Category: Interviews

It’s Always Bad Until It’s Good: An Interview with Tom Berninger, Director of Mistaken for Strangers

It’s Always Bad Until It’s Good: An Interview with Tom Berninger, Director of Mistaken for Strangers

Posted by | Apr 8, 2015 | |

When it was released, Mistaken for Strangers was met with very high praise from critical sources.  Beyond that (and perhaps more importantly) there was also a distinct and measurable undercurrent of critics and audiences developing a very personal connection to the film.  Predictably, some of that personal reaction came from fans of the massively popular band The National, whose tour is the subject of the film.  Still others related heavily to the pressures of imbalanced sibling rivalry. I connected with the film for an entirely different reason. When I selected the out-of-nowhere rock documentary for my list of the...

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Finding the Good: Overburden Takes on Mountain Removal

Finding the Good: Overburden Takes on Mountain Removal

Posted by | Apr 8, 2015 | , |

There’s an old joke about a couple from Pennsylvania who die in a car crash and find themselves at the gates of heaven. When it is confirmed that they are of pure of soul, Jesus meets the couple at the pearly gates to give them their welcome tour. He shows them the walls of jasper, the streets of jewels, and the entire gold city. At the end of his tour, he asks if there are any questions. “Just one,” the couple says, “Who are the people in the cages over there?” To which a slightly annoyed Jesus replies, “Oh,...

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Just Talk to Me: An Interview with the Director and Stars of Displacement Welcomed

Just Talk to Me: An Interview with the Director and Stars of Displacement Welcomed

Posted by | Dec 23, 2014 | |

Displacement Welcomed, a short film written and directed by Evan Kidd, was an official selection at the Viewster Online Film Festival in Zurich Switzerland. The story follows Skylar, who has returned home from abroad to find that her father is missing and Norma, a homeless woman traveling with a few precious possessions. I was given the opportunity to speak with Evan and the stars of the film, Avery Hobbs and April Vickery, about the tough subject matter of the film, their outlook on female roles in mainstream movies, and the valuable lessons they have learned throughout the making and...

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When the White Man Gets Back on the Plane: An Interview with the Directors of We Are The Ones

When the White Man Gets Back on the Plane: An Interview with the Directors of We Are The Ones

Posted by | Oct 17, 2014 | |

We Are the Ones premiered at the Montreal International Black Film Festival and makes its U.S. premiere this weekend at the Tallgrass Film Festival in Wichita, KS. The film captures the remarkable efforts of Dr. Glenn Geelhoed, Ajak Abraham, and Francis Gai, three surgeons in an area of South Sudan dealing with violent tribal conflict, each from very different backgrounds, who are using medicine to bring their patients closer to peace.  This week, I was given the opportunity to speak with the films Co-Directors/Co-Producers Michael Skinner and Jon Micheal Shink about the complexities of capturing this story, the harsh...

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Reel Q Film Festival: Interview with Mitchell Leib

Reel Q Film Festival: Interview with Mitchell Leib

Posted by | Oct 16, 2014 | |

Reel Q , the Pittsburgh LGBT Film Festival, is currently in progress and celebrating its twenty-ninth year of showcasing gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgendered writers, directors, actors, and their work. Featured by Pittsburgh Magazine as as the best way to sample films from various cultures, the Reel Q festival continues to be a staple of the Pittsburgh cultural and cinematic experience. Located at the Harris Theater in Pittsburgh’s beloved Cultural District, the festival runs all this week with closing night being Saturday, Oct. 18. I was fortunate enough to sit down with Reel Q organizer and Pittsburgh Lesbian and...

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