KUCI: Film School

Line of Fire / Film School Radio interview with Director Scott Major

When a policewoman, Samantha Romans, (Nadine Garner, Savage River, The Doctor Blake Mysteries) fails to intervene in a shooting where her own son dies, she draws the condemnation of her colleagues and community as well as the attention of ambitious journalist, Jamie Connard (Samantha Tolj). Keen to reignite the career she put on hold to have children, Jamie ignores Romans' pleas to be left alone and pursues her relentlessly. LINE OF FIRE is one part tragic ripped-from-the-headlines shooting, part 21st century online bullying, lives may be destroyed. LINE OF FIRE is a taut, riveting thriller from Down Under. And with nothing to lose, Romans retaliates by forcing Jamie into a night of terror that threatens everything Jamie holds dear. Nominated for Best Indie Feature at the 2022 Australian Academy of Cinema and Television Arts (AACTA) Awards, LINE OF FIRE is sure to have audiences questioning their allegiances in a film they’ll not soon forget. Director Scott Major stops by to talk about the inspiration for his hard-hitting tale of revenge, the AACTA nomination, his collaboration with a fine cast of actors that includes award winning Nadine Garner, Samantha Doji, Damien Walshe-Howling and his screenwriter Christopher Gist.
For more about the film go to: filmthreat.com/reviews/line-of-fire

Northern Shade / Film School Radio interview with Director Christopher Rucinski

Operation Enduring Freedom Army veteran Justin McLaughlin (Jesse Gavin), lives a life of solitude on his boat in Connecticut, working a menial job and avoiding his past. When his estranged brother Charlie (Joseph Poliquin), “Project Power”), goes missing, Justin is forced from isolation and teams up with a private investigator named Frankie to track him down. Together, they discover Charlie’s been recruited by an extremist militia planning an unknown attack. Justin must decide how much of his Army past he’s willing to expose to extract Charlie from the clutches of their paramilitary leader, Billy, while reconciling his own sense of purpose and regaining his brother’s trust. Set during the Covid-19 pandemic, NORTHERN SHADE focuses on purpose and redemption in an age of heightened anxiety and isolation. Director, producer and co-writer Christopher Rucinski joins us for a conversation on the inspiration for this relevant tale of social disenchantment and fractured family, as well as the challenges of making a first feature film in the midst of a pandemic, an ambitious shooting schedule and working with a terrific cast that includes Jesse Gavin (THe Burial, Loki) and Joseph Poliquin(Greyhound).
bayviewentertainment.com
Opening in LA at: laemmle.com/northern-shade
Virtual cinema: eventive.org/northernshade

Argentina, 1985 / Film School Radio interview with Director Santiago Mitre

Filmed on the real locations where the events took placr, Argentina, 1985 is inspired by the true story of Julio Strassera, Luis Moreno Ocampo and their young legal team of unlikely heroes in their David-vs-Goliath battle to prosecute Argentina's bloodiest military dictatorship against all odds and in a race against time to bring justice to the victims of the Military Junta. In the nascent days of the Argentine Republic's newly formed government after the restoration of democracy in 1983, newly appointed federal chief prosecutor Julio César Strassera (Ricardo Darin) and his assistant, deputy prosecutor Luis Moreno Ocampo, (Peter Lanzani) led the investigation and the trial against the brutal military dictatorship that plunged Argentina into chaos for almost ten years. And entrusted with the Herculean task of putting the country's most powerful and dangerous men behind bars, the young lawyers and their inexperienced legal team played with fire while seeking justice for the crimes committed during the Dirty War of 1976-1983. Argentina, 1985 is the 2023 winner of the Golden Globe® winner for Best Picture (Foreign Language) and an Oscar® nomination for Best International Feature. Director and screenwriter Santiago Mitre joins us for a conversation on the cinematic challenge of finding the most effective way to tell the story behind the struggle to bring a measure of justice to the authoritarian leadership that ruled his beloved country, injecting a degree of humanity and humor into the film, working with his superb cast of actors and his personal satisfaction of seeing Argentinians embrace his film.
For more go to: infinityhillfilms.com/argentina-1985
To watch go to:amazon.com/Argentina-1985

Le Pupille / Film School Radio interview with Director Alice Rohrwacher

From writer and director, Alice Rohrwacher, and Academy Award® winning producer, Alfonso Cuarón, “Le Pupille” is a tale of innocence, greed and fantasy. This 2023 Oscar® nominated Live Action Short is about desires, pure and selfish, about freedom and devotion, and about the anarchy that is capable of flowering in the minds of girls within the confines of a strict religious boarding. Inspired by a letter Italian novelist Elsa Morante sent to her friend, LE PUPILLE is a magical fable about a group of mischievous young Catholic schoolgirls during an imaginary wartime. Unfolding over the Christmas holiday, the orphaned girls find themselves blessed with a scrumptious red cake from a generous countess and must evade Mother Superior’s (Alba Rohrwacher) watchful eye for a taste of decadence. Alice Rohrwacher with her signature whimsical touch, crafts a joyously playful tale about childhood desire, greed and freedom. Director Alice Rohrwacher (The Wonders, Heavenly Body), joins us for a conversation on the challenge of finding the right tone and cadence for this beguiling tale, casting the “right” Serafina, working with her sister and her collaboration with her gifted collaborators.
Le Pupille is available at: disneyplus.com

The Elephant Whisperers / Film School Radio interview with Director Kartiki Gonsalves

Kartiki Gonsalves’ enthralling and beguiling 2023 Oscar nominated documentary short, THE ELEPHANT WHISPERERS, follows an indigenous couple, Bomman and Bellie, as they fall in love with Raghu, an orphaned elephant given into their care, and tirelessly work to ensure his survival. The film highlights the beauty of the wild spaces of South India, and the oldest wild elephant reserve in Asia, Theppakadu Elephant Camp, as well as the people and animals who share this space. THE ELEPHANT WHISPERERS marks the directorial debut of Kartiki Gonsalves, a prolific wildlife and social documentary photographer, photojournalist and cinematographer. Raised in the Nilgiris Mountains of southern India where was filmed. THE ELEPHANT WHISPERERS director, co-writer and cinematographer Kartiki Gonsalves stops by to talk about returning to this stunningly beautiful region, meeting and spending time with Bomman, Bellie, Raghu and Ammu as well as forging what she describes as an “unbreakable bond” with these elephants.
To watch go to: netflix.com/ElephantWhisperers
*2023 Academy Award® Nominee for Best Live Action Short Film

The Martha Mitchell Effect / Film School Radio interview with Co-directors Anne Alvergue and Debra McClutchy

Co-directors Anne Alvergue and Debra McClutchy unexpectedly moving and insightful 2023 Oscar nominated documentary short, THE MARTHA MITCHELL EFFECT, is an archival-based portrait of one of the most unlikely whistleblowers in the history of Washington DC. During the course of the unfolding Watergate scandal, Mitchell was expected to keep quiet, she did not. As a consequence Mitchell was a Republican cabinet wife who was gaslighted by the Nixon Administration to keep her quiet.  THE MARTHA MITCHELL EFFECT offers a female gaze on the scandal through the voice of the woman herself and shows viewers why we need to believe women whistleblowers - something that sadly hasn't improved much since Martha's time. As President Richard Nixon himself once said, "If it hadn't been for Martha, there'd have been no Watergate.” Co-directors Anne Alvergue and Debra McClutchy join us for a conversation on the life and times of Martha Mitchell in Washington DC, how the behavior of her husband and Attorney General John Mitchell dramatically impacted her life, and how the unlikely friendship between Martha Mitchell and respected journalist Helen Thomas changed the course of American political history.
THE MARTHA MITCHELL EFFECT (currently streaming on Netflix). 
2023 Oscar nomination for Best Documentary Short
Also available on MUBI the-martha-mitchell-effect

A Radiant Girl / Film School Radio interview with Director Sandrine Kiberlain and Actor Rebecca Marder

Paris, summer 1942. Irene (Rebecca Marder, nominated for a 2023 César for Best Female Newcomer for her performance), is a vibrant 19-year-old aspiring actress without a care in the world. She is honing her passion for the theater, rehearsing for the entrance exam to the coveted Conservatory, making new friends and discovering love, without realizing that time is running out in Nazi-occupied France, as her close-knit family is watching. In turns enchanting and devastating, Ms. Kiberlain’s drama, which she also wrote, is not a traditional Holocaust narrative, but a unique coming-of-age tale about the freedoms of youth amidst a changing world, anchored by a star-making performance by Ms. Marder "which more than delivers on the luminous promise of the English title" (Screen Daily). Partly inspired by Ms. Kiberlain’s own family story, the film shows the dangers of complacency in the face of fascism, as well as moments of beauty that are possible even under the hardest of circumstances. Director Sandrine Kiberlain and Actor Rebecca Marder joins us for a conversation on the relevance of a story about isms - authoritarianism, fascism, anti-semitism, collaborating as director / actor and actor and finding the right balance tonally in a story that is guardedly optimistic about the aspirations of a young women as her world comes face-to-face with genocide.
For more go to: filmmovement.com/a-radiant-girl

Linoleum / Film School Radio interview with Director Colin West

Cameron Edwin (Jim Gaffigan), the host of a failing children's science TV show called "Above & Beyond", has always had aspirations of being an astronaut. After a satellite falls from orbit and crashes into the suburban home of a dysfunctional family in Ohio, the father seizes the opportunity to fulfill his dream of becoming an astronaut by re-building it into his own rocket ship. While his wife and daughter believe he’s experiencing a midlife crisis, his relationship with his wife (Rhea Seehorn) and daughter (Katelyn Nacon) start to strain. A series of surreal events begin unfolding around him -- a doppelgänger moving into the house next door, a car falling from the sky, and an unusual teenage boy forging a friendship with him. As Cameron slowly starts to piece these events together to ultimately reveal that there's more to his life story than he once thought and forcing him to reconsider how interconnected their lives truly are. Director and writer Colin West joins us for a conversation on the inspiration for Linoleum, pulling together a wonderful cast that included, Michael Ina Black, Amy Hargreaves, and Tony Shalhoub, how comedian / actor Jim Gaffigan became the lead in this whimsical and poignant tale about taking chances and living without regret.
For more go to: linoleummovie.com

Navalny / FIlm School Radio interview with Director Daniel Roher

Director Daniel Roher explores the life and work of Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny, who, after years of campaigning against corruption, has developed powerful enemies – including President Vladimir Putin. In August 2020, Navalny was secretly poisoned with a military-grade chemical nerve agent in a shockingly brazen attempt on his life. Beyond his staff and his loyal family, Navalny ends up being secretly surrounded by a small group of investigative journalists including Bulgarian Christo Grozev with Bellingcat and Russian Maria Pevchikh with the Anti-Corruption Foundation who knew that the state would not investigate the poisoning. What to do with their findings culminates with Navalny's highly publicized return to Moscow on January 17, 2021. After being transferred to Germany for medical attention, a recovering Navalny worked closely with international news organizations Bellingcat and CNN to investigate the crime, ultimately linking the poison to Russian security services, despite denials from the Kremlin. Eye-opening and revelatory, NAVALNY chronicles the politician and activist’s brave stand against the government that tried to silence him – and his never-ending fight for democracy. Director Daniel Roher (Once We Were Brothers) stops by to talk about the 2023 Oscar nomination for Best Documentary Feature, what he did and did not know about Navalny, Vladimir Putin, Russian politics, gaining the trust of Alexei’s inner circle, and his personal reaction to some of the mind-boggling events that unfolded in front of his camera.
For news and updates go to: dogwoof.com/navalny

The First Step/ Film School Radio interview with Director Brandon Kramer

In this revealing observational portrait of political courage, Brandon Kramer’s THE FIRST STEP, focuses his lens on Black progressive activist and political commentator Van Jones as he faces a polarized society head on in an effort to reform a broken criminal justice system. Jones, known for calling Donald Trump's election “a whitelash” live on primetime TV, navigates increasingly tense and isolating political and racial divides in his attempt to become a “bridge builder” during the Trump administration. Condemned by the right for his progressive beliefs, and by the left for embracing conservatives, this fraught and cinematically captured personal journey questions his integrity from all sides, forcing him to consider not only his activism but his own identity. THE FIRST STEP takes us behind the scenes of these dramatic power struggles, from internal divisions within both parties, to the lives of activists fighting on the frontlines for their communities. The First Step features Louis L. Reed, Jessica Jackson, Virgie Walker, Pete White, Tylo James. Including Jared Kushner, Senator Bernie Sanders, Senator Cory Booker, Senator Kamala Harris, Senator Shelly Capito, Senator Rand Paul, Senator Mike Lee, Congresswoman Karen Bass, Congresswoman Bonnie Watson Coleman, Patrisse Cullors, Charlemagne Tha God, Karen Hunter, and Kim Kardashian. Director Brandon Kramer joins us to talk about the daunting challenge faced by Van ones as he attempts to find the common ground of common interest and policy reforms that will benefit all Americans, while being vilified by many of the same people he is working with.
For news and updates go to: meridianhillpictures.com