Writer-director Georgia Bernstein joins us to discuss 'Night Nurse,' her feature directorial debut that premiered in the NEXT section at this year's Sundance Film Festival. Georgia traces the birth of the film's idea and how she ventured into the realm of psycho-sexual thrillers while maintaining its foundation in elderly care and caregiving, creating an unsettling blend of intimacy and menace.

Our conversation explores Georgia's long-spanning friendship and collaboration with actress Cemre Paksoy, revealing how their creative partnership shaped the film's central performance. We delve into the opening shot and its crucial role in setting the tone, discussing how those first moments establish the film's psychological terrain and prepare audiences for what's to come.

Georgia also reflects on her relationship with intention and the audience, sharing her approach to balancing control and release as a filmmaker. She discusses the deliberate choices that guide viewers through the film's unsettling narrative while leaving room for their own interpretations and emotional responses.

Director William D. Caballero joins us to discuss ‘They Dream,’ his deeply personal film premiering in the NEXT section at Sundance. Blending documentary with multiple forms of animation, the film explores his family’s story through an intimate collaboration with his mother.

William shares what drew him to build a film from such personal material and the dynamics of working creatively with his mom. The film employs a striking mix of animation techniques including 2D, 3D, miniatures, and rotoscoping, each serving a different purpose in the storytelling.

We discuss why he chose this hybrid approach, how the various visual forms interact with the documentary elements, and the process of transforming family memory into a multi-layered cinematic experience.​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​

Writer-director Constance Tsang and producers Tony Yang, Sally Sujin Oh and Eli Raskin join us to discuss ‘Blue Sun Palace,’ their Spirit Award nominated feature. With nominations celebrating the film’s achievement, the team reflects on the journey from conception to completion.

Constance and the producers open up about the very birth of the story and what it took to produce and manage a film like this in today’s independent landscape. We explore how the logistics and creative storytelling relate to one another, and the challenges of bringing this vision to the screen.

We also dig into the collaborative process between director and producers, how they navigated the realities of independent filmmaking, and what might be next for this creative team.​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​