First Time Go Podcast

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First Time Go Podcast

A weekly podcast highlighting the creators of independent film. Hosted by Benjamin Duchek

02/14/2025

To paraphrase Walt Whitman, Jeff Man() is a man that contains multitudes. He often plays a character, like in PAPER MARRIAGE (2024) and SANTA CLAUS (2017), that is reserved and unsure of himself, and the stories, at least partially, revolve around how he — and the outside world — reacts to those personality traits. During our conversation, he talks about how he grapples with these questions in his own life and utilizes his art to get to a greater truth. Link is in bio. And if you’re in DC, check out PAPER MARRIAGE playing 2/14 at 730 pm.

02/12/2025

Music is one of the most important parts of filmmaking and yet it’s often left to the last minute or shortchanged; the dynamic Lauren Denemark () and her company, Triple Threat Music Supervision () is aiming to change that for indie filmmakers. Link is in the show notes. What a fun episode with a brilliant individual.

01/20/2025

“Let’s make a market for independent and student films” — it sounds like an impossible dream, doesn’t it? Not for the founders of Rise Flix (). In this episode, I talk with Edouard Larouche, Ahmad Baqer (.lawati) and Ralph Calle-Schulz () about their new company, Rise Flix. If I had to bet, I’d bet on these guys making it happen. Link is in bio.

01/16/2025

The Independent Spirit John Cassevetes Award () is, for me, the best film award an indie film can get. It’s for independent feature films made under $1 million dollars. And we can discuss, as I do with my guest Corey Sherman on the show, whether that’s 1 mill is a great arbiter, but it’s the best one we have. And here we are, with one of the nominees, ultra-talented filmmaker Corey Sherman.

He’s here to talk BIG BOYS, his debut feature, and so much more. Listen now at firstgopod.com.

01/10/2025

Season three opens with a powerful return to the show of Ibrahim Nash’at () the multi-award-winning Egyptian documentary filmmaker whose film, HOLLYWOODGATE, is shortlisted for the 2025 Oscars in best documentary feature.
Episode One - Ibrahim Nash’at, director of HOLLYWOODGATE (). The episode is available on YouTube or wherever you download podcasts.

01/02/2025

Happy New Year! Season 2 ends with a truly remarkable guest: of . No matter what angle you come at indie films, Lisa has it covered. I thought she’d be reluctant to share her secrets — she’s not! Here they all are. Lisa’s indie filmmaker highlight: The episode is available at firstgopod.com or wherever you download podcasts.

12/23/2024

I’m joined by filmmaker and musician Alison Tavel () to discuss her incredible documentary, RESYNATOR (2024) () available for streaming on December 13, 2024. RESYNATOR premiered at SXSW 2024 and currently sports a 100% on Rotten Tomatoes. Alison has SUCH an incredible story of perseverance and love. Link is in bio, on firstgopod.com, and YouTube.

12/13/2024

I am so pleased to be joined by groundbreaking filmmaker Mira Shaib () director of Arzé () a brilliant first feature comedy-drama about the relationship of a family in Lebanon. (In North America, it should be released early next year.) Episode link is in the bio or wherever you download podcasts.

12/06/2024

I asked the directors — Slava Leontyev and Brendan Bellomo — of whether the awards matter to them, and in one of the many heart-aching answers in this interview, Slava responded: I am here instead of my friends. Sharing this film is the main mission in my life. This film + interview is incredible. Go see . Get tickets now: www.porcelainwar.com. Episode link in bio. Thank you

11/29/2024

To all the pod’s guests, subscribers, and listeners:
thank you so much. I am so grateful every time you press play or choose to talk with me about your art. I hope you have a great Thanksgiving. I said the same thing on the most recent pod episode with a side of electronic music.

11/22/2024

If the best documentaries are made by outsiders observing a cultural phenomenon — and then filming it — consider watching FANCY LIKE (), available for streaming on November 19th, 2024.

Filmed by “French guy” filmmaker Matt Beurois () it shows the life behind country music star Walker Hayes in an intimate way and the story behind the song “Fancy Like” going viral (i.e. the Applebee’s song). And all Matt had to do was ask. Link is in profile or wherever you download podcasts.

11/20/2024

If there’s a more innovative, surprising, enjoyable, and fun documentary than STARRING JERRY AS HIMSELF (2023) I haven’t seen it this year. It’s no surprise all those attributes could be used to describe my conversation with its director, . Link is in bio.

11/11/2024

As a veteran hosted podcast, I’m so thrilled is doing this again. 100 memberships for 100 . Sign up link is in bio. Tag a veteran so they know.

11/07/2024

From leading the way in Asian-American romcoms to the brilliant 26.2 TO LIFE (), I talk with filmmaker Christine Yoo () about her career, how to depict marathons and prisons on film, the state of rom-coms and Asian-American filmmaking, and more. Just by those categories alone you should know you are hearing from a wildly original filmmaker. And that’s before the CIA gets namedropped. Link is at firstgopod.com or wherever you download podcasts.

11/02/2024

There’s something so inspiring about a filmmaker who has a million different reasons for why he shouldn’t be selected for this fellowship or that school, but goes forward boldly, anyway, and stays humble about it.

And also a guy who would love the opportunity to teach at his film school — NYU — but I completely believe him when he says that he would quit if it got in the way of his feature filmmaking.

That’s the story of my guest, filmmaker Ward Kamel (.kamel). Available now on YouTube or wherever you download podcasts. Links in bio.

10/23/2024

Let’s throw it back to how things used to be — date night movies, romcoms, leaving the theater feeling good about what you just watched.

I don’t want to get too nostalgic about the past because right now we have access to so many great films from so many new creators than we ever had before, but we can all agree (I hope) that we need more films like HANGDOG (2023) () in theaters. And thanks to filmmakers Matt Cascella (director + writer) and Jen Cordery (writer), we can. S236 available now at firstgopod.com or wherever you download podcasts.

10/17/2024

There is no other filmmaker working today that personifies being the “man in the arena”, as Theodore Roosevelt so eloquently put it, than Matthew Heineman

His films have ranged from the frontlines of wars to the sweet and touching portrayal of Jon Batiste in AMERICAN SYMPHONY (2023). Just making one such film could be a career pinnacle — Matthew has directed 14 wholly original, extraordinary special artistic contributions to the medium — and he’s here to share the details. Available at firstgopod.com or wherever you download podcasts.

10/10/2024

The debut feature, TO NOWHERE (2020) () of Sian Astor-Lewis () is one of the best films I’ve seen this year, and she’s here to talk about it. TO NOWHERE is available now for streaming on Amazon, Tubi, and Apple. Watch the film and then listen to our discussion, available at firstgopod.com or wherever you download podcasts.

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Videos

@jeffrey_j_man talks about the thrill of creative success. Listen to Jeff now at firstgopod.com and go see PAPER MARRIAGE in Washington, DC on Valentine’s Day. Link is in the pod’s show notes.

Now available on YouTube or wherever you download podcasts, we open season 3 with the award-winning filmmaker @ibrahimnsht discussing @hollywoodgatefilm. Watch now on @joltfilm

@starringjerryashimself is “completely true” according to @thelawchen. Listen to the full First Time Go ep on firstgopod.com or wherever you download podcasts.

Happy weekend! 2024 Academy Nicholl Fellowship recipient @ward.kamel’s perfect weekend probably involves writing. Ep link is in our bio — 🔥

@sianastorlewis speaks for every indie filmmaker here. Go watch @tonowherefilm and then come back to listen to this fantastically creative director talk about her experience. The film is now streaming internationally. And listen to the episode on firstgopod.com or wherever you download podcasts.

Interested in #AI and #filmmaking? @valleeduhamel tells it like it is. But if you do approach them, make sure you know something about tools. Listen to the episode on firstgopod.com or wherever you download podcasts.

This is the best seven seconds of video. @na5than talks about how he used to hire people from @backstagecast. Listen to the full podcast at firstgopod.com or wherever you download podcasts.

“True art can not have a purpose” — Lorenzo Vigas. Stream his film @lacajapelicula now on @mubi. And listen to the full episode on firstgopod.com or wherever you download podcasts. #venezuela🇻🇪 #firstgopod #lorenzovigas

It’s always good to be able to talk to somebody else about your script. Listen to the full ep with @angel_fernandez02 at firstgopod.com or wherever you download podcasts. The film @thetimesofmelancholy is currently crowdfunding on @indiegogo

Who did award-winning filmmaker and producer @tina_carbone_films highlight during her episode? The great @hpmendoza whose film @humanflightfilm is streaming now. Listen to the full ep with Tina on firstgopod.com or wherever you download podcasts.

@christiankamaal breaks down what happened when festivals watched #blackifier. This whole ep is 🔥 listen now at firstgopod.com or wherever you download podcasts.