Ondi Timoner leads a conversation on how VR and film can be used to support and empower immigrant communities.

WeTalk — Giving Voice to the Disempowered

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Chie Hayakawa’s latest film, the 1980s-set lyrical coming-of-age drama <a href="https://renoir.film/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Renoir</a>, premiered at the 2025 Cannes Film Festival and is in theaters from tomorrow through Film Movement. Born in Tokyo, Hayakawa studied photography at School of Visual Arts in New York. Her debut feature, <a href="https://www.kimstim.com/film/plan-75/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Plan 75</a>, premiered at Cannes and was Japan&#8217;s official selection for Best Foreign Language Feature at the Oscars. Hayakawa&#8217;s short film version of Plan 75 was the acclaimed opening segment of feature anthology Ten Years Japan, executive produced by internationally acclaimed director Hirokazu Kore-eda. Ten Years Japan screened as a world premiere at the Busan International Film Festival in 2018, followed by successful theatrical releases and an international festival tour.

Chie Hayakawa

Film

My Little Irene

I Heard Sex Is Over

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: 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

Creative

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Talkhouse

<div>Ben Arthur is a musician who lives in Harlem. His podcast, <a href="http://www.songwriterpodcast.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=http://www.songwriterpodcast.com&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1579793271327000&amp;usg=AFQjCNHcafZvtKJL2a7j27DWMGZcYFZkSg">SongWriter</a>, features stories and “answer songs” written in response, and includes performances by Roxane Gay, Joyce Carol Oates, Susan Orlean, Gary Shteyngart, Ted Leo, and others. His most recent album is Perspective.</div>
<div>(Photo Credit: Bernie DeChant)</div>

Ben Arthur

Music

Getting “the Ick” From AI Art

Your favorite musicians, filmmakers, and other creative minds one-on-one. No moderator, no script, no typical questions. The Talkhouse Podcast offers unique insights into creative work from all genres and generations. <a href="https://pod.link/Talkhouse" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Subscribe now</a>, and explore more illuminating shows on the <a href="https://talkhouse.com/category/podcast" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Talkhouse Podcast Network.</a>

Talkhouse Podcast

Barry Johnson (Joyce Manor) Talks with Greg Mendez on the Talkhouse Podcast

Diane Warren, the subject of the new documentary <a href="https://greenwichentertainment.com/film/diane-warren-relentless/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Diane Warren: Relentless</a> (which is in theaters from tomorrow and streaming on MasterClass starting January 23), is one of the most prolific and celebrated songwriters of all time, with a four-decade track record of writing mega-hits for industry giants. Boasting 15 Academy Award nominations, an Honorary Oscar along with Grammy, Emmy, and Golden Globe Awards, Diane has etched her name on the Hollywood Walk of Fame and the Songwriters Hall of Fame and is responsible for some of the most iconic songs of our time. She has penned nine #1 and thirty-three top 10 hits on the Billboard Hot 100 and is tied for having written the most #1 songs as a sole writer in Billboard history. Her distinguished catalog features beloved songs including “Only Love Can Hurt Like This,” “Un-Break My Heart,” “If I Could Turn Back Time” and “Rhythm of the Night.” She is the sole owner of her publishing company Realsongs, the most successful female-owned and operated business in the music industry.

Diane Warren

Diane Warren and Izzy Escobar Are Their Own Believers

Rita Wilson: Sound of a Woman (Gender Studies with Ann Pelligrini)

Producer/director&nbsp;Ondi Timoner has the rare distinction of winning the Grand Jury Prize at the Sundance Film Festival twice. Her 2004 doc, <a href="http://www.interloperfilms.com/portfolio/dig/">Dig!</a>, explores the star-crossed rivalry of the Dandy Warhols and the Brian Jonestown Massacre, while her 2009 top prize-winner, <a href="http://www.interloperfilms.com/portfolio/we-live-in-public/">We Live in Public</a>, examines privacy in the virtual age through Internet visionary Josh Harris&#8217; social experiments. Her company <a href="http://atotaldisruption.com">A Total Disruption</a>&nbsp;releases weekly short docs about thought leaders and doers who are transforming our lives through technology.

Ondi Timoner

post

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