Two New York writer-directors discuss their work, gender inequality in film, bad actors, "director jail," finding your voice, and much more.

Daniel Schechter (Life of Crime) Talks with Desiree Akhavan (Appropriate Behavior) for The Talkhouse Film Podcast

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Nick Dawson talks with filmmakers, musicians and comedians whose work he loves, avoiding the mundane, predictable questions they&#8217;ve heard numerous times and instead asking substantive, thoughtful questions that get to the heart of who they are.

Nobody’s Ever Asked Me That

Podcast

Nobody’s Ever Asked Me That: Kathryn Grody

Hiam Abbass can currently be seen in the new war drama <a href="https://kinolorber.com/film/atonement" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Atonement</a>, also starring Boyd Holbrook and Kenneth Branagh, which is now in theaters. She recently starred opposite Jeremy Irons in Palestine 36, and appeared as a series regular on HBO’s Succession and recurring on Hulu’s Ramy and The Old Man for FX. Her other television credits include The Promise, The State and The OA. Her extensive feature film credits include Munich (2005), The Lemon Tree (2008), The Visitor (2008), Amreeka (2009), Exodus: Gods and Kings (2014) and Blade Runner 2049 (2017), amongst many others. She also worked as a creative consultant and acting coach on Alejandro G. Iñárritu Babel and Steven Spielberg’s Munich. She made her directorial feature film debut with The Inheritance in 2012, and has since written and directed an additional three short films: Le Pain, Le Danse Eternelle and Le Donne Della Vucciria.

Hiam Abbass

Film

Three Great Things: Hiam Abbass

Sophia Dunn-Walker is a French-American director and co-founder of Emmy-winning ENKIDU International Productions. Her feature documentary on the autism spectrum is currently in post-production, following a 2026 screening of its short version at the American Pavilion at Cannes. She has collaborated with Pussy Riot on several projects, and her visual approach is rooted in fine art and fashion photography, including early work assisting Annie Leibovitz and legally blind photographer Kurt Weston. Dunn-Walker has cone dystrophy, which affects color perception and visual acuity and has become an integral part of how she approaches image-making. She is also an advocate for disability representation in the arts. (Photo by BK Studios.)

Sophia Dunn-Walker

The Camera is a Womb

Chris Merola is a writer and filmmaker from Long Island, New York. He holds an MFA in Film &amp; Television Production from the USC School of Cinematic Arts. His debut feature, <a href="https://www.antennareleasing.com/films/lemonadeblessing" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Lemonade Blessing</a>, premiered in the U.S. Narrative Competition at the 2025 Tribeca Festival. The film went on to win the Audience Award for Best Comedy at the 2025 Newport Beach Film Festival, the Cineclubs Jury Prize at the 25th Tarragona International Film Festival, and was selected for Letterboxd Video Store&#8217;s second Unreleased Gems showcase.

Chris Merola

Two Halves of a Chalky White Pill

Nobody’s Ever Asked Me That: Jaboukie Young-White

Travis Gutiérrez Senger is a Mexican American director, writer and producer based in Los Angeles. His recent project, <a href="https://ascofilm.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">ASCO: Without Permission</a>, a genre-defying film about the Chicano, avant-garde art group ASCO, premiered at SXSW 2025 and is out now on PBS. The film is executive produced by Gael García Bernal and Diego Luna. The project has received support from the Ford Foundation, Film Independent, the Dolby Creator Lab and was recently given the Cinema Tropical Award for Best U.S. Latinx Film. His prior narrative and documentary projects, Desert Cathedral, White Lines and the Fever, along with a number of shorts, have won top prizes at festivals such as Tribeca, SXSW, and SIFF. He founded ANM Films, a premium film and TV company, focused on bold, progressive stories.

Travis Gutiérrez Senger

Notes on a Dedication

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Talkhouse

Savannah Harris is a New York City-based drummer, composer, and producer. She’s recorded with indie and experimental artists Helado Negro, Kate Davis, Justin Allen, and Standing on the Corner.

Savannah Harris

Nicole McCabe is a Los Angeles-based alto saxophonist, composer and educator.

Nicole McCabe

Music

Savannah Harris and Nicole McCabe Never Met Before All Together Now

The Making of DÉJÀ VU by Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young – featuring Graham Nash and David Browne

851: Eric Sze’s Cookbook Puts a Question Mark on Taiwanese Food on Purpose

1007. – Chris & Jason

The Last Temptation of Christ with Jamelle Bouie

Daniel Schechter is an indie filmmaker living in New York City. His micro-budget feature Supporting Characters is now available on iTunes and Netflix and his latest film, Life of Crime starring Jennifer Aniston, will be released on August 29th, 2014.

Daniel Schechter

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Clark Duke is an actor, writer and director best known for Clark and Michael, The Offce, Sex Drive, Kick-Ass and Hot Tub Time Machine. Originally from Arkansas, Clark attended film school at Loyola Marymount University. His thesis film was the pilot for Clark and Michael. Clark was most recently seen alongside Vince Vaughn, Liam Hemsworth and John Malkovich in his feature directorial debut, Arkansas. Clark also produced and co-wrote the film, an adaptation of John Brandon’s acclaimed novel. Stranglehold, Clark’s sophomore feature as a writer, producer, and director, is out now, a comedy thriller starring Ashley Benson, Jake Lacy, Justin Long, Chandler Duke, and Ron Perlman. His upcoming third feature is an adaptation of Jonathan Lethem’s novel You Don’t Love Me Yet. (Photo by Steven Meiers Dominguez.)

Clark Duke

Three Great Things: Clark Duke