unexpected challenges.

Buy tickets for Fist Bump's Slamdance screenings here.

I hope you enjoy this conversation with Madeleine Farley! If you're attending Slamdance 2025, be sure to check out Fist Bump and support independent films. Let me know your thoughts in the comments or my Patron Lounge.

Fist Bump screens at Slamdance 2025 – stay tuned for my full festival coverage!

• Chapters

  • 00:10 - Introduction

  • 00:33 - What Drew Madeleine to Marcus's Story

  • 00:56 - Navigating the Critique of Title IX

  • 01:25 - Approaching Marcus's Story Authentically & Respectfully

  • 04:00 - Deciding on the Narrative Structure

  • 05:10 - Integrating Music into the Documentary

  • 07:27 - Wearing Multiple Hats: Director, DP, & Producer

  Follow Me: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Bluesky⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Facebook⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Letterboxd⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Mastodon⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠and ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Threads⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠.

  
  

  Support My Work

  Your support makes interviews like this possible, so thank you for being part of Austin B Media! If you want to become a Patron, head to ⁠⁠Patreon.com/AustinBMedia⁠⁠ or ⁠⁠AustinB.Media/support⁠⁠ for more information.

  
  

  Until next time!