Episode Summary

In this episode, Steve and Vince talk with Australian actress and indie filmmaker, Ella Cannon.

Using Ella’s latest series pilot project as their foundation (“The Yacht Club”), they explore topics such as her experiences transitioning from acting to directing, the community impact of AI on the filmmaking industry, and her journey from a small town in Australia to becoming a working filmmaker in North America.

As a reminder, if you're enjoying this podcast, feel free to follow us on Apple Podcasts and Instagram @filmmakerandfanspodcast.

Series Overview

The Filmmaker and Fan’s Podcast is a podcast for film lovers and creatives, where film school meets fandom.

Episodes are designed around core conversations with Steven Bernstein, award-winning filmmaker (Monster, Kicking and Screaming, Waterboy, The Wood), and Vince Grimes, former executive producer and head of creative media at Google...and mega film fan.

Episodes include deep-dive conversations between Steve and Vince into the heart of cinema and creativity, special guest interviews with creatives from every level of the independent and studio filmmaking world, and live workshops with independent and aspiring filmmakers.

New episodes are published every Friday.

www.filmmakerandfans.com

IG: @filmmakerandfanspodcast

Episode Summary

In this episode, Steve and Vince welcome back the one, the only, the award-winning director and cinematographer, and friend of the podcast, Ernest Dickerson.

Ernest is an American film director and cinematographer. As a cinematographer, he's known for his frequent collaborations with Spike Lee in films such as Do The Right Thing and Malcolm X. As a director, he's known for films such as Juice, Tales from the Crypt: Demon Knight, and Never Die Alone. He's also directed acclaimed television series such as The Wire, Dexter, and The Walking Dead.

Using Ernest’s latest trip to the 2025 Cannes Film Festival as their foundation, they explore topics such as the importance of maintaining relationships within the industry, the emotional complexities filmmakers face after completing a project, and the necessity of taking risks in art.

As a reminder, if you're enjoying this podcast, feel free to follow us on Instagram and YouTube @filmmakerandfanspodcast.

Series Overview

The Filmmaker and Fan’s Podcast is a podcast for film lovers and creatives, where film school meets fandom.

Episodes are designed around core conversations with Steven Bernstein, award-winning filmmaker (Monster, Kicking and Screaming, Waterboy, The Wood), and Vince Grimes, former executive producer and head of creative media at Google...and mega film fan.

Episodes include deep-dive conversations between Steve and Vince into the heart of cinema and creativity, special guest interviews with creatives from every level of the independent and studio filmmaking world, and live workshops with independent and aspiring filmmakers.

New episodes are published every Friday.

www.filmmakerandfans.com

IG: @filmmakerandfanspodcast

Episode Summary

We’ve got Mooch! In this episode, Steve and Vince talk with Lego mega-fan and indie filmmaker, Tony Mucci - aka Mooch.

Using Tony’s latest project as their foundation, “Money Talks” (which recently premiered at the 2025 Tribeca Film Festival), they explore topics such as lessons he learned with his debut short film, the importance of collaboration and community in filmmaking, and Tony’s creative transition from making Lego stop motion animations and directing massive music videos, to narrative filmmaking and debuting at Tribeca.

As a reminder, if you're enjoying this podcast, feel free to follow us on Apple Podcasts and Instagram @filmmakerandfanspodcast.

Series Overview

The Filmmaker and Fan’s Podcast is a podcast for film lovers and creatives, where film school meets fandom.

Episodes are designed around core conversations with Steven Bernstein, award-winning filmmaker (Monster, Kicking and Screaming, Waterboy, The Wood), and Vince Grimes, former executive producer and head of creative media at Google...and mega film fan.

Episodes include deep-dive conversations between Steve and Vince into the heart of cinema and creativity, special guest interviews with creatives from every level of the independent and studio filmmaking world, and live workshops with independent and aspiring filmmakers.

New episodes are published every Friday.

www.filmmakerandfans.com

IG: @filmmakerandfanspodcast