BTL Radio Show - 06/23/2025 with JESSE COWELL, SERGIO COMACHO & JONATHAN ADELSON, plus a look at some films at DANCES WITH FILMS

This week it’s all about DANCES WITH FILMS on BEHIND THE LENS, which is taking place right now at the TCL Chinese 6 Theatres in Hollywood. You all know my love of indie films and filmmakers, and DWF is showcasing some of the very best this year.   And while I would love to talk about every film and interview every filmmaker for this show, that’s a bit impossible to do, so I’ll have to make do with a couple of interesting interviews and some festival screening recommendations for you.  Get ready as we’re talking about the comedy short, B!TCH I’M EARLY with w/d JESSE COWELL and the documentary pilot UNITED CRAFTS of AMERICA with filmmakers SERGIO COMACHO & JONATHAN ADELSON, plus the delightful animated short POW!, a strong drama with THE MILITIA, and the outstanding documentary ONE BUT MANY.

Get ready for one of the most fun-filled and hilarious, yet philosophical, conversations about filmmaking as writer/director/editor/cinematographer JESSE COWELL breaks down his award-winning short film B!TCH I’M EARLY, which is screening on June 25th at 5pm PT.

B!TCH I’M EARLY is brought to us by JESSE “JESKID” COWELL, and is a comedy short that follows two women in the corporate world vying for a promotion. Their conflict escalates from arguments to a race to the office. The six-minute film satirizes corporate culture with effective comedic timing and increasing tension while also providing tacit commentary on ageism, racism, and diversity.   I laughed myself silly with this one and have watched it 10 times already.

Laughter ensues in this interview and on screen as Jesse and I break down every production element of  B!TCH I’M EARLY.  Emphasizing the importance of the craft of filmmaking, Jesse discusses cinematic storytelling and using visual techniques like Dutch angles and montages to enhance the film's humor and satire and, in the case of B!TCH I’M EARLY, the importance of music and some fantastic compositions by violinist Elizabeth Tsung.  Jesse also discusses his casting process for not only this film, but his works in general, which led him to two fantastic comediennes, Michelle Batista and Jesenia, which garners Jesse’s thoughts on the collaborative process of improv.  And let me tell you, watching Michelle and Jesenia is a masterclass in improv.  Jesse also touches on the broader themes of corporate culture, the importance of new voices in filmmaking, and, above all, his recent rediscovery of joy in the craft.  

Now we shift gears for the thirst-quenching tasty treat, the series pilot,  UNITED CRAFTS OF AMERICA, which is screening at DWF on Saturday, June 28th at 1:15pm.

Directed by SERGIO COMACHO and written by JONATHAN ADELSON, UNITED CRAFTS OF AMERICA offers an intimate look into America’s most vibrant craft beer cities, uncovering the country’s most innovative breweries and the passionate people behind them. The journey begins with New York City’s Interboro Spirits & Ales, where co-owners Laura Dierks and Jesse Ferguson blend beer and hip-hop to create one of NYC’s most influential breweries, breathing new life into the city’s rich brewing heritage. For these brewers, craft beer is more than just a beverage—it’s a symbol of identity, community, and pride. From the rustic charm of small-town breweries to the urban sophistication of city brewpubs, this series shows how craft beer is the story of America.

Hopefully, this pilot episode will garner enough interest and financial backing to complete the series, the first year of which Sergio and Jonathan have planned out to include craft breweries in places like San Diego, Portland, Montana, Asheville, and Boston.  

In this exclusive interview, Sergio and Jonathan break down this pilot episode discussing the inspiration for the series, finding Interboro Spirits & Ales, research, developing a through line, filming (which is simply gorgeous thanks to DP Joel Froome and the Sigma Cine Series and Laowa 2x macro lenses used), beer styling!!!, calling on author/ journalist/and beer critic John Holl to serve as a guide, musical score, and creating an intimacy with the storytelling and the imagery, among others.

There are a few other DWF films that I want to mention and want to get on your radar, either for the future or so you can check them out at the festival this week.

A short film that I have to mention is the animated delight POW!.  It screened on June 22, 2025, but be on the lookout for this little gem on the festival circuit.  Written and directed by Joey Clift, POW! is the story of a Native American kid named Jake who scrambles to charge his dying video game console at a bustling intertribal powwow.  Calling on his roots as an enrolled Cowlitz Indian Tribal member, POW! is an animated comedy about Joey’s own experiences attending powwows as a young Native American kid and how loving video games and loving your culture don't have to be mutually exclusive.  POW! is heartwarming, adorable, and funny with charmin,g vibrant animation, melding different styles that include opening titles that look like vintage gaming pixels.  Particularly outstanding is the voice work of Angela Startz as Jake’s grandmother, who provides Jake with some real wisdom (as all grandmothers do!) and a bit of history lessons thanks to some wonderful “in the mind's eye” animation of Native American history.  Kids and parents alike will relate to POW!, no matter what age or ethnicity!   Please put this one on your radar and keep an eye out for POW! Down the road.  It’s one of the best 8 minutes you’ll ever have.

Another film that deserves mention is THE MILITIA.  THE MILITIA makes its World Premiere at DWF on Wednesday, June 25 at 7:00pm.  This is the tale of young Daniel Pierce, who dreams of joining the local militia alongside his father when he turns eighteen. But when his father becomes the target of the local sheriff, Daniel and his friends band together to form their own militia in a troubled effort to save him. THE MILITIA is written and directed by Dylan King Welter and boasts solid production values and a breakout performance by Sam Williamson as Daniel Pierce.

Lastly, the outstanding documentary ONE BUT MANY, directed by Janna Giacoppa.    ONE BUT MANY is an unflinching documentary that investigates how Human-Wildlife Conflict has become the fastest-growing threat to endangered species and how Human-Wildlife Conflict is being weaponized—used against the very people and animals it affects most. The film exposes deep ties between the trophy hunting industry and policy decisions driven by both the U.S. and African governments, leaving communities and wildlife in deadly peril. But in parts of Kenya, where trophy hunting has been banned for decades, extraordinary models of coexistence are not only emerging—they’re thriving. With raw truth and radical hope, ONE BUT MANY dares to reimagine how humans and wildlife share space in an increasingly complex world.

ONE BUT MANY is directed by Janna Giacoppo and co-written by Giacoppo and Joel Olicker, and was filmed in Zimbabwe, Zambia, Kenya, South Africa, Botswana, and England.  Consider this a strong primer on the human-wildlife conflict while providing us with many reasons to be hopeful for the future.  Make sure to check out my interview with the film’s editor and co-producer Marie-Noelle Marquis, which is already up on www.behindthelensonline.net, to get a deep dive into the editing and storytelling process.  ONE BUT MANY is screening on Sunday, June 29th at 2:30pm at the TCL Chinese 6 in Hollywood.

Until next week!!