December 23, 2016
For Filmmakers Geeta and Ravi Patel, Love Is a Family Affair
Craig Phillips in Interviews
It was a long and winding road for sibling filmmakers Geeta Patel and her brother Ravi in the making of their film Meet the Patels — including not just the initial…...
July 27, 2016
In the Ring with the USA’s First Women’s Boxing Olympic Gold Medalist
Craig Phillips in Interviews
Zackary Canepari and Drea Cooper's film T-Rex: Her Fight for Gold tells the story of Claressa "T-Rex" Shields, who at the 2012 London Olympics became the first American woman to win…...
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…...
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…...
April 27, 2016
Downton Abbey Director David Evans Talks About Nazi Legacy Doc
Craig Phillips in Interviews
Award-winning English director David Evans helmed the feature film Fever Pitch (the original, superior British version about soccer, starring Colin Firth, for which Nick Hornby adapted his best-selling book of the…...
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…...
March 23, 2016
Tyler Measom and Justin Weinstein Unlock the Mystery of James “The Amazing” Randi
Craig Phillips in Interviews
As famous a skeptic as he is a magician, James "The Amazing" Randi has led a life full of magic and mystery, as much off the stage as on it,…...
February 23, 2016
Lyric Cabral and David Felix Sutcliffe Capture an FBI Informant
Craig Phillips in Interviews
To do a film about an undercover FBI anti-terror sting is already tricky territory to navigate, but filmmakers Lyric Cabral and David Felix Sutcliffe infiltrated even deeper. In (T)ERROR, they gained unprecedented…...
February 11, 2016
Stanley Nelson Reveals the Real Black Panther Party
Craig Phillips in Interviews
Filmmaker Stanley Nelson, who won an Emmy for the PBS documentary The Murder of Emmett Till, three Emmys for Freedom Riders, and made an acclaimed film about Marcus Garvey, has for years…...
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…...
December 26, 2015
Laura Pacheco and Jackie Mow Tell the Story of a Farmworker’s Studious Son
Craig Phillips in Interviews
Not just a filmmaker but a trained anthropologist, Laura Pacheco has traveled the world to tell the stories of people overcoming the odds of their rough circumstances, including for the Emmy…...
November 20, 2015
Sophie Sartain Finds Resonance in Her Family’s Caregiving Story
Craig Phillips in Interviews
Longtime documentary film writer, editor, and fundraiser Sophie Sartain decided to go personal for her directorial debut. Her film Mimi and Dona enters the world of Sophie's grandmother and developmentally disabled aunt, who after…...