NEWS

In 2024, filmmaker Laura Gabbert and I completed work on our 6-part television series "The Power of Film" with legendary UCLA film professor Howard Suber. It premiered on Turner Classic Movies (TCM) in January, and is now streaming on Max (formerly HBO-Max, on their TCM Hub). It is also available for the educational market via Good Docs.

The series, which I executive produced and helped write and edit, interweaves dramatic scenes from the most popular and memorable American films with Professor Suber’s brilliant teachings about how and why they work. Laura and I were students and TA's for Professor Suber back when we were at UCLA's graduate film school. "The Power of Film" is an independent, low-budget, labor-of-love which took many years to make. I hope you'll be inspired by it and help us share it with filmmakers, film students, writers, and anyone who loves cinema.

If you're interested in the backstory of my career and the making of "The Power of Film," check out this new, in-depth interview with me by Steve Cuden on his prolific collection: "STORYBEAT: A Podcast for the Creative Mind."

"Perfect Sweat" is a 7-part series created and hosted by Mikkel Aaland, who wrote the definitive book about global sauna, steam and sweat culture throughout history, Sweat (1978). A decade ago, I worked closely with Mikkel and his producing partner to help develop this series. Today, I’m happy to help them announce the finished series which is available at the "Perfect Sweat" website. This highly unique health/travel show visits the most amazing saunas around the world (banya, hammam, mushi-buro, temescal, sweat lodge, etc.). I directed the 7th and final episode at Burning Man (2019), where there were a number of ingenious homemade saunas which refreshed burners in the 100° heat...

"Louder Than Guns" is a feature documentary I've been making this last year about gun violence and gun rights in America. It features Ketch Secor, his band Old Crow Medicine Show and Public Radio's David Greene (host of "Left, Right & Center"). Through the power of music and the practice of actually listening to ALL sides of this incendiary issue, we're having conversations about how to create safer communities and a better future for this country. This short radio segment with Ketch and David on WPLN (Nashville) explains the film and our intentions.