The creator of the best new TV show of the summer chats about her (long-gestating) overnight success.

Jonathan Lisecki (Gayby) Talks with Sarah Gertrude Shapiro (UnREAL) for The Talkhouse Film Podcast

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Film

I Heard Sex Is Over

Podcast

Nobody’s Ever Asked Me That: Tatiana Maslany

Song of Rimbaud

Ela Thier is a writer-director based in New York City who has been writing screenplays for nearly 40 years, and receiving pass letters for about that long. In carving her own path, she wrote, directed, produced and sometimes performed in her award-winning feature films, Foreign Letters and Tomorrow Ever After. In 2026, she’ll be releasing her new feature film, 109 Billion Followers, a comedy-drama with J.K. Simmons. Her first non-fiction book, <a href="https://theindependentfilmschool.com/book/" target="_blank" rel="noopener" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://theindependentfilmschool.com/book/&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1778263869469000&amp;usg=AOvVaw1ydiAjjwnkiDuDtbiLHvHl">How to Fail as an Artist: My Best Tips</a>, is now available on Amazon and book shops everywhere. She has created numerous award-winning short films, and is the founding director of the <a href="https://theindependentfilmschool.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Independent Film School</a>. When she’s not working, she spends time with her nephew and pretends to be interested in baseball. (Photo by Jess Osber.)

Ela Thier

How Losing $200K and Two Producers Led to My Debut Feature

Katie Aselton’s latest film as writer-director-actor,<a href="https://magichourmovie.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener"> Magic Hour</a>, also starring Daveed Diggs, is in theaters now through Greenwich Entertainment. Aselton’s breakout acting role was in the indie hit The Puffy Chair, directed by Mark and Jay Duplass, and she is known for her starring role as Jenny in the FX comedy series The League. Aselton previously directed the films The Freebie, in which she also stars alongside Dax Shepard; the survivor thriller Black Rock, starring opposite Kate Bosworth and Lake Bell; and the comedy Mack &amp; Rita, with Diane Keaton. As an actor, her TV credits include Legion, Curb Your Enthusiasm, Veep and The Office, and her film credits include Old Dads, Book Club, Bombshell, Father Figures and the acclaimed horror/sci-fi films She Dies Tomorrow and Synchronic. (Photo by Annie McElwain.)

Katie Aselton

Three Great Things: Katie Aselton

David Usui’s latest documentary, <a href="https://www.beenherestayhere.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Been Here Stay Here</a>, about a close-knit Christian community contending with the heartbreaking reality of losing their home to rising seas, opens in theaters on May 15 (The Quad in New York City) and May 27 (Laemmle Theatres in Los Angeles). David’s work as a director and cinematographer has been featured on PBS, ITVS, The New York Times, The New Yorker, The Atlantic and VICE. His collaboration with the legendary director Albert Maysles on <a href="https://www.intransitfilm.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">In Transit</a>, a contemplative exploration of life on Amtrak’s Empire Builder, premiered at Tribeca Film Festival, where it earned the Special Jury Prize for Best Feature Documentary. In 2009, David co-founded <a href="https://www.lostfoundfilms.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Lost &amp; Found Films</a>, a production company creating documentary and commercial content for brands, NGOs, and broadcasters.

David Usui

What We Miss Along the Way

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Talkhouse

Charlotte Cornfield

King Tuff

All One Song :: Zachary Cale on “Ambulance Blues”

782: Whole Foods Buyers Never Sit Still. We Followed Them to Spain.

949. – Kevin Morby

Independent Spirit Award-nominated writer/director/actor Jonathan Lisecki made his feature film debut with the romantic comedy <a href="http://www.gaybyfilm.com/" target="_blank">Gayby</a> (2012), adapted from the award-winning short film of the same title. He lives in New York and Los Angeles with his husband, New Yorker music critic Alex Ross. You can follow him on Twitter at <a href="https://twitter.com/jonnynyc" target="_blank">@jonnynyc</a>.

Jonathan Lisecki

Sarah Gertrude Shapiro is the co-creator, writer and supervising producer of Lifetime&#8217;s hit drama series UnREAL, based on her SXSW award-winning short film Sequin Raze. UnREAL won the Critics&#8217; Choice Award for Most Exciting New Series, and was called “summer&#8217;s best TV show” by The Daily Beast and “one of the most interesting dramas in recent memory” by Vulture. In 2013, Shapiro was one of eight women chosen for the AFI Directing Workshop for Women.

Sarah Gertrude Shapiro

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Mark Rappaport’s film include From the Journals of Jean Seberg and Rock Hudson’s Home Movies. Since 2014, Rappaport has made 20 video essays ranging from 10 minutes to an hour, including one for Talkhouse, <a href="../video-essay-mark-rappaport-on-the-empty-screen/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The Empty Screen</a>. His new book, <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Book-Dreams-Mark-Rappaport/dp/6086733902" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Book of Dreams</a>, a mesmerizing collection of almost 100 photomontages, is now available to buy. Four collections of his essays and fictions — all about film — The Moviegoer Who Knew Too Much, (F)au(x)tobiographies, and The Secret Life Of Moving Shadows — Pt 1 and Pt 2 are available as e-books.

Mark Rappaport

Almost Like Movies – At One Frame a Second