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
259 episodes
AI, Big Tech & Hollywood: What Creators Need to Know About the Next Media Revolution with Laura Sydell
In this episode of Best in Fest, host Leslie LaPage speaks with Laura Sydell, an award-winning journalist, audio producer, and storyteller best known for her work covering digital culture and technology for NPR programs including ...
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35:45
TikTok for Filmmakers: How to Build a Personal Brand and Grow an Audience Online with Shawn Bailey
In this episode of Best in Fest, host Leslie LaPage speaks with Shawn Bailey, entrepreneur, social media strategist, and founder of the WanderPreneur Agency. Shawn specializes in helping creators, filmmakers, and entrepreneurs und...
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35:46
Indie Filmmaking in a Broken System: Maegan La’Trese on Tax Incentives, Vertical Video & Surviving Hollywood
In this episode of Best in Fest, host Leslie LaPage sits down with Maegan La’Trese Fillmore — director, producer, activist, and founder of Hudson Fillmore — for a no-nonsense conversation about the real economics of inde...
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39:30
How to Break Into Screenwriting Later in Life with Sandhya Hermon
In this episode of Best in Fest, host Leslie LaPage sits down with Sandhya Hermon — an award-winning screenwriter and former research psychologist — to explore how a second career in storytelling can emerge from lived experience, ...
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27:08
How an Emmy-Winning Documentary Was Made Outside Hollywood’s System with Arden Teresa Lewis
In this episode of Best in Fest, host Leslie LaPage sits down with Arden Theresa Lewis — Emmy-winning documentary filmmaker, playwright, and former educator — for a powerful conversation about creative reinvention, historical s...
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32:58
Branding, Influence & Reinvention: A Masterclass for Creators and Filmmakers with Linda Arroz
In this episode of Best in Fest, host Leslie LaPage sits down with Linda Arroz — lifestyle writer, speaker, advisor, former plus-size spokesmodel, and media strategist — for a wide-ranging conversation on reinvention, branding,...
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36:19
Why Most Indie Films Fail at Distribution — And How to Avoid It with Deborah Gilels
In this episode of Best in Fest, host Leslie LaPage sits down with Debra Gilels — a veteran film PR strategist, producer’s rep, and distribution consultant who has helped launch award-winning documentaries and indie features into ...
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32:38
Emilio Hughes Martinez on Writing, Directing & the Future of Film
In this episode of Best in Fest, host Leslie LaPage sits down with Emilio Hughes Martinez — award-winning filmmaker, writer, and former Vice President of Development at Eclectic Pictures (Olympus Has Fallen, The Hitman’s Wife’s Bo...
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28:41
Judaism, Masculinity & Media: How Rabbi Noam Raucher Is Changing the Conversation for Men
In this episode of Best in Fest, host Leslie LaPage welcomes Rabbi Noam Raucher — educator, divorce coach, and Executive Director of FJMC International (Friendship, Judaism, Mentorship & Community) — to explore an unexp...
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28:45
From Dance to Docuseries: Using the Enneagram to Unlock Creative Potential with Lauren Reins
In this episode of Best in Fest, host Leslie LaPage sits down with Lauren Reins — director, producer, choreographer, and Enneagram coach — to explore how self-awareness fuels creativity and why understanding your inner moti...
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21:55
How Films Really Get Distributed: SVOD, AVOD, Presales & Genre Truths Explained with Alan Green
In this episode of Best in Fest, host Leslie LaPage sits down with Alan Green, Head of Sales & Acquisitions at 123 Media, to break down how film distribution actually works — and why most indie filmmakers misun...
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46:08
The Making of ‘Cracked’ and the Power of DIY Filmmaking with Jessica Rizk and Soren Anderson
In this episode of Best in Fest, host Leslie LaPage sits down with Jessica Rizk (director, writer, producer, animator) and Soren Anderson (composer and sound designer) to unpack the creation of Cracked — a haunting...
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26:55
International Director Dominik Sedlar on Feature Films, Festivals, and the Art of Working with Actors
What does it really take to build a career as a feature film director — starting at age 15 and continuing across continents, cultures, and film festivals?In this episode of Best in Fest, host Leslie LaPage, Directo...
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35:48
Beyoncé to Filmmaking: Danielle Hobbs on Creative Reinvention
In this inspiring episode of Best in Fest, host Leslie LaPage sits down with Danielle Hobbs—a true multi-hyphenate creative force whose career spans dance, choreography, acting, education, authorship, and filmmaking.&nb...
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32:11
From Disney Casting to Award-Winning Doc Producer: Marcia S. Ross on Talent, Grit & Getting Films Seen
In this powerful episode of Best in Fest, Leslie LaPage sits down with Marcia S. Ross—Emmy-nominated documentary producer and former SVP of Casting at Walt Disney Pictures—to reveal the real Hollywood career path that led...
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50:05
From Rock Bands to Rom-Coms: Paula Tiberius on Writing, Reinvention & Hollywood Grit
In this inspiring Best in Fest episode, host Leslie LaPage sits down with award-winning writer, director, and musician Paula Tiberius — one of the very first La Femme Film Festival winners — to explore her incredible evol...
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35:48
From “Love Jones” to Hollywood Mogul — Acting, Producing & Distributing with Jacqueline Fleming
In this powerful Best in Fest episode, host Leslie LaPage sits down with award-winning actress, producer, and entrepreneur Jacqueline Fleming — known for Love Jones, Losing Isaiah, and collaborations wit...
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31:44
LaFemme Winners: Powerful Women’s Voices — Part 2
In this inspiring Best in Fest episode, host Leslie LaPage spotlights the award-winning filmmakers of the 2025 LaFemme International Film Festival. From a Ukrainian refugee’s moving documentary Mama’s Voice, to t...
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1:00:03
LaFemme Winners: Powerful Women’s Voices — From War Diaries to Comedy Shorts - Part 1
In this inspiring Best in Fest episode, host Leslie LaPage spotlights the award-winning filmmakers of the 2025 LaFemme International Film Festival. From a Ukrainian refugee’s moving documentary Mama’s Voice, to t...
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54:04
From Soldier to Storyteller: Shannan Wynn on Indie Filmmaking
In this episode of Best in Fest, filmmaker, educator, and Army veteran Shannan Wynn shares her extraordinary journey from serving in the armed forces and counseling at-risk youth to building her own production company, Winque...
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38:55
Lela Christine Thompson on Branding, Indie Marketing, and Digital Media Influence
In this episode of Best in Fest, branding strategist, publisher, and fashion-to-film trailblazer Lela Christine Thompson shares how she built a dynamic career at the intersection of fashion, entertainment, and digital media
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36:17
Breaking Barriers & Building Empires: Kimberly Ogletree on Producing, BET, and Greenlight Women
In this powerhouse episode of Best in Fest, award-winning producer and industry trailblazer Kimberly Ogletree shares her incredible journey through music videos, television, and independent filmmaking. From working with icons li...
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40:04
Love the Skin You’re In: Sauda Johnson-McNeal on Self-Love and Storytelling,
In this inspiring episode of Best in Fest, entertainment attorney turned filmmaker Sauda Johnson-McNeal shares her journey from studying acting at USC to founding her own production company, Ron Ash LLC, and creati...
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27:53
Bobbi Banks on Breaking Barriers in Post-Production and the Future of Film Sound
In this episode of Best in Fest, Emmy-nominated supervising sound editor Bobbi Banks shares her inspiring journey from starting as an assistant with no film background to becoming one of Hollywood’s most respected post-productio...
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31:54
Manifesting Masterpieces: Christine La Monte on the Art of Saying Yes
In this inspiring episode of Best in Fest, producer and filmmaker Christine La Monte takes us on a globe-spanning journey through her extraordinary career—from pioneering studio marketing campaigns in the 1980s to producing award-winni...
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41:59