367 - Indie Talk Takeover | Preserving Culture Through Documentary Filmmaking, Nonprofits, and Education | Filmmakers Nicholas Mihm & Rostam Zafari

Hello, Hello! In this episode, we are joined by filmmaking partners Nicholas Mihm and Rostam Zafari. They discuss their filmmaking partnership, their new documentary 'Bubjan,' their nonprofit work promoting Iranian culture, and future projects exploring physician burnout through animation and entrepreneurship through documentary storytelling. We also talk about: Nicholas Mihm shares his background in independent filmmaking based in Los Angeles with features like In the Dark Valley and Helen Believe. Rostam discusses meeting Brandon Stanton of Humans of New York and collaborating on a 54-part series about his grandfather Parviz, which inspired the short film 'Bubjan'. We delve into Stanton's unique interviewing style that helps subjects feel vulnerable and gain deeper self-understanding, as well as the challenges of editing down hours of footage into a short film. Rostam explains the nonprofit Nimruz's work using art and education to promote Iranian cultural values of equality, freedom, and justice in the face of oppression. Future projects discussed include an animated documentary on physician/nurse burnout and an episodic series following entrepreneurs making a positive global impact. And, an all-new Things We Should Know from Producer Papa Bear. Enjoy! *How you can continue to enjoy MAKE IT content:* Subscribe to the MAKE IT YouTube channel. Subscribe to the MAKE IT Podcast wherever you listen to podcasts. Subscribe to our newsletter at https://www.bonsai.film/subscribe . The MAKE IT podcast amplifies the voice of the filmmaker by exploring the filmmaking journeys of actors, writers, directors, producers, and a host of other creatives from across the film industry. Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/the-make-it-podcast/exclusive-content Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands Privacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy