In this episode of Best in Fest, host Leslie LaPage sits down with Emilio Hughes Martinez — award-winning filmmaker, writer, and former Vice President of Development at Eclectic Pictures (Olympus Has Fallen, The Hitman’s Wife’s Bodyguard, Lovelace).

Emilio shares his journey from studio development executive to independent filmmaker, revealing what production companies really look for in scripts, how to finance films without studio backing, and why the next wave of cinema belongs to bold indie creators.

In this episode, we explore:

• 🎥 What studio development executives actually look for in scripts
• 📝 Common mistakes new screenwriters make when pitching producers
• 🏆 How his award-winning shorts (The Method and The Fourth Branch) were created on micro-budgets
• 💰 Financing indie films through friends, family, and creative resourcefulness
• 🎬 Guerrilla filmmaking tactics to bypass costly permits
• 🌎 Why more productions are leaving California — and what comes next
• 🤖 AI’s impact on screenwriting and why human storytelling still matters
• 🔥 The shift from $200M studio films to smaller, high-impact indie projects
• 🚀 His upcoming feature about fame, exploitation, and AI-generated performance

Emilio also breaks down his writing process, working with Oscar-winning co-writer Nick Vallelonga (Green Book), and why instinct-driven storytelling often beats rigid outlining.

In this episode of Best in Fest, host Leslie LaPage welcomes Rabbi Noam Raucher — educator, divorce coach, and Executive Director of FJMC International (Friendship, Judaism, Mentorship & Community) — to explore an unexpected but urgent topic: how media, masculinity, and meaning intersect in today’s culture.

Noam shares his personal journey through divorce, career loss, and men’s support groups — experiences that inspired him to launch Mama’s Boy, a bold new podcast co-hosted with comedy writer Rob Kutner. Together, they’re creating content that challenges toxic masculinity, offers healthier models of brotherhood, and brings Jewish wisdom into modern conversations about manhood.

In this episode, we explore:

• 🎧 Why a rabbi entered entertainment and podcasting
• 🧠 The rise of toxic masculinity in digital media
• 🤝 Men’s support groups and the power of authentic brotherhood
• 📺 Podcasting as the new modern pulpit
• 🎭 How humor and storytelling open men to vulnerability
• 🕍 Jewish tradition as a framework for healthy masculinity
• 🎥 Why film and entertainment shape cultural identity
• 🔥 Countering the manosphere with meaningful media
• 🚀 Building a global movement for men’s emotional growth

Noam explains how today’s media landscape floods young men with damaging messages about dominance, success, and power — and why it’s critical to offer alternative narratives rooted in compassion, accountability, and connection.

In this episode of Best in Fest, host Leslie LaPage sits down with Lauren Reins — director, producer, choreographer, and Enneagram coach — to explore how self-awareness fuels creativity and why understanding your inner motivations may be the key to creating meaningful, sustainable work.

Lauren shares her journey from professional dancer to educator and filmmaker, and how a life-altering accident led her to psychology, coaching, and ultimately the Enneagram, a nine-type personality framework now central to her new dance-driven docuseries.

In this episode, we discuss:

• 🧠 What the Enneagram is and how the nine personality types work
• 🎭 How creatives can use the Enneagram to build better characters
• 💃 Why dance is the perfect medium to express personality and psychology
• 🎬 Turning personal growth into a docuseries concept
• 🧩 Using self-knowledge to overcome creative blocks
• 🏢 How companies like Nike, Amazon, and State Farm use the Enneagram
• 🎥 Why self-awareness matters more than talent alone
• 🌱 Balancing creativity, leadership, and life as a working artist
• 🏆 Premiering an Enneagram-based series at Dances With Films New York

Lauren explains how creatives often struggle not because of the industry — but because they haven’t fully understood their own fears, motivations, and strengths. By using the Enneagram as a framework, artists can move forward with clarity, compassion, and confidence.

In this episode of Best in Fest, host Leslie LaPage sits down with Alan Green, Head of Sales & Acquisitions at 123 Media, to break down how film distribution actually works — and why most indie filmmakers misunderstand it.

With decades of experience spanning 20th Century Fox, Pathé, international sales, and producing, Alan offers a brutally honest look at what sells, what doesn’t, and how filmmakers can avoid costly mistakes when trying to monetize their films.

In this episode, we cover:

• 🎥 Which film genres are most distributable (and why drama is the hardest sell)
• 📊 SVOD vs AVOD vs TVOD — how platforms really pay filmmakers
• 💰 Why Netflix deals are flat fees (and not per-view payouts)
• 🧠 The myth of self-distribution on Amazon Prime
• 🎯 Why distributors sell film packages, not individual titles
• 🧾 Presales, minimum guarantees (MGs), and why names still matter
• 🎬 How production quality impacts distribution decisions
• 📱 Vertical content, short-form storytelling, and the future of film
• 🎞️ Turning genre films into viable distribution assets
• 🏆 Festival strategy as a business tool — not just prestige

Alan also discusses producing the WWII revenge thriller Vindictive, opening at Dances With Films New York, and explains how hybrid genre films can bridge the gap between festivals and commercial success.

If you’re an independent filmmaker, producer, or content creator trying to understand how films make money after they’re finished — this episode is essential listening.

In this episode of Best in Fest, host Leslie LaPage sits down with Jessica Rizk (director, writer, producer, animator) and Soren Anderson (composer and sound designer) to unpack the creation of Cracked — a haunting, hand-drawn 2D animated short exploring mental health, self-neglect, and emotional collapse.

Over the course of a two-year DIY production, Cracked was animated frame-by-frame, scored from scratch, and built without shortcuts — revealing the true scope of independent animation today.

In this episode, we explore:

• 🎨 What it really takes to make a hand-drawn animated short (24 frames per second, no safety net)
• 🧠 How mental health and self-neglect shaped the story, visuals, and pacing
• 💡 Why flickering light, grime, and stillness were used as psychological storytelling tools
• 🎼 DIY sound design & Foley work — from cracked eggs to handmade thunder
• 🤖 Animation vs. AI — where technology helps and where human creativity must remain
• 🎥 Turning a short film into a feature-length proof of concept
• 💍 Collaborating creatively as a married filmmaking team
• 🎞️ Premiering on the festival circuit, including Dances With Films New York

Cracked is a powerful example of how independent filmmakers can create deeply resonant, festival-ready work with limited resources — if they’re willing to commit fully to the craft.

🎟️ Cracked premieres at Dances With Films New York — Midnight Block, January 16.

What does it really take to build a career as a feature film director — starting at age 15 and continuing across continents, cultures, and film festivals?

In this episode of Best in Fest, host Leslie LaPage, Director of the La Femme International Film Festival, sits down with Dominik Sedlar, an award-winning director whose career spans documentaries, narrative features, international co-productions, and major festival premieres.

Born in Croatia, raised in New York, and educated through hands-on experience in theater and film, Dominik shares what he’s learned from directing his first documentary as a teenager, making ultra-low-budget features, working with veteran actors, and navigating the increasingly competitive festival and distribution landscape.

This conversation is a must-listen for filmmakers, directors, producers, and actors who want an honest look at the craft, business, and psychology behind making films that actually get seen.

🎥 In This Episode, You’ll Learn:

• How Dominik directed his first documentary at age 15
• The key differences between theater acting and film acting
• Why “less direction” often leads to better performances
• How to make a feature film with limited money and free locations
• What it’s really like working with seasoned actors vs. inexperienced ones
• How to keep audiences engaged in a single-room, dialogue-driven film
• Lessons learned from shooting during COVID under tight timelines
• The realities of today’s festival circuit and film distribution
• Advice for first-time directors and emerging filmmakers
• Why resilience, adaptability, and collaboration matter more than ever

Whether you’re developing your first feature, transitioning from documentary to narrative, or trying to break through the noise of today’s content-saturated film world, this episode delivers practical insights and hard-earned wisdom from a director who’s lived it.

🎧 Subscribe to Best in Fest for in-depth conversations with filmmakers, festival directors, and industry insiders shaping the future of independent film.

In this inspiring episode of Best in Fest, host Leslie LaPage sits down with Danielle Hobbs—a true multi-hyphenate creative force whose career spans dance, choreography, acting, education, authorship, and filmmaking.

Danielle Hobbs Full Episode

Danielle shares her remarkable journey from concert dance and global tours to choreographing for Beyoncé, performing on Michael Jackson’s Immortal World Tour, and ultimately expanding her creative mission through children’s books and narrative filmmaking.

In this episode, Danielle discusses:

• How her dance foundation shaped her confidence, performance presence, and storytelling instincts
• Her path from concert dance to choreography for major recording artists
• What it’s really like choreographing for film vs. live performance—and how camera, story, and movement must align
• The creation of her children’s book series Danny Girl Adventures: Dream It, Do It, and why representation and empowerment matter
• The inspiration behind her short film Amethyst Girl: Destiny, a dance-driven story about creativity, identity, and purpose
• Using short films as proof of concept for larger projects and grant-funded features
• Why growth takes time—and why comparing timelines can derail creative careers
• How dance, psychology, and storytelling intersect as tools for healing and transformation

This episode is packed with insight for filmmakers, dancers, performers, creative entrepreneurs, and storytellers navigating career pivots, passion projects, and purpose-driven work.

🎬 Watch the full video episode on YouTube
🎙️ Listen on your favorite podcast platform
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In this powerful episode of Best in Fest, Leslie LaPage sits down with Marcia S. Ross—Emmy-nominated documentary producer and former SVP of Casting at Walt Disney Pictures—to reveal the real Hollywood career path that led her from discovering breakout stars to producing globally recognized documentaries like Terrence McNally: Every Act of Life, Nazarene, and The Savoy King.

Marcia opens up about:

• Her rise through New York theater and casting—including her years at CBS, Warner Bros., and Disney.
• How she identified early star power in actors such as Channing Tatum, Angelina Jolie, and Megan Fox—and what “compelling” really means in the audition room.
• What filmmakers get wrong about distribution and why marketing begins before you finish the film.
• Building social media momentum for documentaries, leveraging algorithms, and why PR budgets must center around festival premieres.
• Raising money, navigating approvals, and surviving the business side of both indie film and Hollywood studios.
• Why filmmakers—not distributors—must drive viewership on streamers like Netflix, Hulu, and Amazon.
• Her passion for films centered on activists, underdogs, and global changemakers—and how those stories reshaped her own life.
• Career advice for actors: how to stand out, how casting directors think, and why the best auditions create long-term advocates.
• Why comparison is career-killing, and how she maintains perspective, gratitude, and purpose in a brutal industry.

Whether you’re a filmmaker preparing to pitch distributors, an actor trying to understand casting, or a creative searching for a sustainable path in the industry, this conversation delivers deep, actionable insight from someone who has shaped careers and stories for over three decades.