Head Above Water - A Filmmaking & Mental Health Podcast

Today's episode we chat with filmmaking duo Jack Gravina & Diliana Deltcheva. Separately, they've been successful filmmakers working for Discovery Channel and marketing/branding production company Framework Studio, and together they're a powerhouse couple running Gravina Films, their own production company.

This conversation took place before Covid, so while we don't discuss the effects of a global pandemic had on their creative endeavors, but we do get down to the nitty gritty of how they, as a married couple, work both together and apart, what success means to them, how to handle the stress of work, and how family planning impacts their professional plans moving forward.

Follow both Jack & Diliana - and Gravina Films - on Instagram:
@gravina_films
@diliana_deltcheva
@jackgravina

Gravina Films Official Web Site
https://www.gravinafilms.com

Diliana’s Free The Work Profile
https://freethework.com/profile/ksnoHt8zz8ntQYs3Vo4g

Welcome to Season 3 of Head Above Water!

We have lots of big plans for our third season, and we open with a very special episode! Today we talk with actor and producer Tanna Frederick, star of the new film Two Ways Home, available to watch now on VOD (links below).

Two Ways Home is very unique in that its portrayal of mental illness and mental health issues has been approved by NAMI, the National Alliance on Mental Illness. NAMI's mission is to remove the judgment and stigma associated with mental illness.

Tanna talks with us about collaborating with NAMI, and how important it was to her and her team to portray the characters' struggles with compassion, empathy and authenticity.

You can watch Two Ways Home now at iTunes or Amazon Prime, and you call follow the film on Twitter, Facebook & Instagram!

Greetings friends, and happy holiday wishes to you all!

We're bringing season 2 to a close with a fantastic conversation with microbudget indie director, Evan Kidd! Based in North Carolina, Evan has been on the cutting edge of microbudgets for a while now, culminating in his current feature, Panda Bear It, which cost only $500 to make and is available to watch on Amazon Prime Video right now!

Making a feature film for such a limited budget can be creatively freeing, but it can also be the source of a lot of stress and sleepless nights. Evan talks openly and honestly about those challenges with us, and it was a great conversation!

You can watch Panda Bear It on Amazon Prime here:
https://www.amazon.com/Panda-Bear-Damien-Elliott-Bynum/dp/B08FFJ1SX7/

Or some of Evan's older films:
Son of Clowns - https://www.amazon.com/gp/video/detail/B01M610AXS/
Run of the Picture - https://www.amazon.com/gp/video/detail/B07R59WV8B/

Also be sure to follow Evan on Twitter and visit his official production company website, RockSet Productions!

On today's episode, we talk with Alex Ferrari (IMDb), filmmaker, entrepreneur, and creator of Indie Film Hustle, one of the premiere destinations anywhere for information, advice and encouragement for independent filmmakers all of all kinds.

Alex has blazed a path in independent film that saw him running his own post studio, starting the YouTube film tutorial phenomenon, writing two books, and directing two features, both after the age of 40! He provides inspiration and motivation to independent filmmakers around the world, and he joins us for a frank and honest conversation about his own mental health. We talk about how his own mental roadblocks have hindered his development in the past, how he overcomes them, and how his definition of success and happiness have changed over the course of the last 20 years as a working filmmaker.

Check out his two books:
Shooting for the Mob
Rise of the Filmtrepreneur

His two features, both available to watch now on Amazon Prime!
This is Meg (IMDb)
On the Corner of Ego & Desire (IMDb)

And don't forget his other filmmaking endeavors:
Indie Film Hustle
Filmtrepreneur

No intro/outro this week, our conversation was Alex was so amazing, we ran super long, and I'm pushing to get these down to as close to an hour as I can get 'em! I know your time is valuable, so we appreciate you all and your continued support!

Greetings friends!

On this week's episode, we talk with Liz Manashil, writer & director of Bread and Butter and Speed of Life.

Liz has worked with some the industry's finest acting talents, including Ann Dowd (The Handmaid's Tale), Jeff Perry (Scandal) and Allison Tolman (Emergence). She is active in the independent film community, specifically microbudget films, and is as knowledgeable and talented a filmmaker as I've spoken to in this series.

And yet, in this new day and age, as we find ourselves often struggling to cope, Liz's expertise in the industry gives her a unique perspective on our mental health, specifically as it pertains to maintaining a sustainable career and navigating the film festival scene. So ultra-low budget filmmakers, this is the show for you!

But wait, there's more! We also speak with Liz's partner Sean Wright, with "his side" when it comes to working closely with your significant other and how to best play to each other's strength and keep the a positive working atmosphere! Be sure to check out Liz's official site at lizmanashil.com!

Join us next week as we'll be back with another seasoned veteran of the indie film scene, Alex Ferrari from Indie Film Hustle!

Greetings friends!

This week's episode is our Atlanta Film Festival special! On today's episode we talk with director Cat Rhinehart from the documentary What's Eating Ralphie May, playing in this year's festival at Dad's Garage Drive-in theater next Thursday, September 24! If you're in the Atlanta area, you can purchase tickets to the screening at the link below:

https://atlantafilmfestival2020.eventive.org/films/5ecfeeff5e6f59002f46b4fb

Cat and I have a great discussion about a variety of topics including proving your worth, working full time while working on a documentary, getting married while working on a documentary, and how keeping a habit journal helps maintain a sense of control over one's schedule.

You can also watch Cat's first two features online, her first feature Trashed Nation over on her Youtube Channel, and Brand New Old Love, starring Aya Cash & Arturo Castro on Amazon Prime Video.

Greetings, friends!

This week's episode is a San Francisco DocFest special!

Today we talk with our first documentary director on the show, Chelsea Christer from the SF DocFest closing night film, Bleeding Audio!

SF DocFest runs a little different than other virtual festivals in that all the films streaming online are available for the entire run of the festival, rather than at specific times. That means that even though Bleeding Audio is the closing night film, you can still purchase and watch it RIGHT NOW throughout the entire United States. Purchase your festival pass and check out this fantastic music documentary about the band The Matches:

https://watch.eventive.org/sfdocfest2020/play/5f18ad8fe8233b00619ceeed

Chelsea and I had a great conversation about coping with a festival run that was upended literally right in the middle of their world premiere at Cinequest 2020, as well as the mental toll working on a documentary for nearly a decade takes on a person.

You can follow the film (and The Matches) as it makes its way around the virtual circuit on the following social media platforms:

Bleeding Audio Facebook

Bleeding Audio Twitter

Bleeding Audio IMDb

The Matches Official Web Site

The Matches Facebook

The Matches Twitter

The Matches Instagram

Chelsea's Twitter

Chelsea’s Instagram

Chelsea’s IMDb Page

Season 2 of Head Above Water rolls on!

This week's episode is a Dances With Films festival special!

On today's show, we talk with Megan Petersen & Hannah Black from the film Drought about being first-time feature filmmakers, the excitement and subsequent pressure of winning crowdfunding platform Seed & Spark's Hometown Heroes contest, working with Mark & Jay Duplass, and why their filmmaking home will always be Wilmington, North Carolina.

Drought's second Dances With Films screening is tomorrow, September 1, 2020, and tickets are still available!!! Watch the trailer and purchase your tickets right now at the festival's virtual box office here:

https://dwfla.com/2020/movies/drought/

You can follow the film as it makes its way around the virtual circuit on the following social media platforms:

Seed & Spark Fundraising Page

Facebook
Twitter

Megan's Twitter
Hannah's Twitter

Megan's IMDb Page
Hannah's IMDb Page

Welcome to Season 2 of Head Above Water!

On the season premiere, we talk with veteran Hollywood writer, producer & director Peter Sullivan! Peter graduated from the prestigious NYU Tisch School for the Arts, but don't let the early pedigree fool you. Peter's journey from film student to today has been filled with many challenges, both internal and external, and Peter discusses some those obstacles that he's had to overcome to build a now 20+ year career as a working writer and director in Hollywood.

Peter has directed a number of films over the past 2 decades, and is widely considered one of the kings of Christmas and holiday movies and his latest, Fatal Affair starring Nia Long & Omar Epps premieres on Netflix today!

Enjoy the show, and when you're done, head over to Netflix and check out Fatal Affair!

Netflix's Fatal Affair
https://www.netflix.com/title/81068703

Peter Sullivan's IMDb Page
https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0838289/

This week’s episode is a brutally honest and frank discussion with director Ben Berman. Ben has an extensive list of impressive of credits in film and television. His first feature, The Amazing Johnathan Documentary premiered at Sundance 2019 and is currently available to watch on Hulu.

He recently took advantage of being locked down at home during the current coronavirus pandemic to make and release The Follow-Up which comedically deals with mental health issues that can arise in all filmmakers and creatives during this trying time.

Our conversation covers a wide variety of mental health topics, and Ben has unique takes on anxiety and insecurity, the concept of happiness, the pitfalls of pursuing a career as a filmmaker, and also a quite commendable view of positively dealing with one’s critics. It was a fascinating conversation, and I think you’ll all enjoy it very much.

You can also watch Ben’s earlier shorts, I’m A Mitzvah (Sundance 2014) and How To Lose Weight in 4 Easy Steps (Sundance 2016) and other work (including the music video he shot using my Zhiyun Crane Plus gimbal!) by visiting his Vimeo page.

Be well, be safe, and we’ll be back next week with an all-new show for you!

Produced & Hosted by Jason Charnick
Music by Jason David White