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Austin is joined by filmmaker Gene Gallerano and Bob Ray to discuss their recent documentary, Thank You For Listening, which charts musician Joshua Ray Walker's battle with cancer and ensuing performance at the Grand Ole Opry. The guys talk about Texas Monthly's support of the film, how Gene's mom made the movie possible, and the importance of celebrating the journey in a creative endeavor - especially one where you don't control the outcome. It's a great chat that puts a focus on independent filmmakers who had to roll with the punches to reconceptualize their film in real time as their subject dealt with an evolving cancer diagnosis, and how his journey ultimately helped them make a stronger film. THANK YOU FOR LISTENING Website: https://thankyouforlisteningfilm.com/ TYFL Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thankyouforlisteningfilm/ Gene Gallerano Website: https://www.genegallerano.com/about Bob Ray - CrashCam Films: https://crashcamfilms.com/

San Antonio-based producer and filmmaker Vanessa Rae Lerma joins Austin to discuss her latest short film, SweetNess, and what it took to mount a short film musical. They talk about her desire to accurately reflect life in San Antonio, how her work as a theater educator has helped in her filmmaking journey, what it takes to get a bakery's worth of cupcakes onscreen in a movie, and the allure of a fine breakfast taco! SweetNess Insta: http://instagram.com/sweetness_film/

Austin is joined by the president of the Dallas-Fort Worth Critics Association, Todd Jorgenson, for a chat about Jorgenson's career, the power of film criticism, and his other great passion: sports. What are the best sports movies? Is baseball the best sport to make movies about? Find out in our new episode! Read Todd's Reviews @ Cinemalogue: https://cinemalogue.com/ Check out the DFWCA: https://dfwcritics.com/

Austin is joined by filmmaker and VFX artist Matthew Ward to discuss Ward's career, spanning from his early days working on the Star Wars prequels, The Matrix sequels, and a lot of films with Robert Zemeckis, to his pivot in the 2010s to work on video game cinematics for beloved titles like Destiny and Borderlands. It's a fun, fast-moving talk about the arc of an artist, changing technology in film, and a reminder of just how long Francis Ford Coppola was trying to get Megalopolis off the ground. Matthew Ward's Website: https://www.studioward.com/

Filmmaker (and musician) McKinley Argyle joins Austin this week to discuss her new short film A Place We Can Go. The movie looks at the legacy of now-shuttered DIY space 1919 Hemphill, celebrates DIY venues as inclusive community spaces, and explores the relationship Texans have with their state when they don't conform to conservative norms. While diving into the film itself, Austin and McKinley talk about her journey to filmmaking. They touch on the challenge of watching feature films in the Age of TikTok, lessons McKinley has learned that made her a better documentarian, and the oddly fascinating world of lawns. McKinley's IG: https://www.instagram.com/mckinleyargyle/ A Place We Can Go Info: https://www.instagram.com/p/DaBIok6kUHa/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link&stkn=MzRlODBiNWFlZA==

Austin is joined by Flatland Film Festival's Kea Beasley to discuss the long road from Oklahoma City to Lubbock, TX, the magic of classic sci-fi/horror flicks, whether or not Lubbock really does have more restaurants per capita than any other city in the U.S., and the great work being done by the Louise Hopkins Underwood Center for the Arts. Flatland Film Festival: September 24 - 26, 2026 FFF Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/p/Dbt8HoZjQCB/ FFF Website: https://lhuca.org/flatland-film-festival/aboutflatland/

Austin is joined by Ray L. Perez, the president of the GTX Film Festival, to discuss the evolution of the event and its upcoming outing on September 26, 2026. They cover the joy of programming a good comedy, the importance of a clean sound mix, and the magic of audiences being able to connect directly with a filmmaker about their work - and much more! GTX Film Festival Website: https://gtxfilm.org/ GTX Film Festival Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/gtxfilms/

Austin is joined by Festival Director Craig O'Daniel to discuss the upcoming Tyler Film Festival, taking place in Tyler, TX September 18 - 19, 2026. They talk about the city of Tyler, the blossoming film community in East Texas, films Craig's excited to show off, and how the festival has evolved over the past several years! Tyler Film Festival Website: https://www.tylerfilmfest.com/ Tyler Film Festival Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/tylerfilmfest/

Austin is joined by returning guest Cait Kennedy to discuss Fantastic Fest! They talk about what sets this festival apart from others, what Cait loves about attending, dipping into a state of temporary psychosis when trying to balance pet care with the demands of a weeklong film festival, and (obviously) some of the movies scheduled for the festival that Cait is excited to see! Cait's Simply Cinema Substack: https://simplycinema.substack.com/ Turning Pages with Cait: https://turningpageswithcait.substack.com/ Cait's IG: https://www.instagram.com/thecaitkennedy/ Fantastic Fest Website: https://fantasticfest.com/ Beware Boiuna Trailer: https://youtu.be/4fn4UcgzRhg?si=iZZ9JPS0IPizIkS2 Victorian Psycho Trailer: https://youtu.be/sDiFol_2j2I?si=-JTdIWvL0GiprXgD Wild Horse Nine Trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Haw_sznA5aQ

This week, Austin is joined by Jessica Irvine Drake, the founder and director of She Speaks Film Festival, which comes to Taylor, TX September 18-19, 2026! The festival is dedicated to providing a platform for women's voices in film - something Jessica knows a lot about. She and Austin talk about her own career as an actor (and her circuitous route from Canada to Texas), what she's learned while preparing her first film festival, and where she wants to take She Speaks in 2027 and beyond! She Speaks Website: https://www.shespeaksfilmfestival.com/ She Speaks Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/shespeaksfilmfest?utm_source=ig_web_button_share_sheet&stkn=ZDNlZDc0MzIxNw==

Austin is joined by filmmaker Brenden Hubbard to discuss his new short film Hide, playing the South Texas International Film Festival this month. Starring Alejandro Rose Garcia (better known as Shakey Graves), the film follows a father and daughter trying to survive in a town stalked by a malevolent force. Brenden and Austin discuss Brenden's work in the music industry, location scouting, working with a child actor, Texas music venues - and much more! Hide Insta: https://www.instagram.com/hide.short?utm_source=ig_web_button_share_sheet&stkn=ZDNlZDc0MzIxNw== Brenden Hubbard Insta: https://www.instagram.com/rawhide_/?hl=en Call For Entries: https://www.instagram.com/callforentriespodcast/

We're soft launching our return from a brief hiatus with a special episode where Austin speaks with Christina Hahn, director of the Dallas Asian American Film Festival. Christina talks about the importance of representation, how she and her collaborators curated the first ever Dallas Asian American Film Festival, and the beautiful diversity of Texas. DAAFF Website: https://www.daaart.org/daaff

Austin is joined by filmmaker John Moore today to discuss his new documentary, When We Were Live, which will play the Oak Cliff Film Festival this weekend. They talk about John's decision to let found footage from Austin's public access television scene tell its own story, the process he went through to turn that footage into a coherent film, and the importance of taking constructive criticism. Tickets for the 8/2 OCFF screening: https://ocff2026.eventive.org/schedule/6a35b2a04fce8a3c10851b26?fbclid=PAZXh0bgNhZW0CMTEAc3J0YwZhcHBfaWQPOTM2NjE5NzQzMzkyNDU5AAGnrVWXMeGDZN6DUIBRAxT92ProDz4eva_z3kQwdjCG2yATVAy-QZmkisLEicU_aem_ye04EApw9dkhn_dOj7_vJw WWWL Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/whenwewerelive/ WWWL Website: https://www.whenwewerelive.com/

Austin is joined by filmmaker Joe Salinas to discuss his new documentary about pioneering punk band Big Boys. They discuss the band's music, the legacy of Austin punk, and how bringing on Andrew Leeper as an additional editor helped him get the project over the finish line. YCCOTL OCFF Tickets: https://ocff2026.eventive.org/schedule/6a35af954f6a2d50da54d818/tickets Joe Salinas' Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/joesalinasfilms?utm_source=ig_web_button_share_sheet&igsh=ZDNlZDc0MzIxNw== Andrew Leeper's Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/hellolightningatx?utm_source=ig_web_button_share_sheet&igsh=ZDNlZDc0MzIxNw==

Austin is joined by director Matty Wishnow to discuss his new feature, The Last Critic, which will be playing at the Oak Cliff Film Festival later this month. They discuss the life and career of music critic Robert Christgau, how Matty was able to get some of the sharpest cultural commentators on the planet to take part in his debut documentary, and the pleasures of breakfast tacos. The Last Critic screens Friday, July 31 at 8:45PM at the Kessler Theater. Tickets are available now: https://ocff2026.eventive.org/schedule/6a30949848d846b6463575d5 The Last Critic Website: https://www.thelastcriticfilm.com/ The Last Critic Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thelastcriticfilm/ Robert Christgau's Substack: https://robertchristgau.substack.com/