In this episode of the Big Apple Film Festival Podcast, BAFF Founder & Director Jonathan Lipp chats with actress Amy Stiller about her new film SMALL POTATOES, which premiered at the Big Apple Film Festival, as well as her acting career, the influence of her family, as well as advice for aspiring actors.

Amy Stiller is an actress based in New York City. She is a graduate of Circle In the Square Theater School and attended Emerson College. She is known for her work on HBO's Divorce, HBO's Love Life, Escape at Danemora, The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel, At Home with Amy Sedaris, Inside Amy Schumer, Law and Order SVU and King of Queens. She has starred in multiple film roles, including Fire at Will, which premiered at The Tribeca Film Festival.

On stage, Amy played Pauline in 'The Seagull Woodstock, NY' by Thomas Bradshaw, directed by Scott Elliott at The New Group. Charles Isherwood of The Wall Street Journal called her performance 'deftly touching'. She wrote a one person show, 'Just Trust', which was performed at Dixon Place, and she played Gloria Jean Kojax in Women Behind Bars one of the final productions at The 13th Street Theater.

In this episode of the Big Apple Film Festival Podcast, BAFF Founder & Director Jonathan Lipp speaks with actress Kathleen Turner about her new film "Joan's Teeth", premiering at the Big Apple Film Festival, as well as the highlights of her legendary acting career.

Since her breakout role as femme fatale extraordinaire Matty Walker in Body Heat (1981), Kathleen Turner has delivered pitch-perfect performances that cut across genres on screen and stage. From playing dark comedy in War of the Roses (1989) to action/romance in Romancing the Stone (1984), Ms. Turner has crafted a diverse filmography that has established her as a leading screen talent. Standout roles include Irene in Prizzi’s Honor (1985) and the title role in Peggy Sue Got Married (1986), for which she received a best actress Oscar nomination. Memorably, Turner also lent her slinkiest voice to Jessica Rabbit in the animated Who Framed Roger Rabbit? (1988).

On stage, Ms. Turner made her Broadway debut in 1978 in Albert Innaurato's Gemini, with Reed Birney. In 1990, breathing life into the role of Maggie, she delivered a striking performance in Tennessee William's Cat on a Hot Tin Roof, in which she starred opposite Charles Durning. In 1995, Ms. Turner portrayed Yvonne, a codependent mother to Michael, played by Jude Law, in Indiscretions, an adaptation of Cocteau's Les Parents Terribles.

Two plays of note traveled from Broadway to London's West End: In Terry Johnson's The Graduate, Ms. Turner played Mrs. Robinson, starring opposite Jason Biggs; and in Edward Albee's Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf, Ms. Turner redefined the role of Martha, earning her highest marks to date. The onstage chemistry with co-star Bill Irwin was shattering and garnered rave reviews. As Ben Brantley wrote in The New York Times: “When [Turner] sits at the center of the stage quietly reciting a litany of the reasons she loves her dearly despised husband, you feel she has peeled back each layer of her skin to reveal what George describes as the marrow of a person.”

Back on Broadway, in High (2010), Ms. Turner employed this same intensity to embody a foul-mouthed, alcoholic nun charged with trying to save a young addict (Evan Jonigkeit). In 2014, at the Duchess Theatre in London, she starred opposite Ian McDiarmid in Stephen Sachs' Bakersfield Mist.

Ms. Turner has relished opportunities to perform in illustrious regional theaters, notably as the title character in Red Hot Patriot: The Kick-Ass Wit of Molly Ivins at the Philadelphia Theatre Company, the Geffin in Los Angeles, and the Berkeley Repertory Theatre. At Arena Stage in Washington, D.C., she mesmerized audiences in Bertolt Brecht's Mother Courage and her Children and in Joan Didion’s The Year of Magical Thinking.

In addition to her strong work on big screen and stage, Ms. Turner has left her mark on television, with memorable appearances on Friends as Chandler’s cross-dressing father; in Californication as the sublimely lecherous Sue Collini; and most recently in Hulu's The Path. She has also leant her inimitable voice to iconic animated series such as The Simpsons and King of the Hill.

In this episode of the Big Apple Film Festival Podcast, BAFF Founder and Director Jonathan Lipp speaks with Janice Molinari, who is an accomplished filmmaker and producer, and is currently serving as Director of Production at HULU/DISNEY/ABC.

Janice discusses her recent film "Stronger Than You Think", which had its NYC premiere at the Big Apple Film Festival: Women's Spotlight Edition. The film is a documentary following Ali Truwit, a collegiate swimmer who lost her leg in a shark attack and, within a year, rehabilitated to become a Paralympian. The film documents her journey from trauma to triumph, focusing on resilience and mental strength.

Janice also discusses the evolution of her own career, including her inspiration to want to become a filmmaker and storyteller, how she began her career in the film and TV industry, and what led to her to the position she currently serves in, as Director of Production at Hulu/Disney/ABC.

Finally, Janice also provides insight, guidance and advice to aspiring filmmakers, producers and writers.

BIO

Janice C. Molinari is currently the Director of Production at Hulu / ABC / Disney.

She recently produced "Huluween Dragstravaganza" and the aftershow for Only Murders in the Building, "One Killer Question" which won the Producers Guild Award and an Emmy Award for Best Short Series.

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Her current project is a feature documentary film about shark attack survivor and Paralympian, Ali Truwit, that will run the festival circuit in 2025.

An award-winning Producer, Director, Director of Photography and Editor—whose work is known and respected throughout the industry, her work has garnered her 7 Emmy Awards and more than 18 Emmy Nominations.

Since launching her career in 1991 at MTV, Janice has enjoyed high-profile, professional opportunities.

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As the Co-founder and President of Brisun Productions, her projects have included bringing to life series’ for CBS, ESPN, MTV and YES Network, documentary and entertainment specials for The Discovery Channel, USA Network, Tennis Channel and Comedy Central and corporate work for IBM and Wyndham Hotels.

She was the Show-runner and creator of Yankees On Deck, the three time Emmy Award winning kids show for the New York Yankees which ran for more than 100 episodes. Additionally she created and produced three highly rated seasons of "Ultimate Roadtrip" the Emmy Award winning competition reality series.

After fifteen successful years at Brisun, Janice ventured back out into the freelance world, spending a season as Senior Story Producer for the acclaimed “On The Case With Paula Zahn” for Investigation Discovery. She was also the Producer for Supercross "Behind the Dream" a follow documentary series airing on FS1, and Director of Development for NetworkBe before landing at Hulu in 2020.

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Communicating in this medium isn’t a job for Janice — it’s a lifelong passion. She recognizes the potential to touch people’s lives through her work. Janice focuses on motivating young women to follow their dreams. Her profile has been featured in inspirational book "Cool Women, Hot Jobs" and her personality and unique style of storytelling has made for a storied career in the entertainment industry.

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She resides on Los Angeles with her wife and their two incredible dogs!