Film Festival Radio

RJ Roman has had a journey of ups and downs on American Ninja Warrior. During the semi-finals he had a fall near the end of his run, but redeemed himself with the show's safety pass and finished fourth on the leaderboard. Now, he has advanced to Stage 2 of the competition with the goal of winning the grand prize of $1 million. Before making a name for himself on the show, RJ was a musician (bass player) for the band Emuness, in the Orlando, Florida area. Tune in for the finals, Monday nights on NBC to watch RJ and the other contestants (check your local listings for the exact time).

Award-winning Director Nikki Hevesy's latest film short, A YEAR TO LIFE, has already won several awards at key film festivals in America and in Europe. The film is based on a true story, and it's the hopes of the director that this film will raise awareness about the juvenile incarceration rates, and how the schoolhouse to jailhouse pipeline disproportionately affects teens and young adults from disadvantaged backgrounds. In addition, Ms. Hevesy hopes the short film will also shine a spotlight on the hard work that is being done in BIPOC (Black,Indigenous,People of Color) communities to make a lasting impact on the next generation. Visit the film's website at: https://www.ayeartolife.com/

GUESTS: Denny Duron football coach of the high school team from Evangel Christian Academy in Shreveport, LA. This new sports documentary series, GOD.FAMILY,FOOTBALL, premieres September 1, 2023 on the Amazon Freevee Network, as it follow the inspiring story of Denny Duron, a former pro football player and legendary high school coach and his winning teams over the last 20 years. Second guests Chef Elizabeth Faulkner is an award-winning chef and tv personality, along with director Peter Ferriero, chat about their new documentary film 'Sorry We're Closed,' which takes a look into the personal trauma, mental health, and livelihood of some of the best chefs during the hardest time of their careers; and Chris Woolsey, Senior Director of Communications Director for Chicken Soup for the Soul Entertainment, shares info about their latest upcoming films and tv shows that are streaming from the network.

Debut film director Thommy Kane is finding major success for his new film NEW SHOES. Following its world premiere at The American during this year's Cannes Film Festival in May, the highly regarded short film is based on a true story. The film recently made its Hollywood debut at the 19th annual Oscar qualifying HollyShorts Film Festival. Earlier in his career, Thommy was successful rapper known as 'POVERTY', with a $1.2 million record deal. Fast forward to 2023, He's since become a successful businessman, and now film director. Get more information about the film at www.newshoesfilm.com See trailer here: https://vimeo.com/815934842

We are thrilled to have award-winning film director/writer Jenn Shaw as a guest on the show. Shaw, a highly acclaimed director and writer, was the creative force behind GAPS, the new short film which has Queen Latifah as the Executive Producer. This is the fourth project in the Queen Collective series. GAPS tells the story of a teenage girl from a tight-knit family, who has to make the tough decision of whether to keep her gapped front teeth or risk it all to have what is considered a "perfect" smile. As part of Procter & Gamble's Widen The Screen program, GAPS seeks to address the unfairness and inequality of advertising and media. The film had its global debut on BET, as well as at the 2023 Tribeca Film Festival. Recently, it was also shown at the Hollyshorts Film Festival in Los Angeles. Fans of the 2019 Oscar-winning short "Hair Love" will definitely appreciate GAPS. Joining Jenn Shaw on the show, is special guest Chris Woolsey, Senior Director of Communications for Chicken Soup for the Soul Entertainment, who is here to share some of the hottest movies and TV shows that can be found in Redbox for the month of August.

The comedy documentary/mockumentary film BOOTYOLOGY tells the take of what happens when a documentary crew sets out to explore the relationship between artificial intelligence and popular music, their journey takes an unexpected turn when they stumble across a mystery involving the disappearance of the infamous rap duo --The Booty Boys! It’s a fun film, lots of comedy and a great soundtrack of original hip hop music. Guests from the Bootyology film are director Joe Eddy and The Booty Boys themselves--Spencer Yaras and Chris Lightbody.

Jenn Shaw, an award-winning director/writer, wrote and directed GAPS, the new short film with Queen Latifah on board as the Executive Producer. This marks the fourth cohort of her Queen Collective, dedicated to providing access and opportunity to women filmmakers of color to tell their stories. GAPS is a coming-of-age story about a teenaged girl from a close-knit family, who is presented with the difficult decision of keeping her iconic gapped front teeth or putting it all on the line for a seemingly "perfect" smile. As part of the Widen The Screen program from Procter & Gamble, GAPS is part of their signature initiative to address the systemic bias and inequality in advertising and media. The film had its world premiere on BET, as well as at the Tribeca Film Festival 2023. Recently, it was also screened at the Hollyshorts Film Festival in Los Angeles. If you loved the 2019 Oscar winning film short "Hair Love," you will definitely enjoy GAPS as well.

Director Steve Craig chats about his unnerving new horror film WAKING NIGHTMARE featuring a bevy of '80s horror icons such as: "Pitch Perfect’s "Shelley Regner, 'The Last American' Virgin’s' Diane Franklin, 'An American Werewolf in London’s' David Naughton, and 'The Lost Boys’ Jamison Newlander, Yan Birch '(The People Under The Stairs),' Stephen Wu (“Brooklyn Nine-Nine”), and 'Every Heart' (Return to Me) co-star, are all starring in Waking Nightmare, a spine-chilling rollercoaster of fear hitting VOD August 18 from Terror Films. Director/Writer Brian Farmer is also the other director of the film.

GUESTS: Chris Woolsey, Senior Director for Chicken Soup for the Soul Entertainment shares the latest and hottest info on film and titles for the month of August at Crackle.com Second guest is Director/Producer Mark Shapiro chats about DOWNWIND, a documentary feature that chronicles the nuclear testing that took place in the Nevada area where 928 nuclear weapons were detonated between 1951 – 1992. Part of the film explores how these tests have impacted the lives, the politics, and the environments of various people over the last several decades. The film is narrated by actor Martin Sheen and also includes appearances from Oscar-winner Michael Douglas and political satirist Lewis Black, with Matthew Modine is Executive Producer. DOWNWIND will premiere on August 18 in select theaters around the country, and on Video On Demand. Find more information on the film via Instagram -- @Downwind_film

Film director Gabriela Garcia Medina chats about her new film short BERTIE THE BRILLIANT, which is screening August 17, 2023 at The 19th Annual Hollyshorts Film Festival in Los Angeles. The film follows the story of a young boy who takes on chores and small jobs around his neighborhood in order to raise money for a ticket to see his absolute favorite magician at a magic show at the casino where his grandma works. But the boy, "Bertie," is left with a difficult decision to make when his grandmother loses her job at the casino. Does he go to the magic show or does he stand firm and not go, in support of his beloved grandma?