Category: Producer

Michelle Walshe finds herself in a unique category - one of the very few female filmmakers to direct a sports documentary. And what a documentary it is. "Chasing Great," follows 34 year old Richie McCaw, considered by many to be THE best rugby player ever, through his final season as captain of the All Blacks. "Chasing Great" happens to be the highest grossing documentary in New Zealand history and one of the top 100 highest grossing documentaries of all time. Michelle and her husband also happen to be the co-founders of the production company, Augusto. They're expanding their reach to include the U.S. - opening an office in New York City. In a word, Michelle is a dynamo!

Sophie Brooks got her Bachelor of Fine Arts in film and television from New York University in 2012. And not quite 5 years later, has made her feature writing and directing debut with "The Boy Downstairs." The romantic comedy stars Zosia Mamet (she played Shoshanna Shapiro in the HBO hit "Girls"), who, after a few years living abroad, moves back to New York City. Unbeknownst to her, she rents an apartment in her former boyfriend's building. Sophie talks about her motivation as well as the challenges she faced in making her first commercial film.

Clearly, mounting a Broadway show is a herculean task that requires the talents and expertise of a whole cast of characters, far beyond the actors you see on stage. One of those players is the Company Manager. Who? In case you didn't know, the job of a Company Manager is one of the toughest in the theater. You're about to find out why. Tracy Geltman began her career at Maine State Music Theater as an apprentice before coming to New York, where she worked on "Hairspray," "War Paint," "Fun Home" and "The Band's Visit," to name just a few Broadway hits. Listen in as she talks about her love of theater and what it's like to be the Company Manager.

Producer/Director Leah Warshawski specializes in documentary-style features, television and commercials. She's visited and lived all over the map. Her very first feature "FINDING HILLYWOOD,: attests to that. It profiles the beginning of Rwanda's film industry. It won 6 awards and has been screened at more than 65 film festivals worldwide. Leah also happens to be the co-director of another award winning documentary, "BIG SONIA," which is a very personal project. It focuses on Leah's grandmother, a Holocaust survivor. We cover a lot of ground in yet another open, honest, fascinating conversation.

Meet Michelle Materre, who during her 30+ year career, has amassed the following credits: producer, writer, arts administrator, distribution and marketing specialist and professor. For more than 20 years, her critically acclaimed film series, "Creatively Speaking," has been a respected forum for presenting works by and about women and people of color. Michelle is also a Associate Professor of Media Studies and Film at The New School. This creative woman has plenty to share, so sit back and enjoy this conversation.