US Air Force JAG Attorney Yvonne Bradley volunteered to defend a man named Binyam Mohamed who was facing a death penalty case at Guantanamo Bay in 2005. Believing the detainees at Guantanamo were ‘the worst of the worst’ in the war on terror, Yvonne’s world was turned upside down as she arrived in Cuba and began to untangle an unimaginable case. Sp…

“Home is the center of everything. It is the issue where everyone can come to the table.” - Sara Terry In this episode we explore the compass that developers, bankers and real estate executives use when making decisions on land use and rights when it comes to others' housing security. Mobile home parks are the lowest rung on the pole of the America…

A visually stunning narrative documentary, NAKED GARDENS immerses audiences in the complex, unseen world of a family nudist resort in the Florida Everglades. Filmed over one season at this lush tropical campsite, the film follows the stories of individuals drawn to an unusual community, which promises both non-conformist values and, more importantl…

Wildcat follows the emotional and inspiring story of a young veteran on his journey into the Amazon. Once there, he meets a young woman running a wildlife rescue and rehabilitation center, and his life finds new meaning as he is entrusted with the life of an orphaned baby ocelot. What was meant to be an attempt to escape from life, turns out to be …

RANGER is a story about rite of passage. Set within Kenya’s Maasai homeland, an intimate and contemporary story of self-discovery unfolds, as 12 women become East Africa’s first all-female anti-poaching unit. Upending the male-dominated, reliance upon military-style training to make a wildlife ranger, Virginia, Liz, Momina and Damaris instead under…

Emelie Mahdavian's sweeping documentary BITTERBRUSH follows Hollyn Patterson and Colie Moline, range riders who are spending their last summer herding cattle in remote Idaho. Totally off the grid with only their dogs as companions, Hollyn and Colie brave inclement weather and perilous work conditions while pondering their futures. A portrait of fri…

At the heart of THE HOLLY is Terrance Roberts, an ex-member of the Bloods, who had since raised funds to open a youth center in his neighborhood, The Holly. Gang-member-turned-activist Terrance ends up shooting a man at a community event he organized focusing on non-violence. What unfolds is not black and white. The film reveals multi-level corrupt…

When a young woman turns to the camera for refuge, she ends up with a firsthand account of what will become the deadliest man-made epidemic in United States history. Filmed over thirty years, ANONYMOUS SISTER is director, Jamie Boyle's chronicle of her family's fall into opioid addiction, providing a poignant and timely study of what it means to ex…

After the inconclusive death of his young niece, filmmaker Angelo Madsen Minax returns to his rural Michigan hometown, preparing to make a film about a broken criminal justice system. Instead, he pivots to excavate the depths of generational addiction, Christian fervor, and trans embodiment. Lyrically assembled images, decades of home movies, and e…

SPIRIT OF THE PEAKS is a film about the struggle for balance between two worlds. For Hunkpapa Lakota skier Connor Ryan, skiing in Ute Territory has always raised questions about being in reciprocity with the land and its people. As a skier who connects with the land through sport, he empathizes with the injustices that have displaced the Utes and o…

Multi-hyphenate, multidisciplinary artist Saul Williams brings his unique dynamism to this Afrofuturist vision, a sci-fi punk musical that’s a visually wondrous amalgamation of themes, ideas, and songs that Williams has explored in his work, notably his 2016 album MartyrLoserKing. Co-directed with the Rwandan-born artist and cinematographer Anisia …

MAXIMA follows Peruvian indigenous farmer Máxima Acuña in her fight to protect her land as she stands up to the largest gold producer in the world: US-based Newmont Mining Corporation. Throughout Máxima’s fight for justice, the film provides an illustrative case study in the tactics used by transnational corporations to commit human rights violatio…

GIRL PICTURE is a coming-of-age film from Finland that focuses on three young women over the course of three weekends. The girls are questioning their sexuality, and for one girl her lack of sexuality, navigating their relationships with their parents and each other, and reconciling with the idea that their childhood dreams may not be the direction…

A coming-of-golden-age film about Florida's most dedicated dance team for women over 60 - The Calendar Girls. A film that is shaking up the outdated image of "the little old lady", and calling for everyone to dance their hearts out, while they still can. Dawn talks with documentary filmmaking couple Love Martinsen and Maria Loohufvud about how they…

Rita Baghdadi's documentary SIRENS premiered today, on her birthday, at the Sundance Film Festival! What a way to celebrate a birthday! The film follows the Middle East's first all-female metal band in Beirut as they wrestle with friendship, sexuality and destruction in their pursuit of becoming thrash metal rock stars. In this episode we talk abou…

An intimate portrait of mothers and daughters and the effects of trauma, JACINTA follows a young woman in and out of prison as she attempts to break free from an inherited cycle of addiction, incarceration, and crime. Now streaming on Hulu. Follow the film: Trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-NbcehOCClU Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ja…

On this episode Dawn sits down with Colombian-American filmmaker Emily Cohen Ibañez for her documentary FRUITS OF LABOR. They discuss trickle down issues from systemic racism and immigration policies, children of immigrants having to step up to help support their families, food insecurity, and finding peace in connecting to our food and land. A Mex…

On this episode Dawn talks with documentary filmmaker Brooke Swaney for her newest film DAUGHTER OF A LOST BIRD. The film follows adoptee Kendra as she discovers her Native culture that she didn't grow up with, is welcomed in, meets her birth mother and other blood relatives, and learns more about how her story fits in with the bigger picture of IC…

On this episode Dawn chats with Director Adam Nawrot and Producer Sonia Szczesna for their debut feature doc GODSPEED, LOS POLACOS! They talk about their sense of adventure that matches the subjects of their film, some behind the scenes stories, and their Polish roots. The film tells the story of five kayakers on the edge of adulthood who skillfull…

On this episode, Dawn has a powerful conversation with filmmaker Brad Lichtenstein and film protagonist Claude Motely about gun violence in their home city of Milwaukee, trauma and its ripple effects, healing, the justice system, and the importance of community, friendship and family. Claude Motley thought he’d beaten the odds: a business owner who…

On this episode, Dawn talks with filmmaking partners Willow O'Feral and Brad Heck for their documentary Sisters Rising. The film is an intimate portrait of 6 Native women who have survived sexual violence and/or domestic violence in their lives, and how that has transformed them. Through their trauma, they have become inspiring women who are fighti…

On this episode, Dawn talks with filmmaker Mariem Pérez Riera about her new documentary RITA MORENO: JUST A GIRL WHO DECIDED TO GO FOR IT. It's an inspiring story of the first Latina EGOT winner, and the struggles she had to go through to along the way. Through therapy, she has been able to heal and move forward and continue being an inspiration to…

On this episode Dawn connects with filmmaker Wes Hurley for his autobiographical narrative POTATO DREAMS OF AMERICA. Hurley is a Seattle-based, Soviet Union-born LGBTQ filmmaker. POTATO is based on his upbringing in the Soviet Union watching pirated American films on a secret tv channel, and then moving to America seeking a better life after his Mo…

On this episode Dawn chats with fellow Midwesterner Tasha Van Zandt about her debut feature AFTER ANTARCTICA. The film focuses on Minnesota-based explorer Will Steger via archival footage from his historic International Trans-Antarctic Expedition in 1989-90, and then today as he continues his expeditions at age 75. The film is a beautiful reflectio…

We have all seen sex trafficking popping up in the news at alarming rates recently, making many of us realize that it is not just happening overseas, but in our own backyards. THE ZEN SPEAKER: BREAKING THE SILENCE is a personal portrait of Amy Ayoub, a prominent public speaking coach, confronting her traumatic history to help change Nevada sex traf…

WILD INDIAN is the feature directorial debut from Native filmmaker Lyle Mitchell Corbine Jr, which had its premiere at this year's Sundance Film Festival. Corbine Jr. is one of Variety's 10 Directors to Watch. On this episode, Dawn and Lyle discuss the experience Native actors have when they get to play multi-dimensional characters, generational tr…

A therapeutic film...with lots of blood. VIOLATION is a horror film built from trauma, about a woman trying to reconnect with her sister while dealing with relationship problems, and then a life-altering experience with her brother-in-law. On this episode Dawn chats with VIOLATION co-directors Madeleine Sims-Fewer and Dusty Mancinelli about bonding…

Dawn and Edson Jean dive deep into personal experiences and family histories in this episode. They talk about the immigrant experience, the importance of finding your community, financial literacy of lower and middle classes, the power of story and a whole lot else. LUDI is about a Haitian immigrant living in Miami overworking and getting caught in…

Recorded just before their Sundance premiere screening in the Midnight section, on this episode Dawn chats with Swedish filmmaker Frida Kempff and KNOCKING star Cecilia Milocco. KNOCKING is thriller about a woman who is released from a psych ward after experiencing a mental breakdown following the death of the one person who truly understood her. N…

On this episode Dawn interviews filmmaker Angela Washko after the world premiere of her documentary WORKHORSE QUEEN at the Slamdance Film Festival. WORKHORSE QUEEN follows RuPaul Drag Race contestant Ed Popil (Mrs. Kasha Davis) as he navigates his career and personal life post-Drag Race. Mrs. Kasha Davis stood out from the rest because she was an o…

On this episode Dawn talks with filmmakers Albert Birney and Kentucker Audley for their Sundance hit STRAWBERRY MANSION - a wildly imaginative film about a dream auditor who finds his time-transcending soulmate while on the job. They talk about childhood inspiration for the film, the creative and quirky set and prop design, and share some of their …

This week Dawn talks with young visionary Carlson Young with her feature film debut THE BLAZING WORLD after its premiere at the Sundance Film Festival. They discuss fantasy history and inspiration, their dream worlds, and advice to upcoming filmmakers. Follow the film: https://www.instagram.com/the.blazingworld/…

Happy Valentine's day everyone! I thought this was the perfect episode to celebrate this holiday. This episode features Swedish filmmaker Ninja Thyberg for her feature debut PLEASURE, which just had its premiere at the Sundance Film Festival. PLEASURE is about a young Swedish woman who moves to LA to get into hardcore porn, and the experiences both…

Welcome to Season 2!! Kicking off this season with an interview with the talented NYU alum Erin Vassilopoulos for her debut feature film, SUPERIOR. SUPERIOR had its world premiere last week at the 2021 virtual Sundance Film Festival. Dawn and Erin talk about the importance of collaboration, shooting on 16mm, location and vintage prop scouting, and …

Dawn shares one of her favorite Q&As she hosted from the Freeland Film Fest! CURRENT SEA is a documentary directed by Christopher Smith and stars journalist Matt Blomberg. Christopher and Matt are covering a wild and inspiring story of marine conservationist, Paul Ferber, who has had to resort to physically protecting the sea animals off the coast …

In this episode Dawn interviews fellow Utah filmmaker Robert Machoian for his newest film THE KILLING OF TWO LOVERS. They talk about their academic backgrounds, local art scenes and the influence of place and home in filmmaking. The film premiered at the 2020 Sundance Film Festival and was bought by Neon. It's currently scheduled to be out in theat…

In this episode, Dawn interviews Native filmmaker and writer Sterlin Harjo for his newest documentary feature, LOVE AND FURY. They discuss the traditions of family storytelling, and the importance of modern Native storytelling through writing, filmmaking, music, painting, and more. Harjo also shares his newest project, FX series Reservation Dogs, t…

On this episode of Faux Reel we travel back to the Sundance Film Festival where Dawn sat down with MUCHO MUCHO AMOR co-Director Kareem Tabsch. They talk about the influence of Walter Mercado on the Latinx and Latinx gay communities, and what it's like to meet your idol. Mucho Mucho Amor is now streaming on Netflix. https://www.netflix.com/title/812…

In our fourth episode, I interview Berlin-based documentary filmmaker Elke Lehrenkrauss for her first feature, LOVEMOBIL. Her film tells the stories of sex workers living and working in RVs in rural Germany. We discuss what it takes to tell a good story as a documentary filmmaker, her experience shooting in tight spaces, the dangers and the strengt…

In this episode I sat down with Rodrigo Ruiz Patterson, director of SUMMER WHITE. We discussed the authenticity of an autobiographical narrative, the challenge of casting a child actor and non-professional actors in a market dominated by soap operas, the importance of balanced and honest characters instead of just good vs evil, how secrets can fest…

In this episode we go down the AI rabbit hole with CODED BIAS director Shalini Kantayya. We dig into the pernicious creep of AI, the power of its gatekeepers, "the coded gaze” and the presence of women in science and tech shaping a vision of our future. CODED BIAS premiered at the Sundance Film Festival in the U.S. Documentary Competition. Follow t…

On the first episode of Faux Reel, Dawn sits down with Alana Carithers and Mel Eslyn co-producers of HORSE GIRL. They discuss making independent films with various approaches to improvisation, aliens, time travel, horses, DNA tests, trick photography, the "Three Rules,” the benefits of creating a good set environment, and the ever shape-shifting ro…

This weeks episode is tackling the 1985 comedy film Girls Just Want to Have Fun starring Sarah Jessica Parker and Helen Hunt directed by Alan MetterShort summary: Though she's a talented gymnast, Janey (Sarah Jessica Parker) has always followed the orders of her strict Army colonel father and stayed out of the spotlight. However, when she moves to …

This weeks episode is tackling the 1989 buddy cop film Tango & Cash starring Kurt Russell and Sylvester Stallone directed by Andrei Konchalovsky & Albert Magnoli and written by Randy Feldman.Short summary: Police officers Ray Tango (Sylvester Stallone) and Gabe Cash (Kurt Russell) are narcotics experts working to bring down drug lord Yves Perret (J…

This weeks episode is tackling the 1989 The Burbs starring Tom Hanks and directed by Joe Dante.Short summary: Settling in for some time off in his suburban home, Ray Peterson's (Tom Hanks) vacation becomes a horror when the Klopeks, a suspiciously odd family, move in down the block. Enlisting the aid of his paranoid buddy, Art (Rick Ducommun), and …