Advertise on podcast: Slamdance First Film Podcast

Today's guest is legendary filmmaker Francis Ford Coppola, director of THE GODFATHER, THE CONVERSATION, APOCALYPSE NOW, and MEGALOPOLIS. His debut feature film, DEMENTIA 13, was made for just $40,000, produced by Roger Corman, and launched one of the greatest filmmaking careers of all time. Listen to Francis share tips, tricks, and his iconic origin story. Slamdance First Film Podcast is created & hosted by Michael Gallagher and Jana Gallagher. Produced by Peter Baxter. Edited by Daniel Angarita. Music by Kevin MacLeod. Special Thanks to Paul Rachman, Eddie Bernard, Taylor Miller, and the entire Slamdance Team. Follow the Slamdance First Film Podcast: Instagram (@SlamdanceFirstFilm) X (formerly known as Twitter) (@FirstFilmPod) YouTube (/Slamdance) Please share, rate, and review! For sponsorship, booking, and business inquiries, email us at: [email protected] Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Today's guest is writer-director Wendy McColm, whose award-winning debut feature film BIRDS WITHOUT FEATHERS premiered at the Slamdance Film Festival.Links: BIRDS WITHOUT FEATHERS (Tubi)FUZZY HEAD (Tubi) Sladance First Film Podcast is created & hosted by Michael Gallagher and Jana Gallagher. Produced by Peter Baxter. Edited by Daniel Angarita. QC by Max Brown and Tara Blossom. Music by Kevin MacLeod. Special Thanks to Paul Rachman and the entire Slamdance Team. Follow the Slamdance First Film Podcast: Instagram (@SlamdanceFirstFilm) X (formerly known as Twitter) (@FirstFilmPod) YouTube (/Slamdance) Please share, rate, and review! For sponsorship, booking, and business inquiries, email us at: [email protected] Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Today's guest is writer-director Todd Berger, whose debut feature film THE SCENESTERS premiered at the 2010 Slamdance Film Festival. Learn how Todd got his start making viral videos for the internet, raising money for an indie comedy, how to play the small film festival circuit to gain traction, and getting a distribution deal with Showtime. Links: The Scenesters (Tubi)It's a Disaster (Tubi) Slamdance First Film Podcast is created & hosted by Michael Gallagher and Jana Gallagher. Produced by Peter Baxter. Edited by Daniel Angarita. QC by Max Brown and Tara Blossom. Music by Kevin MacLeod. Special Thanks to Paul Rachman and the entire Slamdance Team. Follow the Slamdance First Film Podcast: Instagram (@SlamdanceFirstFilm) X (formerly known as Twitter) (@FirstFilmPod) YouTube (/Slamdance) Please share, rate, and review! For sponsorship, booking, and business inquiries, email us at: [email protected] Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Today's guest is writer-director Francis Lee, whose debut feature film GOD'S OWN COUNTRY premiered at the 2017 Sundance Film Festival where it won the World Cinema Directing Award. Francis shares how he made his first feature film in his 40s, how he writes his screenplays in a word document, the importance of creating a soundscape, keeping your crew small, and how he convinced Kate Winslet to star in his second feature, AMMONITE. Francis Lee's short film, "Bradford Halifax London", screened at the Slamdance Film Festival in 2013. Links: God's Own Country (Tubi)Ammonite (Amazon) Slamdance First Film Podcast is created & hosted by Michael Gallagher and Jana Gallagher. Produced by Peter Baxter. Edited by Daniel Angarita. Music by Kevin MacLeod. Special Thanks to Paul Rachman and the entire Slamdance Team. Follow the Slamdance First Film Podcast: Instagram (@SlamdanceFirstFilm) X (formerly known as Twitter) (@FirstFilmPod) YouTube (/Slamdance) Please share, rate, and review! For sponsorship, booking, and business inquiries, email us at: [email protected] Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Today's guest is filmmaker Joe Penna, whose debut feature film ARCTIC premiered at the 2018 Cannes Film Festival. Joe got his start making videos on YouTube as MysteryGuitarMan, where Joe honed his skills behind the camera, earning commercial directing opportunities while attracting millions of subscribers and racking  up hundreds of millions of views. Joe's pivot to make his first feature film ARCTIC was filled with trial and error, experimentation, consulting with experts, and building a stellar team. Learn how Joe convinced Mads Mikkelsen to sign on, how to survive a punishing shoot in the arctic, and how getting something special in the "can" led him to premiere in Cannes! His second feature film, STOWAWAY, starring Anna Kendrick and Toni Collette, is now streaming on Netflix.Links: Arctic (Amazon)Stowaway (Netflix) Slamdance First Film Podcast is created & hosted by Michael Gallagher and Jana Gallagher. Produced by Peter Baxter. Edited by Daniel Angarita. Music by Kevin MacLeod. Special Thanks to Paul Rachman and the entire Slamdance Team. Follow the Slamdance First Film Podcast: Instagram (@SlamdanceFirstFilm) X (formerly known as Twitter) (@FirstFilmPod) YouTube (/Slamdance) Please share, rate, and review! For sponsorship, booking, and business inquiries, email us at: [email protected] Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Today's guest is writer-director Blake Robbins, talking about his debut feature film THE SUBLIME AND BEAUTIFUL which premiered at the 2014 Slamdance Film Festival. It went on to win the Jury Prize for Best Feature, Best Actor and Best Director at the 2014 Newport Beach Film Festival. Having never directed before (not even a short film), Blake followed his passion, rolled up his sleeves, and crafted a truly beautiful piece of indie cinema on a $30,000 budget. Incredible insight on how to film in 12 days, why you should think like a businessman, the importance of treating your crew with love and respect, and how he parlayed his micro-budget indie on the festival circuit to get his next film— THE SCENT OF RAIN AND LIGHTING — a $2 million dollar feature starring Maika Monroe and Maggie Grace. You can support Blake's new feature, MICKEY BRASCH, which will be filming in the fall of 2025. Link: The Sublime and Beautiful (Tubi)The Scent of Rain and Lightning (Tubi) Slamdance First Film Podcast is created & hosted by Michael Gallagher and Jana Gallagher. Produced by Peter Baxter. Edited by Daniel Angarita. Music by Kevin MacLeod. Special Thanks to Paul Rachman and the entire Slamdance Team. Follow the Slamdance First Film Podcast: Instagram (@SlamdanceFirstFilm) X (formerly known as Twitter) (@FirstFilmPod) YouTube (/Slamdance) Please share, rate, and review! For sponsorship, booking, and business inquiries, email us at: [email protected] Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Today's guest is writer/director Clark Gregg talking about his debut feature film CHOKE (based on the novel by Chuck Palahniuk) starring Sam Rockwell and Anjelica Huston, which premiered at the 2008 Sundance Film Festival. Clark Gregg got his start as an actor, joining the Atlantic Theater Company with David Mamet and William H. Macy. His acting credits include THE AVENGERS, 500 DAYS OF SUMMER and STATE AND MAIN. In addition to acting, Clark began writing screenplays and was hired to write WHAT LIES BENEATH for Robert Zemeckis. Listen to Clark as he provides tremendous insight in how to navigate the world of independent film financing, working with A-list actors, and how betting on yourself is the key to getting any film made.  Link: Choke (Amazon Prime) Slamdance First Film Podcast is created & hosted by Michael Gallagher and Jana Gallagher. Produced by Peter Baxter. Music by Kevin MacLeod. Special Thanks to Paul Rachman and the entire Slamdance Team. Follow the Slamdance First Film Podcast: Instagram (@SlamdanceFirstFilm) X (formerly known as Twitter) (@FirstFilmPod) YouTube (/Slamdance) Please share, rate, and review! For sponsorship, booking, and business inquiries, email us at: [email protected] Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Today's guest is director Seth Gordon, whose career is filled with Hollywood hits such as Four Christmases, Horrible Bosses and Identity Thief. He got his start making the hilarious indie documentary THE KING OF KONG: FISTFUL OF QUARTERS which premiered at the 2007 Slamdance Film Festival. Hear how Seth found the hilarious story, worked with his larger than life subjects, how his film festival screener went viral (pre-YouTube) and how he parlayed his documentary into a huge career in Hollywood. Seth's most recent film, BACK IN ACTION with Jamie Foxx and Cameron Diaz, is now streaming on Netflix. Link: The King of Kong: Fistful of Quarters (Rent/Buy) Slamdance First Film Podcast is created & hosted by Michael Gallagher and Jana Gallagher. Produced by Peter Baxter. Edited by Daniel Angarita. QC by Max Brown and Tara Blossom. Music by Kevin MacLeod. Special Thanks to Paul Rachman and the entire Slamdance Team. Follow the Slamdance First Film Podcast: Instagram (@SlamdanceFirstFilm) X (formerly known as Twitter) (@FirstFilmPod) YouTube (/Slamdance) Please share, rate, and review! For sponsorship, booking, and business inquiries, email us at: [email protected] Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Today's guests are the directors behind the indie hit THE PEANUT BUTTER FALCON-- Michael Schwartz and Tyler Nilson. Hear their inspiring story of making a scrappy proof of concept, the art of the cold email, how Shia LaBeouf signed on without even reading the script, becoming experts in your film, and the secrets to creating genuine word of mouth. Their most recent film, LOS FRIKIS, is now available to rent or buy.Links:The Peanut Butter Falcon (Rent/Buy)Los Frikis (Rent/Buy) Slamdance First Film Podcast is created and hosted by Michael Gallagher and Jana Gallagher. Produced by Peter Baxter. Edited by Daniel Angarita. Music by Kevin MacLeod. Special Thanks to Evan Silverberg, Paul Rachman, and the entire Slamdance Team. Follow the Slamdance First Film Podcast: Instagram (@SlamdanceFirstFilm) X (formerly known as Twitter) (@FirstFilmPod) YouTube (/Slamdance) Please share, rate, and review! For sponsorship, booking, and business inquiries, email us at: [email protected] Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Today's guest is acclaimed filmmaker Lynne Sachs. Her debut documentary feature film, INVESTIGATION OF A FLAME, is about the nine Vietnam War protesters, who in 1968, walked into a Catonsville, Maryland draft board office, grabbed hundreds of selective service records and burned them with homemade napalm. Learn how she tracked down the subjects and won their trust, why it can be important to capture visuals and audio separately, how Final Cut Pro allowed her to edit while raising a family, and helpful tips to secure a film grant. This is a must-listen episode for documentary filmmakers and fans. Lynne Sachs' recent film, Film About A Father Who, was an official selection at the Slamdance Film Festival in 2020. Links: Investigation of a Flame (Rent/Buy) Film About a Father Who (Rent/Buy) Slamdance First Film Podcast is created and hosted by Michael Gallagher and Jana Gallagher. Produced by Peter Baxter. Edited by Daniel Angarita. Music by Kevin MacLeod. Special Thanks to Paul Rachman, and the entire Slamdance Team Follow the Slamdance First Film Podcast: Instagram (@SlamdanceFirstFilm) X (formerly known as Twitter) (@FirstFilmPod) YouTube (/Slamdance) Please share, rate, and review! For sponsorship, booking, and business inquiries, email us at: [email protected] Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Today's guest is filmmaker Jimmy Tatro, the co-writer and director of the hilarious feature film THE REAL BROS OF SIMI VALLEY: HIGH SCHOOL REUNION which is streaming for free on Roku. Learn how Jimmy went from making internet videos, to adapting his popular original series "The Real Bros of Simi Valley" into his debut feature film. Learn the secrets of making comedy and the value of multi-camera cross-coverage to capture brilliant moments Jimmy's inspiring story of working with your friends and staying true to your instincts is a recipe for lasting success.  Links: The Real Bros of Simi Valley: High School Reunion (Feature, Free on Roku) The Real Bros of Simi Valley (Series) Slamdance First Film Podcast is created and hosted by Michael Gallagher and Jana Gallagher. Produced by Peter Baxter. Music by Kevin MacLeod. Special Thanks to Paul Rachman, and the entire Slamdance Team. Follow the Slamdance First Film Podcast: Instagram (@SlamdanceFirstFilm) X (formerly known as Twitter) (@FirstFilmPod) YouTube (/Slamdance) Please share, rate, and review! For sponsorship, booking, and business inquiries, email us at: [email protected] Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Today's guest is filmmaker Numa Perrier, the writer, director, and producer of JEZEBEL which premiered at the 2019 South by Southwest Film Festival. Learn how Numa created her own work in short form content that presented an opportunity to make a feature film during a two week hiatus. Mining her own life story, JEZEBEL captures a raw authenticity and vulnerability about two sisters grappling with grief while living as sex workers. After the world premiere at SXSW, JEZEBEL was acquired by Ava DuVernay's company ARRAY. Slamdance First Film Podcast is created and hosted by Michael Gallagher and Jana Gallagher. Produced by Peter Baxter. Music by Kevin MacLeod. Special Thanks to Paul Rachman, and the entire Slamdance Team. Follow the Slamdance First Film Podcast: Instagram (@SlamdanceFirstFilm) X (formerly known as Twitter) (@FirstFilmPod) YouTube (/Slamdance) Please share, rate, and review! For sponsorship, booking, and business inquiries, email us at: [email protected] Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Today's guest is filmmaker Ronan Corrigan, the co-writer, director, and co-editor of the new Screenlife film LIFEHACK which premiered at the 2025 South by Southwest Film Festival. Learn how he went from feeling stuck during lockdown to winning the chance to pitch Timur Bekmambetov and get his debut feature film greenlit in the middle of a global pandemic. LIFEHACK was shot in just 10 days but the edit took over 9 months of tireless work. Luckily, it resulted in one of the buzziest titles at SXSW. Ronan is definitely a filmmaker to watch. Be sure to check out LIFEHACK, currently playing the festival circuit.  Slamdance First Film Podcast is created and hosted by Michael Gallagher and Jana Gallagher. Produced by Peter Baxter. Music by Kevin MacLeod. Special Thanks to Paul Rachman, and the entire Slamdance Team. Follow the Slamdance First Film Podcast: Instagram (@SlamdanceFirstFilm) X (formerly known as Twitter) (@FirstFilmPod) YouTube (/Slamdance) Please share, rate, and review! For sponsorship, booking, and business inquiries, email us at: [email protected] Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Today's guest is award-winning filmmaker Andrew Patterson, the co-writer and director of the indie hit THE VAST OF NIGHT which won the audience award at the 2019 Slamdance Film Festival. Learn how the film was rejected by 18 film festivals in a row before Andrew submitted to Slamdance and launched his career. At the festival, THE VAST OF NIGHT was bought by Amazon and received a nomination for Best First Screenplay at the 2020 Film Independent Spirit Awards. Made entirely outside of the Hollywood system, THE VAST OF NIGHT is a true indie success story. Links: THE VAST OF NIGHT (Amazon) Slamdance First Film Podcast is created and hosted by Michael Gallagher and Jana Gallagher. Produced by Peter Baxter. Edited by Daniel Angarita. QC by Max Brown & Tara Blossom. Music by Kevin MacLeod. Special Thanks to Paul Rachman, and the entire Slamdance Team. Follow the Slamdance First Film Podcast: Instagram (@SlamdanceFirstFilm) X (formerly known as Twitter) (@FirstFilmPod) YouTube (/Slamdance) Please share, rate, and review!! For sponsorship, booking, and business inquiries, email us at: [email protected] Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Live from the Egyptian! Today's filmmaker guests include Pulitzer Prize finalist environmentalist journalist Rosanna Xia & co-director Daniel Straub discussing their documentary feature OUT OF PLAIN SIGHT, which was the Opening Night Film at the 2025 Slamdance Film Festival. Learn how the filmmakers turned an LA Times article into an Award-Winning documentary feature by partnering with the journalist. This podcast was recorded LIVE after screening at the Slamdance film Festival. Our panel includes cinematographer/editor/producer Austin Straub, and Composer James Ellington. OUT OF PLAIN SIGHT is currently playing the festival circuit and seeking distribution.  Links: OUT OF PLAIN SIGHT Slamdance First Film Podcast is created and hosted by Michael Gallagher and Jana Gallagher. Produced by Peter Baxter. Edited by Daniel Angarita. QC by Max Brown & Tara Blossom. Music by Kevin MacLeod. Special Thanks to Paul Rachman, and the entire Slamdance Team. Follow the Slamdance First Film Podcast: Instagram (@SlamdanceFirstFilm) X (formerly known as Twitter) (@FirstFilmPod) YouTube (/Slamdance) Please share, rate, and review! For sponsorship, booking, and business inquiries, email us at: [email protected] Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices