The original promise of the internet—creating community and a world where people enduring solitary personal struggles might feel less alone—was in full bloom back in 2006 when one friend, Renee, told another friend, Jamie, about a mental health crisis she was going through.
Jamie went on to write about the five days he spent with Renee before she entered a treatment center, and he sold T-shirts to help cover the cost.
When she entered treatment, he posted the story on MySpace to give it a home. The name of the story was “To Write Love on Her Arms.”
On this episode, host Michael Azevedo speaks with director Owen Dubeck whose short film, “To Write Love: A Documentary on the Movement” (which will premiere globally on YouTube on May 31) details how what started as one person’s attempt to help a friend sparked a global movement that reshaped the conversation around mental health and launched the To Write Love on Her Arms initiative—now celebrating its 20th year—as a vital mental health resource and connector.
It’s a story of a growing chorus of hope that turned into a lifeline for millions.
Owen Dubeck is a documentary filmmaker, specializing in telling stories that drive tangible change. His films have raised $1 million+ for social causes, influenced legislation, and have been screened to audiences across the country.
Making Media Now is sponsored by Filmmakers Collaborative, a non-profit organization dedicated to supporting media makers from across the creative spectrum. From providing fiscal sponsorship to presenting an array of informative and educational programs, Filmmakers Collaborative supports creatives at every step in their journey.
About the host: http://www.writevoicecreative.com and https://www.linkedin.com/in/michael-azevedo/
Sound Engineer: A.J. Kierstead
Joining host Michael Azevedo on this episode is director Theo Rigby to discuss his documentary “If I Could Stay,” which will be premiere on PBS on June 1 and remain available to stream on PBS.org and via the PBS app for 90 days thereafter.
Set in Colorado, If I Could Stay/Si Pudiera Quedarme follows two undocumented mothers, Jeanette and Ingrid, as they face deportation and the threat of being separated from their young children.
In a life-altering decision, they choose to seek sanctuary inside local churches in defiance of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). Filmed over several emotionally charged years, their journey unfolds amid constant uncertainty, legal battles, and the quiet bravery of life in refuge.
Theo Rigby is a director, cinematographer, and interactive storyteller based out of San Francisco. He has been creating stories focusing on the immigrant experience in the U.S. for over the last decade and is the founder of iNation Media.
Making Media Now is sponsored by Filmmakers Collaborative, a non-profit organization dedicated to supporting media makers from across the creative spectrum. From providing fiscal sponsorship to presenting an array of informative and educational programs, Filmmakers Collaborative supports creatives at every step in their journey.
About the host: http://www.writevoicecreative.com and https://www.linkedin.com/in/michael-azevedo/
Sound Engineer: A.J. Kierstead
Although it may be hard to detect, a quiet revolution is underway:
As the real-world consequences of social media come into focus, and AI’s invasion into every aspect of our lives feels imminent, a new generation of parents and teens are stepping forward to challenge the systems shaping their lives and fight for a different future, one where Big Tech doesn’t get to define the terms of human connection.
Joining host Michael Azevedo on this episode are director Sara Robin and writer Jack LeMay to discuss their documentary, “Your Attention Please.”
Blending intimate human stories with insights from leading experts in tech reform and digital wellbeing, “Your Attention Please” asks some of the most urgent questions of our time:
Can we reclaim our autonomy?
Can technology be redesigned to serve humanity?
And what does a healthier relationship with the digital world look like for us and our kids?
SARA ROBIN is a German filmmaker based in Boston. Her work explores human connection, often through the lens of future worlds, and is known for telling stories at the intersection of documentary and science-fiction.
JACK LEMAY is a writer, director and editor also based in Boston. His films are observational and philosophical, and explore the poetry of what drives the human spirit.
Making Media Now is sponsored by Filmmakers Collaborative, a non-profit organization dedicated to supporting media makers from across the creative spectrum. From providing fiscal sponsorship to presenting an array of informative and educational programs, Filmmakers Collaborative supports creatives at every step in their journey.
About the host: http://www.writevoicecreative.com and https://www.linkedin.com/in/michael-azevedo/
Sound Engineer: A.J. Kierstead
Joining host Michael Azevedo on this episode are Suzannah Herbert and Darcy McKinnon, the director and producer of the award-winning documentary “Natchez,” which will air on PBS on May 11 as part of the Independent Lens Series.
The film is also currently available for VOD streaming on multiple platforms including Apple TV, Prime Video, and YouTube TV.
Winner of the best documentary feature award at the 2025 Tribeca film festival, “Natchez” captures an unsettling clash between history and memory in a small Mississippi town; it’s a layered mosaic of people contending with the weight of the past in a place where it is always present.
Equal parts amusing and disturbing, “Natchez” grapples with a deeply troubled history that is so thoroughly ingrained in its present, we’re left to wonder if it’s actually past at all.
Suzannah Herbert is a documentary director and editor from Memphis whose directing work focuses on the American South. Herbert directed and produced the twice Emmy-nominated film “Wrestle.” As an editor, she has collaborated on various Bob Dylan, Tony Bennett and Lady Gaga projects, music videos and award-winning films. “Natchez” is her second documentary feature.
Darcy McKinnon is a documentary filmmaker based in New Orleans whose work focuses on the American South and the Caribbean. Her work has been seen on the World Channel, POV, and Hulu and has screened at Sundance, Tribeca, SXSW, and more.
Making Media Now is sponsored by Filmmakers Collaborative, a non-profit organization dedicated to supporting media makers from across the creative spectrum. From providing fiscal sponsorship to presenting an array of informative and educational programs, Filmmakers Collaborative supports creatives at every step in their journey.
About the host: http://www.writevoicecreative.com and https://www.linkedin.com/in/michael-azevedo/
Sound Engineer: A.J. Kierstead
Returning guest Brandon Katz joins host Michael Azevedo on this episode to take a look at some compelling data that’s informing several film and television related stories he’s recently published.
As the Director of Insight & Content Strategy for Greenlight Analytics, Brandon—who’s also a former entertainment journalist and film critic—unpacks data analysis to reveal compelling trends within the film and media industry.
Brandon and Michael discuss how multi-year film development cycles can often result in films whose cultural relevance may fade between the time a project is green lit to the time it hits movie screens. While the film’s subject matter and stars may still be compelling, audience interest may have drifted.
Brandon and Michael also chatted about Netflix’s decision to scale back on the number of original films it rolls out on its streaming service.
And finally, they talked about how the emphasis on opening weekend box office numbers may undermine the chances for smaller films to find an audience and grow over time.
Brandon’s knowledge of—and love for—movies, combined with his data analysts’ eye for the stories to be found within the numbers always makes for a compelling conversation!
Making Media Now is sponsored by Filmmakers Collaborative, a non-profit organization dedicated to supporting media makers from across the creative spectrum. From providing fiscal sponsorship to presenting an array of informative and educational programs, Filmmakers Collaborative supports creatives at every step in their journey.
About the host: http://www.writevoicecreative.com and https://www.linkedin.com/in/michael-azevedo/
Sound Engineer: A.J. Kierstead
Joining host Michael Azevedo on this episode are Chelsea Greene and Rob Grobman, two of the three co-directors on Academy Award-winning filmmaker and activist Fisher Stevens’s (The Cove) timely environmental documentary called “We Are Guardians” which he produced alongside Executive Producer and fellow Academy-award winner and activist Leonardo DiCarprio.
The film which follows Indigenous forest defenders protecting the Brazilian Amazon, will expand its global streaming release on Earth Day, April 22, bringing the film to billions of viewers worldwide.
“We Are Guardians” explores the complex intersections of politics, history, economics, and science, while shedding light on the global implications of deforestation in one of the world’s most vital ecosystems.
Making Media Now is sponsored by Filmmakers Collaborative, a non-profit organization dedicated to supporting media makers from across the creative spectrum. From providing fiscal sponsorship to presenting an array of informative and educational programs, Filmmakers Collaborative supports creatives at every step in their journey.
About the host: http://www.writevoicecreative.com and https://www.linkedin.com/in/michael-azevedo/
Sound Engineer: A.J. Kierstead
Host Michael Azevedo is joined by Raúl O. Paz Pastrana, the director of a new documentary airing on PBS’ Independent Lens series on April 13. Raul’s film, “Backside: The Unseen Hands of Horseracing,” set amidst the pageantry of horseracing’s premier event—The Kentucky Derby—goes behind the glamour to present a portrait of the unseen workers whose tireless efforts are key to the event’s success.
Backside offers an intimate and tender glimpse into the lives of immigrant workers who begin their days at 3 a.m., seven days a week, year-round, caring for some of the world’s most prized racehorses.
Set against the backdrop of a racing season at Churchill Downs’ barns in Louisville, Kentucky–known as the “backside”–this observational film reveals the symbiotic relationship of human and animal labor, celebrating the quiet beauty of unseen work and the resilience of those who sustain it.
The full 85-minute version of the film will be available for streaming on April 14.
Making Media Now is sponsored by Filmmakers Collaborative, a non-profit organization dedicated to supporting media makers from across the creative spectrum. From providing fiscal sponsorship to presenting an array of informative and educational programs, Filmmakers Collaborative supports creatives at every step in their journey.
About the host: http://www.writevoicecreative.com and https://www.linkedin.com/in/michael-azevedo/
Sound Engineer: A.J. Kierstead
Back in 2023, Making Media Now host Michael Azevedo was joined by filmmaker Bonnie Waltch and writer Sara Schley to talk about a film project for which Filmmakers Collaborative was the fiscal sponsor.
The film was called “Brainstorm” and it’s now complete and will be featured in a global virtual screening on March 30 as part of World Bipolar Day.
Bonnie is the film’s writer, director, and producer. And Sara served as co-writer and co-producer.
BrainStorm follows six compelling people living with bipolar in their journey from devastation to recovery. The film connects their experiences with the latest bipolar brain science to shed light on potential causes and successful treatments.
Making Media Now is sponsored by Filmmakers Collaborative, a non-profit organization dedicated to supporting media makers from across the creative spectrum. From providing fiscal sponsorship to presenting an array of informative and educational programs, Filmmakers Collaborative supports creatives at every step in their journey.
About the host: http://www.writevoicecreative.com and https://www.linkedin.com/in/michael-azevedo/
Sound Engineer: A.J. Kierstead
Joining host Michael Azevedo on episode is writer and director Andrew Goldberg, whose documentary “White with Fear” will premiere on PBS on March 24.
Told by the operatives in the rooms where it happened, “White With Fear” is an explosive deep dive into the decades-long quest by America’s conservative political machine to amass power by exploiting racial fault lines and stoking narratives of White victimization.
The documentary examines how some American conservatives and political operatives have successfully weaponized racism and fear for decades and uncovers the real-world consequences of deploying tactics that seek to demonize immigrants, spread Islamophobia, and devise a strategic media campaign of racist rhetoric with real-world effects.
The film, which premiered at New York’s Chelsea Film Festival, recently earned a Writers Guild Award nomination.
“White with Fear” will stream simultaneously with broadcast and be available on all station-branded PBS platforms.
An Emmy-Award-winning investigative producer, Andrew Goldberg has directed 14 prime-time documentaries. His work has appeared on major networks on every continent, and has been supported by more than 250 foundations, corporations and major donors around the world.
Making Media Now is sponsored by Filmmakers Collaborative, a non-profit organization dedicated to supporting media makers from across the creative spectrum. From providing fiscal sponsorship to presenting an array of informative and educational programs, Filmmakers Collaborative supports creatives at every step in their journey.
About the host: http://www.writevoicecreative.com and https://www.linkedin.com/in/michael-azevedo/
Sound Engineer: A.J. Kierstead
On this episode host Michael Azevedo takes a dive into season three of the award-winning podcast series, The Big Dig, produced by GBH News and distributed by PRX. Season three is called “Catching The Codfather.”
Joining Michael are series’ host Ian Coss and the GBH Managing Producer of Podcasts, Devin Maverick Robins.
Season Three of The Big Dig™ podcast, “Catching The Codfather,” goes down to the docks. It’s a place where food, work, nature, money and politics all meet – where dreams are born, fortunes ruined, and where the watchful eye of the government is always present.
The series traces the rise of Carlos Rafael and his escalating conflict with the government.
Making Media Now is sponsored by Filmmakers Collaborative, a non-profit organization dedicated to supporting media makers from across the creative spectrum. From providing fiscal sponsorship to presenting an array of informative and educational programs, Filmmakers Collaborative supports creatives at every step in their journey.
About the host: http://www.writevoicecreative.com and https://www.linkedin.com/in/michael-azevedo/
Sound Engineer: A.J. Kierstead
