Podcast · Arts & Books

First Time Go

by Benjamin Duchek · English · Arts & Books

A weekly podcast highlighting the creators of independent film and the business behind it. Hosted by Ben Duchek.

Typical length: 21 min
Language: English

Latest episode

56 min

"I Hate Most Addiction Films": How Director Aaron Strand Broke Almost All Of The Rules

We're so accustomed to the tropes of addiction related films. Recovery is inspiration. There's a happy ending. The story is over when your protagonist comes out of therapy. As I listen to this conversation, it even invades how we talk to the directors of films. But my guest today, Aaron Strand, director of the brilliant film WITHDRAWAL (2025) , thinks about all of these things differently: he hates addiction films because normally directors try to "inflict pain on people for them to act correctly." He encourages filmmakers to "clean up their side of the street before starting to tell [their]…

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Earlier episodes 29 most recent

S4 · E51 · 32 min
"It's Actually A Sunny Day In Ireland" Damian McCann, director of AONTAS (2025), Ireland's Oscar Pick for 2027
The most Irish friendly film podcast is back with another Irish guest, director Damian McCann, who brings a host of firsts with him -- first Irish language film made in Northern Ireland; first guy to be doing the laundry when he found out that his film, AONTAS (2025) , is Ireland's nominee for the 2027 Oscar for Best International Film; and first guy to ask his parents about how to rob a bank and then use that information to make a banger of a heist film. On the last part: maybe. Hopefully. This is fantastic filmmaking that moves the bar foward for original screenwriting; Irish language…
S4 · E50 · 20 min
Paula González-Nasser — Six Years Scouting, One Film: THE SCOUT (2025)
Not a pop psychology show, but if it was, I'd explore more with my guest, writer and director Paula González-Nasser of the brilliant film THE SCOUT (2025), how she made her first feature about a job she didn't care for. I can't imagine a scenario where she was working as a location scout, and thought, this is my first feature film. And yet. THE SCOUT works brilliantly as a observational movie about the little seen lives of location scouts, even though their work has an outsized influence on the sets that you see in films. She captures all the little nuances of that life through wide shots…
S4 · E49 · 46 min
Mylissa Fitzsimmons On Running Away And The Making of MACKENZIE (2026)
My guest today, director Mylissa Fitzsimmons, previously released two features -- EVERYTHING IN THE END (2021) and THE LONG RUN (2025) -- and never got a premiere. She suffered from burnout of the excruciating process of making these brilliant films. And yet: here she is in 2026 with MACKENZIE (2026) , opening at Film Fest Oldenburg this year. What does that say about perseverance? Resilience? A never quit attitude and the ability to keep going on even though this is really, really, fucking really hard? I think it says everything. I'm so motivated hearing her story and so excited for the…
S4 · E48 · 33 min
Thrilling sci-fi films, parenthood, and acting in your 60s: The Amazing Story of Ace Thor & Glen Steele
Expectations are good in a lot of ways. They hold us to a standard and promote accountability. But they can also be creatively limiting. For actor and executive producer Glen Steele of the film INFINITELY DENSE, who you heard in the intro, he took the shackles off the word expectation and made his art, giving the middle finger to age or any other perceived limitation. INFINITELY DENSE is having its market screening at the Toronto International Film Festival on September 16th, 2026. If you have the ability to go, you should. It's a near-realistic sci-fi look at what happens if a guy unhappy…
S4 · 1 min
Indie Film Highlight: RYE LANE (2023)
Watch This Episode On YouTube Every Sunday, I'll post a quick video -- and podcast -- about an indie film from at least a year ago. Today's film: RYE LANE (2023) Director: Raine Allen Miller SYNOPSIS Two twenty-somethings reeling from bad breakups spend an eventful day wandering South London, helping each other face their nightmare exes and rediscovering the possibility of romance. Subscribe to our YouTube channel Follow us on Letterboxd Follow us on Instagram Follow us on X Follow us on Facebook Follow us on TikTok Follow us on LinkedIn
S4 · E47 · 52 min
Betting Big On Yourself Through Helping Others: Dylan Mulick and HOW TO CHANGE THE WORLD
Watch This Episode On YouTube When you normally see a series like HOW TO CHANGE THE WORLD, put together by my guest, filmmaker Dylan Mulick (and the team at World Within Studios), the tendency is to brush it off as do-gooders doing good things. Where is the conflict in that? A lot of great documentaries aren't seen because of these assumptions. Dylan turns the usual tropes of the series upside down in so many ways by going there : inner city Chicago; the Bahamas; wherever there is actual conflict for people who are looking to change our planet. The result is something altogether fresh: a ten…
S4 · E46 · 17 min
War Zones And Walks To Legendary Romances: Orlando von Einsiedel, director of THE CYCLE OF LOVE (2025)
One of the most fascinating things I've learned about in conducting interviews are how top awards can end up meaning -- nothing. Think back -- can you name who won the Oscar for best documentary short five years ago? Two years ago? So often, it doesn't show a noticeable trajectory change in the filmmakers' careers. That's not true of my guest today, Orlando von Einsiedel, whose film, THE CYCLE OF LOVE (2025) opened in New York on August 28th and later in September for the rest of the country, has continually built on his success through taking on larger projects. In the last 16 years, he's…
S4 · 2 min
Indie Film Highlight: EVELYN (2018)
Every Sunday, I'll post a quick video -- and podcast -- about an indie film from at least a year ago. Today's film: EVELYN (2018). Director: Orlando von Einsiedel SYNOPSIS When a 22-year-old kills himself, his three siblings try to bury their pain. Ten years later, they go on a hiking trip and seek out the places he liked to walk in the English countryside, allowing them to contemplate their brother's life. Subscribe to our YouTube channel Follow us on Letterboxd Follow us on Instagram Follow us on X Follow us on Facebook Follow us on TikTok Follow us on LinkedIn
S4 · E45 · 23 min
Shooting A Coming Of Age Story From A Child's Perspective: Ang Geck Geck Priscilla, dir. of AH GIRL (2026)
Watch This Episode On YouTube If you are staying up till 1030 pm to talk with me from Milan, Italy, well, I'm going to be grateful no matter what. But even better if your film is truly exceptional. My guest, Ang Geck Geck Priscilla, director of AH GIRL (2026), which premiered at Rotterdam and now screens at the Toronto International Film Festival next month, made a fantastic coming of age story from a child's perspective, cinematically. She wrote a semi-autobiographical story -- 70-80% true -- that her parents haven't even seen. And she's a Singaporean filmmaker making waves at huge…
S4 · E44 · 34 min
TWO UGLY PEOPLE (2025), One Exceptional Director: Peter Skinner
It always fascinates me when people with other artistic backgrounds settle on making films. They end up creating an art form that is noticeably different than their peers. My guest, Australian director Peter Skinner, spent five years as a sculptor, and then with the precision that art form requires, turned his focus into making astonishing films like his most recent, TWO UGLY PEOPLE (2025) . It's a hard film to describe but a beautiful one to watch. The impetus for the story of TWO UGLY PEOPLE came in the form of a question: " how do I tell a story about two people who want be together, but…
S4 · 2 min
Indie Film Highlight: MOON (2009)
Watch This Episode On YouTube Every Sunday, I'll post a quick video -- and podcast -- about an indie film from at least a year ago. Today's film: MOON (2009) Director: Duncan Jones Cast: Sam Rockwell; Kevin Spacey; Dominique McElligott; Kaya Scodelario SYNOPSIS Astronaut Sam Bell's (Sam Rockwell) three-year shift at a lunar mine is finally coming to an end, and he's looking forward to his reunion with his wife (Dominique McElligott) and young daughter. Suddenly, Sam's health takes a drastic turn for the worse. He suffers painful headaches and hallucinations, and almost has a fatal accident.…
S4 · E43 · 27 min
The Best Film I've Watched All Year (Part 2): Cinematographer Tom Ford of URCHINS (2026
At the risk of sounding corny (and real in a world of AI slop podcast descriptions), let me add a fourth F: Ford. As in Tom Ford. No, not that one -- the cinematographer Tom Ford, who made my favorite film of the year absolutely shine through his work years ago. What do I mean by that? As we talk about, much of what I love about URCHINS is its lighting, and that came from enduring relationships that Tom built over the years that he brought on for this film. There's a huge lesson in that and Tom's career; you can have all the talent in the world, but if you aren't a team player, the big…
S4 · E42 · 41 min
The Best Film I've Watched All Year (Part 1): Director Adam Rioux of URCHINS (2026)
The story behind URCHINS (2026), a coming of age tale set in the waterways of Florida, distills what is best and what is worst about the modern state of independent film. URCHINS is a dazzling display of cinematography and storytelling at its most compelling: it shows Florida like you've never seen before and the story is told in a very unconventional way without the tropes of the genre. But: it never made it into a festival. Distributors wondered why it didn't cost more. A Black List critic gave its script a 4. The film doesn't fit neatly into the boxes of what people think will sell. Those…
S4 · 2 min
Indie Film Highlight: JIRO DREAMS OF SUSHI (2011)
Every Sunday, I'll post a quick video -- and podcast -- about an indie film from at least a year ago. Today's film: JIRO DREAMS OF SUSHI (2011) Director: David Gelb Cast: Jiro Ono; Masuhiro Yamamoto; Daisuke Nakazama; Harutaki Takahashi SYNOPSIS A documentary about an octogenarian sushi master, his two sons, and the tiny restaurant in which they tirelessly work. Subscribe to our YouTube channel Follow us on Letterboxd Follow us on Instagram Follow us on X Follow us on Facebook Follow us on TikTok Follow us on LinkedIn
S4 · E41 · 30 min
Shih-Ching Tsou, dir. of LEFT-HANDED GIRL (2025)
Watch This Episode On YouTube From the looks of it, LEFT-HANDED GIRL (2025) has everything going for it. Fantastic film. Taiwan's 2025 Oscar submission (and widely expected to be a nominee.) Edited and co-written by Sean Baker. A Netflix rollout. But the reality is much more complicated. This was a 20 year labor of love by my guest, director Shih-Ching Tsou, and we talk about everything related to her career, how her perspective of the film changed after its release, the drawbacks of filming this on an iPhone 13, the pros and cons of going with Netflix, and more. Shih-Ching Tsou's story is…
S4 · E40 · 21 min
Lee Kirk, dir. of NIMRODS (2025)
I talk to filmmakers all the time who say things like, I'm reviving the romcom. Or my film is a homage to 1950s Westerns. The statements encompass so many genres but the truth is, most of the time they don't work. It ends up being a facsimile of something great, which isn't good at all. This is a long way at getting to the point that NIMRODS, opening in theaters on August 14th, is the absolute real deal: a film that will remind you of the GOONIES, as my guest, director Lee Kirk hints at, without trying to remake it. It tells the story of three kids driving cross country to open for Green Day…
S4 · 1 min
Indie Film Highlight: OVERNIGHT (2003)
Watch This Episode On YouTube Every Sunday, I'll post a quick video -- and podcast -- about an indie film from at least a year ago. Today's film: OVERNIGHT (2003) Directors: Tony Montana; Mark Brian Smith Cast: Troy Duffy; Harvey Weinstein; Chris Brinker SYNOPSIS This documentary follows Troy Duffy, a brash, foul-mouthed bartender whose screenplay for an action film called "Boondock Saints" scores him a generous contract to write and direct the film for Harvey Weinstein at Miramax Studios. Duffy's band, the Brood, is also in the midst of signing a contract with Madonna's Maverick Records.…
S4 · E39 · 21 min
Yiru Deng, dir. of TUNNEL VISION (2026)
I'm always on the lookout for original filmmaking to highlight, so if you just look at the objective facts of my guest Yiru Deng's film, TUNNEL VISION (2026), which premiered at LA Shorts International Film Festival on August 4th, 2026, you'll be impressed: 4 minute run time. Animation with just killer transitions that we find out were painful to draw. An excitingly original topic that is made to be shown on a screen. By itself, those are amazing. But then when you hear Yiru speak about what it meant for her mother. who is affected by vision loss, it takes the work so much higher, into the…
S4 · E38 · 30 min
The Funniest (NSFW) Film Of The Year: Elliot Connors of I'M GOING FULL FRONTAL (2026), now on NoBudge
Watch This Episode On YouTube I couldn't stop laughing during the funniest film of the year, directed by my guest, Elliot Connors. It's called FULL FRONTAL, or if you want to use the full title (and you should), it's I’M GOING FULL FRONTAL FOR MY NYU STUDENT SHORT FILM (2026) , streaming today, August 4th, 2026 on NoBudge. I'd argue getting laughs is the hardest thing to do in independent film so that's why comedies are so relatively rare. And to do it in a short film -- that's a tough sell. But Elliot has the, um, goods: He is a 2026 Just for Laughs “New Face” for his adult animated series…
S4 · 2 min
Indie Film Highlight: RACHEL GETTING MARRIED (2008)
Watch This Episode On YouTube Every Sunday, I'll post a quick video -- and podcast -- about an indie film from at least a year ago. Today's film: RACHEL GETTING MARRIED (2008) Director: Jonathan Demme Screenplay: Jenny Lumet Stars: Anne Hathaway; Rosemarie DeWitt; Bill Irwin; Debra Winger SYNOPSIS A young woman who has been in and out of rehab for the past ten years returns home for the weekend for her sister's wedding Subscribe to our YouTube channel Follow us on Letterboxd Follow us on Instagram Follow us on X Follow us on Facebook Follow us on TikTok Follow us on LinkedIn
S4 · E37 · 28 min
Anthony Argento, Festival Director Of Greenpoint Film Festival
Watch This Episode On YouTube There's something especially New York about the sentiment of my guest, Anthony Argento, saying, "we're only going to give you what you give us" about film promotion. And in the best possible sense, that kind of New Yorker attitude is at the heart of the Greenpoint Film Festival, now celebrating its 15th year and 7th under the leadership of Mr. Argento, who started officially in 2020 but worked with the festival for a few years beforehand. The Greenpoint Film Festival first came on my radar last year when they accepted the literal second guest of the pod's film,…
S4 · E36 · 25 min
Writer/Producer Kate Radcliffe Of STILL LIFE (2026)
Watch This Episode On YouTube I imagine there's not a lot of debate out there but here's what I believe: there's nothing worse in the human experience than losing a son or daughter. It violates our understanding of the cycle of life and it forces a unyielding loss amongst the living that can never be taken away. Any experience so intense can, in the right hands, be channeled to create great art, so I am drawn to stories like STILL LIFE (2026) , which is an official selection this year of the HollyShorts Film Festival. And let me tell you: in the hands of writer/producer Kate Radcliffe and…
S4 · 2 min
Indie Film Highlight: SHOT CALLER (2017)
Every Sunday, I'll post a quick video -- and podcast -- about an indie film from at least a year ago. Today's film: SHOT CALLER (2017) Director: Ric Roman Waugh Written By: Ric Roman Waugh Stars: Nikolaj Coster-Waldau; Omari Hardwick; Lake Bell; Jon Bernthal SYNOPSIS A California stockbroker is arrested and charged for a fatal DUI accident, and on his lawyer's advice, takes a plea deal which sees him sentenced to 16 months in prison. While incarcerated, he becomes involved with a violent white supremacist gang. Subscribe to our YouTube channel Follow us on Letterboxd Follow us on Instagram…
S4 · E35 · 16 min
Zoe Zhou of WE ARE HAPPY FISH (2025)
Director Zoe Zhou's film, WE ARE HAPPY FISH (2025) , is described as "a nihilistic girl escapes from her family with a robot boy to revive a dead fish", which by itself is interesting and accurate. But it only nibbles at how wild, zany, carefree the film is . Zoe also pushes back at the idea that film school would ever take the edges off her work. In this film, she does an amazing job blending "surrealism, dark humor, and social commentary", as she states for her goal, and I'll be the first person in line to watch whatever is next. In this episode, Zoe and I talk about: was this the same…
S4 · E34 · 23 min
Will Niava of JAZZ INFERNAL (2025)
Watch This Episode On YouTube Director Will Niava's film, JAZZ INFERNAL (2025) , is showing on July 23rd at the Future of Film Showcase in Toronto . If you're reading this before the date and can go, what are you waiting for? Buy tickets! It's that incredible, one of the best films I've seen all year. It won a Short Film Jury Award at Sundance last year and very deservedly so. Will is an Ivorian-Ghanaian film director and screenwriter based in Montreal, Quebec. And think about that sentence for a moment: there's few like it in the English language that conjures up that many cultural…
S4 · E33 · 17 min
Hazel McKibbin Of LAST MAN UP (2026)
My guest, Hazel McKibbin, directs films that make top festivals . She edits films that make top festivals. And she makes commercials for brands at the Met Gala . And yet: Here's Hazel taking on a project about masculinity called LAST MAN UP (2026) . Last episode, I praised writer and actor Robert R. Palmer for offering Hazel the opportunity to direct his project, so she deserves equal credit for taking it on. I could see a lesser director -- a lesser person -- saying no, but as she talks about in the episode, she saw it as an opportunity to expand her skillset. To say I wish there were more…
S4 · 2 min
Indie Film Highlight: LEFT-HANDED GIRL (2025)
Watch This Episode On YouTube Every Sunday, I'll post a quick video -- and podcast -- about an indie film from at least a year ago. Today's film: LEFT-HANDED GIRL (2025) Director: Shih-Ching Tsou Writers: Shih-Ching Tsou; Sean Baker Stars: Janel Tsai; Shih-Yuan Ma; Nina Ye SYNOPSIS After a single mother and her two daughters return to Taipei to start anew, their fragile family dynamic is tested by debt and a dying patriarch. But when the traditional grandfather strictly forbids the youngest, left-handed granddaughter from using her 'devil hand,' generations of deep-seated family secrets…
S4 · E32 · 21 min
Actor/Writer Robert R. Palmer Of LAST MAN UP (2026)
This is a director's podcast, but the truth is I don't talk with enough actors on here about the struggle they face in indie film. It offers a different lens on how difficult it is to get things made. That's why I'm so happy to be joined by Robert R. Palmer, actor/writer in the film LAST MAN UP (2026) , which premiered at the Palm Springs International ShortFest. When we talked about the plight of actors, and I went through the ways especially an LA-based person had to get ahead -- influencing; writing your own script for a great role; other social media activities -- the difficult challenge…
S4 · E31 · 20 min
Daniel Bogran Of THE KILLING MOON (2025)
Director Daniel Bogran made a film that could be spoiled with just a few words and it would change the entire dynamic of how you watch it. So I'm not going to do that. But the "how" behind him filming THE KILLING MOON ("A wealthy couple's lake vacation takes a sinister, seductive turn when an attractive stranger shows up wounded at their door") is definitely worth a conversation. It had its international premiere at Raindance in London this year. So is his short film LOW (2019) , now streaming on YouTube. You'll see a few familiar actors on LOW, and how he was able to keep his crew together…

About First Time Go

A weekly podcast highlighting the creators of independent film and the business behind it. Hosted by Ben Duchek.

First Time Go is a English arts & books podcast from Benjamin Duchek. Melo plays each episode straight from the publisher's own feed — no ads added, no account needed — and remembers where you stopped, in this browser only.

Publisher: Benjamin Duchek
Language: English
Category: Arts & Books
Typical length: 21 min
Feed: RSS — paste into any podcast app
Apple Podcasts: podcasts.apple.com/podcast/id1689969531
Rights: Benjamin Duchek 2023

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