Blog

Filmmaker Dawn Porter
Interviews

June 13, 2016

Dawn Porter Unlocks the Story of Laws Targeting Abortion Providers

Craig Phillips in Behind the Films

Filmmaker Dawn Porter has shown a willingness to probe uncomfortable truths and untold stories in the past. LA Times critic Robert Lloyd called her acclaimed Independent Lens film Spies of Mississippi "eye-opening" for…...

Dogtown Redemption Filmmakers Chihiro Wimbush and Amir Soltani (l-r)
Interviews

May 13, 2016

Seven Years Filming the Homeless of Oakland

Craig Phillips in Behind the Films

The filmmaking team of Amir Soltani and Chihiro Wimbush both come from incredibly varied backgrounds, and bring an abundance of talents and interests to the table for the first feature…...

Filmmaker Abigail Disney sits down with Lucy McBath for the film Armor of Light
Behind the Films

May 09, 2016

Abigail Disney Wields the Power of Dialogue with The Armor of Light

Craig Phillips in Behind the Films

Abigail Disney (her grandfather was Roy O. Disney, Walt's brother and co-founder of the Walt Disney Company, just to get that out of the way) has long been a producer…...

Peace Officer filmmakers Scott Christopherson and Brad Barber (l-r)
Interviews

May 06, 2016

Scott Christopherson and Brad Barber Capture a Man on a Mission

Craig Phillips in Behind the Films

Utah-based filmmakers Scott Christopherson and Brad Barber found a supremely compelling story right in their own backyard for their film Peace Officer. The film is several things at once: a personal…...

From left to right: Horst van Wächter, Philippe Sands, and Niklas Frank
Interviews

April 28, 2016

Human Rights Lawyer Philippe Sands Confronts Children of Nazis with Painful Past

Craig Phillips in Behind the Films

While some might call Philippe Sands the on-screen host of My Nazi Legacy, the new film by David Evans that is based on Sands' new book, he's actually the probing,…...

Behind the Films

March 31, 2016

“Leith” Filmmakers Michael Beach Nichols and Christopher K. Walker Capture a Town in a Powderkeg

Craig Phillips in Behind the Films

Michael Beach Nichols and Christopher K. Walker have produced eye-popping, gritty fare before, including an acclaimed film about street dancing, Flex Is Kings, and the HBO film Hard Times: Lost in Long Island…...

production of the first Wikipedia video tutorials (Hamburg, Germany)
Behind the Films

March 04, 2016

Documentaries for Movie Geeks: Films About Films

Scott Weinberg in Behind the Films

Once you've watched a beloved movie two or three times, you start to crave a little more information about the film's conception, production, and cultural impact, among other things. So…...

Interviews

February 06, 2016

Nelson George Captures the Poise of Misty Copeland to Tell a Ballerina’s Tale

Independent Lens in Behind the Films

Author, filmmaker, television producer, and critic Nelson George may have worn a lot of hats in his long career, but his love for music has been  constant throughout. He's published numerous non-fiction…...

Filmmaker Matt Fuller, director of Autism in Love, in black and white portrait
Behind the Films

January 07, 2016

Matt Fuller Explores the Autism Spectrum with Intimate Film

Craig Phillips in Behind the Films

Filmmaker Matt Fuller began his career in Hollywood, working for Sony Pictures in various capacities (on such films as Vacancy, Prom Night, and The Stepfather), and went on to supervise the development and production…...

Stray Dog director Debra Granik with the film's subject, Ron
Interviews

November 07, 2015

Debra Granik Goes Back to Missouri for Stray Dog

Craig Phillips in Behind the Films

Filmmaker Debra Granik helped bring actresses Vera Farmiga and Jennifer Lawrence much-deserved fame with her two acclaimed feature films Down to the Bone and Winter’s Bone, respectively. Winter’s Bone in particular,…...

Let the Fire Burn filmmaker Jason Osder sitting in the edit suite
Behind the Films

May 09, 2014

Jason Osder Explores an American Tragedy in Let the Fire Burn

Craig Phillips in Behind the Films

Let the Fire Burn, which won Best Editing in a Documentary Feature and nabbed Jason Osder Best New Documentary Director at the Tribeca Film Festival, manages to tell the supremely tense and tragic story of the…...

April 07, 2014

Meet the Hypnotic Brass Ensemble

Craig Phillips in Behind the Films

Enjoy this collection of additional videos and links to check out more from the Hypnotic Brass Ensemble, who are the center of Reuben Atlas's new Independent Lens documentary Brothers Hypnotic,…...