Shows
The Smith SocietyAmy Choi, Rebecca Lehrer and The Mash-Up AmericansOn today’s episode we chat with our pals, the very smart and very funny Amy Choi and Rebecca Lehrer. Amy and Rebecca are the dynamic duo behind Mash-Up Americans, a creative studio that helps their clients understand and connect to the dynamic, diverse, modern American audience. They reveal and re-center stories on the voices of the future — the voices you don’t hear enough today. Important note here, when I started working on the initial idea of this podcast four years ago, they were the first people I called. They have successfully launched a variety of success...
2023-04-261h 35The Smith SocietyMargaret Brown and DescendantToday we are talking with the very talented Margaret Brown about her latest documentary, Descendant.On July 9, 1860, more than 100 captive Africans were brought to the shores of Mobile, Alabama, on a ship named the Clotilda, under cover of darkness. The international slave trade had been made illegal in the US in 1808, but human trafficker Timothy Meaher made a bet that he could get around the law with his ship. Today, the residents of Africatown, just north of Mobile, count the Clotilda survivors among their ancestors.The documentary Descendant, brings their stories to light as they...
2023-03-231h 09The Smith SocietyGoran Stolevski and Of an AgeGoran Stolevski is our latest guest, and the award-winning Macedonian-born and Australian-raised writer/director’s latest masterpiece, Of an Age, is all I’ve been talking about since I watched it.Of an Age is a beautiful and moving film about an unexpected and intense twenty-four-hour romance between an eighteen-year-old Serbian ballroom dancer and his best friend’s older brother. A decade later the pair meet for a bittersweet reunion.Directed with an abundance of love and care by Stolevski, this film was incredibly tender and honest, and the cinematography was as stunning as its perfor...
2023-02-1732 minThe Smith SocietyDeniese Davis and the Invisible WallThe incomparable Deniese Davis sat down with me for one of my favorite Smith Society conversations to date. Davis is not just one of the smartest people I know, she has the rare gift of insightful and meaningful conversation. Davis is also a baller – she played competitive sports growing up – a lover of musicals AND enjoys the occasional Take Five, which is of course one of the best candy bars of all time. We’re practically twins!Three-time Emmy nominee Davis began her career producing short films, music videos and digital content, which included Issa Rae’s a...
2023-02-0358 minThe Smith SocietyHarry Turner and WildcatThis is unlike any other interview we’ve ever featured on The Smith Society. Today we’re going to sit down with Harry Turner, who is the subject of the documentary film Wildcat. We’re not going to be talking about acting, world building or writing; we’re going to talk about the complexities of life, and what he hopes his film conveys to audiences.Wildcat is a journey into a rarely seen, often misunderstood world of extraordinary beauty, lush biodiversity and deep emotion. The film follows an unlikely family unit: a traumatized veteran of the war in Afgha...
2023-01-0928 min
The Mash-Up AmericansHow Grief Lives In The Body - Grief, CollectedYou know how when you are grieving you might feel clumsy? Or perhaps your heart literally hurts - not metaphorically? These are some of the many physical manifestations of grief that have been scientifically observed - and humanly felt. And not just humanly!!! Animals grieve! Wait until you learn about crow funerals! Today we’re talking to Dr. Dorothy Holinger, psychologist and author of The Anatomy of Grief. This validating conversation is an exploration of the science and spirituality of grief, how deeply personal and individualistic the grief experience is and how integral it is to all living beings. ...
2022-11-2933 minThe Mash-Up AmericansMeditation: Breathing with Linda ThaiWelcome to the second meditation of our Grief, Collected series, which come out every Friday. Today is a breathing meditation with Linda Thai. Linda is a therapist and leads meditations as part of her somatic healing practice. She will take us on a 10 minute meditation to explore our relationship to our ancestors through release and healing. And for those us that get antsy about the idea of meditating for 10 minutes - we get it! Take a walk and see how it feels. Linda Thai is also featured in Episode 3 of the podcast.
2022-11-2511 minThe Smith SocietyChelsea Devantez and the Book ClubI am so EXCITED to share the wonderful conversation I had with the incomparable, unfairly talented, multifaceted and all around extraordinary human, Chelsea Devantez. We discuss so many things: careers, maritime law, how to get promoted in a writers room, the best enchiladas in New Mexico and so much more!Devantez is an Emmy-nominated comedian, writer, director, and actor. Most recently she was Jon Stewart’s head writer for The Problem with Jon Stewart, on Apple TV Plus which she left to begin an overall deal with 20th century Fox to develop her own TV shows. Devantez is...
2022-11-2354 minThe Mash-Up AmericansExploring Ancestral Grief - Grief, CollectedAmerica! The land of opportunity! And also, for so many Mash-Ups, the ambiguous loss of immigration and uprooting a life and a history comes with a complex web of emotions. Today we’re talking to the trauma therapist and educator Linda Thai about ancestral grief, and how unmetabolized grief, particularly in Mash-Up families, is passed down through generations. We dive into how important understanding historical context is for grief and healing. There are many Mash-Up revelations in this episode!!!! We’re asking: what happens to a family structure if we don’t grieve? You can find...
2022-11-2243 minThe Mash-Up AmericansIntroducing: Grief, Collected - A New Series from The Mash-Up AmericansWe’re back!!! Welcome to a new series about grieving and life from The Mash-Up Americans. Grief, Collected is where we explore how grief moves through our bodies, our families, and our communities — and why we need to feel it all in order to transform our future. Launching November 15 — with new episodes every Tuesday and new meditations every Friday. Grief, like joy, is one of our human conditions. Yet it is the one we, as Americans, are the least willing to confront, even as it becomes more and more essential to...
2022-11-0101 minThe Smith SocietyAgnieszka Smoczyńskai and The Silent TwinsI’m excited to share a conversation I had with the INSANELY talented, writer director. Agnieszka Smoczyńskai is a Polish film and television writer and director. She is most known for her debut feature film THE LURE which was released in the US by the Criterion Collection in 2017. She is working on DERANGED, a science fiction opera with David Bowie's music.THE SILENT TWINS is the astounding true story of twin sisters who only communicated with one another. As a result, they created a rich, fascinating world to escape the reality of their own lives. Based on...
2022-09-1621 minThe Smith SocietyNena Erb and Choices, Okay?!On our latest episode, I’m lucky enough to have a chat with Nena Erb. Nena is an ACE, Emmy-winning film and television editor based in Los Angeles. Raised in an Asian American immigrant family, Nena’s father wanted her to be a doctor and her mother wanted her to be a pianist with the LA Philharmonic. Nena wanted to be Andy Warhol.After graduating with an art degree, a friend brought her into the entertainment industry and she started working in various capacities in production. It was her stint as an associate producer that...
2022-08-1626 minThe Smith SocietyDavid and Chris and Brian and CharlesToday we’re sitting down with David Earl and Chris Hayward from Focus Features’ upcoming title, “Brian and Charles.” The film follows Brian (David Earl), a lonely inventor in rural Wales who spends his days building quirky, unconventional contraptions that seldom work. Undeterred by his lack of success, Brian attempts his biggest project yet: an artificially intelligent robot named Charles (Chris Hayward), who learns English from a dictionary and has an obsession with cabbages. What follows is a humorous and entirely heartwarming story about friendship, family, finding love, and letting go.David Earl is a comedian, best known fo...
2022-06-1731 minThe Smith SocietyClifton Collins Jr. and the JockeyLadies and gentlemen, this is a really good one and I’ve been so excited to share it with you. My next guest is an actor I consider one of the greatest of our generation. He’s worked with everyone from Del Toro to Malick, Tarantino to Soderbergh. He’s an extraordinary actor who loses himself in the life of his film and television characters. Ever evolving, he’s a true chameleon and shapeshifter, presenting us with a new and intriguing character. This is Clifton Collins. Jr. Clifton Collins Jr. has acting in his blood. His grandfather, Pedro Go...
2022-02-1151 minThe Smith SocietyAlice Gu and The Donut KingIn this episode of The Smith Society we have the incredible opportunity to chat with the extraordinary director (and dear friend), Alice Gu and learn more about The Donut King.Alice Gu is an award-winning director and Director of Photography. A Los Angeles native, Alice began her career as a director of photography, working with world-renowned directors like Werner Herzog and Stacy Peralta.In 2017, Alice garnered attention for her work behind the lens of “Take Every Wave: the Life of Laird Hamilton,” a documentary directed by the Academy Award nominated Rory Kennedy. “The Donut K...
2021-10-0248 minThe Smith SocietyJustin Chon and the Blue BayouIn this episode we’re going to feature a true triple threat, Justin Chon. Justin Chon is a writer, director and actor who also produced (he’s technically a quadruple threat!) the film “Blue Bayou,” a moving and timely story of a uniquely American family fighting for their future.A Story that Matters: Speaking to Issues of TodayBlue Bayou Logline: As a Korean-American man raised in the Louisiana bayou works hard to make a life for his family, he must confront the ghosts of his past as he discovers that he could be deported from the...
2021-09-1530 minThe Smith SocietyLee Sung Jin and the OctopusOn this episode of The Smith Society we sit down with the wildly creative and brilliant Lee Sung Jin.Lee Sung Jin is currently the Creator/Writer/Showrunner/Executive Producer of BEEF, a Netflix series starring Steven Yeun and Ali Wong, produced by A24.Lee's current television development includes: an A24 animated pilot, THE IMMORTAL JELLYFISH, with writer Joanna Calo, designed by artist Lauren Tsai, and NOWHERE, a half hour pilot with Seth Rogen, Evan Goldberg, Point Grey Pictures and Lionsgate Television, directed by Rhys Thomas (DocumentaryNow, Hawkeye).His past credits include FX’s...
2021-08-051h 15The Smith SocietyThe Introduction and Amir El-MasryThe Smith Society is a podcast that focuses on the intricacies of storytelling, while giving an open and honest platform for each guest to shine and provide their own insight to empower each listener through the strength of their own experiences.Smith (noun) - MAKEROur pilot episode features a short introduction to The Smith Society podcast, the story behind it, what you can expect and what’s in a name. More importantly, this episode features a conversation with the star of the new Focus Features’ film Limbo, Amir El-Masry.You may know Amir...
2021-05-1337 min