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Talkhouse

Alison Star Locke earned a B.F.A. in Filmic Writing from USC, where she won the Jack Nicholson Screenwriting Award. She began her career as a reality TV Story Producer and writing, directing and producing numerous shorts. After staying home to advocate and care for her daughter, who has autism, she returned to work to write and direct The Apology, her first feature, a psychological thriller starring Anna Gunn, Linus Roache and Janeane Garofalo and is available on Shudder, AMC+, Blu-Ray and VOD. Her comedy horror short, Pick Up Time, was laureled up at fests, including Nightmares, Renegade, etc. She recently produced the zombie horror/relationship drama short, Until the End. She lives with her husband and daughter in the LA area. Her work focuses mainly on motherhood, gender disparity, disability and having fun getting your rage out. You can find her on socials at @alisonstarlocke.

Alison Star Locke

Film

Seeing My Family at the Movies

Celyn Jones is a critically acclaimed actor and BAFTA nominated screenwriter from Wales who is the director, co-writer and one of the lead actors in the acclaimed drama <a href="https://www.ifcfilms.com/films/the-almond-and-the-seahorse" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The Almond and the Seahorse</a>, also starring Rebel Wilson, Charlotte Gainsbourg and Trine Dyrholm, which is out December 16 through IFC Films. He started his producing career with a series of award-winning short films. Celyn is the co-founder of Mad As Birds Films and has produced on every one of their feature films including the Diane Keaton comedy Poms, which he developed from a one-line pitch. Celyn wrote Set Fire to the Stars (2014), in which he starred as Dylan Thomas opposite Elijah Wood. Since then he has written the critically acclaimed, BAFTA and BIFA-nominated, noir-thriller The Vanishing, starring Gerard Butler and Peter Mullan, and co-wrote Eddie Izzard’s first screenplay, Six Minutes to Midnight, starring Judi Dench and Jim Broadbent, which was released by Lionsgate. He co-wrote the screenplay for The Almond and the Seahorse after originating the role of Joe on stage. (Photo by Jemima Marriott.)

Celyn Jones

Failing Better

Vashti Anderson is an American filmmaker and published author based in Brooklyn. She has been working in film and TV production in NYC since the late &#8217;90s and, since earning her MFA in Film at NYU, has written and directed several narrative films. Her first feature, <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Moko-Jumbie-Vanna-Vee-Girod/dp/B07HR2S3K8" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Moko Jumbie</a>, was filmed in rural Trinidad and premiered at Los Angeles Film Festival. It screened in competition at Bentonville, Urbanworld, Edinburgh International Film Festival and others and is now available on Indiepix and Amazon Prime Video. Vashti currently spends her time writing stories, developing her second feature and making sure her kids don’t kill each other.

Vashti Anderson

The Living Record of Your Memory

Serge Bozon makes movies, writes about movies and plays in movies.

Serge Bozon

On Pop

Andrew C. Fisher grew up on the gulf coast of Texas. He studied Philosophy in college, and he has spent most of his adult years trying to figure out how to tell a good story through moving pictures and sound. You can find Thanatos and other work at <a href="http://www.andrewcfisher.com" target="_blank" rel="noopener">andrewcfisher.com</a>.
Right after Cacia Zoo popped out of her mom&#8217;s womb, she was dancing! She always knew she wanted to be a performer and artist. She visited New York when she turned 16 and took an acting class throughout the summer. After that summer her life was never the same. She went back to Taiwan and came back to New York the first chance she got. Her creativity is versatile and spread through many different mediums. Whether she&#8217;s in front of the camera or behind it, with herself or collaborating with others, she has immense passion for performance and art. If she&#8217;s not moving or creating, she&#8217;s on her way to.

Andrew C. Fisher and Cacia Zoo

Can We Talk About BDSM?

Ravi Kapoor is a writer, director and actor who was born and raised in Liverpool. His latest feature as director, <a href="https://www.ifcfilms.com/films/four-samosas" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Four Samosas</a> – a quirky heist comedy set in L.A.’s “Little India” – is out on December 2 through IFC Films. He trained at the East 15 School of Acting in London and has worked extensively in both the U.K. and America. He directed and co-wrote the feature Miss India America, which played at many festivals and then sold to Netflix worldwide and is now available on most streaming channels. He’s appeared in numerous TV shows and movies including Flight, Book Club, The Starling, 24, Sharp Objects, NCIS, Elementary, The Brink and many more. He was also a series regular on the shows Gideon’s Crossing and Crossing Jordan, for which he also directed.

Ravi Kapoor

Bruh, What the Hell Even is a Samosa?

Noah Segan is an actor who played a cowboy on the soap opera Days of our Lives. He&#8217;s appeared in movies like Brick, Deadgirl and Looper. His favorite actor is Warren Oates, who died, as Noah also plans to do one day. Blood Relatives, which he wrote, directed and stars in, is now <a href="https://www.shudder.com/movies/watch/blood-relatives/cefde188a6f617b9" target="_blank" rel="noopener">streaming on Shudder</a>.

Noah Segan

On Road Movies

Anthony Orkin is a Portland-based filmmaker and the writer-director-editor of the offbeat musical <a href="https://www.hellofromnowhere.net/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Hello From Nowhere</a>, which his second feature. His first feature, Personal Sergeant, starring Victor Argo, was distributed by Marvista Entertainment. A SAG-AFTRA member, Orkin has provided voices for shows and spots. His short films, such as Sammy’s Measle, The Neighbor Hood and Stargazer, have screened at a number of festivals. In addition to features, Anthony has edited TV shows, music videos and commercials. He lives in a big old house with his wife, two daughters, two cats, and, occasionally, a possum.

Anthony Orkin

How I Made a Movie to Rid Myself of My Obsession with Schmaltz and Schtick

Brian McGuire is a a writer, director, actor, music maker, skateboarder, born in Chicago and raised in Austin, Texas. LeftHouse is his production company. Some have called him the king of independent film. Others have called him a young Bill Murray. And some have even called him one of the good ones. His latest film, <a href="https://www.facebook.com/1world100lonely" target="_blank" rel="noopener">1 World 100 Lonely</a>, is now free on <a href="http://bit.ly/1WORLD100LONELY" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Amazon Prime</a>. Find out more about Brian and his work at <a href="http://www.lefthousefilms.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">lefthousefilms.com</a>.

Brian McGuire

Web3 + Film = Film3

Kit Zauhar is a filmmaker, writer, and actress from Philly currently living in NYC. Her first feature, <a href="https://www.factorytwentyfive.com/actual-people" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Actual People</a>, is in theaters through Factory 25 from November 18 and will stream in early 2023. You can find out more about her work and life and <a href="http://kitzauhar.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">kitzauhar.com</a>.

Kit Zauhar

I Could Stay Here a While

Mark Pellington is a filmmaker, writer and artist based in Los Angeles. He is internationally recognized as one of the world’s premier music video directors and has also gained wide recognition for his film and television work. His best-known films include the controversial political thriller Arlington Road, starring Jeff Bridges and Tim Robbins, cult favorite The Mothman Prophesies, starring Richard Gere, Laura Linney and Debra Messing, The Last Word, with Amanda Seyfried and Shirley MacLaine, and Nostalgia, starring Jon Hamm, Nick Offerman, Amber Tamblyn, Patton Oswalt, Catherine Keener, Ellen Burstyn and Bruce Dern. The Director&#8217;s Edit of his first film, <a href="https://goingalltheway.oscilloscope.net/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Going All the Way</a>, came out in fall 2022 and his latest feature, the cathartic dance film <a href="https://kinolorber.com/film/the-severing#" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The Severing</a>, is now in select theaters through Kino Lorber.

Mark Pellington

Going Back to the Source

Actor Pej Vahdat recently starred on three successful series concurrently: in The Old Man, alongside Jeff Bridges, for FX/Hulu, opposite Kevin Bacon on the Ben Affleck-Matt Damon-produced City on a Hill for Showtime, and in a pivotal role in the final season of Dynasty for the CW. Born in Tehran, Iran, Pej and his family moved to the United States to escape the revolution and landed in San Jose, California. Pej went on to attend San Diego State University where he played Division 1 Tennis, but ultimately turned his focus to acting. His first professional job was on CBS’ The Unit and he went on to work for eight seasons of Fox’s Bones. He had recurring roles on Shameless, alongside William H. Macy, Sneaky Pete opposite Bryan Cranston, and Fox’s Empire, opposite Taraji P Henson and Terrence Howard. His feature film credits include Christopher Morris’ The Day Shall Come, which he starred in opposite Anna Kendrick. When not acting, Pej resides in Los Angeles with his two dogs, Charlie and Zinfindel. (Photo by Jared Schlachet.)

film essay