On this episode of Cinemascope Milt & Jim talk with Jessie Walsh about the cool programs at SFCC.

In this episode, we’re speaking with a European film industry leader who’s dedicated countless hours to helping filmmakers and others in Ukraine since Russia’s full-scale war started in February 2022: Irena Gruca-Rozbicka. We're speaking with Irena about what it's like for filmmakers fighting on the frontlines and other Ukrainian filmmakers, as well as the easy ways that listeners can directly help them as they document the truth and fight for democracy. 

Irena has 20+ years in the professional audio-visual production press. Ten years ago, she co-founded an independent publishing house and the FilmPRO Foundation aimed at film education. Since then, she's published and edited FilmPRO – the most prominent Polish magazine about pre-production, production and postproduction. FilmPRO is the official magazine for the Polish Society of Cinematographers (PSC). In 2019, she moved to Germany and started working with Crew United as their European Development Coordinator. When Russia’s full-scaLe war on Ukraine began, she and the owner and managing partner of Crew United formed Filmmakers for Ukraine, which Cinema Scope host Genevieve Trainor is a part of.

This week we are joined by film professional Robert Dennis, who shares his experiences with various film studios including Lucasfilm and HBO, among other fascinating occupations! Dennis helps us explore the extensive diversity of different production types throughout many levels of film studios.

In this episode, we’re speaking with writer and director Clarence Fuller about his unconventional journey as a filmmaker and weaving his own childhood into his first feature, Signs of Love.

Signs of Love was the opening night film at the 2022 Brooklyn Film Festival and stars Rosanna Arquette, Dylan Penn, Zoë Bleu Sidel and Hopper Jack Penn.

More info about Clarence's work and Signs of Love: https://www.clarencefullerstudio.com/film.

In this episode, we’re speaking with pioneering filmmaker Nina Menkes, who’s one of the first women to present a feature film at Sundance and the filmmaker behind documentary BRAINWASHED: Sex-Camera-Power, which premiered at Sundance 2022 and has since screened at other prominent festivals worldwide. BRAINWASHED was released theatrically in October 2022 by Kino Lorber.

Considered a cinematic feminist pioneer and one of America’s foremost independent filmmakers, Nina has shown widely in major international film festivals including multiple premieres at Sundance, Cannes, the Berlinale and Toronto.

Nina has an MFA with high honors from the UCLA Film School (1989). She’s taught film directing at the USC School of Cinematic Arts, at the Film and Television Institute of India (FTII) and is currently a faculty member at California Institute of the Arts. She is a directing member of the Academy of Motion Pictures Arts and Sciences (AMPAS).

Nina synthesizes inner-dream worlds with harsh, outer realities. She was called “brilliant, one of the most provocative artists in film today” by the Los Angeles Times, and her body of work was described as “controversial, intense and visually stunning” by Sight and Sound. Nina has referred to herself as a witch; and Dennis Lim, writing in The New York Times, called her a “cinematic sorceress.” 

Andrew "Rosey" Hayett, Director of Film Prize Jr. New Mexico - a statewide educational initiative that will support classrooms and youth organizations to create short films which will screen at a film festival in Santa Fe in April 2022.

Check out Film Prize Jr. New Mexico at https://www.filmprizenm.com/

On this episode of CinemaScope Co-Hosts Milton Riess & Jim Wysong talk with James Lujan, Chair of the Cinematic Arts and Technology at IAIA, about the cool new programs that will be held at IAIA this semester. 

Learn about upcoming events by the New Mexico Film Foundation and find out more information at nfilmfoundation.org

About Royd McCargish: Tune in to Cinema Scope for a conversation with local New Mexico actor and producer Royd McCargish. Royd has been acting for many years and has executive produced two feature films, available on Amazon Prime. His work includes Back to Billy, The Final Trial of Billy the Kid and 30 Seconds in Hell.

Royd is an all rounder with lots of experience in different aspects of filmmaking, from crafty, location scouting, set construction, producing and more.

On this episode of Cinemascope, hosts Milton Reiss and James Wysong talk with the Director of The Santa Fe Film Office, Jennifer LaBar-Tapia

In this episode, we’re chatting with SAG-AFTRA New Mexico Local President & SAG-AFTRA Actor Marc Comstock about the state of film in New Mexico, how actors and filmmakers can bring their A-games as productions ramp up and some exciting predictions for the end of 2022.

After graduating from Colorado State University with a B.A. in Theater, Marc moved to Seattle where he performed in over forty plays and broke into film, commercial and industrial work. He then spent eight years in Los Angeles, where he booked numerous short films and worked on 100+ episodes as Bill Maher’s stand-in on HBO’s Real Time with Bill Maher. In 2012, Marc moved to New Mexico and has worked steadily ever since. He's had recurring roles on The Night Shift and Manhattan and continues to work steadily on the stage.

Marc joined the New Mexico SAG-AFTRA Board in 2014 and is currently serving his second term as President for the local. In 2022, Marc was appointed by Governor Lujan Grisham to serve a four-year term on the Governor's Council on Film and Media Industries. 

Born and raised in Mérida, Yucatán, Mexico, High Desert Screening Founder and Director Carmen Dahlman realized as a small child that she wanted to be a performer. In this episode, we talk about her journey, why she started High Desert Screening and the importance of community and mentorship.

Carmen is also an actor, model and director and founded High Desert Screening in 2017 to showcase New Mexico’s artistic community. This unique film festival also introduces and promotes local photographers, artists and businesses that are committed to and invested in the elevation of the film and creative arts industry in New Mexico.

High Desert Screening takes place this year on Saturday, August 13, at the South Broadway Cultural Center in Albuquerque.

Guest Shalimar Krebs, Associate Dean of Art and Design/Liberal Arts/Film and Media Arts programs at Santa Fe Community College, discusses the various media programs at SFCC and opportunities for prospective students with Milton and James.

This episode with top stuntman, fight choreographer and action coordinator Daniel Locicero is packed with info on working with fear and adapting to change to do what you love.

Trained by legendary Taky Kimura — Bruce Lee’s best friend and one of three people certified by Lee to teach his martial arts — Daniel’s one of Hollywood’s most sought-after action actors and fight choreographers. He’s been nominated for two SAG Awards for his work on Christopher Nolan’s Dunkirk and Mission: Impossible — Fallout. He also choreographed the longest fight scene ever shot without a cut for the film Beta Test.

Nazneen interviews Alejandro Montoya Marin who is a writer and director.

In this episode, we’re speaking with New Mexico’s own Catharine ("Cat") E. Jones — an award-winning director, SAG-AFTRA actor, writer and teaching artist — about finding fulfillment in the film industry while balancing family and other career endeavors.

As an actor, Cat’s had roles in Better Call Saul; Midnight, Texas; The Night Shift; Longmire and many other series and films. Her recurring role on The Night Shift spanned three seasons and 19 episodes.

Cat's directing career began with her debut film, Pinky Promise, winning Best Director honors at the International Different Faces Different Voices Film Festival for the Flicks4Chicks contest in 2016. In 2017, Cat was awarded first place at the Chimaera Project’s In (H)er (D)irection Film Competition, whose advisory board includes Octavia Spencer and Angelica Houston. Cat's latest film, Hatchlings, won Best Horror at the Peephole Film Fest in Guadalajara, Mexico 2019 and Worldwide Women's Film Festival 2020 and is distributed through First Focus International. 

Off set, Cat teaches performing arts to middle schoolers.

Milton & James bring a new mini series to Cinemascope called "Meet Your Film Faculty", where they sit down with faculty members of the Santa Fe Community College film program. Today's episode features Johnathan Mugford, an established post-production film editor & drone operator, & Scott Milder, a writer, director and producer whose main focus lies in the horror genre.  

In this episode, Dr. James Wysong and Milton Reiss sit down with the Stagecoach Foundation's Dr. Elizabeth Kianu Stahmer and Brandon Behringer and discuss how the foundation serves as a pathway into the film and television industry. The Stagecoach Foundation is a 501(c)3 non-profit and was founded by George R.R. Martin and David Weininger to attract productions to New Mexico and create opportunities for New Mexicans to get into the industry. They now provide free training to New Mexicans both in front of and behind the camera.

Learn more at www.stagecoachfdn.org.

In this episode, we discuss four life lessons provided by top industry professionals who were guests on Cinema Scope in 2022. They were discussing their work with actors, but their insights are applicable to everyone. The guests for these episodes include a casting director with a PhD, a director who recently worked with actor Tom Skerritt in his first-ever leading role, a SAG-AFTRA actor and Academy member, and a former Hollywood talent manager who moderates a Facebook group of nearly 90 thousand actors.

You can check out the guests’ full episodes here:

• Casting Director, Actor, Teacher & Producer Dr. Nike Imoru: https://cinemascope.libsyn.com/march-18-2022-with-nike-omoru-phd-csa
• Hollywood Winners Circle Founder & Former Hollywood Talent Manger Wendy Alane Wright: https://cinemascope.libsyn.com/cinema-scope-for-january-14-2021-with-wendy-alane-wright
• SAG-AFTRA Actor, Teacher & Coach Devielle Johnson: https://cinemascope.libsyn.com/cinemascope-april-22-2022-with-sag-aftra-actor-teacher-coach-devielle-johnson
• Filmmaker and Director SJ Chiro: https://cinemascope.libsyn.com/cinema-scope-for-january-21-2022-with-filmmaker-and-director-sj-chino

In this episode, SAG-AFTRA actor, director, producer and Breakthrough Reels Founder and Lead Editor Chris Bylsma discusses what actors and directors can do to dramatically improve their reels and clips, as well as actions that actors can take on set to become go-to actors for directors and producers.

Chris is known for his roles as "Sean Leibold” in El Camino, "Charlie Bowdre" in Vincent D'Onofrio's The Kid and "Pastor Garrett Moore" in Godless.

In this episode, SAG-AFTRA actor, Academy member, teacher and coach Devielle Johnson discusses his insights on resilience in this tough industry—as an actor, and specifically as an African-American actor.

A professional actor for 17-plus years, Devielle splits his time between multiple markets. He’s booked numerous film and television roles, from a recurring role on FOX’s Lucifer to roles in Smallville, Grimm, Bates Motel and other episodics, to roles in films such as Interrogation. He trains with Margie Haber Studio in L.A. and is professionally trained in Meisner from Playhouse West and The Acting School. He’s represented in the L.A., Vancouver, Seattle, Portland and New Mexico markets.

In this episode, producer, Cannes Producers Network Fellow and South by Southwest (SXSW) Mentor Roy Wol discusses his acclaimed production company (Studio Autonomous), mentorship, innovative fundraising strategies, European versus U.S. film markets and distribution's key role in telling globally important stories that bridge audiences.  

Roy's most recent features are breaking ground:

The Garden Left Behind won at SXSW and is considered by Rotten Tomatoes to be one of the best LGBTQ films ever made, and Americanish was the first-ever Muslim-American rom-com directed by an American-Muslim Hijabi woman.

In this episode, filmmaker Wes Hurley joins host Genevieve Trainor to discuss his life's story and how film helped him escape his harrowing existence in Russia.

Potato Dreams of America is Wes's autobiographical coming-of-age dark comedy about a young, closeted Russian boy in the disintegrating USSR who, terrified of others finding out he's gay, escapes to the U.S. with his mother — a Russian prison doctor who becomes a mail-order bride.

Potato Dreams of America premiered at South by Southwest (SXSW) in 2021 and is receiving acclaim for its timely view into the starkly different worlds of growing up in Russia versus the United States — and the elusive American Dream.

It was released theatrically in the U.S. in January 2022 and is available on most streaming sites. Click here (IMDb) for worldwide release information.

In the second half of the show, Milton and James share details on local training opportunities within the NM film community.

In this episode, British-Nigerian casting director, actor, teacher, and producer Dr. Nike Imoru shares her thoughts with artists who may be struggling to find their place in the industry and in our creative world. Based in the Pacific Northwest U.S., she's helping to transform the industry and opportunities for fellow filmmakers and actors around the globe.

In this episode, we dive into how you can change your trajectory for the better by accelerating your good luck.

This week on Cinemascope, Milton and James discuss how different social issues are depicted by directors in their movies.  Plus, more about the importance of teaching on-set safety in film schools.

Christopher Lockhart is a William Morris Endeavor (WME) Agency creative executive, filmmaker and educator and has over 30 years' experience in the industry, curating projects for A-list talent such as Denzel Washington. He's read over 60,000 screenplays in his career.

• As an independent filmmaker, he produced The Collector, The Collection, the documentary Most Valuable Players for Oprah Winfrey and American Skin. He’s also producing the upcoming feature film Solitary with David Oyelowo.
• And he guides 14,000+ screenwriters and filmmakers on how to pitch and structure their projects for the best chance of success through his online group and classroom, The Inside Pitch, which lives on Facebook. A live version of The Inside Pitch was filmed for Los Angeles television and earned him an Emmy Award nomination.
• He’s a member of the Writers Guild of America, the Producers Guild of America and the Television Academy.

We introduce Cinemascope's two new co-hosts, Dr. James Wysong, Dean of Arts and Design at SFCC, and Milton Riess, Co-Chair of the Film Department at SFCC.  They will be joining the Cinemascope team the last Friday of every month.  Today they discuss Dr. Wysong's background and SFCC's Film Department.  Also, they announce the joint effort between Santa Fe County, SFCC's Film Department, and Stagecoach Foundation and the upcoming Production Assistant training program.  For details see: https://www.protecsantafe.com/

In this episode, filmmaker and director SJ Chiro chats about directing Tom Skerritt and Mira Sorvino in her latest film, East of the Mountains, and her thoughts on how actors and filmmakers can move their careers forward.

East of the Mountains is 88-year-old Tom Skerritt's first-ever leading role, for which he received Oscar buzz.

The film landed on the DGA member-based Best DirectHer list as one of 2021's top 10 feature films directed by women. It was also nominated for "Motion Picture Drama" at the 2022 International Press Academy's 26th Annual Satellite Awards.

Visit https://hollywoodwinnerscircle.com for more information.