E78 • The Power of Containment • MADS MENGEL, dir. of ‘The Guest‘, Special Jury + Best Director WINNER at Karlovy Vary

E78 • The Power of Containment • MADS MENGEL, dir. of ‘The Guest‘, Special Jury + Best Director WINNER at Karlovy Vary

Danish filmmaker Mads Mengel joins Past Present Feature just before his world premiere of The Guest in the Crystal Globe Competition at the Karlovy Vary International Film Festival. Since this recording, The Guest has gone on to win the festival's Special Jury Prize, while Mengel received the Best Director Award. We discuss how the film grew from a simple question into an intimate family drama shaped by years of writing, collaboration, and refinement. Along the way, we explore contained storytelling, the Danish filmmaking model, building a visual language around performance rather than coverage, and why practical limitations often lead to stronger creative decisions. Mads also reflects on the films and filmmakers that shaped his love of cinema, including Magnolia, Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, The Lord of the Rings, 12 Angry Men, and The Conversation. At its core, our conversation is about making more with less, trusting the people around you, and discovering that limitations often become your greatest creative advantage. What Movies Are You Watching? [https://www.buzzsprout.com/2357245/fan_mail/new] Introducing the Past Present Feature Film Festival, a new showcase celebrating cinematic storytelling across time. From bold proof of concept shorts to stand out new films lighting up the circuit, to overlooked features that deserve another look.  Sponsored by the Past Present Feature podcast and Leica Camera. Submit now at filmfreeway.com/PastPresentFeature [https://filmfreeway.com/PastPresentFeature] Revival Hub [https://revivalhub.com/] is your guide to specialty screenings in Los Angeles - classics on 35mm, director Q&As, rare restorations, and indie gems you won't find on streaming. We connect moviegoers with over 200 venues across LA, from the major revival houses to the 20-seat microcinemas and more. Visit revivalhub.com [https://revivalhub.com/] to see what's playing this week.  Support the show [https://www.buzzsprout.com/2357245/support] Listen to all episodes on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and more, as well as at www.pastpresentfeature.com. Like, subscribe, and follow us on our socials @pastpresentfeature The Past Present Feature Film Festival - Nov. 20-22, 2026 in Hollywood, CA - Submit at filmfreeway.com/PastPresentFeature

E77 • The Art of Discovery & Staying Ahead of Your Audience • CARA CUSUMANO, Festival Director at Tribeca

Cara Cusumano, Director of Programming for the Tribeca Festival, joins Past Present Feature as the festival celebrates its 25th year. She pulls back the curtain on how one of the world's premier film festivals selects its films,  and how curation, audience, and timing shape every lineup.  Along the way, Cara reflects on the films and filmmakers that shaped her own cinematic taste, from F for Fake, Jiro Dreams of Sushi, to the fiction work of David Fincher, Agnès Varda, and Steven Spielberg. The conversation also explores Tribeca's origins following 9/11, the future of film festivals in the streaming era, why filmmakers shouldn't let deadlines dictate their creative process, and why the stories that resonate most are often the ones that keep moving, staying one step ahead of their audience, and continuing to surprise us.    What Movies Are You Watching? [https://www.buzzsprout.com/2357245/fan_mail/new] Introducing the Past Present Feature Film Festival, a new showcase celebrating cinematic storytelling across time. From bold proof of concept shorts to stand out new films lighting up the circuit, to overlooked features that deserve another look.  Sponsored by the Past Present Feature podcast and Leica Camera. Submit now at filmfreeway.com/PastPresentFeature [https://filmfreeway.com/PastPresentFeature] Revival Hub [https://revivalhub.com/] is your guide to specialty screenings in Los Angeles - classics on 35mm, director Q&As, rare restorations, and indie gems you won't find on streaming. We connect moviegoers with over 200 venues across LA, from the major revival houses to the 20-seat microcinemas and more. Visit revivalhub.com [https://revivalhub.com/] to see what's playing this week.  Support the show [https://www.buzzsprout.com/2357245/support] Listen to all episodes on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and more, as well as at www.pastpresentfeature.com. Like, subscribe, and follow us on our socials @pastpresentfeature The Past Present Feature Film Festival - Nov. 20-22, 2026 in Hollywood, CA - Submit at filmfreeway.com/PastPresentFeature

E76 (SEASON 3!) • The Stories Closest to Us Are the Hardest to Tell • DANIEL BLAKE SCHWARTZ, dir. of ‘Cotton Fever‘, Best Narrative Feature WINNER at Tribeca

Daniel Blake Schwartz breaks down how Tribeca Best U.S. Narrative Feature winner Cotton Fever grew out of years spent collecting stories during his own experience with addiction and recovery, ultimately transforming those fragments into a deeply personal debut feature. Drawing inspiration from filmmakers like Andrea Arnold and Hirokazu Kore-eda, Schwartz pursued a style rooted in realism, empathy, and lived experience rather than conventional dramatic structure. The film evolved from a self-funded short into an award-winning feature through grassroots fundraising, community support, a first-time filmmaker grant from Panavision, and the eventual attachment of actors Kyle Gallner and Sosie Bacon. Along the way, Schwartz navigated the uncertainty of first-time feature directing, discovering that some of the film's strongest moments emerged from vulnerability, collaboration, and instincts that couldn't always be explained on the page. At its core, Cotton Fever is a reminder that the most powerful stories often come from the experiences we're most hesitant to revisit. The challenge isn't always finding something meaningful to say. It's having the courage to tell the story that's already closest to you. What Movies Are You Watching? [https://www.buzzsprout.com/2357245/fan_mail/new] Introducing the Past Present Feature Film Festival, a new showcase celebrating cinematic storytelling across time. From bold proof of concept shorts to stand out new films lighting up the circuit, to overlooked features that deserve another look.  Sponsored by the Past Present Feature podcast and Leica Camera. Submit now at filmfreeway.com/PastPresentFeature [https://filmfreeway.com/PastPresentFeature] Revival Hub [https://revivalhub.com/] is your guide to specialty screenings in Los Angeles - classics on 35mm, director Q&As, rare restorations, and indie gems you won't find on streaming. We connect moviegoers with over 200 venues across LA, from the major revival houses to the 20-seat microcinemas and more. Visit revivalhub.com [https://revivalhub.com/] to see what's playing this week.  Support the show [https://www.buzzsprout.com/2357245/support] Listen to all episodes on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and more, as well as at www.pastpresentfeature.com. Like, subscribe, and follow us on our socials @pastpresentfeature The Past Present Feature Film Festival - Nov. 20-22, 2026 in Hollywood, CA - Submit at filmfreeway.com/PastPresentFeature

E75 • Distribution Starts With Knowing Your Audience • ALAN D’ESCRAGNOLLE, Co-Founder of Filmhub

Alan D’Escragnolle breaks down how his company Filmhub is rethinking distribution, shifting away from gatekeeping toward flexible, film-specific strategies. Instead of a single path, films are matched with what they actually need, whether that’s AVOD, SVOD, or a more hands-on sales and marketing push. The bigger shift is economic. With hundreds of thousands of titles entering the market each year, access is easier than ever, but monetization is harder. Success now comes down to positioning, artwork, and understanding where a film fits in an oversaturated landscape. At its core, the model has flipped. Distributors can get your film out, but they won’t build your audience. The takeaway is simple: know who your film is for, think long-term, and treat distribution as part of the process, not the finish line. What Movies Are You Watching? [https://www.buzzsprout.com/2357245/fan_mail/new] Introducing the Past Present Feature Film Festival, a new showcase celebrating cinematic storytelling across time. From bold proof of concept shorts to stand out new films lighting up the circuit, to overlooked features that deserve another look.  Sponsored by the Past Present Feature podcast and Leica Camera. Submit now at filmfreeway.com/PastPresentFeature [https://filmfreeway.com/PastPresentFeature] Revival Hub [https://revivalhub.com/] is your guide to specialty screenings in Los Angeles - classics on 35mm, director Q&As, rare restorations, and indie gems you won't find on streaming. We connect moviegoers with over 200 venues across LA, from the major revival houses to the 20-seat microcinemas and more. Visit revivalhub.com [https://revivalhub.com/] to see what's playing this week.  Support the show [https://www.buzzsprout.com/2357245/support] Listen to all episodes on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and more, as well as at www.pastpresentfeature.com. Like, subscribe, and follow us on our socials @pastpresentfeature The Past Present Feature Film Festival - Nov. 20-22, 2026 in Hollywood, CA - Submit at filmfreeway.com/PastPresentFeature

E74 • From Prison to Premiere • TAWFIK SABOUNI, dir. of ‘Other Side of the Sun‘ at Berlinale

Tawfik Sabouni breaks down his Berlinale-bound documentary Other Side of the Sun and how it grew out of lived experience, from filming protests during the Syrian revolution to imprisonment, exile, and ultimately shaping that reality into his first feature. He doesn’t separate fiction and nonfiction, approaching cinema as one language built around truth and urgency. The film follows survivors returning to the prison where they were held, using reenactment to access memory rather than spectacle. Built around faces instead of events, it focuses on the human imprint of trauma, with the process itself forcing Sabouni to confront experiences he nearly walked away from. Drawing from filmmakers like Rithy Panh (The Missing Picture) and Joshua Oppenheimer (The Act of Killing), the film blends personal testimony with cinematic form. The takeaway is clear: tell the stories that matter, especially the ones others would rather ignore. What Movies Are You Watching? [https://www.buzzsprout.com/2357245/fan_mail/new] Introducing the Past Present Feature Film Festival, a new showcase celebrating cinematic storytelling across time. From bold proof of concept shorts to stand out new films lighting up the circuit, to overlooked features that deserve another look.  Sponsored by the Past Present Feature podcast and Leica Camera. Submit now at filmfreeway.com/PastPresentFeature [https://filmfreeway.com/PastPresentFeature] Revival Hub [https://revivalhub.com/] is your guide to specialty screenings in Los Angeles - classics on 35mm, director Q&As, rare restorations, and indie gems you won't find on streaming. We connect moviegoers with over 200 venues across LA, from the major revival houses to the 20-seat microcinemas and more. Visit revivalhub.com [https://revivalhub.com/] to see what's playing this week.  Support the show [https://www.buzzsprout.com/2357245/support] Listen to all episodes on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and more, as well as at www.pastpresentfeature.com. Like, subscribe, and follow us on our socials @pastpresentfeature The Past Present Feature Film Festival - Nov. 20-22, 2026 in Hollywood, CA - Submit at filmfreeway.com/PastPresentFeature