Special Tribeca Episode: Rob Rice, dir. of PONDEROSA (2026)

Special Tribeca Episode: Rob Rice, dir. of PONDEROSA (2026)

From First Time Go by Benjamin Duchek

June 12, 2026 · 18 min · Season 4

About this episode

Rob Rice discusses his unique transition from neuroscience to filmmaking and his new film PONDEROSA.

The career path -- M.S. in Neuroscience to filmmaking -- is a wholly original one and so is his filmmaking. His second feature, PONDEROSA (2026) , is a comedy-horror film that looks at American masculinity in a way I've never seen before. It is a gift to watch -- beginning to end -- not because I understood everything going on, but because I didn't. The best type of filmmaking should challenge you and make you think differently about the world around you. Mission accomplished here by Rob, with brilliant actors by his side. I'm texting my friend with a neuroscience degree, telling him to get on over to Tribeca and make a film! In this episode, Rob and I talk about: going from CRISPR engineer to filmmaking; how PONDEROSA came about and the trickiness of describing the film; what his experiences at prominent film festivals taught him; how he got some of the best actors out there -- Bill Camp; Alexis Bledel -- to work on his film; how he did the score and music FIRST and then edited accordingly; how he balances directing and producing; what's next for him. Rob's Indie Film Highlight: THE MISCONCEIVED (2026) dir. by James N. Kienitz Wilkins Links: Follow Rob On Instagram

People in this episode

Host: Benjamin Duchek

Guest: Rob Rice

Topics covered

  • filmmaking
  • American masculinity
  • comedy-horror
  • film festivals
  • neuroscience
  • independent film

Keywords

  • Rob Rice
  • PONDEROSA
  • neuroscience
  • comedy-horror
  • American masculinity
  • film festivals
  • Bill Camp
  • Alexis Bledel

Mentioned in this episode

Books & works: PONDEROSA, THE MISCONCEIVED

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