KarpeDiem!

Ep. 15 | Visual Artist Alan Phelan | Dublin, Ireland

Alan Phelan is an Irish visual artist from Dublin, Ireland. We are going to have a chat about his career as an artist, his latest projects and exhibitions. 

Alan studied at Dublin City University and New York’ Rochester Institute of Technology and his practice began in photography. Alan’s work is realised in numerous ways, including sculpture, film, museum interventions, public art as well as collaborations with other artists, writers and curators. These all inform, combine and contribute to an interest in the narrative potential surrounding an artwork. This can be exploited or explored from actual and historical events, ideas, things and places as well as their fictional counterparts. For the past 25 years, he has exhibited his work all around the world. 

Check out his work and exhibitions www.alanphelan.com

Folly & Diction music video https://youtu.be/7nKLdWMOBGo

Ep. 14 | Film Director & Producer Filip L. Firlej | London, UK & Lyon, France

Filip L. Firlej is an Award Winning British film producer and director based in London and France. We are going to have a chat about his experiences as a producer and director as well as his other passion for writing film reviews.

Filip studied French at the UCL in London and European Audiovisual Management in Spain. Then he worked as producer going on to direct his first feature, If It Be Love in 2015.

Filip has subsequently been working as an archive producer for features and documentary series such as Williams (BBC/Netflix), World's Most Extreme (Channel 4) and Narco Wars (National Geographic). He also loves writing film reviews which can be found on his website The Third Image.

Check out his work www.imdb.com/name/nm3689519/

If It Be Love https://youtu.be/1Zm4c-vWO7I

The Third Image www.thirdimage.org/

Contagion review https://youtu.be/LGdZah0gNJw 

Ep. 13 | Film Director & Musician Carlos Dittborn | Santiago, Chile

What is the process for making your first feature film? What does it feel like to prepare and shoot a short film under pandemic restrictions? In this episode we are going to have a chat with Chilean film director and musician Carlos Dittborn from Santiago. We will talk about his passion for filmmaking and music. We shall discuss how it developed over the years as well as his creative experiences in both Santiago and London. Then finally we will talk about his latest projects.

Carlos studied filmmaking and then started working as an editor. In 2004 he founded the Cinemadiccion Production and then in 2011 he moved to London. 

His interests in exploring new forms of artistic expression have led him inside the world of contemporary dance. He has directed and edited several award-winning dance videos. Carlos has also produced promotional, commercial and film work, as well as teaching filmmaking. 

In addition to filmmaking, Carlos is an excellent bass player, music producer and songwriter. He has recorded several albums and played in hundreds of live shows both in South America and Europe. More recently Carlos has returned to live in Santiago.

Check out his filmaking work www.cinemadiccion.cl

and his music www.soundcloud.com/carlos-dittborn-callejas

Ep. 12 | BBC War Cameraman Marek Polaszewki | London, UK

How does it feel to be in the midst of an explosion? What goes through your mind? There are some camera people that have been able to film this and in this episode I will talking to one of them.

Marek is a Polish lighting cameraman and cinematographer currently working full time for the BBC World Service in war zones around the world.

Marek studied Anthropology of Culture while in Poland, he worked for national TV stations and later he founded his own production company. He then moved to London where he worked on films, documentaries, TV and promotional videos.

We are going to have a chat about his studies and work in Poland, his decision to move to London and his experiences as a cameraman working in war zones.

Check out his work www.marekpolaszewski.com

Ep. 11 | Comedy Director & Actor Marc Coleman | London, UK

Marc Coleman is a London based multi-award winning comedy film director and actor.

We are going to have a chat about his background in theatre and film as an actor, his recent work as film director and the stories behind making his films.

Marc started his career working within the theatre and film industry, starring in various comedy productions. Then he moved into filmmaking and worked as a prop maker. Since, Marc has been writing, producing and directing films. Recently he wrote and directed a comedy called The Hobbyhorser. 

Check out his work https://www.marcsspace.com/

Ep. 10 | Music Composer & Researcher Federico Visi | Berlin, Germany

Federico is an Italian music researcher, composer and performer. In this episode, he is going to share his experiences about his music journey, studies in the European universities, latest work and the rapidly changing situation as a performer and researcher.

Federico's research interests include gesture in music, motion-sensing technologies, machine learning and embodied interaction and he has composed music for ensembles, film, dance, theatre and installations. His work as a performer is centred on the musician’s body and the use of movement and physiological signals in electronic music. At the moment, he works and lives between Germany and Sweden.

Check out his website https://www.federicovisi.com/

His recent works - 

Aeolian Guitars, Drones, Piteå Archipelago

https://youtu.be/B8UelbX5Ilk

You Have a New Memory

https://www.federicovisi.com/towards-assisted-interactive-machine-learning/

Network Performance

https://youtu.be/fegi23aaruY

Ep. 9 | Director of Photography Blaine Rennicks | Dublin, Ireland

Blaine is a director of photography specialised in shooting commercials, brand films, corporates and documentaries. We are going to have a chat about his first experiences and latest projects, the challenges of working as DOP in Dublin and London and shooting during lockdown a music show seen by 2.5 million people worldwide.

Blaine graduated in Creative Multimedia and Video & Film Production in Ireland while he directed his first zero budget film. In 2012 he had an internship in Budapest and travelled to Tanzania to shoot the first of several documentaries in Africa.

In 2013 Blaine moved to London where he worked as a camera technician, while freelancing as a camera assistant and shooting award winning short films. Back to Dublin, he began to work in corporate films. Since then, he took up a residency with Tiny Ark, a creative video agency specialised in commercials and brand films. 

Check out his work https://www.blainerennicksdop.com/

Tiny Ark https://www.tinyark.com/

Ep. 8 | Film Director & Photographer Franz Galo | London, UK

Franz Galo is a French photographer and film director. We are going to have a chat about working in different contries around the world, the ispiration behind his photography and video portraits and finally about his new production company and his artist life under pandemic.

Franz started playing with photography at an early age and studied graphic design in Paris. While working as art director and fashion photographer, Franz came across filmmaking and started expanding his stories by making video portraits of close friends. Few years later, he started working as a director as well. He also lived in Romania and Texas and then moved to London a few years ago.

Franz won multiple awards with documentaries about extraordinary people he met through his travels and now specialise in cinematic documentaries focused on human stories and branded content.

In 2019 he funded AART Film, a production company specialising in photo and video content for the art world and creative people.

Check out his work www.franzgalo.com

and his production company www.aartfilm.com

Ep. 7 | Performer & Children Charity Founder Ash Perrin | UK

Ash Perrin is a performer, clown, children charity founder and now writer. We are going to have a chat about his inspiration for performing for children up to lunch a quite successful charity, their struggles with refugees and to survive the pandemic and the philosophy behind his new book.

In 2007, Ash launched The Flying Seagull Project - a troupe of entertainers engaging children and adults in art, music, craft, circus skills, games and performances. Since then, the group has worked with more than 150,000 children in hospitals, orphanages, deaf/blind schools, refugee camps, and slums around the world.

Ash works with children in refugee camps that show clear signs of trauma and see other people as threats. But play has the power to change that. The underlying philosophy of the Flying Seagull Project is that everyone has the right to put aside the cares of life and smile.

In 2019 Ash released his book 'The Real Play Revolution' which shares the full incredible picture including personal experiences.

Check out The Flying Seagull Project website www.theflyingseagullproject.com

Ash's book www.amazon.co.uk/Real-Play-Revolution-Need-Silly

and his TED Talk www.youtube.com/watch?v=VNAtVKLxjnA

Ep. 6 | VP of Documentary Development Johanna Budzilowicz | New York, USA

Jo Budzilowicz is Vice President of Development at The Documentary Group. We are going to have a chat about her background as documentary producer for indie and TV productions and her latest projects.

Jo works closely with directors, producers and clients on projects ranging from limited series to feature docs to branded content. The Documentary Group projects include Cartel Land, Midsummer in Newtown, When Lambs Become Lions, and Invisible Killers. 

Prior to joining The Documentary Group, Jo worked as a freelance producer on narrative and documentary projects. She majored in Film Studies at Barnard College, Columbia University.

Check out The Documentary Group website www.thedocumentarygroup.com