Best in Fest
Host Leslie LaPage, Director of LaFemme International Film Festival uncovers the Secrets of Filmmaking with her lineup of industry professional guests. In every episode you will learn things like how to make the most out of the film festival circuit, how to find a great distribution partner, how to attract A list talent, finding the perfect representation, the dirty little secrets of Hollywood and much more.
Episodes
191 episodes
An Insider Perspective on Making it in Hollywood with Brian Patacca - Ep #200
Brian Patacca helps actors get what they want without all the struggle. He’s helped 724 actors find representation and is even known as “The Representation Whisperer”.Through his wildly popular online courses (Audition Magnet® ...
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39:19
The Assistant Who Wrote Hollywood’s Next Hit with Xaque Gruber - Ep #191
Meet the unsung hero of the Hollywood hustle: Xaque Gruber, the assistant who went from scheduling star-studded brunches to writing the screenplay everyone is buzzing about. In this episode, we spill the tea (and probably a few too many cappucc...
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34:36
Filmmaking in Korea vs. the United States with Lina Suh - Ep #190
Lina Suh grew up in Seoul, Korea, the American Midwest, and New York. She received an MFA from the University of Southern California in film production, and previously a BFA from NYU's Tisch School of the Arts in Dramatic Writing. Lina produced...
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31:48
Winners at LaFemme Film Festival 2024 - Ep #188
Join us as we celebrate the standout winners of the 2024 LaFemme Film Festival! In this episode, we’ll dive into the inspiring stories and creative journeys behind the winning films that took center stage at this year’s festival. From groundbre...
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2:21:27
Get the Most Out of Your Documentary with Danielle Beverly - Ep #188
Danielle Beverly's latest documentary is Qatar Stars. It is touring the festival circuit, including a screening at the 2024 LA Femme International Film Festival.Beverly began her career at Chicago’s PBS affiliate and has direct...
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27:49
Funding Independent Film with Jane Clark - #187
Jane is a storyteller. Through her company, FilmMcQueen, she has brought numerous shorts and 3 feature films to life, winning 18 awards and another 8 nominations by envisioning strong characters in visceral environments. She has worked in film ...
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43:51
Finding Work in Hollywood as a Neurodivergent Individual with Jason Weissbrod - Ep #186
7 years ago, Jason co-founded Spectrum Laboratory (aka Spec Labs), along with Garth Herberg, and what an amazing wild ride it’s been! Spectrum Laboratory was founded in 2015 with the idea of creating original works of film, music, and animation...
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30:15
Making Your Way in Hollywood Today with Cathy Mcauley - Ep #184
Cathy’s career as a professional actor span over 3 decades. Her strong comedic ability paired with one of the quickest wits has kept her gainfully employed in the entertainment industry. McAuley considers herself a journeyman actor as she has b...
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51:22
Autism in Entertainment with Judy Uttal - Ep #183
As President of the Orange County Asperger's Support Group, Judy is driving programming to help individuals and families dealing with High-Functioning Autism and Asperger's improve their quality of life. In this role, Judy has uniquely develope...
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30:06
Magic In Filmmaking with Cynthia Garcia Williams - Ep #182
Three years ago, Cynthia discovered her deep passion for storytelling in the form of screenwriting, and ever since, her stories have focused on empowering and celebrating the human experience and spirit. Cynthia weaves magic into her stories an...
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26:31
Showrunner and Executive Producer Christian Jean - Ep # 181
The industry has undergone a major shift in Hollywood and the job of Executive Producer and Showrunner is not what it once was. Fortunately, Leslie digs deep with Christian Jean to discuss the state of the industry.
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42:26
Producing Films Then and Now with Sam Okun - Ep #180
Sam Okun Productions is a film and television development and financing company specializing in the discovery and production of forward thinking content with broad international and multi-generational appeal. In collaboration with other leading...
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38:11
Let's Talk Distribution and Your Rights with Leslie LaPage - Ep #179
Why are you giving away festival rights to distribution companies? Let's discuss. In this episode, Leslie goes deep into the 5 things that are a must know before signing a distribution deal.
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35:40
The Business of Building A Screenwriting Career with Lee Jessup - Ep #179
Author of Breaking In: Tales from the Screenwriting Trenches from Focal Press and Getting It Write: An Insider’s Guide To A Screenwriting Career published in 2014, Lee Jessup is a career coach for screenwriters, with an exclus...
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41:11
Producing Film Legends with Brian Beckmann - Ep #178
Brian Beckmann serves as CFO/COO at Arclight Films, the leading worldwide sales and production company for theatrical, television, and home entertainment media. Beckman’s prolific career includes over 30 years of experience as a CFO/COO, includ...
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43:30
The Marriage Between Animation and AI with Sean Feeney - Ep #176
Sean joined GFM Animation to develop and expand the slate of 2D and CG animated movies. We not only help finance, pre-sell and distribute films – but also help in setting budgets, tweaking scripts and artwork for sales and production, sourcing ...
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36:08
Splicing Film to Directing Features with Tim Colletti - Ep #176
Colletti's first produced feature, which was also his directorial debut, "Safe House," was the official selection of six major film festivals around the world: Slamdance, Slamdance Cannes, Hollywood Black Film Festival, San Francisco Black Film...
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32:29
From War Zones to Film Sets with Daniel Carsenty - Ep #174
Daniel Carsenty:Berlinale Talents alumni Daniel Carsenty wrote and directed the thriller 'After Spring Comes Fall' in 2015. It won the award for Best Feature at the Zsigmond Vilmos Festival.His second film, 'The Devil's Dri...
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21:56
Go Your Own Way in Independent Film with Alexis Iacono & Alexandra Essoe - Ep #174
Alexis IaconoGrowing up Bayside, Queens, New York, Alexis' artistic sensibilities have been shaped by a world-class theatre and arts community. Her early stage work included playing Elle in The Meadowlark, portraying Fay Wray (King K...
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30:45
From Script Supervisor to Director with Jon DiMaio - Ep #173
Jon is a filmmaker who works primarily on short and feature narrative films. After starting out working in production departments and as a script supervisor on indie films in New York City, he began writing, directing, and producing my own and ...
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21:54
Photographer Turned Filmmaker with Michael Friberg - Ep #172
Michael Friberg is an award winning editorial and commercial photographer who somehow figured out how to make films despite the fact that the camera equipment is significantly more complicated than stills cameras. His work has appeared in such ...
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36:59
One-Stop shop for Music and Film with BriGuel, Brianne and Miguel - Ep #171
BriGuel, Brianne and Miguel, are a NYC artist couple. The duo produces bilingual, genre borderless music, and film. While collaborating with MusicPromoToday BriGuel released seven singles and two EPs, as well as launched a documentary movie tha...
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33:32
Teaching Financing and Distribution with Tom Malloy - Ep #170
Tom Malloy has been involved for over two decades in all aspects of the film business. He trail-blazed the role of a multi-hyphenate, having approached projects early on as an actor, writer, and producer, recently adding director to his list.
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27:53
Building a New Way to Produce a Film with Antonio Saura - Ep #169
Writer, producer and teacher. Born in Madrid, the son of film director Carlos Saura and film teacher and journalist Adela Medrano, brother of film director Saura Medrano.Either as executive of the film companies LolaFilms and Iberoameri...
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34:43
Selling and Distribution of Your Independent Film with Clay Epstein - Ep #168
Clay Epstein is President of Film Mode Entertainment, a worldwide sales and production company he launched in March 2016 which aims to present 10-15 theatrical titles a year.Prior to founding Film Mode, Epstein spent several years at Ar...
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36:50