Indie Entertainment Podcast

Icon industry mogul Larry Namer talks about "Empress".... and the business of Entertainment. A cable industry pioneer, Mr. Namer began his career in 1971 at Time Incorporated Manhattan Cable, and served as Vice President and General Manager of Valley Cable Television (VCTV) in Los Angeles, the nation's first 61-channel two-way cable system. His vision and direction garnered VCTV several Emmy and Cable ACE award nominations, as well as recognition by Forbes magazine as the national model for local cable television programming. In 1989, he was awarded the prestigious President's Award from the National Cable Television Association. In recent years, Mr. Namer has become recognized as one of the world's leading experts on new technology and how it is fundamentally altering the business of international media and entertainment. Among the companies that have enlisted his expertise are Microsoft, Paul Allen's Digeo, World Digital Media Group (a joint venture of Radio Shack), EchoStar and Sirius Radio network. Mr.

Award-winning filmmaker Jeff Witzeman's latest documentary "Flipping the Script" will be released worldwide on Vimeo on Demand on September 21. The film places the spotlight on children in America affected by cancer and what parents must face when they try to take control of their child's treatment plans.  http://flippingthescript.com/Trailer: https://vimeo.com/287185554 In the film, Witzeman unveils the truth on how the US medical system forces unnecessary chemotherapy treatments on children in remission, threaten parents with legal action, and forces some families to move to other states or even out of the country to pursue the treatments they feel to be in the best interest of their child. Witzeman also interviews top North America traditional medical doctors and naturopathic physicians to help provide more insight on this controversial topic. "Doctors want it, parents want it, children want it. There's not a person in the world who doesn't want non-toxic cancer treatment for children that works and is sci

Shari O'Donnell is a producer, private equity broker and the founder of Nantosuelta Entertainment (www.nantosueltaentertainment.com). Her company offers the world's leading film incentive package for filming in Ireland. With over a decade of experience as head of production at leading production companies such as Zanzibar Films and Olympia Films, she has produced and sold several film slates. She holds a BA in law from Dublin Business School and an MA in film finance. Since 2009, she has been brokering film deals on behalf of high net worth individuals. Ms. O'Donnell set up Nantosuelta Entertainment in 2017 to offer Ireland's film incentive (32% of up to EUR 70 million per film), in advance to any filmmaker who shoots in Ireland, making her company one of the only companies in the world offering this service. Her company also offers additional private equity with its current production slate primarily focused on Irish historical and folklore storytelling.   Ms. O'Donnell recently produced "Penance," an Irish

Kate Rees Davies speaks to Monica on Indie Entertainment Podcast.   Award-winning British filmmaker Kate Rees Davies is the moderator of "Production Without Borders." Six of her shorts have screened at Cannes and her feature film "Altered Perception" recently was released theatrically in the USA and is now available on DVD, Amazon and iTunes. She was the first independent filmmaker to shoot on 4K with the Sony F65 and as a result, has had her work distributed on the Sony 4K TV. She has several projects in various stages of development and pre-production and is currently exploring the world of VR. Her next project in development is a documentary about women in rock and roll. She also serves on the board of Women In Media, The Alliance of Women Directors and NAMIC, and is a strong advocate for creating more opportunities for women and underrepresented communities within the entertainment industry. She organized and moderated the 2017 AFM panel "The Future is Female," featuring Geena Davis. Award-winning British

Bodvár Hafström speaks to Monica about Official National Rosé Day, family and tradition.  On June 9, 2018 Bodvár – House of Rosés will have its annual afternoon soirée to celebrate the Official National Rosé Day by Bodvár in the beautiful waterfront setting of Marina del Rey, California. Official National Rosé Day by Bodvár was first established in 2014 by Bodvár Hafström, and since then, the celebration of the rosé lifestyle has become a worldwide phenomenon. Recently during the 71st Cannes Film Festival, Bodvár – House of Rosés held a special kick-off reception for National Rosé Day at the Members' Club at Le Grand 45, in celebration of the Provence-made, award-winning wine.    Bodvár Hafström comments, "I am pleased to invite everyone to share in the passion my wife Ann and I hold for rosé, as we prepare for the Official National Rosé Day' on June 9 in Marina del Rey, California, when wine lovers around the world will unite in celebration of rosé."   Bodvár – House of Rosés will be represented at several

On this episode - Sariann Monaco gives insights into the industry.  Actress/Producer Sariann Monaco is writer of the Telly-awarded films "Down Stage" and writer and co-director of "Absent."  She has co-produced several projects for Heartland Films, Inc. Monaco is the narrator of the Telly-award winning film "One" and voices the sassy waitress in 2016's "Top Cat Begins" animation film, directed by Charlie Adler. She has been recognized internationally for her voice-over work for Nature Made Vitamins and Sambazon Acai. Ms. Monaco is represented by VOX Inc., LA and is a Second City Chicago alumna. Her on-camera work includes "The Saddle" and "Between Bullets and her commercial appearance in ''Check Your Sources: Hashtags" San Diego won an ADDY award. She was nominated for best actress at the 2015 San Diego Film Awards. She has judged the regional Emmy awards and the annual San Diego Film Festival and serves on the advisory board for "My Power of One" charity.  Filmmaker Sariann will be a guest on a film panel an

Monica speaks to Inspirational filmmaker for all ages and genders, Sue Vicory Three time Telly Award-winning filmmaker, Sue Vicory (www.suevicory.com)  has been creating community-based films and projects within her not for profit production company, Heartland Films, Inc. since 2003. Her works include  "Homelessness & the Power of One," feature documentaries "One" and "Kansas City Jazz & Blues; Past, Present & Future" and short films "Absent" and "1898, The W.F. Norman Story. In 2015, she founded Team XX, an all female team of 25 filmmakers that created the award-winning film "Down Stage." Vicory is a member of the LA based Alliance of Women Directors and creator of the website www.womendocumentaryfilmmakers.com to increase visibility for female filmmakers. Three time Telly Award winning filmmaker, Sue Vicory was born in DeKalb, Illinois and grew up in the Midwest.  Sue has been married to her college sweetheart Jay since 1978. They have raised 2 daughters, Tracy and Katy. Sue began working at her

Monica speaks to Kamala Lopez, Filmmaker, Actress and Activist. Kamala Lopez, executive director, Equal Means Equal and president of Heroica Films, launched the movement and accompanying film to educate Americans about the importance of equal rights under federal law for women. The film is executive produced by Liz Lopez and Patricia Arquette, and received Best US Documentary Audience Award in 2016 at Michael Moore's Traverse City Film Festival.  "It is extremely heartening to see Hollywood embrace the Equal Rights Amendment and help push for final ratification in the last two states. Eugenia Kuzmina is taking a strong role and position in the issue and the event at her lovely home began an important industry dialogue that will have far reaching effects on the global population of women and girls.  It is fitting that the entertainment industry, proudly progressive on the whole, would champion a Constitutional amendment that would finally see all Americans as equal under law," explains Lopez. Equal Means Equal

Monica interviews Greg Sestero, who portrayed Mark in The Room and served as its line producer, wrote The Disaster Artist based on his experiences working on the film. A number of publications have labeled The Room one of the worst films ever made. Ross Morin, an assistant professor of film studies at Connecticut College, described The Room as "the Citizen Kane of bad movies".[3] Originally shown only in a limited number of California theaters, The Room quickly became a cult film due to its bizarre and unconventional storytelling, technical and narrative flaws, and Wiseau's off-kilter performance. Although Wiseau has retrospectively described the film as a black comedy, audiences have generally viewed it as a poorly-made drama, an opinion shared by some of the cast. The Room is a 2003 American drama film written, directed, produced by and starring Tommy Wiseau, and co-starring Greg Sestero and Juliette Danielle. The film centers on a melodramatic love triangle between amiable banker Johnny (Wiseau), his decep

Monica speaks to Director Danny A. Abeskaser - get your copy Tuesday - May 1 First We Take Brooklyn, starring Danny A. Abeckaser, AnnaLynne McCord, Harvey Keitel, Charlotte McKinney, Edoardo Ballerini and Kathrine Narducci, brings grit and drama to the big screen in a feature film showcasing the dark life faced by the lead character upon return to his hometown of Brooklyn, following an intense Israeli prison stint. Directed by Abeckaser as his directorial debut, and co-written by Abeckaser with actor and producer Jon Carlo, Abeckaser was compelled and determined to direct and star in the crime drama himself, to ensure the story was portrayed exactly how he envisioned it. The film hit theatres in NYC, Brooklyn, NJ, Long Island and Westchester on February 9th, following a February 7th New York premiere at Regal Battery Park.  Los Angeles and Miami opened on February 15th. It maintained in theatres for several weeks, in a top 10 slot per screen. Sony's home box office division 4Digital will release on VOD and DV

Monica speaks to Leslie Zemeckis - an American Filmmaker and Director. As a historian of American pop culture, Leslie Zemeckis continues bringing to life the stories of marginalized women. You have wrote, produced and directed the critically acclaimed documentary "Behind the Burly Q," a Showtime documentary revealing never-before told stories of women from the golden age of burlesque, and the award-winning documentary "Bound by Flesh" about Siamese superstars Daisy and Violet Hilton, chronicles an important part of American entertainment from a bygone era, delving into the world of circus and carnival life in the early part of the 20th Century. Her newest award-winning film, "Mabel, Mabel, Tiger Trainer," tells the empowering story of the world's first female tiger trainer and will be released domestically on DVD and streaming platforms (Amazon and Vimeo) beginning April 10. The talented Zemeckis has many credits her career details can be found here on imdb. @lesliezemeckis  

Monica speaks to Taura Stinson, who is a songwriter known for co-writing collaborations with artists such as Usher, Ariana Grande, Raphael Saadiq, Andre 3000, Destiny's Child and many more. She talks about celebrating her first "Best Original Song" Academy Award nomination for "Mighty River"—a song she co-wrote with Saadiq (a frequent collaborator) and Mary J. Blige—which appears in the film Mudbound.  Performed by Mary J. Blige, the song has already garnered a Golden Globe Nomination and is the high point of a celebrated songwriting career. The 90th edition of the Academy Awards will air on March 4th. While this is Stinson's first Oscar nomination, it's not her first time on the Oscar stage. Stinson sang in the choir at the 2015 Academy Awards for Common and John Legend's performance of the Oscar-winning song, "Glory" from Selma.   A long list of her work and accomplishments in bio below. Listen to "Mighty River" here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AAJpEVv2XHw Says Stinson: "The inspiration fo

Monica speaks to - Wild The Coyote and Badd Wolf as they share their story of how they came to make the amazing sounds. Indie Entertainment (News) Magazine while covering Sundance Film Festival, visited the Stateroom in Salt Lake City for Blackkiss Album showcase. Wild The Coyote and Badd Wolf opened for their friend Pete Sands, a native american up and coming artist.  Catch Wild The Coyote at the Viper Room in LA.  Monday Feb 12 About: A unique collaboration between country music and hip-hop emerged in the summer of 2017 when small town folk artist Wild the Coyote and Los Angeles raised rapper Badd Wolf were booked together to perform at Interscope Recording artist Yelawolf's 3rd annual Music festival, Slumfest, in Nashville TN. Since taking on the stage name Wild the Coyote and Badd Wolf, the dynamic duo have headlined stages from Hollywood's infamous Viper Room to Harley Davidson private parties. Styles of sound ranging from blues and dark-country to head bopping hip hop and soul. The team has recently beg

Monica speaks to writer/creator Cesar Mazarigos about his new series "High & Mighty", which screens @ Sundance Film Festival.  is a buddy comedy and has been described as Unbreakable meets Friday – a superhero, but only when he's drunk, stoned or high. The series is directed by rising director Carlos Lopez Estrada (who also premiering at the festival with his feature Blindspotting).   About Cesar:   The newcomer writer/creator Cesar Mazariegos (who pitched the series during a break from his job working at an LA mortuary) and rising director Carlos Lopez Estrada (who also has Blindspotting premiering at the festival), it stars a solid cast of established character actors including Jorge Diaz ("The Long Road Home," "East Los High"), James Eckhouse (The Avengers, S.W.A.T., "All The Way," "Beverly Hills 90210), Shakira Barrera ("Glow," "Rosewood"), Chelsea Rendon ("Bright").     Additional Sundance Film Festival Screening Details:     Wednesday, January 24 6:00 p.m.    High & Mighty screening and Q&A

Monica speaks to Rabbi Yonah Bookstein Co-Founder Pico Shul. He shares his passion about the Shabbat Lounge during Sundance. www.SundanceShabbat.org Sponsors: Avi Chai Foundation, Suzanne Felson, EJF Philanthropies, Alevy Family Foundation, Stephanie & David Schwartz, 120DB Films, Saddle Ranch Films, Chai Center, JConnect, Shabbat Tent, Chabad Park City.  Dinner Hosts:  Suzanne Felson, Nick Meyer, Michael Helfant, Dan Adler, Craig Emmanuel, Yehudi Steiger, Yonah & Rachel Bookstein, Mendel Schwartz.  Rabbi Yonah has worked with Jewish communities across the globe inspiring a rebirth in Jewish communal life. Rabbi Yonah was Director of the Ronald S. Lauder Foundation in Poland 1998-2001 which culminated ten years of dedication to the rebirth of Polish Jewry. He later served as campus rabbi at Long Beach State and UC Irvine and then running JConnect & Jewlicious in Los Angeles. The Forward has called Rabbi Yonah one of the "game changers" in American Jewish Life. He was named a Jewish Community Hero

Monica speaks to Sue Vicory Three time Telly Award-winning filmmaker, Sue Vicory has been creating community-based films and projects within her not for profit production company, Heartland Films, Inc. since 2003. Her works include "Homelessness & the Power of One," feature documentaries "One" and "Kansas City Jazz & Blues; Past, Present & Future" and short films "Absent" and "1898, The W.F. Norman Story. In 2015, she founded Team XX, an all female team of 25 filmmakers that created the award-winning film "Down Stage." Vicory is a member of the LA based Alliance of Women Directors and creator of the website Women Documentary Filmmakers to increase visibility for female filmmakers. Sue's 119 year old family owned manufacturing niche business in Nevada, Missouri makes products that ship all over the world. www.wfnorman.com Learn more about Sue  - www.suevicory.com   Sue- will be at Sundance in Park City, Utah and will participate in a Panel  "Indie Film Showcase at Park City." Event Details: Join u

Jeff Witzeman Filmmaker Jeff Witzeman is the writer/producer/director of the controversial documentary "Cancer Can Be Killed" that currently is on the festival circuit and available worldwide on Amazon Prime, iTunes and Google Play. Witzeman was inspired to make the film after his wife Kerry was cured and cancer free after receiving non-traditional treatments in Europe, instead of opting for the often aggressive treatment methods promoted by the U.S. medical community. Previously he worked as an actor, writer and musician. In the 90's, he starred in such shows as "Frazier," "Webster" and a Miller Genuine Draft Super Bowl commercial. In 2000, Jeff Witzeman & The Jealous Housewives became the most radio played unsigned band in America.

Monica speaks to Allison Melody Allison Melody is an eco-entrepreneur with a passion for film, fitness and food. Her endeavors include podcast-hosting, filmmaking and motivational speaking. Melody hosts the top ranked Food Heals Podcast (www.foodhealsnation.com), owns the film production company Melody Productions(www.melodyproductions.com) and speaks at events across the USA and Europe. For the past twelve years, Melody has also directed, produced and edited documentary films, PSAs, commercials and viral videos on the topics of social justice, human rights and public health. She is currently directing FoodHeals(www.foodheals.tv), a documentary that follows several inspiring individuals who have used nutrition and alternative medicine to heal themselves of chronic, degenerative and terminal disease.

Monica speaks to LARRY NAMER, President/CEO Metan Global Entertainment Group. An entertainment industry veteran with over 45 years professional experience in cable television, live events and new media. Larry Namer is a founding partner of Metan Global Entertainment Group (MGEG), a venture created to develop and distribute entertainment content and media specifically for Chinese speaking audiences in China and abroad. MGEG recently launched the inspirational competition series The Bruce Lee Project in China, in conjunction with Company Films (co-owned by Keanu Reeves and Stephen Hamel), Bruce Lee Entertainment, LLC (Shannon Lee's production company) and Benaroya Pictures. The joint venture So You Think You Know Kung Fu LLC and 8K Miles Media Group have joined forces to bring the series to audiences in South Asia and Middle East. http://thebruceleeproject.com/ Mr. Namer was involved in creating the series' original format and currently oversees sales and development for the project. An accomplished entrepreneu

Monica speaks to David Raynor, filmmaker. Their conversation is a delicate topic and the subject of David's new award winning film ."We Need to Talk"  He will be a panelist speaker during Sundance Film Festival  Space is limited RSVP now   ABOUT DAVID David M. Raynor began his working life at the age of 19, becoming a hairdresser in the city of Melbourne. He won some awards for styling and cutting and opened his own hairdressing salon in partnership.  After a couple of years he decided to move to Sydney where he wanted to work with magazines such as Vogue, Cosmo, Cleo. David then set out on his own path again and opened three hairdressing salons on Sydney's North Shore. However, David felt that he needed something more, so using his contacts from his magazine work he started photography and worked with some of the best modeling agencies in Australia.  David returned to Melbourne where he and a couple of friends made a short film. David had never written a script before and he decided that, as he wasn't connec