Big Apple Film Festival

In this episode of the Big Apple Film Festival Podcast, host and festival founder/director Jonathan Lipp sits down with actor and producer Sawyer Spielberg to discuss his film "Martyr of Gowanus", written and directed by Brian Meere. Spielberg shares his passion for NYC, how the city inspires his craft, as well as advice for aspiring actors, artists and filmmakers.Sawyer Spielberg studied drama in New York City and has worked in Theatre, TV, and Film ever since. Sawyer is known for the Apple TV+ series Masters Of The Air playing Lt. Roy Frank Claytor and brought the film Christmas Eve in Millers Point to the Cannes Film Festival. Other films Sawyer is known for are Honeydew and Merry Good Enough.He is currently set to appear in various other projects in production or post production, including Materialists, produced by A24 and distributed by Sony Pictures in which he will co-star opposite Chris Evans, Pedro Pascal and Dakota Johnson.

In this episode, host Jonathan Lipp, Big Apple Film Festival Founder/Director, speaks with filmmaker Cinqué Lee about his film "A Rare Grand Alignment", which will have its NYC premiere at the Big Apple Film Festival. Cinqué, who is also an actor and writer(as well as the brother of critically acclaimed filmmaker Spike Lee), discusses his career, his family's influence on his passion writing and storytelling, his love of nostalgic films, as well as advice for aspiring filmmakers. Full episode is also available on Spotify, Amazon, and Apple Podcasts.

In this episode of the Big Apple Film Festival Podcast, BAFF Founder and Director Jonathan Lipp chats with Oscar® nominated producer Krushan Naik on how short films can be used as a calling card for a filmmaker to launch their career, how a short can be used to attract industry attention and build an audience to expand their concept into a feature film, if a short film can be a marketable product on its own, and what the future holds for short films in today's marketplace, primarily on streaming networks such as NETFLIX, and other majors streaming networks. Based in Los Angeles, Krushan Naik is an Oscar® nominated producer. He served as producer on the Oscar® nominated short film ANUJA, as well as writer and director of the Big Apple Film Festival official selection RESURGENCE. Krushan is an award-winning director, producer, editor, and educator who has also served as the Head of Programming and a judge for film festivals; taught film production and post-production courses; worked as a Festival Specialist consulting filmmakers on film festivals and marketing strategies, and has featured in various publications, including Film Daily, Mid-Day, Morgan Hill Life, Digital Journal, New York Amsterdam News, Variety, and more. After receiving the "How to Navigate Film Festivals, Marketing & Distribution as a Filmmaker" certification from the Sundance Institute, he worked as a Festival Specialist, consulting filmmakers on film festivals and marketing strategies. In addition, he is an Avid Certified Instructor (ACI) and a Specialist and enjoys creating immersive audio-visual experiences from hours of footage. Krushan has won multiple awards for films produced, co-produced, or produced in association with Krushan Naik Films, including the Telly Award, and has premiered them at prestigious film festivals, including Oscar®/Academy Award®, BAFTA, Canadian Screen Award-qualifying. Moreover, he has a background in visual effects and 3D animation and was also the successful proprietor of an advertising agency, K.N. Kreative Studios, where he collaborated with Bollywood celebrities and top artists in the film and fashion industries from his time in India.

In this episode of the Big Apple Film Festival Podcast, Host Jonathan Lipp ( Big Apple Film Festival Founder/Director) chats with veteran filmmaker Bobby Roth on his career, insights on how the industry has changed over the years, as well as advice for aspiring filmmakers and writers. BOBBY ROTH grew up in Los Angeles, a block from where he lives today. He studied Philosophy and Creative Writing at UC Berkeley, then got a BA in Cinema at USC in 1972, and an MFA in Motion Picture Production from UCLA in 1975. For his entire career he has alternated between independent filmmaking and commercial television. In the early eighties he had an overall deal to write, produce and direct for Universal, where he created the series 'The Insiders' for ABC. His TV directing credits include such hit shows as "Prison Break", "Grey's Anatomy", "Hawaii 5-0", "The Mentalist", "Criminal Minds", "Lost", "Boomtown", "Beverly Hills 90210", "Without a Trace", "Criminal Minds", and many more... His independent films have now been exhibited in over one hundred film festivals worldwide, five of which have premiered at the Sundance Film Festival, where Bobby has also been a judge. As a feature filmmaker, Bobby's credits include "Pearl" starring Anthony LaPaglia, "Baja, Oklahoma" starring Julia Roberts, "Heartbreakers" starring Peter Coyote, "Nowhere to Hide" starring Roseanne Arquette, Bobby's recent documentaries, "Under the Ukrainian Sky" and "Good Men" were official selections of the Big Apple Film Festival. He was a founding member of the Independent Feature Project and also a founding member of the DGA's Independent Feature Committee where he was its first Co-Chairman.

Host and Big Apple Film Founder/Director Jonathan Lipp speaks with acclaimed writer/director/producer Susanna Styron on adapting personal stories into a film. Susanna also discusses successes and challenges in her film career, as well as advice to aspiring writers and filmmakers. SUSANNA STYRON is a screenwriter, director and documentary filmmaker. Her debut feature, Sony Pictures’ SHADRACH starring Harvey Keitel and Andie MacDowell, which she wrote and directed, premiered at the Venice Film Festival and was released theatrically worldwide. Susanna has written several TV movies for Hallmark Hall of Fame and Lifetime. She wrote and directed for the TV series 100 CENTRE STREET created by Sidney Lumet, and wrote for the Netflix series BORGIA created by Tom Fontana. Susanna directed the web series ALL DOWNHILL FROM HERE, starring Brooke Adams; and wrote and directed the narrative short, HOUSE OF TEETH.  Susanna was an associate producer for ABC-TV's documentary division, Close-Up. Her documentary directing credits include IN OUR OWN BACKYARDS, 9/12: FROM CHAOS TO COMMUNITY and, most recently, OUT OF MY HEAD which premiered at MoMA’s Doc Fortnight, won Best International Documentary at the Melbourne Documentary Film Festival, released by Kino Lorber is now available on Amazon Prime. Susanna’s non-fiction essays have appeared in The Yale Review, Spin Magazine, The New York Times and Real Simple magazine. She has taught at Columbia University (MFA film program), NYU’s Tisch School of the Arts, Princeton University, and the Mediterranean Film Institute in Greece.

In this episode of the BAFF Podcast, Host and Big Apple Film Festival Founder/Director Jonathan Lipp chats with Academy Award nominated indie filmmaker, animator and illustrator Bill Plympton about his career, the importance of remaining independent, his admiration of the great Walt Disney and inspirational words for aspiring filmmakers.

The independent film landscape has changed drastically throughout the years, creating new opportunities, as well as new challenges for indie filmmakers. In this episode, Big Apple Film Festival Podcast host JONATHAN LIPP (BAFF Founder/Director) chats with filmmaker/actor/producer Michael McGlone on how the industry has changed in the last thirty years, opportunities available today for aspiring filmmakers, as well as enlightening perspectives for emerging filmmakers, artists and entrepreneurs. MICHAEL MCGLONE attended the Tisch School of the Arts at NYU, where from, a year later, in his words he "self-graduated." Not long after, through an ad in the paper Backstage, he landed the role that would mark the beginning of his career as an actor. That role was the beloved Patrick McMullen, the excessively moral and excessively conflicted youngest brother in the Sundance Film Festival Grand Jury Prize Winning film The Brothers McMullen, the directorial debut of filmmaker Edward Burns. Following this success, McGlone would go on to star in She's the One alongside Jennifer Aniston, Cameron Diaz, Edward Burns, Amanda Peet and John Mahoney. This was followed by numerous critically acclaimed roles in films such as The Bone Collector co-starring with Denzel Washington and Angelina Jolie, HBO's Subway Stories, Hardball co-starring with Keanu Reeves and many more. As prolific in television, McGlone's numerous recurring roles include the fan favorite Detective Szymanski on Person of Interest, Bobby McKeen in Starz' dramatic series Crash, NCIS Hawaii and SpikeTV's The Kill Point. In a return to the screen with Eddie Burns you can also see him in their third feature film together, The Fitzgerald Family Christmas, in which McGlone plays the fiery Quinn Fitzgerald... Also a writer, director, producer, musician and performer McGlone's life is often full with work on simultaneous projects. Whether his award winning Kenny The Gun (Big Apple Film Festival official selection), his various poetry and novels, stand-up comedy or Music, McGlone has always pursued the most abundant expression of his multi-talents.

BIG APPLE FILM FESTIVAL INDUSTRY NETWORKING AND MENTORSHIP Family and character driven films have long been a significant part of the movie industry in the United States and around the world. Creating these fun films for all age groups is a unique craft unto itself, and in many ways an industry of its own within the film and TV business. In the session, veteran writer Alec Sokolow behind the mega successful Toy Story will provide strategies and guidance on how to develop authentically fun films for all age groups, what the industry is looking for in today's market place, how to pitch a new concept for mass audiences. ALEC SOKOLOW Writer ALEC SOKOLOW is an Oscar nominated & original screenwriter of "Toy Story" whose movies have topped one billion dollars in world wide box office. A Hollywood lifer who has written and written on "Money Talks," "Goodbye Lover," "Cheaper By the Dozen," "Garfield," "Garfield; A Tale Of Two Kitties," "Evan Almighty" among dozens of other major studio projects. Sokolow has also written the story and meta mythology for Activision's massive "Skylander's" video game franchise that has topped one billion dollars in global sales. The New York City born and raised native has worn many hats in his illustrious career. Producer. Animation Director. Late Night Comedy writer. Radio talk show host. Children's book author. Documentarian. Public speaker. NYU Professor. He currently resides in NYC with all of his imaginary friends.

A pitch deck is possibly one of the most important tools in presenting your script or proof of concept to a studio, producer, agent, manager or potential investor. The goal of an effective pitch deck is to clearly communicate the creative elements, such as your story, key plot points, and character development, as well as the aspects of the project that will be most important to investors, such as a potential cast, marketing plan, PR campaign and budget. In this session veteran producer and manager Elissa Friedman will identify the elements that make a successful pitch deck, how to structure your pitch deck and strategies for grabbing the attention of industry executives. MENTOR Elissa Friedman Literary Manager, Zero Gravity Management Elissa Friedman is a manager, producer, and former development executive with over fifteen years of industry experience. Before becoming a literary manager at Zero Gravity Management and NEER Films, Elissa ran production and development at Covert Media and QED International, the company behind such as films as "Fury", starring Brad Pitt, 'Dirty Grandpa" starring Zac Efron and Robert DeNiro and Peter Jackson's "District 9", available on HBOmax and Hulu. She produced such films as Ophelia starring Naomi Watts and Clive Owens, Rock the Kasbah starring Bill Murray, Bruce Willis, Zooey Deschanel and Kate Hudson and The Secret: Dare to Dream starring Katie Holmes and Josh Lucas. She has an MBA from USC and was named one of Variety Magazine's New Leaders in Film. Elissa is based in New York.

Aspiring creators often have unique and innovative concepts for new TV/streaming series, including scripted series, reality shows, or docuseries. However, the challenge is how to find the right financiers, TV/streaming networks, showrunners, producers, or studios who would be willing to take a chance on a new show. In this session, producer and director Whitney Ransick provides strategies, advice and feedback on how to organize their concept into a complete package, how to find producers, networks and agencies that might have an interest in your material, how to successfully package your concept, prepare an effective pitch deck and more... MENTOR Whitney Ransick Producer/Director Whitney executive produced the critically acclaimed series The 12th Victim, a true crime docuseries at Showtime, with partners Morgan Neville and Submarine Productions. A member of the DGA, Whitney has directed over 40 hours of episodic TV including ER, Homicide, Cracker, Smallville, Supernatural, Jerry Bruckheimer's Soldier of Fortune and Steven Spielberg's High Incident. He also directed the feature films Handgun, Shock TV, and the documentary Misfire. Projects he has set up include his script Thieves at RKO, his police procedural The Precinct at CBS, the book adaptation of The Intruders at Focus Features, and The 12th Victim at Showtime.