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
