Past Present Feature with Marcus Mizelle

Mar 25 2025 46 ep. 44 mins 15

Past Present Feature with Marcus Mizelle Podcast artwork

Past Present Feature is a film appreciation podcast hosted by Emmy-winning director Marcus Mizelle, showcasing today’s filmmakers, their latest release, and the past cinema that inspired them.

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E45 • The Humanitarian Crisis Through a Filmmaker's Lens • NATHANIEL LEZRA, dir. of ‘Roads of Fire’ - BEST DOC WINNER at the Santa Barbara Int. Film Festival

Mar 25 2025 52 mins

In this conversation, Nathaniel Lezra discusses his journey as a documentary filmmaker, focusing on his latest project, “Roads of Fire”, which just won Best Documentary at the Santa Barbara International Film Festival. Nathaneil’s past inspirations include Joshua Oppenheimer’s “The Act of Killing” and “The Look of Silence”. He reflects on the challenges and triumphs

E44 • Make It, Move on, Make Another • GABY DELLAL, dir. of ‘Park Avenue’ at the Santa Barbara Film Festival

Mar 18 2025 29 mins

Gaby Dellal discusses the journey of creating her latest film “Park Avenue”, which just premiered at the Santa Barbara International Film Festival. Her past inspirations include “Midnight Cowboy” and “Midnight Express”. She reflects on her transition from acting to directing, the themes of motherhood in her work, and the impact of industry politics on her projects. Gaby

E43 • Environmental Awareness Through Cinema • DANIEL & AUSTIN STRAUB, dir. of ‘Out of Plain Sight’ - AUDIENCE WINNER at the Santa Barbara Film Festival + Slamdance + DOC NYC

Mar 11 2025 46 mins

Director Daniel Straub and cinematographer (and brother) Austin Straub discuss their film “Out of Plain Sight”, which just won the Audience Award at Santa Barbara, ahead of their LA premiere with Slamdance. Past influences include Alex Garland’s “Annihilation”. The conversation explores the themes of environmental awareness and the legacy of chemical pollution, the power

E42 • The Subtle Art of Portraiture • BRIAN CASSIDY & MELANIE SHATZKY, dirs. of ‘A Man Imagined’ at the Rotterdam Int. Film Festival

Mar 04 2025 47 mins

Montreal-based Directors Brian Cassidy and Melanie Shatzky delve into the making of their Rotterdam documentary “A Man Imagined”, which focuses on the life of Lloyd, a homeless man with schizophrenia surviving amidst urban detritus and decay. Past inspo includes "Dog Days" by Austrian director Ulrich Seidl. They discuss their unique approach to storytelling, challenges in findi

E41 • Embrace The Unforeseen • AARON ROOKUS, dir. of ‘Idyllic’ at the Rotterdam Int. Film Festival

Feb 25 2025 44 mins

Netherlands-based director Aaron Rookus explores themes of self-acceptance, mortality, and the quest for fulfillment through the lens of filmmaking ahead of his Rotterdam Film Festival premiere of “Idyllic”. Past inspirations include Tom Tykwer’s “Run Lola Run” and the films of Charlie Kaufman. Aaron speaks on the impact of personal experiences, such as illness and loss,

E40 • Dreaming Your Sub-Concious Film Into Reality • GALA DEL SOL, dir. of ‘Rains Over Babel’ at Sundance + Rotterdam Film Festival

Feb 18 2025 47 mins

Colombian filmmaker Gala Del Sol discusses her debut feature film, “Rains Over Babel”, which just screened at this years Sundance and Rotterdam Film Festivals. Careful not to borrow too heavily, her cinema influences include Serbian filmmaker Emir Kusturica, who directed “Black Cat, White Cat”, and her favorite film of all time - “Children of Paradise”, from French dire

E39 • The Burden and Privilege of Legacy • TAD NAKAMURA, dir. of ‘Third Act’ at the Sundance Film Festival

Feb 11 2025 47 mins

Tad Nakamura, the director of Sundance-bound "Third Act," reflects on his latest documentary, which centers on his father Robert Nakamura, a distinguished filmmaker frequently recognized as a trailblazer in Asian American media. Tad drew inspiration from his father’s 1974 short doc “Wataridori: Birds of Passage”. Tad shares the unique experience of growing up in a filmmaking

E38 • Meta Absurdism Explored Through Docu-Fiction • PASQUAL GUTIERREZ & BEN MULLINKOSSON, dirs. of ‘Serious People’ at the Sundance Film Festival

Jan 28 2025 51 mins

Co-directors Pasqual Gutierrez & Ben Mullinkosson blur the lines between fiction and non-fiction with their latest film “Serious People”, which just had its World Premiere at the Sundance Film Festival. Ben discusses his filmmaking journey from Chicago to Shanghai and Pasqual shares the inspiration behind their film, which stemmed from a vivid dream he had, as well as real

E37 • Finding Humanity in Diverse Perspectives • GIANLUCA MATARRESE, dir. of ‘GEN_’ at the Sundance Film Festival

Jan 14 2025 55 mins

Italian filmmaker Gianluca Matarrese discusses his documentary project “GEN_”, which is premiering at the 2025 Sundance Film Festival. Past inspo includes the films of Frederick Wiseman. Gianluca delves into the complexities of his filmmaking philosophy, exploring the therapeutic nature of his creative process, and the importance of community and validation in the industry. He

E36 • Story First, Jokes Second • DELANEY BUFFETT, dir. of ‘Adult Best Friends’ - Golden Key Winner at KWFF following Tribeca

Dec 31 2024 67 mins

Delaney Buffett, recipient of the Golden Key Award at the Key West Film Festival and director of “Adult Best Friends” which premiered at the Tribeca Film Festival, stresses that when creating comedy, the story comes first. Past films discussed include Mike Nichols’ “The Birdcage” and Paul Feig’s “Bridesmaids. She shares insights on developing her film with friends, th