Producers
Interviews - Producers
-
“We Had to Turn Everything Upside Down”: Producer Mads-August Hertz on Sauna
Sauna tells the story of a budding romance between a cis man and a transgender man in Copenhagen that forces both of them to consider how they conceive of themselves in relation to how society positions them. The film, the debut feature of writer-director Mathias Broe, is part of the 2025 Sundance Film Festival’s World Cinema Dramatic Competition. It is also the first producer credit for Mads-August Hertz, who offers reflections and insights on his biggest job yet and the difficulties of adapting novels below. See all responses to our annual Sundance first-time producer interviews here. Filmmaker: How did you connect […]
-
“Respect Goes a Long Way”: Producer Erin Williams-Weir on Never Get Busted
The docuseries Never Get Busted follows Barry Cooper, a decorated Texas narcotics officer who shifts his focus to exposing police misconduct and, in truly libertarian fashion, helping drug users avoid getting busted for possession. Screening as part of the Sundance’s episodic pilot showcase, Never Get Busted is also the first-time producing venture for Erin Williams-Weir. Below, Williams-Weir discusses the financial challenges she faced along the way and provides a glimpse at the series’ raw material. See all responses to our annual Sundance first-time producer interviews here. Filmmaker: How did you connect with this filmmaker and wind up producing the film? Williams-Weir: My background is in […]
-
“The Onus Always Comes Back to Producers’ Creativity”: Producer Colleen Cassingham on Life After
Life After is an investigation into the whereabouts of Elizabeth Bouvia, whose request for medically assisted in dying in 1983 kicked off a debate that still rages today. The film is Reid Davenport’s follow-up to the 2022 Sundance film I Didn’t See You There and screens as part of the festival’s U.S. Documentary Competition. The film is also the first producer credit for Colleen Cassingham. Below, she talks about being challenged by her film’s subject matter, navigating conundrums of documentary ethics, and the overlapping crises in the industry. See all responses to our annual Sundance first-time producer interviews here. Filmmaker: How […]
-
“Sudden Twists and Turns Are What Support the Core Idea”: Producers Sara Khaki & Mohammadreza Eyni on Cutting Through Rocks
Sara Khaki and Mohammadreza Eyni directed, shot, edited and produced their debut feature, Cutting Through Rocks, about an Iranian councilwoman who uses her position to advocate for the rights of women and girls in her village. The film screens as part of the World Cinema Documentary Competition at the 2025 Sundance Film Festival. Below, Khaki and Eyni respond in their capacity as producers about the process of finding funding while sticking with their subjects. See all responses to our annual Sundance first-time producer interviews here. Filmmaker: How did you connect with this filmmaker and wind up producing the film? Khaki & Eyni: […]
-
“Moviemaking on a Hyper-Condensed Timeline”: Producer Laurel Thomson on Serious People
Co-directors Pasqual Gutierrez and Ben Mullinkosson made a work of autofiction about the former’s expectant fatherhood and work-life balance in Serious People, about a music video director who hires a lookalike to take his place at work while his wife is pregnant. Serious People is also Laurel Thomson’s first feature film as a producer. She discusses what made this film so different to produce from other films she has worked on and the ensuing “baptism by fire” to get the film ready for Sundance, where it screens as part of the NEXT section. See all responses to our annual Sundance first-time producer […]
-
“Everyone in the Indie world is Full of Passion”: Producer Julie Waters on Oh, Hi!
Oh, Hi! is director Sophie Brooks’ follow-up to 2017’s The Boy Downstairs about the mismatched desires of Iris and Isaac (Molly Gordon and Logan Lerman, respectively) as they attempt to rekindle their romance. The film screens as part of the 2025 Sundance Film Festival’s Premieres sections. Oh, Hi! is also the debut feature producing credit by Julie Waters. Below, Waters discusses transitioning from the studio system to the indie world and the guiding lights who helped her succeed. See all responses to our annual Sundance first-time producer interviews here. Filmmaker: How did you connect with this filmmaker and wind up producing the film? […]
-
“We Prioritized Story Over Logistics”: Producer Grant Ellison on Sunfish
Sunfish (& Other Stories on Green Lake) follows a group of characters as their paths begin to cross on Northern Michigan’s Green Lake. Besides being the debut feature of director Sierra Falconer, Sunfish is also Grant Ellison’s first credit as a producer. Below, Ellison talks about becoming a producer as someone whose day job is in policy research and how he was able to learn on the fly. See all responses to our annual Sundance first-time producer interviews here. Filmmaker: How did you connect with this filmmaker and wind up producing the film? Ellison: Sierra and I are high school sweethearts. We […]
-
“If You’re in the Room, Your Voice Matters”: Producer Shannon Moss on East of Wall
Screening in the 2025 Sundance Film Festival’s NEXT section, East of Wall is a fictionalized version of the life of Tabatha Zamiga—who runs a ranch for wayward teenagers—and her family after the sudden death of her husband. The film stars its subjects as themselves and was written by debutant writer-director Kate Beecroft while she spent time with the family after a chance meeting on a road trip. Also debuting on East of Wall is producer Shannon Moss. Below, Moss talks about some of the challenges of shooting the film, the industry’s risk-averse nature and the mentors who helped her make […]
-
“You Have to Create a Strong Duo”: Producer Dominique Barneaud on GEN_
Italian director Gianluca Matarrese centers his latest film on Dr. Bini, who oversees in vitro and gender-affirming care Milan’s Niguarda public hospital. Navigating complications put forth by the country’s conservative government as well as the commodification of healthcare, Dr. Bini never wavers in his mission to help his patients. First-time producer Dominique Barneaud discusses the difficulties of security Italian funding, his long-standing relationship with Matarrese and the importance of free speech among the film’s subjects. See all responses to our annual Sundance first-time producer interviews here. Filmmaker: How did you connect with this filmmaker and wind up producing the film? Barneaud: […]
-
“It Came Down to Me Not Wanting to Miss Out on the Trip”: Producer Asma Chiboub on Where the Wind Comes From
A competition in southern Tunisia becomes a road trip destination for young friends Alyssa(Eya Bellagha) and Mehdi (Slim Baccar) in Where the Wind Comes From, the feature debut from writer-director Amel Guellaty. First-time feature producer Asma Chiboub talks about her experience on Where the Wind Comes From, and the current state of the industry, below. See all responses to our annual Sundance first-time producer interviews here. Filmmaker: How did you connect with this filmmaker and wind up producing the film? Chiboub: I met Amel Guellaty in 2014 around her first short film, Black Mamba, which I produced and which premiered in […]
