The Process / Dispatch

Greg Kwedar and Clint Bentley are the filmmaking duo behind Sing Sing, the critically acclaimed drama that earned them an Academy Award nomination for Best Adapted Screenplay. Known for their deeply humanistic approach to storytelling, Kwedar and Bentley craft films that center on overlooked communities and the resilience of the human spirit. Their latest film, which premiered at the Sundance Film Festival, continues their tradition of immersive, character-driven narratives and is set for release later this year. Before Sing Sing, Kwedar and Bentley first collaborated on Transpecos (2016), a gripping border thriller that Kwedar directed and Bentley co-wrote. They followed that with Jockey (2021), Bentley’s directorial debut, which premiered at Sundance and earned widespread acclaim for its intimate storytelling and naturalistic performances. Throughout their work, they have consistently demonstrated a commitment to authenticity, often working with non-actors and embedding themselves deeply in the worlds they portray. For directors navigating the complexities of feature filmmaking, this conversation is a must-listen—touching on everything from financing challenges to the emotional toll of the creative process. Greg and Clint offer a candid look at what it really takes to bring a story to life, proving that even as they move onto bigger stages, their process remains rooted in trust, curiosity, and an unwavering dedication to their craft.

This is the third episode in the WGA inspired mini-season. A break from the usual "Directors on Directing," this season is focused on the granular mechanics screenwriting. Each of these conversations were recorded as a part of a remote writer's group that I ran in early 2020. Though they weren't ever intended to be released publicly - given the WGA (and now SAG) strikes, I thought it would be a small act of solidarity to bring our attention back to the work that goes into the creation of the screenplay This episode features a conversation with BASSAM TARIQ. Bassam was born in Karachi, Pakistan, and later migrated to the United States, where he grew up in Queens, New York. His dual-cultural upbringing significantly influenced his work, providing him a distinctive lens through which to explore and portray complex issues related to identity, belonging, and the immigrant experience. Tariq's debut feature film, "These Birds Walk," premiered at South by Southwest in 2013 and was named one of the best indie films of the year by The New Yorker. In 2019, he directed "The Ghosts of Sugarland" - a documentary short he wrote and directed about his post-9/11 high school experience. The film premiered at Sundance in 2019. He then directed "Mogul Mowgli" in 2020, starring Riz Ahmed, which earned rave reviews for its exploration of diaspora identity and the physical and emotional toll of ambition. The film premiered at Berlinale in 2020. Throughout his career, Tariq has consistently demonstrated his ability to deftly intertwine personal narratives with broader societal themes and his profound dedication to storytelling continues to resonate powerfully in the work he creates. In this conversation we specifically discuss page count, finding and maintaining a "voice", the movement from documentary to narrative storytelling, and the importance of protecting your vision.

This is the first episode of our WGA themed mini-season. Born out of an early pandemic writer's group, these conversations were part of a months long writer's group for directors who were writing their own features during the lockdown. Each week, I brought on a different guest to speak about writing and scripts from their perspective. While these conversations weren't intended for public release, given the current WGA strike and the broader conversation about the significance writers have in the filmmaking process, I wanted to release these conversations as a small act of solidarity. First up: Dan Steele. Dan is one of the co-writers of STAGES, my debut feature that is currently in pre-production. But STAGES is not even close to the most interesting thing that he's working on. Dan is an LA-based screenwriter and producer, an alumnus of the Warner Bros. Television Writers’ Workshop, and an Austin Film Festival Award winner. He currently has feature projects set up at Warner Bros., Netflix, and Lionsgate with prestigious production companies like John Legend’s Get Lifted and Charles D. King’s MACRO. But Dan first got his start in television, writing on staff for over 100 episodes on series such as Gossip Girl and Hart of Dixie. He was a co-producer on MTV’s Faking It and The Donors for executive producer Kevin Hart. In this episode we dive into the specifics of his writing process, how to navigate second act malaise, the importance of endings, and ways to create prisms out of your characters that reveal theme when action "shines" through them.

Nearly every one of these episodes has a *Recorded in 2020* as a disclaimer in the show notes. So - the obvious question: why in the world did it take so long to put these conversations out?? The short answer: I got stuck. And getting unstuck was a multi-step process. First, my friend Jake McMullen came alongside me and began editing the episodes and generating the original music. Anna Remus came along to help put a schedule to the process. And suddenly, the episodes were done and ready...except for all the intros/outros. I recorded a scripted version and it didn't feel right. But then I got stuck again. So in a flailing effort to get unstuck, I put out an IG message asking for someone to jump on a Zoom with me and simply be on the other end of the call while I tried to record the intros off the cuff. But it turned into something much more than intro/outro - it turned into a deep conversation about why and how we get stuck sometimes and how we might find a way out of the maze. Thanks to Meredith Adelaide and Raul Serpas for jumping on that zoom call and helping me process this project on a macro scale. I'm eternally grateful for the final push. As I listened back, I realized I couldn't use it for intro/outro as planned, but it might actually be worth sharing as a way to connect with any of you who have ever had trouble "shipping." Thanks for listening to this season and look forward to bringing you more conversations soon enough.

This episode is a continuation of my conversation with Jonathan & Josh Baker [TWIN]. Specifically, we dive into some of the hard-won learnings that they discovered while making their first feature film, KIN. Making films is trial by fire and the debrief after the dust settles is such a critical component to growing as a director. It's a rare thing to be able to be a part of such a candid and open conversation about the highs and lows of bringing a feature to life. Huge thanks to Jonathan and Josh Baker for letting us in on their process and all the things they've learned that they'll take into their next film, URSA MAJOR. Recorded in the summer of 2020.

Nikyatu Jusu is on the most compelling and dynamic filmmakers that I've had the pleasure of meeting in the past few years. We were introduced by a mutual actor/friend and after seeing her enigmatic short, SUICIDE BY SUNLIGHT, I knew she was destined for massive projects. When I began the process of recording these interviews, she was my very first call. Thankfully she agreed and took a break from writing her debut feature, NANNY, to come sit and talk with me in studio for a conversation about her process. This was pre-pandemic, right after SUICIDE BY SUNLIGHT premiered at Sundance. This conversation was early, early, early. But I just knew that if I was to start a series of conversations about the nuts and bolts of directing, Nikyatu had to be at the top of my list. Of all the episodes, this one feels most like a time capsule and provides a compelling look at a filmmaker on the brink - one who has rigorously built the process by which she brings incredible stories into the world. The intervening years since recording this interview have proven to be incredibly fruitful for Nikyatu. She wrote and directed her first feature, NANNY, which won the Grand Jury prize at Sundance in 2022. And now, she's off to the races. Even since recording the intros for this episode, it was just announced that Nikyatu's next project will be directing the sequel to George Romero's 1968 masterpiece, NIGHT OF THE LIVING DEAD. The future is bright indeed. I have learned so much from my friendship with Nikyatu over the years and I'm excited to share a longform conversation with one of the most promising directors of my generation.

For the next conversation in this series, I couldn't think of a director I was more eager to speak with than Bassam Tariq. Bassam is on of the most thoughtful, truthful, and talented directors that I've had the chance to meet. We speak about his journey into filmmaking as a Muslim kid in post 9-11 America, his documentary feature THESE BIRDS WALK, and the evolution of his work from documentary into narrative as he prepared to make his debut feature with Riz Ahmed, MOGUL MOWGLI. We recorded this conversation in May of 2020 - long before any Marvel announcements occurred, so we don't touch on that particular project in this interview. Rather - we focus on Bassam's intention behind his work and how filmmaking is his way of being of service. When Bassam and I speak, we tend to go for hours and hours. This conversation was no exception. We started late, after our families had gone to sleep and talked late into the night. As such, I'm going to split this conversation into two parts. The first takes us to Mogul and the second, releasing next week, focuses on the specific process of making that film. I'm incredibly thankful to Bassam for his openness and honesty and hope you walk away encouraged by this conversation.

Welcome to The Process Dispatch. Conversations with directors about directing feature films. What began as a plan to record and release episodes in quick succession somehow became a multiyear process. As a result, the first five episodes of this podcast, all recorded in the summer of 2020, have become a time capsule of sorts - recorded before this season's directors released the work you likely know them for. But there is something special about speaking specifically to process *before* success arrives. So, before moving on to more current conversations, I want to present these five episodes as a way to frame the broader intent of this series. Welcome to The Process Dispatch. Featuring: 001 - The Daniels (Everything Everywhere All At Once) 002 - Bassam Tariq (Mogul Mowgli x BLADE) 003 - Nikyatu Jusu (Nanny) 004 - Jonathan & Josh Baker (aka TWIN) (KIN) 005 - Ricky Staub (Concrete Cowboy)