Doc Walks

We mark 50 walks with business partner, co-conspirator, and professor of things cinematic—Berndt Mader, co-founder of The Bear and Ben's filmmaking better-half of nineteen years. Lady Bird Lake, placid gray spring weather, and Berndt tracing his arc from sandbag-slinging grip on David Gordon Green's GEORGE WASHINGTON to Austin's hybrid-film provocateur. The main event: the $2M Kid Rock documentary that was, until it wasn't. Berndt pulled Ben past "no way" and into Nashville, where Danny McBride's blessing got them into Bob Ritchie's house weeks before COVID locked everything down. Katie Steinbauer sewed a mask, Berndt drove up anyway, and they captured an apology scene where an aging rockstar says he's going to "try to sneak into heaven." Then June 2022 happened—a homophobic slur went viral, Roughhouse evacuated, Live Nation grabbed the hard drives, and MY NAME IS KID became a film that will never see daylight. We get into the art of directing real people through fake scenarios with BOOGER RED, Berndt's CLOSE-UP-inspired hybrid adaptation of Mike Hall's Texas Monthly exposé of the Mineola case, and how that story got a second life as the HBO docuseries HOW TO CREATE A SEX SCANDAL. Plus Werner Herzog impressions, the Pete Best of The Bear, a Richard Linklater dream collaboration, and the thesis statement for episode 50: "We follow the heartbreak." DISCUSSION LINKS: GEORGE WASHINGTON (2000) | BOOGER RED (2015) | HOW TO CREATE A SEX SCANDAL (2023) | CHOP & STEELE (2022) | CLOSE-UP (1990) | THE THIN BLUE LINE (1988) | COCKSUCKER BLUES (1972) | SUPERSTAR: THE KAREN CARPENTER STORY (1987) | A POEM IS A NAKED PERSON (1974) | WERNER HERZOG EATS HIS SHOE (1988) | APOCALYPSE NOW (1979) | 2001: A SPACE ODYSSEY (1968) | MAKING A MURDERER (2015) | EASTBOUND & DOWN (2009) | THE RIGHTEOUS GEMSTONES (2019) TIMESTAMPS: 00:00 50 episodes deep with Berndt Mader 02:00 Naming The Bear (before the TV show) 05:00 19 years of the production company 06:00 Richardson origins and the George Washington swing grip 10:00 UT Austin RTF and the accidental production company 15:00 The movie about the Kid Rock doc 17:00 $2M Live Nation budget, Roughhouse, Danny McBride 20:00 First impressions of Bob Ritchie 24:00 Filming during COVID with Katie's handmade mask 30:00 Co-directing divisions and the General Lee 34:00 Super Bowl scene and the Biden victory apology 39:00 Sundance dreams and the homophobic slur 43:00 Live Nation takes the hard drives 47:00 Booger Red and Kiarostami's Close-Up 52:00 The HBO docuseries How to Create a Sex Scandal 58:00 Lightning round: Thin Blue Line, Apocalypse Now, 2001 61:00 Werner Herzog impression and initiative makes films 63:00 Richard Linklater dream collab and signing off

Let's talk about MANHOOD—specifically, Daniel Lombroso's startling new doc about the growing world (haha) of penis girth enhancement. You heard that right. This is the penis injection movie that SXSW audiences (& DocWalks guests) won't stop talking about. At 33 years old, the Brooklyn-based Lombroso considers himself to be "criminally open minded" (his words, then immediately walked back), and the kind of filmmaker who waits seven months in a D.C. parking lot to get one lunch meeting. He's done it before. With WHITE NOISE, his 2020 alt-right portrait, he embedded with Lauren Southern, Mike Cernovich, and Richard Spencer for years, as a Jewish grandson of two Holocaust survivors. With NINA & IRENA, his New Yorker short, he hovered around Errol Morris until Errol called him back: "Daniel, your grandmother's a fucking incredible character." We dig into MANHOOD start to finish: the Dallas entrepreneur trying to make girth injections as common as Botox, the OnlyFans model who got botched and bared everything anyway, and the standup-dad of five whose reckless choices break our hearts. Daniel maps the access game—turns out women and queer execs got the pitch instantly, while straight guys at the top kept killing the deals—his journalism roots at The Atlantic and The New Yorker, the Sheila Nevins stamp of approval at 87, and how Penny Lane and World of Wonder rallied around him when he was unemployed, depressed, and flying Spirit Airlines back to Dallas to film alone. He's funny about his Republican father calling MANHOOD "a beautiful commentary on modern America." But he's serious about the male loneliness epidemic, the manosphere, and the smartphone-induced inadequacy that pushes men to spend their savings on the one thing they don't need more of. Plus: how to bother Errol Morris in a parking lot, the lightning-round answer that made us laugh—"give yourself reps"—and a brief detour through 2 Girls 1 Cup we did not see coming. Discussion Links MANHOOD (2026) | WHITE NOISE (2020) | NINA & IRENA (2023) | HAIL SATAN? (2019) | LISTENING TO KENNY G (2021) | CONFESSIONS OF A GOOD SAMARITAN (2023) | THE FOG OF WAR (2003) | GATES OF HEAVEN (1978) | RAISING ARIZONA (1987) | WINNEBAGO MAN (2009) Timestamps 00:00 Two girls, one cup, and a high five 02:31 Meet Daniel and MANHOOD 03:34 Inside the girth enhancement boom 06:36 Daniel's Republican dad weighs in 10:12 Why straight execs kept killing the deal 11:19 33 and prolific 12:00 WHITE NOISE and the alt-right embed 13:02 Self-taught from age 14 14:10 Bothering Errol Morris in a parking lot 17:12 Meeting Penny Lane at Big Sky 20:19 From journalism to documentary in Istanbul 24:28 The access question 25:44 "Criminally open minded" 26:21 Lauren Southern's seven-month chase 30:23 Cernovich, Spencer, and the contradictions 32:33 The Kid Rock movie that fell apart 34:37 Meeting Bill, David, and Ruben 38:50 The throuple twist 40:30 David's reconstructive journey 42:11 World of Wonder breaks David open 44:13 The smartphone inadequacy machine 47:51 Ruben and the male loneliness epidemic 52:53 Lightning round 53:38 How Sheila Nevins came aboard 57:39 Give yourself reps 58:53 What keeps Daniel up at night 01:01:34 Where to find MANHOOD 01:02:27 The state of documentary 01:04:10 Sharon Liese is up next

This one is scientific! We're thrilled to take a walk on Austin's wildside with one of the hardest working Executive Producers in the doc game today. Meet Jess Harrop, executive director of Sandbox Films—the science-meets-cinema studio behind FATHOM, FIRE OF LOVE, ANDRÉ IS AN IDIOT, and a jaw-dropping slate of genre-bending docs. Jess takes a break from her SXSW responsibilities to share her journey from a biology degree and a theater background (and zero film school) to a gig associate producing NOVA and eventually launching and running one of the most exciting studios in documentary. We dig into Sandbox's origin story as a subsidiary of the Simons Foundation, the philosophy of making science films that feel like romances and thrillers and comedies, and even what it's like to give notes to Werner Herzog. When our walk strays from the relative safety of the hike & bike trail, into a decidedly more "stabby" unexplored corner of downtown, Ben gets a little jumpy but Jess goes with the flow, an unflappable NY'er in action. We have lots of questions about her experience working with so many great directors, including the aforementioned Herzog… and she shares the Bavarian rogue's all-time great filmmaking note—"You've got to get the cowboys on the horses"—in other words: just get the story going. Jess details how Sara Dosa's FIRE OF LOVE was born from an archival gold mine and a COVID pivot. And we dig into this year's ANDRÉ IS AN IDIOT (in theaters now) and the Sundance 2026 award-winner, THE LAKE. Plus insight into: the world of mushrooms via DAUGHTERS OF THE FOREST; Jess's newest hobby (bejeweling costumes); her dream of talking to animals (not unlike the plot of Sandbox's FATHOM); and a brief mention of time spent working with Bill Nye the Science Guy. Discussion Links: ENCOUNTERS AT THE END OF THE WORLD (2007) | HUMAN NATURE (2020) | FIREBALL: VISITORS FROM DARKER WORLDS (2020) | FATHOM (2021) | ALL LIGHT, EVERYWHERE (2021) | FIRE OF LOVE (2022) | ANDRÉ IS AN IDIOT (2025) | THE LAKE (2026) | DAUGHTERS OF THE FOREST (2026) | TIME AND WATER (2026) | PHENOMENA (2026) Timestamps: 00:00 Poolside escape and trail introductions 01:30 Meet Jess Harrop and the Sandbox Films slate 03:00 Dan Deacon, Drinking Out of Cups, and the Sandbox scoring pipeline 05:30 From biology degree to science TV producer 07:30 Nova, Discovery Channel, and Bill Nye Saves the World 08:30 Learning filmmaking on the job—and the science-to-film pipeline 10:00 Camp Sandbox: where scientists and filmmakers become the same people 11:30 Walking like New Yorkers and the South by Southwest bait-and-switch 15:00 From show-running Netflix to building a studio at the Simons Foundation 17:30 Comedy docs and the Trojan Horse for science communication 19:30 ANDRÉ IS AN IDIOT: the film everyone needs to see immediately 21:00 Genre docs as a philosophy—comedy, romance, eco-horror 22:00 Werner Herzog on the advisory board and giving notes to a legend 25:00 Sandbox origins: FATHOM, ALL LIGHT EVERYWHERE, and early development 29:00 The stabby Amtrak detour and "get the cowboys on the horses" 33:00 THE LAKE: Great Salt Lake collapse, praying for rain, and the governor at Sundance 40:00 Tardigrades, the library rooftop, and things Keith loves 41:30 DAUGHTERS OF THE FOREST: indigenous mycologists and sci-fi docs 42:30 Cyber trucks, Waymos, and the autonomous future arrives in Austin 46:00 Time and Water: Sara Dosa's glacier elegy and the FIRE OF LOVE reunion 48:00 How FIRE OF LOVE was born from COVID, an archive, and one bold vision 52:30 The Wes Anderson–Jacques Cousteau connection 53:00 Lightning round: gateway drug doc, dream collaborators, and what's on Jess's mind 56:00 Advice for emerging filmmakers: find what makes you unique 58:00 PHENOMENA: the IMAX-ready, no-VFX science spectacle 1:00:00 Costume design side hustles and talking to animals 1:02:00 Dog Walks: the spinoff nobody asked for 1:04:00 Outro and Rambler Sparkling Water

If you ever wanted to get into the head of a premier festival programmer, this is your chance! Meet SXSW VP of Film & TV, Claudette Godfrey, a self-described Chaos Coordinator and all-around boss. Keith's flyin' solo while Ben's off shooting commercials (allegedly) and you won't want to miss the chance to walk & doc with Claudette today, on the 40th anniversary SXSW kickoff. An ADHD/OCD whirlwind of ideas and observations, Claudette is a trip—and she's ready to talk all things SXSW and highlight this year's best of the fest… But first we'll check-in on Claudette's origin story: native Austinite, UT film student, SX intern in the Matt Dentler days, shorts programmer-extraordinaire under Janet Pierson, and now ascendant head of all things film & television at Austin's far-reaching culture fest. She's got intel to share—everything that's different now that the fest is 7 days instead of 10. She breaks down what actually gets a short film into a festival (pro tip: make an animated or a doc short—there's just a 0.4% acceptance rate for narrative), why docs are getting "more samey by the day," and why the overnight success myth is a comfortable lie filmmakers have been telling themselves since the early days of Quentin Tarantino. All that in preparation for the main event as Claudette rapid-fires through the 2026 doc slate with obvious glee: Sea Monkeys, classified Bigfoot footage, penis injections, NDA whistleblowers, the world's first extinct glacier, and a film about Kentucky weed farmers. Keith confesses he's in development on seven projects and none of them are close to done, so it'll be a few years before he's submitting to the fest. But Claudette supports his idea of making a short… Plus: thoughts on Ben's role as Claudette's film prof; shout out to Trey Edward Schults' KRISHA and Jeremy Workman's SECRET MALL APARTMENT; Johnny Cash & Beck & Janis Joplin all at Keith's first SX (class of '94); and cameos from future DocWalks guest Sarah Kuck and Pickles the dog! This episode was sponsored by our good friends at Rambler Sparkling Water. A tasty limestone mineral blend with the perfect level of tight, crispy bubbles. Made in America and proudly supporting American Rivers. Ramble on. DISCUSSION LINKS PULP FICTION (1994) | TOMMY BOY (1995) | E.T. THE EXTRA-TERRESTRIAL (1982) | KRISHA (2015) | JANIS JOPLIN SLEPT HERE (1994) | EVERYTHING EVERYWHERE ALL AT ONCE (2022) | NAVALNY (2022) | DEAR MR. BRODY (2022) | SECRET MALL APARTMENT (2024) | MY BROTHER'S KILLER (2026) | AMAZING LIVE SEA MONKEYS (2026) | CAPTURING BIGFOOT (2026) | DRIFT (2026) | MANHOOD (2026) | MY NDA (2026) | SUMMER OF '94 (2026) | TIME AND WATER (2026) | SUMMER 2000 (2026) | THE LIFE WE LEAVE (2026) | THE DADS (2026) | THE LAST CRITIC (2026) | CORNBREAD MAFIA (2026) TIMESTAMPS 00:00 Introduction and circle of confusion 00:49 Meet Claudette Godfrey, VP of Film and TV at SXSW 02:42 Ben was Claudette's TA in college 04:13 Why Claudette went producing track instead of directing 06:00 Pulp Fiction, Tarantino, and the dream of being discovered 08:00 Festival producer vs. film producer 09:30 SXSW 40th anniversary and what's different this year 12:00 Seven days instead of ten, new badge structure 13:30 Claudette's first SXSW memory: Janice Joplin and Emo's, 1994 16:30 How SXSW has grown since the shed-in-a-backyard days 19:30 Keith's mushroom Easter egg and the intern connection 22:00 Shorts programming: what actually gets in 28:00 Animated shorts, acceptance rates, and premiere strategy 30:00 What makes a great short film 33:00 Watch the films at the festivals you want to attend 35:00 Trey Edward Shults and the moment Claudette was bowled over 37:00 Features: docs are getting more samey 40:00 The myth of the overnight success (the Daniels) 43:00 The 2026 SXSW doc slate begins 44:00 SECRET MALL APARTMENT and patience in documentary filmmaking 45:00 MY BROTHER'S KILLER, AMAZING LIVE SEA MONKEYS, CAPTURING BIGFOOT 47:00 CORNBREAD MAFIA, DRIFT, MANHOOD, MY NDA 48:00 SUMMER OF '94 and the AI DOC 50:00 TIME AND WATER, Sarah Dosa, and the survival of humanity 53:00 SUMMER 2000, THE LIFE WE LEAVE, THE DADS, THE LAST CRITIC 55:00 50% first-time filmmakers, the submission process myths 57:00 Film festival fit: not every great film belongs at every fest 58:00 Lightning round: gateway drug films 59:00 Francis, Pickles, and Keith's seven projects in development 01:02:00 Outro and teaser for Holly Herrick episode

Park City, 2026 — we showed up without films, without press credentials, but still… ready to make our DocWalk dreams a reality. Welcome to the last of 4 episodes at Sundance: a walk down Main Street, where we hobnob with the best of the fest, greet the people, and do everything we can to stay warm in sub-freezing temps without a single movie ticket in sight. This year at Sundance everyone was looking back (at the legacy of Robert Redford and what the fest has been) while still looking forward (to where we'll be in a year… Boulder, Colorado). We catch-up on the festival BizBuzz™: it's all M&A! Mergers and acquisitions (netflix/paramount/warners, oh my) and whether the indie spirit is actually back (Ben says it is). As men of the people, we focus on the men (& women) on the street. And they have a lot to say. Entertainment lawyer Ben Moskowitz breaks down what not to do when you're pitching, first-time producer Will Butler shares the innovations of JOYBUBBLES—the first film at Sundance to screen with open audio description for blind audiences, and Tribeca programmer Jarod Neece offers insight into the numbers game that you've gotta overcome when applying to a premier fest. We meet David Fortune, who turned a million-dollar grant into his debut feature COLOR BOOK, Jamaican producer/lawyer Rob Maylor who's about to make Delroy Lindo a first-time director, and filmmaker Dana Reilly fresh off her OUR BODY ELECTRIC premiere. Austin-based producers Russell Groves and Jessica Wolfson make brief cameos and former-Austinite Heather Courtney joins us to talk about the film she's producing with Christina Ibarra, and the one she's directing (thx to a Chicken & Egg research grant). Plus: surprise run-ins with editor Josh Ethier, publicist David Magdael and doc-superstar Ondi Timoner; Aaaand an owl that's been in 150 movies; a meteorologist and horses; and insight into a Park City real estate deal that proves that karma is real, but the best deals are behind us. Thanks to the Austin Film Society and The Long Time for sponsoring our trip! This one is a super-sized DocWalks with 50% more runtime, and a whole lot of fun! DISCUSSION LINKS: JOYBUBBLES (2026) | COLOR BOOK (2024) | OUR BODY ELECTRIC (2026) | BUDDY (2026) | AMERICAN DOCTOR (2026) | THE OLDEST PERSON IN THE WORLD (2026) | THE HISTORY OF CONCRETE (2026) | ALL THE WALLS CAME DOWN (2025) | BREAKING THROUGH ROCKS (2025) | COME SEE ME IN THE GOOD LIGHT (2025) | HOT WATER (2026) | LITTLE MISS SUNSHINE (2006) | SEX, LIES, AND VIDEOTAPE (1989) | SLACKER (1990) | CLERKS (1994) | SEIZED (2026) | NUTS (2016) | TOO MANY COOKS (2014) | CARTS OF DARKNESS (2008) | MARCH OF THE PENGUINS (2005) | WINNEBAGO MAN (2009) | TOWER (2016) | CHOP & STEELE (2022) | DEAR MR. BRODY (2021) TIMESTAMPS: 00:00 Ben is cold — arrival in Park City 03:58 Main Street dispatch — the last Sundance in Park City 07:00 First-timers and the indie spirit question 08:00 Jordan Tracy — ABC4 live weather with horses 11:50 Russell Groves and Jessica Wolfson 17:50 Ben Moskowitz on how new filmmakers find a lawyer 21:00 Good ideas, bad ideas — don't promise access you don't have 25:15 Will Butler and JOYBUBBLES — open audio description at Sundance 29:00 Jarod Neece — Tribeca at 25 and the 14,000-film funnel 37:10 Kino Lorber re-releasing Tower — breaking news 41:00 Bill and Robin — Park City locals since the sixties 44:30 Night falls — BizBuzz™ on Main Street 48:00 Dana Reilly — OUR BODY ELECTRIC premieres at Dances With Films 52:30 TOWER superfan and the sorority screening 55:00 David Fortune — COLOR BOOK and the AT&T Untold Stories million 58:30 Dapper dressed rule of thumb 1:01:30 Rob Maylor — producing Delroy Lindo's directorial debut 1:05:00 Josh Ethier — editing BUDDY from TOO MANY COOKS director Casper Kelly 1:09:30 Eagle and Spencer — skiing, Fugazi, and CARTS OF DARKNESS 1:14:00 Day three — Heather Courtney and Chicken & Egg research grant 1:19:00 David Magdael — publicist, Oscar campaigns, and changing the world through cinema and Ondi(!) Timoner 1:22:30 Heather's final thoughts — call your representatives 1:29:30 Driving away from Sundance — reflections on community and the grind 1:36:00 Sponsor messages and next episode preview — Anna Rau and the Nonfiction Hot List

When we find Julie Goldman and Chris Clements of Motto Pictures in a Sundance hotel lobby, they're doing what they do—sharing hugs and encouragement with the Oscar-nominated team from THE PERFECT NEIGHBOR. They're the kind of producers who root hard for everybody in the field while juggling 8-10 projects of their own. Julie and Chris know everyone—and they champion longtime friends and newcomers to docmaking alike. When we asked Julie to walk with us last year at SXSW, she was a quick and easy "YES," but it took til Sundance for us all to be in the same place at the same time. And here we are. Keith knows the Motto Pictures folks from the 2016-2017 awards campaign when they were shepherding both LIFE, ANIMATED and WEINER. Ben's lucky enough to be in business with Motto on his upcoming DR. DANTE project. So we've all spent time together, and this time we're bringing you along for a winding view into Chris & Julie's work philosophies and partnership—they're married business partners who each offer different aspects to the films they produce. We're away from the hubbub of Main Street and onto the nature trail spotting birds, murals, tunnels, and trees, all while digging into the Motto approach: how they financed their first feature on maxed-out credit cards at Brooklyn College, why they Zoom into shoots they can't attend, and how they handle story development and adaptation, including seeing a doc become a scripted comedy in partnership with Mike Schur and Ted Danson. Hear how Julie went from memorizing international phone prefixes at First Run Features to spotting potential in filmmakers before they see it themselves; and Chris drops a theory on why AI will never replace human storytelling—"it doesn't understand doubt." Join us as we stumble into a public art garden where we can't resist trying our hand at live-scoring the walk with some sculptural instruments. And we land on a question that these walks keep coming back to: where does documentary go from here? Plus: love for Errol Morris and Barbara Kopple, Owen Suskind's flawless post-screening routine, the beauty of sad bells echoing through a Park City tunnel, and the tuxedo pigeon is back (still a magpie). Discussion Links: BUCK (2011) | LIFE, ANIMATED (2016) | WEINER (2016) | CHICKEN PEOPLE (2016) | THE MOLE AGENT (2020) | MAN ON THE INSIDE (2024) | THE PERFECT NEIGHBOR (2025) | GATES OF HEAVEN (1978) | HARLAN COUNTY, USA (1976) | ABACUS: SMALL ENOUGH TO JAIL (2016) | WALTZ WITH BASHIR (2008) | CAPTURING THE FRIEDMANS (2003) | AN AMERICAN FAMILY (1973) Timestamps: 00:00 Sundance lobby: hugging THE PERFECT NEIGHBOR crew goodbye 02:42 Meet Julie Goldman & Chris Clements of Motto Pictures 04:13 Motto origin story and the greatest hits 07:07 The tuxedo pigeon returns (still a magpie, Keith) 08:04 Married and making movies: how they navigate both 09:12 Eight to ten projects at once—parallel action as philosophy 11:17 Creative producing: Zoom-ing into shoots, feeding notes live 15:28 Julie's sales brain meets Chris's creative obsession 17:35 The credit card feature: Brooklyn College's worst financial advice 19:01 Why producing called louder than directing 21:02 Owen Suskind wants a cheeseburger and three movies 22:08 Motto's unofficial motto: dragging filmmakers kicking and screaming 25:02 The light at the end of the tunnel for doc filmmaking 29:15 Documentary is defense—and championships are won reacting 31:19 The pivot moment every good doc goes through 36:08 "AI doesn't understand doubt" 39:03 The sculpture garden jam session 40:27 What Motto looks for: a new way to see the world 46:03 YouTube, platforms, and where distribution is headed 50:12 The Motto farm system: interns to A24 51:14 Advice for first-time feature filmmakers 55:04 Gateway docs: GATES OF HEAVEN and HARLAN COUNTY, USA 57:08 What they can't stop thinking about 59:32 The short: FOR SOME KIND OF REFUGE 01:01:12 Sponsors: Austin Film Society & The Long Time

Ben squeezes into the VHS vault that is the Found Footage Festival (FFF) headquarters in NY with Joe Pickett—half of the FFF comedy duo who quit his job to follow a dirty country singer for four years, turned stolen instructional videos into a 20-year comedy empire, and once declared a half-naked woman painting ceramic clowns "the greatest moment in VHS history." Joe walks us through his filmmaking suicide pact with Nick Prueher, explains why Larry Pierce's "I Like to (BEEP)" changed everything, and reveals the dark truth about JINGLE BABIES. From sleeping on floors for a full year to getting sued in federal court for morning show pranks, Joe's path from documentary filmmaker to comedy archeologist proves you need to be willing to sleep on couches in order to finish what you start. We're surrounded by 14,638 tapes (no doubles), a giant Bart Simpson mask, and a signed GROWING PAINS poster that survived the New York subway. Plus: his new doc is so illegal you have to sign an NDA just to watch it. Discussion links: VHS PARTY LIVE! (2026) | DIRTY COUNTRY (2007) | CHOP & STEELE (2022) | AMERICAN MOVIE (1999 ) | SHERMAN'S MARCH (1985) | WINNEBAGO MAN (2009) Timestamps: 00:00 Welcome to Found Footage Festival HQ 02:42 The origin story: Larry Pierce and dirty country music 07:41 Quitting jobs and the suicide pact 11:17 Following weirdos for four and a half years 15:28 How Found Footage Festival started as fundraising 19:56 South by Southwest premiere and audience award 24:19 Greatest hits from the VHS vault 29:13 What makes bad things good 34:24 Lightning round: American Movie as gateway drug 40:00 Advice for aspiring filmmakers: sleep on couches 45:00 Video Filmed for Life—the illegal documentary

This week, Ben is on a solo mission to a freezing New York City, where legendary filmmaker Alan Berliner guides him through his studio that's equal parts fine art gallery and documentary laboratory. We're talking about a 108 drawer sound sculpture that Alan plays like an instrument, flood-destroyed film reels turned gorgeous works of art, and the kind of collections that make you wonder where archiving ends and genius begins. Alan waxes poetic on the fine art vs. filmmaker debate, breaks down why every film portrait is really about the person behind the camera, and encourages thinking like a filmmaker even when you're not on set. We get into his philosophy on acting at the speed of thought, editing without treatments, trusting your gut and letting the material tell you what it wants. Then there's his new film, BENITA, a deeply personal work born from decades of friendship and unimaginable loss — Alan's tribute to a woman whose story yearned to be told, even after she was gone. He opens up about what it means to honor someone through film, and why he believes the documentary world is about to shrink fast. This one's about honoring both your mentors — in the case of Ben learning from Alan — and your mentee's — in the case of Alan coming to know Benita. Buckle up for a beautiful, wild walk through Alan Berliner's studio and his filmmaking career. DISCUSSION LINKS: INTIMATE STRANGER (1991) | NOBODY'S BUSINESS (1996) | THE SWEETEST SOUND (2001) | WIDE AWAKE (2006) | FIRST COUSIN ONCE REMOVED (2012) | BENITA (2024) | THE FAMILY ALBUM (1986) TIMESTAMPS: 00:00 Welcome to Doc Walks: Ben Solo in NYC 00:49 Meeting Alan Berliner at His Studio 02:42 Audio File: The 108 Drawer Sound Sculpture 07:00 The Object Cabinets: Bells, Keys, and Lock Drawers 11:17 Composing with Drawers: Live Demonstration 14:00 "Slow Dissolve" and Think Like a Filmmaker 19:56 Fine Art vs. Documentary: Does the Distinction Matter? 23:00 Parts and Labor: The 534-Frame Machine Sculpture 30:00 Translucent: Film Reels as Light Sculptures 34:24 The Title Card Lens Installation 40:00 The Martin Luther King Jr. Citizenship Award 45:00 Oklahoma, Graduate School, and Unlikely Origins 50:00 From Grandfather to Father to Self: The Portrait Films 56:00 Never Writing a Treatment: The Intuitive Process 1:03:00 Acting at the Speed of Thought 1:07:00 BENITA: A Collaboration with the Departed 1:16:00 The Documentary Landscape in Crisis 1:22:00 Windows and Mirrors: The Purpose of Portraiture 1:26:00 Advice for Filmmakers: Fascination and Need 1:31:00 Closing and Next Episode Preview

Consider this your midnight toast to new beginnings—we're popping the cork on our Sundance episode just in time for the calendar reset. As 2024 turns to 2025, we're grateful for the documentary community that keeps showing up, keeps creating, and keeps walking these festival streets in search of collaborators, inspiration, and maybe a free hot cocoa. So grab a glass of whatever you're having, bundle up (it's 31 degrees in spirit), and ring in the New Year with Ben and Keith's man-on-the-street adventure through Park City… We're walkin' and talkin' through the heart of Sundance, crashing the festival without a film and somehow finding exactly what we came for. From chance encounters with Iranian filmmakers debuting their first feature to freestyle raps from parking lot attendants, this episode captures the serendipity of showing up. We debate whether you need to be a "hopeless optimist" or a "pragmatic realist" to survive indie filmmaking (spoiler: legendary producer Sue Kim has strong opinions). Along the way we spot tuxedo pigeons, dodge UPS trucks, and nearly intercept Conan O'Brien. Plus: the house analogy for selling your film that actually makes sense. Timestamps: 00:00 Welcome to Doc Walks: Sundance Day 00:49 First Impressions: 31 Degrees and Feeling Like Imposters 02:42 Why Sundance Matters (Even Without a Film) 04:13 The House Analogy: Films, Sales Agents, and Finding Your Plot of Land 07:41 Man on the Street: Volunteers, Skiers, and the Latino Flu Panel 11:17 Meeting Frank Mosley: In-Person Connection in a Virtual World 15:28 Iranian Filmmakers Debut: Cutting Through Rocks 17:48 The Adobe House and Free Hot Cocoa 19:56 Chosen Glory: Parking Lot Freestyle and Good Vibes 22:08 Speed and First: Hope for the Future Generation 25:32 Producer Sue Kim: The Case Against Hopeless Optimism 29:13 Hopeful vs. Hopeless: Finding Your Festival Philosophy 34:24 Wrapping Up Day One and Looking Ahead Discussion Links: CUTTING THROUGH ROCKS (2025) | OVEX (2025) | WINNEBAGO MAN (2009) | TOWER (2016)

As we close-out of our first year of doc'in & walkin' it's time to take stock in what this podcast is all about. We're excited to welcome self-proclaimed number one fan and Australian-born doc-maker, Sally O'Grady for a year-end, Year in Review episode. This nature-walk snakes through the wilderness behind Sally's North Austin home as Ben intros us to a game of "High, Low, Buffalo, Mitzvah" (a Steinbauer family dinner game) and a chance to reflect on the ups, downs, weird little moments and the true mitzvahs of our first 33 episodes. We'll catch up with some favorite Doc Walks bits, dig into what's working, get schooled on our Bechdel Test failures (eight women out of 33 guests—Sally came with receipts), and navigate the eternal tension between preparation and off-the-cuff authenticity. And Sally shares her 10-year journey making THE TROUBLE I SEE, a film about incarcerated fathers and their daughters, premiering at AFS Cinema on January 14th (tix on sale now!) Along the way: a surprise encounter with an 86-year-old Vietnamese general-turned-crossing guard, a sit-down at Sally's Pond™, and a chance to commune with a magnificent blue heron who refuses to fly. Through the highs, the lows, the birds and the buffaloes, every step we've taken together in 2025 has been a mitzvah… happy holidays to you, and thanks for walking this road with us! Discussion Links THE TROUBLE I SEE (2025) | WINNEBAGO MAN (2010) | TOWER (2016) | HIGH HOPES (2024) | PEEWEE PLAYS HIMSELF (2025) Timestamps 00:00 Introduction and Sally O'Grady arrives 01:05 Sally as "number one fan" and Doc Walks origin story 02:00 Discovering Copperfield Nature Trail in northeast Austin 03:00 Sally's journey from Sydney to New York to Austin 05:00 Year one reflections and holiday episode setup 06:30 Do Ben-and-Keith-only episodes work? Sally weighs in 08:30 "Gardener Not a Carpenter" and useful documentary wisdom 10:00 Ben's vulnerability about prep vs. free-jazz conversations 11:00 Keith on wanting episodes to feel more like real conversations 13:00 The magnificent blue-painted live oak 14:30 High-Low-Buffalo-Mitzvah game explained 16:00 Sally's HIGH: Diane Quon's sensitive interview and Megan Gilbride's "make fucking cinema" 18:00 The title debate: why "Make Fucking Cinema" got vetoed 20:30 Keith's HIGH: Matt Wolf episode and overcoming fears about solo Ben episodes 23:30 Ben's HIGH: Celebrating Maureen Gosling and Les Blank's legacy 26:00 Sally's LOW: The Bechdel Test reality check (8 women out of 33 guests) 28:30 Ben and Keith respond to diversity critique 31:00 Ben's LOW: The off-camera conflict moment with Keith 34:30 Keith's LOW: Wanting guests to recognize them as fellow filmmakers 38:30 Buffalo: Matt Wolf's vanity and Ben's "tugboat" gaffe 40:00 Keith's Buffalo: Birds and describing the world 42:00 Ben's Buffalo: Embracing new formats amid industry change 43:30 Meeting Sally's neighbor Bowie, the 86-year-old Vietnamese general 46:30 Keith's mitzvah and development deal announcement 47:00 The blue heron finally appears 50:00 Sally's film THE TROUBLE I SEE and 10-year journey 54:00 Working with editor Sandra Guardado 57:30 Sally's next project: MA'AM and scammers targeting women therapists 1:01:00 Closing reflections and 2026 preview

Keith's out this week, so Ben is strutting Travis Heights solo with his good pal Scott(y) Ballew. Scott's a lesson in cutting-against the grain and getting more for it. You might know him from his work as the former Head of Content at Yeti, making 100+ branded docs with one rule: no product placement. Scott's path is pure chaos theory - starting with a UT football national championship ring, spending time as an insurance salesman, working the ol' LA PA grind to end up changing how brands tell stories (all while writing and recording his own songs), Scott's tried it all. We dig into the decade-long golden era at Yeti where he worked with 20 filmmakers at once (including Ben on the TOOTSIE film), and how he learned directing on the job from his inspirations. Scott breaks down Terry Allen's "follow the muse" philosophy (including how it sent him on his own musical journey), the surreal Telluride premiere of ALL THAT IS SACRED (his Jimmy Buffett/Tom McGuane film that premiered the day Buffett died), and why he'd rather make films with friends than chase a Townes Van Zandt-type of obsession (learning in part by documenting Townes' son, J.T.). Plus: exploring classic Texas cinema with Jeff Nichols, why loving your subjects beats gotcha filmmaking, and the eternal truth that podcasts are the new mayonnaise. This episode is sponsored by our friends at The Long Time—a 5-acre event-space and playground for your imagination. It's also the home field of The Texas Playboys (the sandlot baseball team that both Ben and Scott play for). For more information go to thelongtime.com and follow along on IG @thelongtimetexas Discussion Links: WINNEBAGO MAN (2009) | GREENBERG (2010) | DIG! (2004) | BE HERE TO LOVE ME (2004) | THE DEVIL AND DANIEL JOHNSTON (2005) | NO DIRECTION HOME (2005) | MUD (2012) | ALL THAT IS SACRED (2023) | THE LONG TIME (2018) | TOOTSIE (2016) | ANCHOR POINT (2016) | EVERYTHING FOR ALL REASONS (2019) Timestamps: 00:00 Introduction and Travis Heights Walk 02:00 Defining Yourself as a Creative 05:00 UT Football and National Championship 09:00 LA Dreams: Music Manager to PA 13:00 Podcasts Are the New Mayonnaise 15:00 Starting at Yeti 18:00 Why Branded Docs Work 24:00 Learning to Direct in the Edit Room 31:00 The Golden Era and Going Public 35:00 Writing Songs Out of Necessity 40:00 Tom McGuane, Jimmy Buffett, and Key West 47:00 Loving Your Subjects 53:00 Telluride and Jimmy Buffett's Death 57:00 Moving to Tecovas 01:00:00 Working with Jeff Nichols 01:02:00 Lightning Round: NO DIRECTION HOME (at home) 01:06:00 Dynamic Life vs One-Track Obsession 01:12:00 Closing Thoughts

Thanksgiving is here and we're thankful for the filmmakers who make our home town of Austin, TX weird and wonderful. So this week, we're serving up a heaping helping of gratitude and indulging in a re-release of one of our favorite community episodes, EP09 - THE WATERING HOLE, LIVE FROM THE AUSTIN FILM SOCIETY. We recorded this one during SXSW at the annual Austin Film Society party. We're grateful to documentary filmmakers, the festivals that bring us all together, AFS for holding down the fort and for you—yes, you—who keep showing up to listen to a coupla turkeys. Most of all, we're grateful we get to do this together. So pull up a chair, loosen your belt, and feast on this Austin film family reunion. ORIGINAL SYNOPSIS: Drink up the scene like a local as Keith & Ben chat up their fellow Austinites (and a few out of town visitors) at the annual Austin Film Society Parking Lot Party at SXSW. This episode is a veritable smorgasbord of festival conversation including appearances by local filmmakers Cassie Hay, Tracy Frazier & Karen Skloss; festival programmers like Bart Weiss and James Faust; SXSW-premiering CREEDE, USA editor Andrew Saunderson; producer Mike Blizzard; and an AFS-appreciation conversation with CEO Rebecca Campbell. All that and a literal Rolls Royce car crash makes this bonus episode a unique peek into Austin's film community. 00:00 Introduction and Setting the Scene 00:59 Meeting Cassie Hay: A Filmmaking Journey 03:38 Tracy Frazier: From Documentaries to Gaming 06:39 Bart Weiss: The Evolution of Video Fest 11:56 Andrew Saunderson: Editing Creed USA 15:54 James Faust: Festival Highlights 16:16 Introduction to South by Southwest 16:53 Interview with James Faust 17:12 The State of Documentary Films 19:54 Challenges in the Film Industry 24:16 Rebecca Campbell on Austin Film Society 29:45 Mike Blizzard on Austin's Film Community 31:37 Karen Skloss on the Austin Film Society Party 34:22 Conclusion and Future Episodes