First Time Go – Details, episodes & analysis
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A weekly podcast highlighting the creators of independent film and the business behind it. Hosted by Ben Duchek.
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Apple Podcasts
🇩🇪 Germany - filmInterviews
02/06/2026#86🇩🇪 Germany - filmInterviews
01/06/2026#68🇩🇪 Germany - filmInterviews
31/05/2026#39🇩🇪 Germany - filmInterviews
27/05/2026#93🇫🇷 France - filmInterviews
26/05/2026#98🇫🇷 France - filmInterviews
25/05/2026#90🇫🇷 France - filmInterviews
24/05/2026#76🇫🇷 France - filmInterviews
23/05/2026#67🇫🇷 France - filmInterviews
22/05/2026#50🇺🇸 USA - filmInterviews
09/05/2026#79
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See all- https://www.instagram.com/p
11467 shares
- https://www.instagram.com/firstgopod
43 shares
- https://www.instagram.com/wkamaubell
30 shares
- https://www.roadsoffiredoc.com/
59 shares
- https://boxd.it/9BMgH
43 shares
- https://www.youtube.com/@firstgopod
43 shares
- https://youtube.com/@firstgopod
14 shares
- https://youtu.be/m9wr1qz88j4
3 shares
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See allScore global : 63%
Publication history
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Wendy Corn
Season 1 · Episode 4
mardi 18 juillet 2023 • Duration 16:36
Did you know burial and cremation are both bad for the environment? That bartending may be the best training for documentary filmmaking? What about death haikus?
I talk to Wendy Corn about her new film, Exit Strategy: From Scared to Sacred, which recently raised over $34,000 as part of a successful crowdfunding campaign on Seed & Spark. Wendy is an award-winning documentary filmmaker whose films have been featured at SXSW and other festivals. She gives advice to filmmakers, talks about why Austin is a great home for indies, and shares the level of commitment -- and vulnerability -- it requires to embark on a crowdfunding campaign.
Links mentioned in the conversation:
- https://www.austinfilm.org/sponsored/exit_strategy/
- https://seedandspark.com/fund/exit-strategy/
- Matthew Kochmann (wetranscend.com)
- Artist/Animator: Yuliya Lanina (yuliyalanina.com)
Christian Kamaal
Season 2 · Episode 58
mardi 3 septembre 2024 • Duration 41:13
You can see the artistic talent of Christian Kamaal in the vivid way he describes his life -- he borrowed a camera from his father, who used it to film funerals for his community ("unfortunately, in the city I come from, a lot of funerals"); his power of observation earned him a spot at USC's film school; and he utilized his power of observation, of visual artistry, to make BLACKIFIER, a powerful short that hits you with more thoughts about our world than most features. And that's only half of it. In this episode,
- we talk about the reaction of BLACKIFIER at film festivals;
- why people don't pursue controversial social topics;
- how he thinks we can change festivals to hear more diverse stories ("it starts at the top") and stresses the importance of ownership of your own stories;
- his thoughts on AI in filmmaking;
- are there enough films programs at HBCUs (Historically Black Colleges and Universities)?
- and what this extraordinarily talented filmmaker is working on next.
Christian's Indie Film Highlight: Letia Solomon
Links:
Christian Kamaal’s Website
Support the Podcast Through MembershipHyejin "Grace" Park
Season 2 · Episode 51
mardi 6 août 2024 • Duration 23:47
Filmmaker Hyejin "Grace" Park has such incredible range as an indie filmmaker: she's directed everything from sci-fi to gangster films and made them her own in a way that's utterly enchanting and unique. Her Vimeo page is a testament to her range as a filmmaker.
In this episode, we discuss how she got started in filmmaking; her goal of making sure minority filmmakers feel seen; how life experiences have made her a better filmmaker; the depth of the story behind her genre-breaking film COMET ORPHAN; what made her decide to use Seed & Spark for the film ("we were way short because we had to built a spaceship"); where you can expect to see the film; and what's next for Grace.
If there's a Grace Park fan club, I'm the first member. Go to her Vimeo and see for yourself. It's truly incredible what she's accomplished and I cannot wait to see what's next.
Grace's Indie Film Highlight: Christian Kamaal
Links:
Grace Park's Vimeo Page
Meet Hyejin "Grace" Park
Hyejin "Grace" Park's Website
Support the Podcast Through MembershipRoss McDonnell (Re-Release)
Season 2
mardi 24 septembre 2024 • Duration 24:35
This is a re-release of my discussion with Ross McDonnell. His film, SWIFT JUSTICE, is up for a News & Doc Emmy in Outstanding Cinematography: Documentary. The awards will be revealed live on September 26, 2024.
Ross died on November 5, 2023. His co-director, Victor Blue, writes movingly about his work. Later on this year, I'll post an episode remembering Ross and the legacy of independent filmmakers.
In this episode, I talk with Ross McDonnell, co-director of the new documentary short, SWIFT JUSTICE, about Sharia justice in Afghanistan.
Ross and I discuss:
- how he got started in filmmaking;
- whether some people are just built for the visual arts;
- the gear behind making a film like SWIFT JUSTICE and how they went about filming "without understanding what was happening in realtime"
- the importance of Christmas movies in Ireland and W.B. Yeats;
- never-ending praise for editors and the New Yorker's prowess in the documentary realm;
- what's next for the documentary field.
Ross' Indie Film Highlight: Jonathan Glazer; Wong Kar-wai; Spize Jonze; Chris Cunningham; Floria Sigismondi; Chris Doyle; Lance Acord
Links:
Watch The News & Doc Emmys Live On September 26, 2024
Support the Podcast Through MembershipIndie Film Highlight: THE BACHELORS (2017)
Season 3
dimanche 13 avril 2025 • Duration 01:19
Every Sunday, I'll post a quick video -- and podcast -- about an indie film from at least a year ago. Today's film: THE BACHELORS (2017).
Director: Kurt Voelker
Written By: Kurt Voelker
Cast: JK Simmons; Josh Wiggins; Odeya Rush
SYNOPSIS
After the death of his wife, Bill and his 17-year-old son, Wes, move from a small town to a big city for a fresh start. As they begin to adjust to life in the city and seek ways to heal their wounds, they both find comfort in newfound romances. Although circumstances contribute to Bill and Wes growing apart, they come back together and rediscover their true selves in the process.
Indie Film Highlight: 5 YEARS APART (2019)
Season 3
dimanche 6 avril 2025 • Duration 01:30
Every Sunday, I'll post a quick video -- and podcast -- about an indie film from at least a year ago. Today's film: FIVE YEARS APART (2019).
Director: Joe Angelo Menconi
Written By: Joe Angelo Menconi; Zac Krause
Cast: Chloe Bennet; Scott Michael Foster; Ally Maki
SYNOPSIS
Two estranged brothers born on the same day five years apart run into each other at their family vacation home with wildly different expectations for how their birthday weekend will play out.
Indie Film Highlight: SAY YOU WILL (2017)
Season 3
dimanche 16 mars 2025 • Duration 01:37
Every Sunday, I'll post a quick video -- and podcast -- about an indie film from at least a year ago. Today's film: SAY YOU WILL (2017)
Director: Nick Naveda
Written By: Nick Naveda
Cast: Travis Tope; Katherine Hughes; Israel Broussard; Sam Trammell
SYNOPSIS
After his father's suicide, a promising young musician tries to help his mother survive her grief while he tries to find solace in a troubled childhood crush.
Special Slamdance Coverage: Ntare Guma Mbaho Mwine
Season 3
samedi 8 mars 2025 • Duration 24:25
Ntare Guma Mbaho Mwine is an accomplished actor, director, and documentary filmmaker, and so it's no surprise that his film, MEMORIES OF LOVE RETURNED (2024), is a love letter to the arts. It's also a love letter about Uganda, and offers a deeply personal look at his experience in the country and that of photographer Kibaate Aloysius Ssalongo.
In this episode, we discuss:
- how he got started in filmmaking and if he has a preference between acting and directing;
- how his knowledge of directing affected his acting "for years";
- what he learned in his decades of documentary filmmaking;
- the role of LGBTQ films going forward;
- the challenge of making films in an occasional hostile social and political environment;
- why Slamdance?;
- when can people see MEMORIES OF LOVE RETURNED;
- what's next for him?
- does he ever feel typecast as an actor or as a director -- because of his name, he was getting "certain African roles"; he told his reps, it would be great to get something where he isn't speaking an African accent;
- being told he "wasn't African enough."
Ntare's Indie Film Highlight: WHEN THE SMOKE CLEARS (2024) dir. by Misha Kapany Schwarz, Maarya Zafa.
Links:
Indie Film Highlight: BROADCAST NEWS (1987)
Season 3
dimanche 16 février 2025 • Duration 01:46
Every Sunday, I'll post a quick video -- and podcast -- about an indie film from at least a year ago. Today's film: BROADCAST NEWS (1987).
Director: James L Brooks
Screenplay: James L Brooks
Cast: Holly Hunter; William Hurt; Albert Brooks
SYNOPSIS
A highly strung news producer finds herself strangely attracted to a vapid anchorman even through she loathes everything he personifies. To make matters worse, her best friend, a talented but not particularly telegenic news reporter, is secretly in love with her.
Indie Film Highlight: ONCE AGAIN (2019)
Season 3
dimanche 9 février 2025 • Duration 01:42
Every Sunday, I'll post a quick video -- and podcast -- about an indie film from at least a year ago. Today's film: ONCE AGAIN (2019). The film is also on streamers as "una vez más."
Director: Guillermo Rojas
Written By: Guillermo Rojas; Kevin Dániel di Angelo
Cast: Silvia Acosta; Teresa Arboi; Beatriz Arjona
SYNOPSIS
Abril left Daniel behind 5 years ago, when she decided to try her luck in London. She is back home now, to bury her grandmother. Walking the streets of what was her home with the man who was her love, she realizes she had missed it all.
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