Past Present Feature with Marcus Mizelle

Dec 9

Italian documentarian Parsifal Reparato discusses She , his five-year journey inside Vietnam’s electronics manufacturing world, where young migrant women work 12-hour shifts producing devices for the global market. What began as labor-rights research grew into a portrait of fear, capitalism, and survival, earned through slow trust-building with workers afraid to speak openly. We unpack creative influences like Lars Von Trier’s Dogville , Joshua Oppenheimer’s The Act of Killing , and the observational approach he absorbed from working with Roberto Minervini. Parsifal explains how the film’s black-box reenactment set became a space where workers could rebel, speak freely, or even destroy it. Instead, they rest together, revealing exhaustion itself as resistance. We talk filmmaking as labor, the emotional toll of activist storytelling, parting with his first editor and later rebuilding the film with Alice Roffinengo, whose perspective shaped its final form. Parsifal reflects on his Locarno premiere, the weight of representing real people on screen, and the responsibility of carrying stories born from hardship. Advice to filmmakers: trust your voice early, accept risk, and if you’re going to struggle, struggle for something that matters. What Movies Are You Watching? Listen to all episodes on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and more, as well as at www.pastpresentfeature.com. Like, subscribe, and follow us on our socials @pastpresentfeature The Past Present Feature Film Festival - Nov. 20-22, 2026 in Hollywood, CA - Submit at filmfreeway.com/PastPresentFeature

Dec 2

Taiwanese filmmaker Shih-Ching Tsou traces her path from a strict upbringing in Taipei to directing Left-Handed Girl , Taiwan’s 2025 Oscar submission for Best International Film, and now streaming on Netflix. After years working alongside Sean Baker, the four-time Academy Award winner known for Anora , Tangerine , and The Florida Project , and her creative partner since they co-directed their first feature Take Out , Shih-Ching steps forward with her solo directorial debut. Shih-Ching and Baker wrote the script for Left-Handed Girl in 2010, but financing challenges kept the project on hold for more than a decade. Principal photography finally began in July 2022, a delay she now views as part of the film’s natural evolution. The story draws from her experience growing up left-handed in a culture with rigid expectations for girls, and its emotional specificity has already connected with audiences around the world. Shot on an iPhone 13 with Beastgrip anamorphic lenses, the film captures Taipei’s night markets with stripped-down realism influenced by Dogme 95 and Lee Chang-dong’s Oasis . Shih-Ching worked with a small mobile crew, created the soundscape herself, and shaped the edit with Baker, whose instinct for editing performances she considers unmatched. After premiering at Cannes Critics’ Week, Left-Handed Girl traveled the global festival circuit before Netflix acquired most territories, followed by theatrical releases in Taiwan, New York, and Los Angeles. Now representing Taiwan internationally, Shih-Ching reflects on stepping into visibility after decades behind the scenes. Her advice to filmmakers: trust your voice, avoid trends, build community, and keep going. Some films take time, and recognition often arrives later. What Movies Are You Watching? Listen to all episodes on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and more, as well as at www.pastpresentfeature.com. Like, subscribe, and follow us on our socials @pastpresentfeature The Past Present Feature Film Festival - Nov. 20-22, 2026 in Hollywood, CA - Submit at filmfreeway.com/PastPresentFeature

Nov 10

12 films. 3 nights. 1 Collective. The Past Present Feature Film Festival is a curated, three-day showcase of cinematic storytelling across time, highlighting overlooked gems, current festival hits, and future feature films in the making. Sponsored by The Past Present Feature Podcast and Leica Camera , all screenings take place November 19 – 21 in Hollywood, CA, at the Eastwood Performing Arts Center (1089 N OXFORD AVE, 90029) Tickets @ pastpresentfeature.eventive.org 🎟️ ALL ACCESS PASSES Now Available (use code 10OFF for a 10% early discount): go to BUY PASSES to lock yours in now, before they're gone! 🎟️ From exile to reckoning to the edge of reality: stories that reveal who we are, where we’ve been, and what lies ahead. And beyond the screen, a shared home for those who make and love film. Sponsored by Leica Camera. SCHEDULE Wednesday, Nov 19 SEARCHING FOR HOME • When survival demands movement, the search for belonging begins. The Solitude Trilogy (15m) dir. Albert Choi Take Out (88m) dirs. Sean Baker & Shih-Ching Tsou Walk Run Cha-Cha (20m) dir. Laura Nix Roads of Fire (119m) dir. Nathaniel Lezra Thursday, Nov 20 ROOTS & RECKONINGS • When the past refuses to stay buried, identity and loyalty collide. The Bad Man (25m) dir. Manny Duran Our Father, The Devil (108m) dir. Ellie Foumbi Ree’s Destiny (16m) dir. Steven J. Mosley Pierce (109m) dir. Nelicia Low Friday, Nov 21 BEYOND THE EDGE • When the familiar world falls away, what remains is instinct, consequence, and chaos. Sunday Sauce (14m) dir. Matt Campanella The Wave (87m) dir. Gille Klabin Other Side of the Box (15m) dir. Caleb J. Phillips The Thicket (105m) dir. Elliot Lester The festival culminates with the AUDIENCE AWARD, honoring the most well-received film across all categories - past, present, or future. Chosen by the audience, whose voices define the spirit of the festival. What Movies Are You Watching? Listen to all episodes on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and more, as well as at www.pastpresentfeature.com. Like, subscribe, and follow us on our socials @pastpresentfeature The Past Present Feature Film Festival - Nov. 20-22, 2026 in Hollywood, CA - Submit at filmfreeway.com/PastPresentFeature

Oct 14

Janicke Askevold unpacks her journey from shooting Together Alone with friends during COVID to premiering her new feature Solomamma at the Locarno Film Festival. The Norwegian actor-turned-director traces how a one-page pitch led to full Norwegian Film Institute backing and a 25-day Oslo shoot that balanced long summer daylight, short 8-hour workdays, and a five-year-old co-star. Solomamma follows Edith, a journalist and single mother who secretly seeks out her sperm donor - an encounter that evolves into love, deceit, and a search for self. Co-produced across Lithuania, Latvia, and Finland, with sound design by a collaborator of Ruben Östlund, the film examines modern solo motherhood in the wake of Norway’s 2020 legalization of single-parent conception. Janicke’s cinematic influences span Fritz Lang’s expressionism, Billy Wilder’s Sunset Boulevard , and Maren Ade’s Toni Erdmann . On craft, she champions preparation, the power of casting chemistry tests that “made her cry,” and editing as the stage where “you can make a whole new film.” Her advice to young filmmakers: trust your instincts, start sooner, send the story out—and don’t wait for permission. What Movies Are You Watching? Listen to all episodes on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and more, as well as at www.pastpresentfeature.com. Like, subscribe, and follow us on our socials @pastpresentfeature The Past Present Feature Film Festival - Nov. 20-22, 2026 in Hollywood, CA - Submit at filmfreeway.com/PastPresentFeature

Sep 30

Mercedes Bryce Morgan unpacks the whirlwind making of Bone Lake , an 18-day Atlanta shoot that battled storms, injuries, and lost gear before completing its night-boat climax on a Los Angeles soundstage. After a Fantastic Fest premiere and Deadline-breaking international sales, the erotic survival thriller heads to U.S. theaters with buzzy audience reactions and a proudly “fun, commercial, popcorn” spirit. Mercedes traces her path from mini DV Star Wars shorts and USC to festival features, describing her taste as a mix of Oldboy’s devastation and Amélie’s heart. Other past influences include Barbarians , Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf? , The House of Yes , Funny Games , and The One I Love . Her TIFF-premiering Fixation (2022) sparked her love for erotic thrillers. On craft, she argues the best twists are guessable seconds before they land, and test screenings help her fine-tune which parts of the mystery viewers might sense without solving it too soon. Her advice to young filmmakers: embrace constraints as boot camp, stick with collaborators who love the work, design for the audience experience, and make sure you enjoy the day-to-day… because the process is the life. What Movies Are You Watching? Listen to all episodes on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and more, as well as at www.pastpresentfeature.com. Like, subscribe, and follow us on our socials @pastpresentfeature The Past Present Feature Film Festival - Nov. 20-22, 2026 in Hollywood, CA - Submit at filmfreeway.com/PastPresentFeature

Sep 2

Norwegian filmmaker Audun Amundsen, director of Click the Link Below , which premiered at Doc Edge in Auckland, follows online gurus like Akbar Sheikh and Tai Lopez to show how engagement algorithms reward extremes and blur value with hype. Audun traces an unlikely path from renewable energy engineer and backpacker to documentarian, surviving a stroke at 23 before returning to Indonesia that resulted in his previous documentary Newtopia , a 15-year chronicle of a community’s shift from barter to money, with a focus on human nature over gloss. He also cites his earlier feature Help! I’ve Gone Viral , plus inspirations like Juan Carlos Rulfo’s In the Pit and Tarantino’s Pulp Fiction . Audun champions smart self-distribution, keeping VOD rights and building film funnels, and urges filmmakers to research financial backers, lead with value, and market your film as thoughtfully as you shoot. What Movies Are You Watching? Listen to all episodes on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and more, as well as at www.pastpresentfeature.com. Like, subscribe, and follow us on our socials @pastpresentfeature The Past Present Feature Film Festival - Nov. 20-22, 2026 in Hollywood, CA - Submit at filmfreeway.com/PastPresentFeature

Aug 19

Nina Knag’s debut feature, Don’t Call Me Mama, which marks her arrival as a bold new voice in cinema, just premiered at the Karlovy Vary International Film Festival in the Crystal Globe competition. She tackles the taboo subject of relationships between older women and younger asylum seekers through the lens of complex, unapologetic female anti-heroes. Drawing from personal insight and the influence of trailblazing female filmmakers, Knag crafts a story where the setting becomes an active force in shaping narrative and theme. She emphasizes the importance of deep collaboration with actors, embracing improvisation and authenticity to capture the complex realities of human relationships. For Knag, filmmaking is as much about the journey as the final cut—each challenge, misstep, and success feeding into a creative process that demands vulnerability, resilience, and a refusal to compromise the heart of the story. Past films discussed include The Hunt (2012, dir. Thomas Vinterberg), After the Wedding (2006, dir. Susanne Bier), Fish Tank (2009, dir. Andrea Arnold), and the short Wasp (2003, dir. Andrea Arnold). What Movies Are You Watching? Listen to all episodes on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and more, as well as at www.pastpresentfeature.com. Like, subscribe, and follow us on our socials @pastpresentfeature The Past Present Feature Film Festival - Nov. 20-22, 2026 in Hollywood, CA - Submit at filmfreeway.com/PastPresentFeature

Aug 5

Thom Powers, a renowned documentary programmer for the Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF), former artistic director of DocNYC, and host of the “Pure Nonfiction” podcast, delves into his journey from filmmaker to influential festival curator. Thom shares behind-the-scenes details about programming films like “The Bibi Files,” directed by Alexis Bloom, and Rebecca Huntt’s “Beba,” highlighting the unique power of documentaries to engage audiences. Thom emphasizes the importance of community within the filmmaking ecosystem, explores the nuanced selection process at major film festivals, and candidly reflects on the future challenges and opportunities facing documentary distribution today. Thom also reveals his all-time favorite documentary, the 1989 Oscar-winning “Hotel Terminus: The Life and Times of Klaus Barbie,” directed by Marcel Ophuls. This conversation is a true masterclass for filmmakers eager to understand how documentaries find their audience and why curators like Powers are pivotal in shaping the documentary landscape. Listen on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, iHeart, and at pastpresentfeature.com What Movies Are You Watching? Listen to all episodes on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and more, as well as at www.pastpresentfeature.com. Like, subscribe, and follow us on our socials @pastpresentfeature The Past Present Feature Film Festival - Nov. 20-22, 2026 in Hollywood, CA - Submit at filmfreeway.com/PastPresentFeature