Walid Chaya is an actor, director, writer and teacher who worked in Richmond before moving to Los Angeles. He’s acted in TV shows and movies, as well as directed shorts and taught acting classes. Our lively discussion includes:
– Getting inspired as a child in Lebanon
– How he got to Richmond
– Moving to LA
– Being cast in stereotypical Middle Eastern roles
– Working on “Madam Secretary”
– Getting burned to death by Neo-Nazis
– Working with a dialect coach on “Blacklist: Redemption”
– Sitting in a makeup chair for 3 hours
– His shorts and upcoming feature

LINKS
Walid’s website
Driving Ms. Saudi
Darn It Darla
Crazy Rich Arabs
Lights, Camera, Conversation podcast
My podcast with Constance Wu

“Bad Shabbos” is a comedy about family that gathers for the traditional Shabbos dinner, when the son brings his new Catholic girlfriend. That’s just the beginning of what happens before it takes a surprising turn. Zack Weiner co-wrote this film with his director Daniel Robbins. It will be the first film playing at the 17th annual Israel and Jewish Film Festival at the Weinstein JCC. There will be a Red Carpet Opening Night Premiere Party on January 8 with Zack attending. Today, Zack will talk about:
– Starting his work relationship with director Daniel Robins
– Creating a BDSM video to run for City Council
– How much of story was from his life
– Sharing his scripts with his mother & father, co-creator of “Dora the Explorer”
– Casting Kyra Sedgwick & Method Man
– Shooting on location in New York
– His upcoming script on chess boxing

LINK:
The Israeli & Jewish Film Festival

Hard Light Cinema is run by 8 cinephiles who screen independent and international films in various venues around Richmond. Since founding last November, they’ve screened 35 films. They have 3 slated for January and the first is Frederick wiseman’s 1968 documentary “High School” (free at the Richmond Public Library Main Branch, 1/4, 2pm). For this interview Lewis Peterson, Warner West & Syd Miller join me to talk about:
– Who they are and how they got into cinema
– Hard Light’s beginning
– How it’s grown in 2 years
– Deciding what films to show
– Slow cinema
– How they finance the screenings

LINKS
Hard Light Cinema website
Instagram @hardlightrichmond

Charles D. Thompson Jr. is a prolific author and director. His most recent documentary is “Rock Castle Home,” which is about this unique community in the Blue Ridge Mountains and how it evolved and later vanished. It’s being screened as part of a series of programs at the Library of Virginia that highlight stories of displacement in Virginia communities, “House to Highway: Reclaiming a Community History.” Charles will be in attendance on Fri, Dec 12 at 2pm. We’ll discuss:
– His Virginia connection
– Why his personal background inspired his books & documentaries
– Becoming interested in “the little man”
– Going from books to movies
– How this film come about
– What the title means
– Challenges of shooting

LINKS
Library of Virginia event
Charlie’s website
Link to the video on PBS

WRIC’s “Showcase” started a few years back, but was updated to a full one-hour show, when it launched September 8 with co-hosts Amie Carter & Melissa Chase. We had a lively discussion which includes:
– Their backgrounds and how they came to this show
– Melissa at Hamaganza
– Amie’s namesake
– Shooting in studio and on location
– Why it’s on mid-afternoon
– Planning their wardrobe
– The most interesting or unusual story
– How it’s different from other local news shows
– A character named Melissa Chase on Disney

LINKS
Showcase on WRIC
Showcase Facebook page
The Dirtwoman Documentary (with Melissa at Hamaganza)

David Crank is a Richmond-based film Production Designer. He was Oscar-nominated for “News of the World” in 2021 (there’s a link to that podcast below). His latest project was for “The Lost Bus (Apple TV),” which stars Matthew McConaughey as the bus driver who got a bus full of school children thru the horrific Camp Fire in 2018. We discuss:
– The origins of his last name
– Re-creating the interiors & exteriors
– Using 7 busses for the shoot
– Safety precautions for kids
– Working with McConaughey
– The real people who lived thru the fire
– Meeting Bad Bunny

LINKS
David’s website
Link to “The Lost Bus” on Apple TV
Our first podcast interview from 2022
Anthony’s doc on Paul Pope
My review of “The Lost Bus”

Joey Clift is a Los Angeles-based comedian, TV writer, director, Emmy-nominated producer and member of the Cowlitz Indian Tribe. His film “POW” is an animated short about a young native kid trying to charge his video game console at a powwow. He’s one of the featured directors at this year’s Pocahontas Reframed Film Festival (11/20-23), that presents projects from indigenous filmmakers from all over the world. We talk about:
– Where the Cowlitz Indian Tribe is
– How he got into storytelling
– Using 3 different animation styles
– Designing characters with different skin tones
– The community of native comedians

LINKS:
Pocahontas Reframed Film Festival
Joey Clift’s website Joey Clift “way too frequent podcast guest”
Joe’s “Gone Native” web series for Comedy Central
The first podcast with Peter and Francoise on the French Film Festival
Richmond Film Network Indie Fest (11/15)

Andrew D. Kaplan has made several documentaries about 19th century writers and “In Search of Edgar Allen Poe” is his latest. This extensive 3-hour doc is now streaming on PBS. We’ll talk about:
– His PhD in mass communications
– Acting as the on-camera narrator
– Touching up historical portraits
– Determining Poe’s accent for the voiceover
– Using Stephen Foster’s songs
– The Golden Age of illustration
– The mysterious man at his grave on Poe’s birthday

LINKS
In Search of Edgar Allan Poe on PBS
East Rock Films website
RONSTERBALMER Video Store Instagram page
My review of THE STUDIO
My review of YOUR FRIENDS AND NEIGHBORS
My review of BABY RAINDEER