Shows
The Experimental Film PodcastSeason 5 Episode 4 - Erica Schreiner - Experimental Video and Performance ArtistErica Schreiner is an experimental video and performance artist based in New York City. She shoots on VHS while performing before the camera. Erica creates allegorical, ethereal video art that combines feminine and anarchistic themes, ritual, and sensuality. Manipulating existing objects or building sets to perform in and film, Erica creates surreal, intimate worlds on VHS video, employing her clearly defined style.Erica received a Bachelor degree in Graphic Design from The Art Institute of Portland. Once in New York, she attended the School of Visual Arts Lens and Screen Art’s Residency Program with a full sc...2025-04-061h 13
The Low & Slow Barbecue ShowCounty Smoak’s Ken Hess Defends Virginia BarbecueCounty Smoak Pitmaster Ken Hess returns to The Low & Slow Barbecue Show to defend Virginia as “first” in barbecue. Get the latest from Lynchburg, Virginia, where Ken and Jessica Hess are smoking meat low and slow in the Virginia tradition, while introducing their own unique flair to the flavors that fill the menu – like the brisket pastrami, a forever favorite at the Carolina BBQ Festival. Don’t miss Ken’s advice for smoking, resting, and preserving the perfect brisket. Meet the County Smoak team during the Carolina BBQ Festival on April 4-5.
Visit the Low & Slow Barbecue website he...2025-03-0633 minThe Experimental Film PodcastSeason 5 Episode 3 - Jim Ford - Actor, Stuntman, and FilmmakerJim Ford is an American film/television actor and stuntman. After receiving his BFA in drama from the Hartt School Conservatory and studying with the Royal Shakespeare Company in England, Jim landed an agent and has been a full-time actor in New York and Los Angeles ever since. He is best known for his work in the TV shows Gotham, Mysteries of Laura, The Following, Person of Interest, and Steven Soderberg's H.B.O. mini-series The Knick.Jim developed a passion for filmmaking and short films at a very young age. Over the years, he has completed...2025-02-191h 29The Experimental Film PodcastSeason 5 Episode 2 - Filmmakers Andy Camou and Ivan MiquelAndy Camou is a freelance motion designer based out of Long Beach, California. He combines his experience and knowledge of animation, 3D, video editing, and VFX to produce engaging videos and animations. He previously spent two and a half years at Run It Up, a production company focused on creating poker content on the streaming site Twitch.As an animator and video editor, Andy produced motion graphics for broadcasts and short-form content for social media. His strengths lie in creative problem-solving and meticulous attention to detail. "I thrive on continuous learning, adaptability, and new challenges."Feel free...2025-02-0741 minThe Experimental Film PodcastSeason 5 Episode 1 - Christopher Rakas - Experimental FilmmakerChristopher Rakas is an award-winning director, producer, writer, and composer based in El Paso, Texas. His short film Dada Noise 2 has had a successful film festival run worldwide. He is currently co-writing and scoring several episodes for the TV series On Bloody Paths with Mary S. Applegate and Ingmar Koch. He is also a member of the Liquid Sky Artist Collective in Portugal. He is also currently producing a documentary film featuring his brother’s local El Paso-based metal punk band, Uglor. You can listen to songs by Uglor on YouTube.
Christopher and I met through this po...2025-01-081h 03The Experimental Film PodcastSeason 4 Episode 26 - Nolan Stolz - Music Composer and FilmmakerNolan Stolz is a composer, scholar, drummer, and music professor living in Spartanburg, SC. Born in Milwaukee, WI, Stolz grew up in Las Vegas, NV, where he worked as a freelance jazz drummer for several years. Today, he is a Professor of Music at the University of South Carolina Upstate, where he teaches composition, music theory, and popular music studies.
Although firmly rooted in the contemporary classical tradition, his compositions are influenced by his performance background in jazz and rock. Fanfare Magazine called his Lincoln Highway Suite for orchestra a “brilliant piece of Americana. . .a piece of inspir...2024-11-1445 minThe Experimental Film PodcastSeason 4 Episode 25 - Océane Buxton - Visual ArtistOcéane Buxton is a visual artist specializing in video, sound design, textiles, digital imaging, and performance art. She grew up in Québec City and has lived in Montréal since 2017. After studying at RMIT School of Art (Melbourne, Australia) in 2019, she received a bachelor’s degree in Intermedia/Cyberarts from Concordia University in 2021. She began the master’s program in visual arts at UQAM in 2023. She participated in the 6th edition of Artch, and her work has been exhibited by the Ada X Artist Center, La Bande Vidéo, Struts Gallery (Sackville, New Brunswick), and the web art plat...2024-11-1139 minThe Experimental Film PodcastSeason 4 Episode 24 - Michael Lies - Filmmaker and Cathy Tuttle - Writer and ProducerAward winning filmmaker, Michael Lies, is recognized by film organizations in New York, Pittsburgh and Florence, Italy. In 2012, his screenplay for The Tenth Door was awarded 1st Prize in Short Film Scripts at the Harlem International Film Festival and named a finalist in the Moondance International Film Festival. In 2023 The Tenth Door was completed by Michael and a couple of dozen people from the Pittsburgh area.
In 2009 Michael’s short film EXPERYMENT6 was awarded the Dante Award of Excellence at the Florence International Film Festival. The US premiere was held at the Andy Warhol Theater in Pi...2024-11-0841 minThe Experimental Film PodcastSeason 4 Episode 23 - Cassidy Civiero - Experimental FilmmakerCassidy Civiero is a transgender filmmaker who uses experimental techniques to make movies that align with his values and identity. His films ask just as many questions as they answer and allow room for audience participation in crafting the narrative. His latest film, Return to Nature, was funded by the Region of Waterloo Arts Fund and premiered at the Penticton Art Gallery for two months before playing at the Open Vault Film Fest and winning Critic's Choice at the Experimental Film Fest. His previous film, Ethical Consumption, was funded by the Mental Health Commission of California via the Voices Wi...2024-11-051h 01The Experimental Film PodcastSeason 4 Episode 22 - Gillian Harrill - Filmmaker, Champion Fencer, Harpist, and Associate ProducerGillian Harrill's films have been featured at various festivals, ranging from the Oscar-qualifying AmDocs Film Festival to the esteemed Sidewalk Film Festival and the LA Independent Women Film Awards. Her ability to craft compelling narratives and capture the essence of her subjects has earned her a reputation as a filmmaker with an eccentric sense of humor and unwavering dedication to her craft. She started as the lead assistant editor on Beyond the Straight and Narrow, streaming on Kanopy. In 2022, Gillian embarked on a fellowship in documentary filmmaking at Southern Exposure, where she spent 6 weeks fully immersed in directing Taxing the Sun, which exposed legislation tha...2024-11-0455 minThe Experimental Film PodcastSeason 4 Episode 21 - Frankie Campisano - Comedian, Writer, and FilmmakerA non-binary punk-rock poet with style an exec once described as “Aaron Sorkin on acid,” Frankie specializes in writing dark comedies about deeply flawed losers struggling to reinvent themselves in stories packed with punchlines taking bold swings towards silly and surreal. A New Jersey native raised in the Bible Belt, Frankie Campisano now calls Los Angeles their home.
A non-binary punk-rock poet with a style an exec once described as “Aaron Sorkin on acid”, Frankie specializes in writing dark comedies about deeply flawed losers struggling to reinvent themselves in stories packed with punchlines taking bold swings towards silly and...2024-10-311h 03The Experimental Film PodcastSeason 4 Episode 20 - Vasco Diogo - Experimental Director, Video Artist, and PerformerVasco Diogo was born in 1970 in Lisbon. Diogo is now an Experimental Director, Performer, Video Artist, and New Media and Cinema Assistant Professor at the University of Beira Interior (Covilhã-Portugal).Arts and Communication Researcher at Communication Sciences PhD by Universidade Nova de Lisboa: "Video: Specificity, Hybridity and Experimentation" (scholarship of Foundation for Science and Technology - FCT), 2008.
Vasco Diogo has won more than 50 awards in experimental cinema at international festivals.
Drawing, photography, poetry, electro-acoustic music, and mixed media are other work areas.2024-10-2923 minThe Experimental Film PodcastSeason 4 Episode 19 - Amanda Besl - Painter and Experimental FilmmakerAmanda Besl is a painter and experimental filmmaker living in Buffalo, NY. She has shown widely in New York State, Belgium, France, the Netherlands, and Russia. Besl holds an MFA in Painting from the Cranbrook Academy of Art, Bloomfield Hills, MI, and a BFA from SUNY Oswego. Her paintings are part of several notable private and public collections, including the Burchfield Penney Art Center, Buffalo; Nichido Contemporary, Tokyo, Japan; the Burger Collection, Hong Kong; and the Tullman Collection, Chicago. Besl uses natural history as a platform to explore social issues. She was awarded a 2024 NYSCA grant for Temple of...2024-10-2349 minThe Experimental Film PodcastSeason 4 Episode 18 - Martin Del Carpio - FilmmakerBorn in Venezuela but raised in New York, where he currently lives, Martin Del Carpio is an artist marked by experimentation, the search of new concepts, sounds and melodies, by a fascination with lyrics and the journey that music takes us on.
His evolution as an artist is based on what he calls “street knowledge”, a hands-on personal experience characterized by uniqueness and a somewhat dark voice that Martin has dedicated his life to finding. His work shows a personal conflict between outside forces that point him towards mainstream creation and the need to express something intimate, to be hone...2024-10-1051 minThe Experimental Film PodcastSeason 4 Episode 17 - Madelyn Gowler - Film-based ArtistMadelyn Gowler is a queer, film-based artist focusing on materiality and experimental processes of image-making. They lived in Winnipeg, MB, and received their BFA from the University of Manitoba. They mainly work with textiles, installation, Super 8 film, and analog photography. Exploring themes of gender, film as subject, and the relationship between nature and constructed spaces.
Their films have been screened internationally at the Engauge Experimental Film Festival in Seattle, WA, and Experiments in Cinema v18.4 in Albuquerque, NM, as well as locally at Ace Art Inc. and Dave Barber Cinematheque in Winnipeg.
In 2023 and 2024, they...2024-10-0740 minThe Experimental Film PodcastSeason 4 Episode 16 - Jake Nicastro - Director, Editor, Writer, and Visual ArtistJake Nicastro is a filmmaker, writer, director, editor, and visual artist. We discuss his films, visual arts, installations, and commercial work. Keep an eye on this young, creative talent. You will see him in the future. Godspeed, Jake.
Jake is a development producer at The Workshop and has independent experience as a music video and short film director. He works to uncover new ideas, stories, and perspectives to put into production and offers editing help to the post-production team.
Born in Drexel Hill, PA, Jake studied English and Screenwriting at Loyola Marymount University and is p...2024-10-0448 minThe Experimental Film PodcastSeason 4 Episode 15 - Belinda Morén - Multidisciplinary ArtistBelinda Morén and I discuss her photography, art installations, and film work. We also talk about her film, The Sweet Passing of Time, which she entered into The Experimental Film Fest, and her current exploration of the dream state in her work.
"I am a visual artist primarily working with video, photography, and installation art. My work navigates themes of identity, belonging, and social conventions. I guide attention toward what is not typically seen and encourage visitors to participate actively in the exhibition through interaction with the pieces. In this way, I aim to shift the p...2024-09-1042 minThe Experimental Film PodcastSeason 4 Episode 14 - Mary Hawkins - Art Director, Animator, and DesignerMary Hawkins and I had a lot of fun talking about her animations, including Love Letters for the Subway, which is an Official Selection in The Experimental Film Fest (Neither of us knew this at the time of recording).
We discussed her role in Gotham Roller Derby and her other work as Art Director, Animator, and Designer.
"I'm a typography-driven art director who uses collage, bold type, and big color choices to bring playfulness and whimsy to motion graphics for brands. I also work with nonprofits and social good groups to create positive change. As...2024-09-0759 minThe Experimental Film PodcastSeason 4 Episode 13 - Al Julian - Director and WriterAL JULIAN entered the world of film and television writing, acting, and production eleven years ago after long careers in clinical psychology and law. Since then, he has authored over a dozen feature-length screenplays and a variety of teleplays, stage plays, shorts, and commercials.
Productions made from his scripts have done exceptionally well on the festival circuit, and he has won more than two hundred awards for films and screenplays over the last five years. His feature thriller FEVER DREAMS was picked up by MBUR Films in 2021 for distribution on major streaming platforms. He recently completed the...2024-08-261h 05The Experimental Film PodcastSeason 4 Episode 12 - Allison A Roberts - Lens-Based Artist and FilmmakerAllison A. Roberts is a lens-based artist and experimental filmmaker who works in video layers, collages, and projections. Her work requires the viewer to keep an open mind in that not everything is as it seems, which you'll see for yourself on her website and Vimeo channel. Be especially sure to check out the film Haptic discussed in the podcast.
"My lens-based work is situated at the intersection of still photography, the moving image, and installation. I explore temporality, place, and identity, as experienced during periods of transition- addressing change, uncertainty, and resiliency. The intersections and juxtapositions...2024-07-2057 minThe Experimental Film PodcastSeason 4 Episode 11 - Eleni Mylonas - Multidisciplinary ArtistEleni Mylonas is a multidisciplinary artist with studios in New York and Athens. She is a Fulbright scholar and holds a Master’s degree from the Graduate School of Journalism of Columbia University and a degree in photography from the University of London.
Eleni Mylonas’ work has most recently focused on video and performance.
"My background in journalism informs my identity as an artist. I pursue my need to understand, to look directly where others turn away. The necessity to witness and report is a key to my work and my investigations. I fol...2024-07-1143 minThe Experimental Film PodcastSeason 4 Episode 10 - Scott Turri - Experimental Artist and FilmmakerScott Turri is an experimental artist and filmmaker who appeared on The Experimental Film Podcast in Season 1, Episode 9. His work is beautiful, hypnotic, and thought-provoking, and it has broad appeal due to its layered simplicity.
"The paintings and animation are like a metaphorical liminal space. The experience of viewing becomes primarily about sensation. This work parallels minimalism, emphasizing repetition, a restricted set of parameters, and an underlying logically designed framework. Ultimately, I prefer an environment that is not author-centric. I like the work to function independently of its maker. I don’t want the audience to think ab...2024-07-1145 minThe Experimental Film PodcastSeason 4 Episode 9 - Tenley E. Raj - Artist and FilmmakerTenley E. Raj is a filmmaker living with her two young children (Millie and Guy) in Houston, Texas. Tenley wrote and painted as a young adult. After motherhood, she turned to film, finding it a more satisfying medium. In 2002, Tenley wrote her first short film, "Before the Freeze." She then produced, directed, shot, and edited the film. "Before the Freeze" is a six-minute-long experimental psychodrama about anxiety and parenthood and the dangers of escapism. Tenley is working on her second film, a longer psychodrama about first love called "After the Freeze."2024-07-0153 minThe Experimental Film PodcastSeason 4 Episode 8 - Amanda VanValkenburg - Multidisciplinary Artist and Art ProfessorAmanda VanValkenburg is a multimedia artist based in Chicago, Illinois. They received their MFA from the Art Institute of Chicago, where they investigated the intersection of art and technology. They primarily work with digital media to investigate digitally mediated interactions between memory, projection, contemporary anxiety, and the relationship between technology and the environment. Currently, their work is focused on using technology to process video to examine the anatomy of a visual scene and flesh out echoes of memory and the membranes of virtual and physical spaces.
Their work has been exhibited and screened internationally and nationally, including a...2024-06-2442 minThe Experimental Film PodcastSeason 4 Episode 7 - Ken Hess - Experimental FilmmakerKenneth 'Ken' Hess hosts The Experimental Film Podcast, directs the Experiment Film Fest, and is a podcaster, experimental filmmaker, actor, photographer, and mischief maker.
You can check out some of his experimental films on his Vimeo channel.
2024-06-2240 min
Courageous Conversations About Our SchoolsPolitics in the Classroom in these Divided Times? Now More Than Ever, says Educator Diana Hess (Ep. 24)It’s April 2024. Polarization in America is at an all-time high, and another highly contentious election season is fast approaching. Fears about teacher bias and the undue influence they might have over their students has raised suspicions among parents and has led several states to restrict what teachers can discuss with their students — like “divisive concepts” or subject matter that might cause students to feel anguish or discomfort because of their race. In response, many teachers now avoid controversial topics for fear they might be fired or lose their teaching licenses. Some have even quit because the restrictions and the susp...2024-04-0332 minThe Experimental Film PodcastSeason 4 Episode 6 - Kristina Dutton - Musician, Composer, and FilmmakerMusician, composer, and filmmaker Kristina Dutton and I speak about music, her music compositions, her experimental films, and her inspirations and aspirations. Kristina also has some good advice for those exploring playing a musical instrument.
I sampled some of Kristina's compositions in the podcast. In the introduction, there is an excerpt from Biopixel's score co-written by Kristina and Nate Kinsella. In the middle of the podcast, I excerpted Kristina's Pas de Deux from her SoundCloud collection.2024-03-151h 23The Experimental Film PodcastSeason 4 Episode 5 - Walter Smits - Director and AnimatorWalter Smits and I spoke in Season 1 of the podcast (Episode 22). Since that time (2021), Walter has been busy creating new works, many of which are feature-length experimental works they call playground absurdism.
In this podcast, we discuss their use of high-end photography/filmmaking equipment, their film school experience, story creation, directing techniques, development of "Queer New Wave" and their works in progress.2024-03-031h 00The Experimental Film PodcastSeason 4 Episode 4 - Evan Chester Experimental Film DocumentarianEvan Chester is the curator and creator of the KubrickLynch YouTube channel that highlights experimental, avant-garde, and art house films. KubrickLynch currently has more than 55,000 subscribers, and Evan has close to 200 videos featuring genres, filmmakers, movements, and individual works by experimental filmmakers.
I'm a huge fan of his work, and I hope you find his channel and enjoy the painstaking work he's done to collect and curate this information into one of the best YouTube channels I've ever had the pleasure of visiting. Evan's documentary style is well-paced, educational, and entertaining.2024-02-0745 minThe Experimental Film PodcastSeason 4 Episode 3 - Duane Michals - Legendary Photographer and FilmmakerDuane Michals has a career of more than 60 years as a photographer. Michal’s work has been shown in galleries worldwide. Michal’s photographic work incorporates text and sequences to tell a story. In recent years, Michals has transitioned to creating short experimental films. If you aren’t familiar with his work, please take some time to explore it. You’ll find it unique in perspective and essential as inspiration for your work.
Mr. Michals and I discussed various topics, including his photography work, his foray into filmmaking, his meeting with Magritte, his time in the A...2023-12-2752 minThe Experimental Film PodcastSeason 4 Episode 2 - Artist and Animator - Gerald HabarthGerald Habarth is an artist and animator, an Associate Professor of Art at West Virginia University. He heads the Electronic Media program in the School of Art and Design. He holds an MFA degree from the University of South Florida and a BFA degree from Parsons School of Design. His works have been screened at numerous national and international venues and festivals, including the Tampa Museum of Art, the Huntington Museum of Art, the Festival Les Instants Vidéo, and the Stuttgarter Filmwinter - Festival for Expanded Media. In 2010, he founded the West Virginia Mountaineer Short Film Festival. He c...2023-10-231h 00The Experimental Film PodcastSeason 4 Episode 1 - Madison Hill - Experimental DocumentarianMadison Hill is a filmmaker and photographer based in Durham, North Carolina. She received a B.A. in Cinema Studies from Virginia Tech and an M.F.A. in Experimental and Documentary Arts from Duke University. Currently, Madison is an Instructor for Cinematic Arts at Duke University, teaching theory and production in Documentary Arts, 16mm Film, and Moving Image Practice.
Through her film practice, Madison explores how the documentary medium can be transformed in an evolving 21st-century landscape. Madison utilizes various techniques such as 16mm filmmaking, digital cinematography, archival research, and photography to create work that blurs...2023-10-121h 00
Hill City Highlights PodcastEpisode 4 - Ken Hess w/ County Smoak BBQ (08/22/23)Alan York catches up with Ken Hess, owner of County Smoak BBQ.2023-08-2237 min
Real Producers Podcast powered by Najjar Publishing.Episode 17: William Hess - W. H. Appraisal, LLC.In this episode, we will talk with William Hess, a certified residential appraiser. W. H. Appraisal, LLC, prides itself in providing unbiased market value appraisal and appraisal review services for a wide range of residential real estate properties, including single and multi-family homes, condominiums, manufactured, new construction, luxury, and vacant land.2023-08-1943 minThe Experimental Film PodcastSeason 3 Episode 17 - Ken Hess - Season FinaleThis podcast focuses on film festivals. I cover increasing your chances at getting Official Selection status, getting screened, and getting discounts. I also cover fee waivers, withdrawing your films, film editing, and some war stories from the Film Festival Director trenches.2023-07-2641 minThe Experimental Film PodcastSeason 3 Episode 16 - Experimental Filmmaker Shu LeeMalaysian-born Shu Qin Lee was raised in Australia and initially encountered photography when his uncle in Singapore gifted him his first manual film camera in the 1990’s.
This love for photography led Shu to capturing simple moving images like a crystal ball rotating on a mini water fountain when the first Nokia phones were available. Here the seed of experimental filmmaking was planted.
Many years later, after having studied languages, religion, philosophy and attained a Masters of Teaching, Shu started teaching humanities. Through the recommendation of a friend, he also took up background acting for fil...2023-06-0853 minThe Experimental Film PodcastSeason 3 Episode 15 - Interdisciplinary Artist Lisa BirkeInterdisciplinary artist Lisa Birke's work results from the collision of video, performance art, and installation. She is interested in the stories that we re-cite and re-brand and how these inform our conception of the world and the tragi-comic perception of ourselves. Recently, Birke has been exploring immersive multi-media approaches using special effects, AR, and 360 videos. Her award-winning video work has seen more than100 screenings and installations at film festivals, media centers, and in galleries and museums internationally, including the Vancouver International Film Festival, Slamdance Film Festival, Florida Film Festival, International Short Film Week Regensburg, TIME is Love, The New...2023-05-261h 15
Decisions That Matter: A Public Procurement PodcastEp. 68 - The Future of Fleet with Ken HessOn this episode of the Decisions that Matter Podcast, we are sharing a conversation between Procurated Founder and CEO David Yarkin and Ken Hess - Deputy Secretary for Procurement for the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. Together they discuss the trends that procurement professionals should be aware of when purchasing for Fleet!2023-05-2555 minThe Experimental Film PodcastSeason 3 Episode 14 - Director and Cinematographer Guillaume SimoninDirector and Cinematographer Guillaume Simonin mainly works as a director and cinematographer for commercials, corporate movies, and art movies and specializes in using color and liquids. You can find Guillaume's work on his Vimeo page or on his website.
Guillaume and I spoke about his underwater work and about his experimental films. Be sure to check out his Cinematography Showreel. I think you'll agree that his work is beautiful and engaging.2023-05-211h 13The Experimental Film PodcastSeason 3 Episode 13 - Interdisciplinary Artist and Experimental Filmmaker Jessica ParnellJessica Parnell is one of the most fun guests I've ever interviewed on the podcast. She and I need our own BBC talk show featuring interviews, short experimental films, and just crazy talk. We'd also explore some of our ideas live, on camera, while our audience comes along for the ride. This interview is over two hours long and took a few weeks to edit, but it's worth it. You'll enjoy Jessica's fresh perspectives on art and experimental filmmaking. She is a Psychotherapist in England and enjoys many different types of self-expression. You'll find her films available on YouTube...2023-05-082h 07The Experimental Film PodcastSeason 3 Episode 12 - Experimental Filmmaker Dave BaeumlerDavid Baeumler grew up in Buffalo, NY, when all the elm trees were dying. Dave went to Bard College and received a filmmaking degree under the direction of filmmakers Peter Hutton, Adolfas Mekas, and Peggy Ahwesh. His films defy simple categories because they blend "experimental" techniques with storytelling threads. They can be poetic and philosophical but also blunt and satirical. And while they can be fun to watch with the sound off, you could also listen to them with your eyes closed. A collection of his films, called "Intolerable Questions", is available at amazon.com.2023-01-191h 29The Experimental Film PodcastSeason 3 Episode 11 - Visual Artist and Experimental Filmmaker Natasa Prosenc StearnsNatasa Prosenc Stearns graduated in design from the Academy of Fine Arts in Ljubljana. She first worked as a graphic designer. After receiving a Fulbright scholarship, she went to Los Angeles to specialize, where she studied film and video production at the California Institute of the Arts. Prosenc Stearns is a director, screenwriter, editor, and visual artist, but she mainly works with video installation.
In her films, she explores new techniques and visual expression. In her videos, she uses the effects of textures and natural elements, especially water, which erodes and dissolves its immediate surroundings in an...2023-01-1651 minThe Experimental Film PodcastSeason 3 Episode 10 - Songkai ZhouSongkai Zhou was born in Henan, China but now lives and works in London.
Songkai studied filmmaking, literature, and philosophy of art at the China Academy of Art and the Royal College of Art. His works are about personal existence, public life, relationships between natural elements and human beings, or historical memory in the contemporary technology era. His works span diverse artistic media, such as poetry, painting, film, photography, and other mediums. In his film works, he utilizes a non-logical implicit narrative to explore the visual poetics of cinematography in the flow of time.2023-01-0427 minThe Experimental Film PodcastSeason 3 Episode 9 - French Filmmaker Enora KellerEnora Keller is a French mixed-media artist, filmmaker, and experimental theater actress. We spoke on various film topics and her experiences in college that shaped her art.
**CONTENT WARNING: This podcast contains dialog about sexual assault.**
Enora's artist statement: I am my own lab rat. I explore the damaged lands of the self, facing its multiple mirrors. I instinctively try to expose the fissures of perception, these white holes suspended in matter. I am also a traveler, trying to move within the self through physical movement. I seek to highlight the nomadic reflections of a b...2022-12-311h 09The Experimental Film PodcastSeason 3 Episode 8 - Experimental Filmmaker Johnny KalangisJohnny Kalangis (he/him) is a multi-award-winning film director, installation artist, and digital media creative from Toronto/T'karonto, Canada. He is a first-generation white settler of Greek descent. His first feature film, the anti-romantic micro-budget comedy Jack & Jill, premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival (1999) and was executive produced by Atom Egoyan. His second film, Love Is Work, won the People’s Choice Award at the Whistler International Film Festival (2005) and was the closing gala at the Canadian Film Festival in Toronto. His horror-comedy, The Mad (2007), starring Billy Zane, opened the Canadian Film Festival (Toronto) and enjoys cult classic st...2022-11-121h 00The Experimental Film PodcastSeason 3 Episode 7 - Experimental Poet and Filmmaker Richard BaileyRichard is currently editing a macabre feature film called The Dark Sisters. His feature film King Judith is available in wide release through Indie Rights Movies. My previous feature, A Ship of Human Skin, is available in wide release through Gravitas Ventures. His films have been shown at Alchemy Moving Image, Anthology Film Archives, Arizona Underground, AVIFF Cannes, Bare Bones, Berlin Revolution, Black Maria, Blow-Up (Chicago Art House), Dallas VideoFest, KERA (PBS), Proyector International, SENE, ShockFest, SXSW, and many other festivals.
Check out his work on Vimeo and his website.2022-11-111h 06The Experimental Film PodcastSeason 3 Episode 6 - Experimental Filmmaker and Composer Christopher RakasBorn in the '70s, raised in the '80s, and grew up in El Paso, Texas, Christopher was a troubled kid who needed an artistic outlet, He always loved watching Elvira, not for her physical attributes, but for the cheesy horror and sci-fi movies, she screened every week. Christopher started making home horror movies when he was 12 and was particularly interested in the special effects make-up side of filmmaking. "I was obsessed with Tom Savini and Stan Winston. And I loved directors like John Carpenter and Wes Craven." He's always leaned toward the darker, more experimental side of the a...2022-11-091h 14The Experimental Film PodcastSeason 3 Episode 5 - Experimental Composer and Filmmaker Joey BargstenJoey Bargsten creates electronic and acoustic music, transmedia opera, interactive media, digital films, software, and virtual reality experiences. His music has been played by the Indianapolis Symphony and the St. Paul Chamber Orchestra. It has been featured at New York’s Symphony Space, the Philadelphia Museum of Art, the Atlanta Arts Festival, and National Public Radio's International Concert Hall. Bargsten won a Knight Arts Challenge Award for his transmedia opera MelanchoLalaland ™, which premiered in Miami Beach in 2015 (www.melancholalaland.com).
He won the audience award at the 2004 Stuttgart Filmwinter Expanded Media Festival for his interactive website BAD MIND TIME™ ...2022-11-0852 minThe Experimental Film PodcastSeason 3 Episode 4 - Colette Copeland - Experimental FilmmakerInspired by Dada and Situationist Theater, Colette Copeland is a multi-media visual artist whose work examines issues surrounding gender, death, and contemporary culture. Sourcing personal narratives and popular media, she utilizes video, photography, performance, and sculptural installation to question societal roles and the pervasive influence of media and technology on our communal enculturation. Her videos employ experimental narrative techniques and absurdist humor to explore the landscape of human relationships.
Over the past 26 years, Copeland’s work has been exhibited in 27 solo exhibitions and 143 group exhibitions/festivals spanning 35 countries. She received her BFA from Pratt Institute in New Yo...2022-10-111h 12The Experimental Film PodcastSeason 3 Episode 3 - Stefan DiMuzio - A Unique PerspectiveStefan Kei DiMuzio is a rare filmmaker whose (filmmaker) voice is creative, off-the-wall, and refreshing. His interview is one of my all-time favorites. His film "Good Listeners Anonymous" is an Official Selection in The Experimental Film Fest (2022). This conversation covers some discussion of that plus his overall techniques, equipment, and unique perspective. The following is a quote from another interview:
“My absolute favorite thing when creating whatever I make – is tricking people,” he says. “Seeing people’s eyebrows raise and their eyes kind of light up when I show them something I’ve made is just great. It’s one of...2022-09-211h 02The Experimental Film PodcastSeason 3 Episode 2 - Christopher Byrne - FilmmakerChris Byrne is a current MFA Film & TV Directing student at DePaul University. He typically writes/directs comedies but is interested in anything that explores the topic of vulnerability. Chris and I spoke about his film, A Creative's Path: A Collection of Lessons, and his other work, which he entered into The Experimental Film Fest. His artist statement is intriguing, so I'm excerpting it here to explain his perspective on experimental filmmaking.
My original idea was to have characters speak the haikus as their dialogue, but I couldn’t nail down what I wanted the film to be about. So...2022-09-1046 minThe Experimental Film PodcastSeason 3 Episode 1 - Fabrizio Federico - Experimental and Guerilla FilmmakerI met Fabrizio quite by accident in The Experimental Film Society Facebook group. I checked out his films and decided he is the kind of filmmaker who could inspire an entire generation of new experimental filmmakers. Fabrizio is an accomplished filmmaker who creates feature-length experimental films with controversy, symbolism, and fun. Fabrizio has inspired me to go for it and create that feature-length avant-garde film bursting to get out.2022-08-021h 00The Experimental Film PodcastSeason 2 Episode 15 - Season 2 Finale with Ken HessYes, finally, the Season 2 finale! It's been a while since my last podcast. No, I don't want to know how long. But now, it's the end of Season 2, and next time you'll hear Episode 1 of Season 3. This episode includes information about The Experimental Film Fest, The North Carolina Film Festival, some things I'm working on, and some notes on making your own experimental films.
Thank you for hanging in there and patiently waiting for this Season 2 finale. I think you'll enjoy Season 3.
Remember that you can suggest a filmmaker for the podcast. You can suggest t...2022-07-1932 min
PCC Local Time#11 - Ken Battin on a better connection between municipal and emergency servicesIn this interview, Ken Battin allows me to tap into my curiosity about how emergency services intersect with municipal services and what role municipal managers play in supporting public safety. He emphasizes the importance of not relying on any one model but finding a model that works for your municipality. He shares an engaging approach that helps achieve this in his own.Ken was the Director of Codes and Life Safety at East Whiteland Township in Pennsylvania for many years, which included the building and fire codes, and the fire department. He is now the...2022-05-3137 min
The Experimental Film PodcastSeason 2 Episode 14 - Caren Messing - Experimental Filmmaker, Singer, Actor, and ArtistCaren Messing is a native New Yorker and went to The High School of Performing Arts for Drama. She attended college at SUNY at Purchase graduating with a Bachelor of Arts in Liberal Arts.
She is an actor, vocalist, writer, and dabbles in photography, digital art, and film. Most recently musical short film won “Best Animated Short” in The Manhattan Film Festival 2021 and Festival Winner of The Experimental Film Fest in New Bern, North Carolina.
I had the pleasure of speaking with Caren for about an hour-and-a-half one day and could have talked for hours. Caren is a...2022-03-161h 20The Experimental Film PodcastSeason 2 Episode 13 - Experimental filmmaking with Zachary BlackwellOK, I know it's been a while since I've posted an episode but with a major move to a new house, getting settled, other projects, The North Carolina Film Festival, family, and day job obligations, it's been a lot. That, and the fact that this interview had some sound problems. I think I've cropped most of them out but rest assured that this is a good interview that you should hear. Zachary Blackwell is an experimental filmmaker who also makes other films, mostly horror and thrillers. We had a great discussion about making feature-length films and I overuse the...2022-03-081h 01The Experimental Film PodcastSeason 2 Episode 12 Susan Hughes Artist, Musician, and FilmmakerSusan Hughes is from Belfast. She has completed many artist residencies in Ireland and Scandinavia where she has used her fiddle playing as a bartering tool to gain access to local stories. She graduated in 2021 from the University of Ulster receiving the Centre for Contemporary Art (Derry) and Platform Arts (Belfast) graduate awards and was longlisted for the Royal Dublin Society graduate award.
ARTIST STATEMENT
Hughes is led by stories down roads of research arriving at the production of artworks in the form of video, installation, and sculpture. She and her subjects describe deeply personal...2021-11-2151 minThe Experimental Film PodcastSeason 2 Episode 11 - Robin Starbuck - Artist and FilmmakerRobin Starbuck's "The Flight of a Bird Does not Scar the Sky" is an official selection and a film that was screened in The Experimental Film Fest 2021. Robin is an artist, filmmaker, professor of Experimental Film and Animation, and the current Chair of Filmmaking & Moving Image Arts at Sarah Lawrence College in Bronxville, NY.
An award-winning filmmaker and artist who produces experimental nonfiction films, installations, and animated media for theatre and opera, Starbuck employs a mixture of documentary and reflexive film styles in her work. By working in a nontraditional form, she strives to create a cinematic...2021-11-0458 minThe Experimental Film PodcastSeason 2 Episode 10 - Kai Lendzion - Photographer and FilmmakerKai Lendzion and I spoke about his film, Residue, that he entered into The Experimental Film Fest, his work as a photographer, his student experience at Ringling College of Art and Design in Florida, his move to North Carolina, and his upcoming show in Asheville, NC. I think you'll enjoy his perspectives on film, photography, social justice, and other topics.
You can view his incredible body of work on his website: kailendzion.com. You should keep a close eye on this young man and his work. I know I will be.2021-09-0240 minThe Experimental Film PodcastSeason 2 Episode 9 - Jessica O'Keefe - Diverse VoicesJessica O'Keefe is an award-winning writer, director, and producer. In 2009, Jessica and her husband, Ken O'Keefe, founded their small multi-media company Breatheasy Productions to create memorable media adventures that initiate social change. Jessica is a Theater and Film graduate from Santa Monica College and a graduate in Women's Studies and LGBT Studies from UCLA.
Jessica and I discussed her films, her production company, her background, The Bechdel Test, diverse voices in film, diversity, her women's group involvement, and lots of other topics. You can check out some of her work at Who is Jane Love?.
...2021-08-131h 08
Breakthrough WallsEpisode 374 - Interview With Brian Hess!Great interview with my buddy, Brian Hess!2021-07-3157 minThe Experimental Film PodcastSeason 2 Episode 8 - Dexter Marsh-Taylor - Artist and FilmmakerIf the name Dexter Marsh-Taylor sounds familiar to you, it should. Dexter was a guest last season. This year he has new projects and a renewed energy for his latest pair of films that he's circulating through the wonderful worldwide array of film festivals. This year, he submitted two films: A Quiet Declaration of Independence and I don't want to make art about you anymore.
His film, Not an Orphan, was an Official Selection and premiered at last year's Experimental Film Fest.
I use archival media, slow cinema, and narrative methods to investigate family history, nostalgia...2021-07-301h 03The Experimental Film PodcastSeason 2 Episode 7 - Andy Motz - Experimental FilmmakerAndy Motz (he/him) is an award-winning filmmaker and educator. Andy works within narrative, documentary, and experimental formats to explore pressing issues including HIV awareness, queer identity, masculinity, and more. I had the pleasure of speaking with Andy about alternative masculinity, his films, his process, and his goals. Andy's films are engaging and pointed without being preachy or over-the-top. He is a passionate artist who seeks equality for all filmmakers and is a true believer in the power of film and the messages it brings to the viewer. We discussed his film, An Approaching World, which he entered into...2021-06-2941 minThe Experimental Film PodcastSeason 2 Episode 6 - Keisha Martin - FilmmakerKeisha Martin is an artist and filmmaker whose narrative films explore the dark and often comedic stories of women. A fond lover of the Midwest and the people who reside here, she strives to tell their stories that inspire her "midwestern gothic-esque" style. While her experimental films focus more on the creation of images utilizing different visual mediums and then digitizing them. Exploring animation, stop motion, 16mm, projection, and so on. A creative at heart Keisha strives to bring the world of filmmaking to others so that they too may find their own creative voice. Keisha and I spoke...2021-06-1546 minThe Experimental Film PodcastSeason 2 Episode 5 - Marc Cartwright - Filmmaker and PhotographerIt was fun to speak with Marc Cartwright who not only makes narrative and experimental films but his day job (professional photographer) is the envy of anyone who loves high fashion and celebrities. Marc is, in my opinion, a brilliant photographer and filmmaker whose short experimental films are some of the most intriguing that I've ever seen. His short, experimental films, Orbital Discourse and A Machine for Boredom are entries in The Experimental Film Fest 2021.
Marc grew up in New York on Long Island's East End. Partially raised by his grandparents, who were avid fans of Hollywood...2021-06-0640 minThe Experimental Film PodcastSeason 2 Episode 4 - Mark Street - Tales of Urban FascinationI had the privilege of speaking with the experimental filmmaker, author, and installation artist, Mark Street. In this podcast, Mark and I discuss his films from his Tales of Urban Fascination (Selected Films V2) collection. Mark's work has been screened at the world's most prestigious film festivals and museums including Museum of Modern Art, NY, Whitney Museum, Toronto Film Festival, New York Film Festival, Sundance Film Festival, London Film Festival, Festival du Cinema Nouveau, Montreal, Oberhausen Film Festival, Viennale International Film Festival, Vienna, VIPER Film Festival, Zurich, European Media Arts Festival, Pacific Film Archive, SF Cinematheque, San Francisco International...2021-04-2447 minThe Experimental Film PodcastSeason 2 Episode 3 - Daniel Hess - My Spirit Will StayDaniel Hess is a filmmaker who generally creates narrative and commercial films with his Baltimore-based production company, To Tony Productions. But he also created an experimental film, My Spirit Will Stay, which got this whole conversation started. Yes, Daniel and I have the same last name, but we don't think that we're related. But who knows for sure? I met Daniel through a site called PodMatch that connects Podcasters with guests. I was intrigued that another Hess, apart from Jared and Jerusha Hess of Napolean Dynamite fame, was into filmmaking--especially experimental filmmaking. So I reached out to him. We...2021-04-0558 minThe Experimental Film PodcastSeason 2 Episode 2 - Experimental Filmmaker and Author Joel SchlemowitzI had the pleasure of interviewing Joel Schlemowitz for the second episode of Season 2. It was a pleasure to get Joel on the show. There were delays, on my part, due to my cross-country move and my need to get packed, move, and resettle into my new digs. I've done that. Joel is one of the first filmmakers I reached out to after my hackles receded from the post-move raising.
Joel Schlemowitz is a highly accomplished filmmaker who has been exhibited at many of the world's premier locations such as museums, festivals, and at filmmaker cooperative outlets...2021-03-3146 minThe Experimental Film PodcastSeason 2 Episode 1 - Removed at the Artist's requestThis podcast has been removed at the request of the artist.2021-03-1900 minThe Experimental Film PodcastBonus Episode 4 – Experimental Filmmaker Dustin RosemarkI can’t exactly remember how I met Dustin Rosemark but it was several years ago and I was interested in his experimental film, Blue Hands Worksample. This experimental film was made entirely using the cyanotype printing process. Since that time, Dustin has created new works such as 51 Fragments of a Wandering Mind using the Lomokino hand-cranked 35mm film camera, Inferno, and more. He also operates mediastudio1.com with his wife, Amanda (also an artist) where they create and sell accessible fine art for the masses. You can purchase DVDs of “51 Fragments” and Inferno from his website.
Dustin...2021-02-222h 10The Experimental Film PodcastEpisode 22 - Walter Smits - Director and AnimatorWalter Smits is a multimedia visual artist focusing on abstract video. His lens is youthful and curious, broken down into absurd collages of spontaneous language and fragmented imagery. His work critiques filmmaking structures and examines the intangibility of memory, childhood, and sexuality. Transcending these constructs via playful curiosity allows him to provide an earnest and heartfelt analysis of the ephemeral.
Smits' recent work focuses on feature films. He's interested in challenging what it means to make a 70-minute movie. It is a performance about filmmaking and time that does not care for a coherent narrative. The...2021-02-0336 minThe Experimental Film PodcastEpisode 21 - Michele Saint-Michel - Don't Tell Me I'm BeautifulI had the pleasure of speaking with performance artist and experimental filmmaker, Michele Saint-Michel about her films, books, performance art, and grief. Michele is a rare soul who has wisdom beyond those of regular mortals. Her poetry films and her perspectives on grief are refreshing and most needed in light of having lost so many loved ones over the past year. There have been so many deaths due to COVID-19, loneliness, suicide, and stress that we need a touchstone of sanity to ground us. Her book, Grief Is an Origami Swan: An Art Book About Grief is available on...2021-02-0145 minThe Experimental Film PodcastEpisode 20 - Charles Jiminez - A FugueCharles Jiminez is a multidisciplinary Artist and Director who explores identity and unconscious influences through a surrealist, oneiric, and uncanny lens.
On "A Fugue," Charles writes, "For me, this piece was very much a reflection of the mental inertia I was experiencing as I was conceiving the idea for the piece, and due to that experience, this piece explores the nature of time and space through a series of subconsciously linked scenarios that denote a determination or a commensuration of an encompassing force we all feel possessed by."
Young filmmakers continue to impress me with...2021-01-2744 minThe Experimental Film PodcastEpisode 19 - Claudia Collett - Experimental Filmmaker and Interdisciplinary ArtistI met Claudia quite by accident through a Facebook film group (neither of us could remember which one) and agreed to a time for an interview. Claudia's work is exciting, fresh, and fun. I'm glad I met them regardless of venue. Claudia is a talented young filmmaker who you need to watch.
Check out Claudia's work on their YouTube channel.
Award-winning cinéma puritan Claudia Collett creates autobiographical films about queer love. Claudia directed and produced 'Lonely' in the 1st fortnight of the UK's COVID-19 lockdown, which was consequently aired across the global field of o...2021-01-2352 minThe Experimental Film PodcastEpisode 18 - Hanna-Mari Ojala - Fireflies and This Empty SpaceHanna Ojala, 36, is a poet, a musician, and a self-made filmmaker as well as a dance movement therapist from Finland who has finally found her way of creative expression through experimental dance, music, and video poetry, and is keenly learning more every day. She savors verbalizing actual events in an abstract way as well as describing the visceral effects of inner emotions – making invisible visible and visible indefinite.
Check out all of Hanna's work on her YouTube channel. My personal favorite music video (so far) is Happy Hour.2021-01-1731 minThe Experimental Film PodcastEpisode 17 - Bosco Cabello - PhobosIn 2017 at the age of 15, Bosco Cabello directed, produced, and edited his first short "Catarsis" in the city of Castro. which received "special mention from the Jury" at the Fish Eye Festival and an Award at the Puerto Montt International Festival in 2018. After that, while working on different audiovisual projects, at the age of 17 he recorded his second short film "Phobos".
Phobos was an official selection in The Experimental Film Fest 2020.2021-01-1522 minThe Experimental Film PodcastEpisode 16 - Dan Kofoed - New Year's KissA lifelong fan of cinema, DT "Dan" Kofoed has studied the theory and visual narrative conventions of comics and film, published academically on those subjects, and taught creative writing at both Michigan State University and the University of South Dakota. Through hands-on experience and pure hubris, he has reverse-engineered that theory into crude practice.
As a working filmmaker with a neuro-muscular disability, frequently wearing the hats of Writer, Director, Cinematographer, Editor, Effects Artist, and Producer all at once, he has come to believe that life is too uncertain to waste time with timid Art.
He...2021-01-1348 minThe Experimental Film PodcastBonus Episode 3 - Alan BerlinerAlan Berliner is one of the most influential contemporary experimental filmmakers. It was my pleasure to interview Alan about his films and to gain an insight into how he thinks about film, a bit about his process, and to touch on his personal involvement with his films. His films, as you'll hear in the podcast, are personal works. I love all of his films, but if you need a place to start, find "The Sweetest Sound" and "Wide Awake" to get a sense of his style and technique. Alan's website lists his films, other interviews, photos, installation work, and...2020-10-181h 01The Experimental Film PodcastEpisode 15 - Rob Underhill - This Was My SonRob Underhill directed, "This Was My Son," a film in which Mamie Till recounts the heart-rending part she played in identifying the body of her only son, Emmett Till after he had been lynched for whistling at a white woman in Money, Mississippi in 1955. She speaks to the thought process behind the choices she made that helped ignite and then fuel the Civil Rights movement in America. Mamie would go on to spend the rest of her life championing the cause and continuing to tell her cautionary tale of the effects of racial hatred and bigotry.
Visit h...2020-10-0533 minThe Experimental Film PodcastEpisode 14 - Artist, Filmmaker, and Publisher Kate PellingKate Pelling and I discuss her experimental film, I'm Sorry I Abandoned You, language, her other films, her filmmaking process, her art, and her publishing business. You can catch more of her work at katepelling.com. In 2012, Kate Pelling founded Fifth Floor Publications, a publishing platform for artists’ books that use transdisciplinary methods with an emphasis on experimental works that examine aspects of making artists’ film and video and/or drawing practices.
Kate mixes drawing, video, and a blind-editing technique to produce her experimental films. Kate Pelling studied at Wirral Metropolitan College, Birkenhead, Wimbledon School of Art, Lond...2020-09-2041 minThe Experimental Film PodcastEpisode 13 - Jackson McKeehan discusses Blue, DianeExperimental filmmaker, fashion designer, and performance artist, Jackson McKeehan and I spoke about his film, Blue, Diane, which is an official selection in The Experimental Film Fest in Tulsa, OK. We also discuss his actors, his influences and inspirations for Blue, Diane, his performance artwork, and LGBTQIA and gender equality issues that are relevant to him and his work as a filmmaker and performance artist. Blue, Diane was also chosen as a Finalist in The Experimental Film Fest.
You can catch Jackson’s latest musings on his Instagram account @jacksonmckeehan.2020-09-1436 minThe Experimental Film PodcastEpisode 12 - Joseph Culp and Sunset Strip Self-Improvement AffirmationsMy guest for Episode 12 is actor, director, producer, and experimental filmmaker, Joseph Culp. Joseph's film, Sunset Strip Self-Improvement Affirmations, is an official selection and Festival Winner of the Experimental Film Fest (2020) held in Tulsa, Oklahoma. I had the pleasure of speaking to Joseph during the worst part of the COVID-19 pandemic when we were both isolated (myself in Tulsa, Oklahoma, and Joseph somewhere in France—I'm totally not jealous). Because of the pandemic lockdown, we had the opportunity to speak without time restriction.
Joseph is involved in and co-developed the Walking-In-Your-Shoes® body/mind process. It is described as...2020-08-2652 minThe Experimental Film PodcastBonus Episode 2 - Craig Baldwin - Other CinemaIt was my pleasure to interview, Craig Baldwin. Craig operates Other Cinema and Artists’ Television Access. He is a found footage collage filmmaker, activist, and film curator. Craig's influence on contemporary filmmakers is immeasurable. I was excited to speak with him and glad that he was able to take time away from his many projects and businesses to be a guest on the podcast.
If you're in the San Francisco area, please consider volunteering at ATA and Other Cinema. If you aren't in the area and appreciate the work he and the volunteers do, please contact the AT...2020-08-1747 min
Let's Dig In with Chef Rich RosendaleEpisode 14 - Ken HessDive deep into the world of barbecue with Pit Master and classically-trained Chef Ken Hess! Whether you’re searching for the right grill, learning how to choose the best type of wood for your meals, or searching for new techniques to take your flavors out of this world, Ken breaks it all down in this podcast. Soon, you’ll learn how the way you barbecue can ignite unforgettable memories.2020-08-1317 minThe Experimental Film PodcastEpisode 11 - Imagine This: A Story Told with Sound Effects with Dick JordanSince 2013, producer and director, Dick Jordan, has produced many short films for the public access television station, MarinTV, operated by the non-profit Community Media Center of Marin (cmcm.tv) in San Rafael, California. Several have been aired by other public access stations across the United States.
His award-winning feature-length documentary film "Cuba, Libre?" has been an Official Selection of 53 film festivals and film award competitions. His short films shot in Oregon, "McKenzie Power" and "The Sweetness of Spring," were screened at film festivals in that state in 2018 and 2019. He made his acting debut as the "Aces of...2020-07-2055 minThe Experimental Film PodcastEpisode 10 - Breathed Away with Chen Xiang-Yun and Steve CossmanIn this episode, I speak with Chen "Chen" Xiang-Yun, the writer and director of the beautiful experimental film, Breathed Away, which was selected for screening at The Experimental Film Fest. Steve Crossman, founder of Brooklyn's Mono No Aware, which is a cinema-arts non-profit organization and film positive community.
Chen is a visual artist from mainland China. She created Breathed Away using a 16mm film camera (Bolex) from Mono No Aware.2020-07-0238 minThe Experimental Film PodcastEpisode 9 - Experimental Artist Scott Turri - SolastalgiaHailing from suburban Philadelphia, where he spent his formative years, Turri now calls Pittsburgh home and has become enmeshed in its regional art community. He has had a broad range of artistic experiences: as a self-taught drummer playing in punk rock, to an improvising percussionist in a performance art band, writing for New Art Examiner, BOMB, and Afterimage magazines, to currently concentrating primarily on painting and experimental animation. He is represented by James Gallery. Along with these pursuits, Turri is also an educator and holds a full-time lecturer position in the Studio Arts Department at the University of Pittsburgh.2020-06-1740 minThe Experimental Film PodcastBonus Episode 1 - Lynne Sachs discusses Film About a Father WhoLynne Sachs returns to The Experimental Film Podcast to discuss her film, Film About a Father Who. This cathartic adventure is a discovery of Lynne's father's activities and how they affected her family, which includes several new siblings. The footage spans more than 50 years and provides a unique insight into life that turns out to be sort of a longitudinal study in family dynamics. The film has its own website at filmaboutafatherwho.com.
If you have a chance to view this film or any other Lynne Sachs production, you should do it. You can view many of...2020-06-1157 minThe Experimental Film PodcastEpisode 8 - The Dissolution of Content with Christian LauchenauerChristian Lauchenauer studied 5 years of Industrial Design. Afterward, he worked for one year as an Industrial and Human-Centered Designer in a Swiss design office. After several projects with no budget and actors, he decided to study film in Zürich. But he had already more preferences for video art and got inspired by artists like Bill Viola, Jean-Luc Godard, Richard Serra, Peter Liechti, Steve McQueen, and Douglas Gordon. Today he is a video artist and designer and lives and works in Basel.
On The Dissolution of Content:
More and more I saw myself faced with the a...2020-06-0430 minThe Experimental Film PodcastEpisode 7 - Richard Altman and Winnipeg's McLuhanRichard Altman is the creator and curator of Winnipeg's McLuhan experimental documentary series and the dedicated YouTube channel. Richard and I discuss McLuhan philosophy and his experimental doc series in detail.
Marshall McLuhan, for those of you who don't know, is a Canadian philosopher who coined the expression "the medium is the message" and the term global village, and predicted the World Wide Web almost 30 years before it was invented. He was a fixture in media discourse in the late 1960s, though his influence began to wane in the early 1970s. In the years after his death...2020-05-2745 minThe Experimental Film PodcastEpisode 6 - Daniel Criblez discusses The 8ugs R 7ruitDan Criblez and I discuss his experimental film, The 8ugs R 7ruit. Dan is a visual artist from New York who works in a wide variety of mediums including Animation/Film, Sculpture, Painting, and Drawing. Experimenting in those mediums, Dan has created surreal, abstract, figurative mind art using line and improvisation. His films have just started to branch out within the surreal abstract animation genre. His first couple of animations have traveled internationally through many film festivals. Doing freelance work for multiple musicians in Brooklyn, NY, Dan has become a music video artist as well. He studied Sculpture at...2020-05-2133 minThe Experimental Film PodcastEpisode 5 - How to Make an Experimental FilmIn this episode, I give you some general instructions on how to make an experimental film. For first-time filmmakers and for those first-time experimental filmmakers, this podcast was recorded with you in mind. I give you some pointers, some resources, and an assignment.
Your assignment, should you choose to accept it, is to create a three-minute experimental film from Public Domain footage and Public Domain audio from archive.org and submit the link to your new film to me. I’ll review the films and will interview a select few of you on this podcast to discuss th...2020-05-1827 minThe Experimental Film PodcastEpisode 4 - Experimental Lynne Sachs Takes the MicIt was my pleasure to interview experimental filmmaker Lynne Sachs. Her body of work is not only vast, but her depth of knowledge of filmmaking and filmmakers is nothing short of phenomenal. Lynne is one of those rare filmmakers who you wish you could have known and worked with for the past 20 years. I love her films, her energy, and her enthusiasm for experimental film. Her work has screened at major museums. She has taught film at NYU. And her list of accolades, fellowships, collaborations, and experience rivals that of any of the now classic experimental filmmakers. You can...2020-05-051h 12The Experimental Film PodcastEpisode 3 - Dexter Marsh-TaylorDexter Marsh-Taylor is an experimental filmmaker from the San Francisco Bay Area. He uses archival media, slow cinema, and narrative methods to investigate family history, nostalgia, and emotional geography. Dexter and I discuss his film, Not An Orphan, which is an experimental documentary film featuring found footage of his mother and other family members. We also touch on other influential filmmakers, his filmmaking process, his inspirations, and his works in progress.
Not An Orphan: A young filmmaker explores his late mother’s family archive through a cathartic deconstruction of memory. TRT: 11:06 minutes.2020-05-0241 minThe Experimental Film PodcastEpisode 2 - Emma Penaz EisnerIt is my pleasure to introduce an up and coming experimental filmmaker who is an internationally-screened filmmaker and winner of multiple (>50) filmmaking awards, Emma Penaz Eisner. Her film, “Beth’s three o’clock with Dr. Harlow” is an official selection in The Experimental Film Fest. We discuss her methods, her inspirations, and her films. Keep an eye on Emma Penaz Eisner. You will be seeing her name again.
Bio: Emma Penaz Eisner is an independent filmmaker and visual artist from San Francisco. She has created short films and moving image art that have screened worldwide in galleries and at o...2020-05-0238 minThe Experimental Film PodcastEpisode 1 - Introductions, philosophies, and how I make experimental filmsThis first episode covers a lot of different topics from my philosophies and goals for the podcast, my experimental film creation process, The Experimental Film Fest, and some general info about myself, your host, Ken Hess. I hope you find this podcast useful and informative. The primary purpose of it is to highlight experimental filmmakers and their works.
The film I reference in the podcast by Martin Arnold is Pièce Touchée (Martin Arnold, 1989).2020-05-0224 min
Breakthrough WallsEpisode 156 - Interview with Brian Hess...on his 40th Birthday!!!Interview with Brian Hess...on his 40th Birthday!!!2020-01-3159 min
Breakthrough WallsEpisode 37 - Interview with Brian Hess!My Interview with Brian Hess!2020-01-2952 min
4Ever2Wheels Custom Motorcycle PodcastEpisode 127 ShopTalk with Krystal Hess and Josh AllisonAnother episode of ShopTalk with Josh Allison of Cry Baby Cycles and Krystal Hess of Motorcycle Missions.2019-03-1200 min4Ever2Wheels Custom Motorcycle PodcastEpisode 81 Shop Talk with Marilyn Stemp and Krystal HessThis week on Shop talk Chris and Ken talk to Marilyn Stemp of Iron Trader News and Krystal Hess of Motorcycle Missions. We also talk news, reviews and have Randy Nodge, a builder from Michael Lichters Passion Built exhibit that is being held at the Buffalo Chip.2018-03-2900 min