Hey everyone!

I'm thrilled to share another film festival interview with you. This time, I had a conversation with The Big Johnson director Lola Rock'N'Rolla.

The Big Johnson is a film that documents Dean Johnson's life as a drag queen, rock star, LGBTQI activist, and many other things.

Buy tickets for The Big Johnson's Slamdance screenings here.

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

Chapters

• 00:00 - Introduction

• 01:10 - Inspiration Behind The Big Johnson

• 03:00 - Unpacking Dean Johnson’s Life & Legacy

• 05:30 - Balancing the Emotional & Narrative Contrasts in Telling Dean's Story

• 08:00 - The Challenges of Directing, Writing, and Producing The Big Johnson

• 10:30 - Collaborating with a Star-Studded Cast

• 12:45 - Reflections, Audience Impact, and Final Thoughts

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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

• 
  

  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!

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

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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 my first film festival interview of the year, recorded ahead of Lockjaw's screening at Slamdance 2025. This dark dramedy blends humor with heartfelt storytelling in one of the films I'm most excited to see during Slamdance. I sat down with director & screenwriter Sabrina Greco and lead star Blu Hunt to discuss the film's origins, creative process, and the deeper themes behind the jokes.

Buy tickets for Lockjaw's Slamdance screenings here.

I hope you enjoy this insightful discussion with Sabrina Greco & Blu Hunt! If you're attending Slamdance 2025, be sure to check out Lockjaw and support independent films. Let me know your thoughts in the comments.

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

Chapters

• 00:10 - Introduction

• 03:38 - The Origins of Lockjaw

• 07:50 - Blu Hunt on Bringing the Lead Role to Life

• 12:25 - The Challenges & Successes of Filming

• 24:40 - Sabrina & Blu's Hopes for Lockjaw's Premiere

• 30:55 - Final Thoughts & What's Next

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!

Last December, I caught up with director Thordur Palsson to talk about his directorial debut,The Damned, before its theatrical release.The Damned is now available to rent or buy on digital retailers.Chapters00:00 - Introduction 00:10 - Meet Thordur Palsson: Director ofThe Damned01:00 - Overview ofThe Damned: Atmosphere and Setting 01:55 - Transitioning from TV to Feature Films 03:30 - The Importance of Time in TV vs. Film 05:00 - Crafting a Single-Point Perspective inThe Damned06:10 - Directing in a Claustrophobic Setting 07:25 - Natural Lighting and Cinematography Choices 09:00 - Release Dates and Closing Thoughts 09:30 - Outro: Support and Upcoming Coverage

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

Until next time!

In this episode of The Austin B Media Podcast, I sit down with Matt Hudson to talk about Star Wars Jedi: Survivor in celebration of the games' release on Xbox One and PlayStation 4.

Editor's Note: I said the wrong name for my recommendation of Star Wars Rebel Assault. What I meant was Star Wars Rogue Squadron II: Rogue Leader.

You can play Star Wars Jedi: Survivor on PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4, Xbox Series S|X, Xbox One, and PC. What's The Game About?

Star Wars Jedi: Survivor takes place five years after Fallen Order and follows Jedi Knight Cal Kestis on his continuing fight against the Empire and the desperate search to find a haven from them.

Chapters: 00:08 - Introduction and Episode Overview 01:02 - Guest Introduction: Matt Hudson 03:14 - Star Wars Fandom and Collectibles 08:55 - Star Wars Game Recommendations 16:43 - Discussion on Star Wars Jedi: Survivor 23:59 - Star Wars Game History and Favorites 28:03 - Comparing Fallen Order and Survivor 40:01 - First Impressions of Jedi: Survivor 48:16 - Gameplay Mechanics and New Additions 49:42 - Stance System and Combat Strategy 51:57 - Exploration and Open World Elements 01:00:31 - Puzzle System and Traversal 01:05:47 - Story and Character Development 01:13:25 - Performance Issues and Technical Problems 01:21:03 - Final Ratings and Overall Thoughts 01:27:25 - Spoiler Discussion Starts 02:46: 13 - Closing Thoughts

Recommendations and Links:

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

• Follow Matt: X, Instagram, and Letterboxd.

• What I Watched Tonight

• Bloody Awesome Movie Podcast

• Spook City

• Star Wars Sessions

• Buy Star Wars Jedi: Survivor

• Matt's Star Wars recommendation - Andor (Disney+) - Link

• My Star Wars recommendations - Star Wars Rogue Squadron II: Rogue Leader (Wookiepieda Link) & Star Wars: The Force Unleashed (Link)

• My YouTube Short showcasing a hair texture bug I encountered while playing - Link

⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Join my Discord server here.⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

If you want to become a Patron, head to ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Patreon.com/AustinBMedia⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ or ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠AustinB.Media/support⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ for more information.

Until next time!