'20 Days in Mariupol' captured the invasion of Ukraine and won this year's Oscar and Peabody Award. Ray didn't even know that Christine Giordano, his friend and former commercials collaborator from Ruth's and Ray's days in Austin TX, had landed at the storied PBS Frontline as an assistant editor until he got a message from a friend day after that Oscars that Christine was part of the 'Mariupol' team! Here they catch up for the first time in a few years and Ruth and Ray get the whole story -- inside Frontline, how the footage got smuggled out of Ukraine and made it to Christine's team, what it was like to do post production on such a heavy topic and what it was like to go through the whole Oscars process this year.

Watch '20 Days in Mariupol' free at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gvAyykRvPBo

Find Christine Giordano at:

https://www.christinegio.com/

Follow & message Ruth:

IG @RuthVaca

IG @VeganishVegetarian

Follow & message Ray:

X @RayNowosielski

IG @BigPlayRay2023

TrueStories.us

@2024 True Stories Inc.

Ruth & Ray left their beloved New York City just over 5 years ago to have Pablo in semi-affordable Bloomington Indiana. There they came to know Mitch Teplitsky, another New Yorker taking what has turned out to be a prolonged sabbatical in the Midwest – and also feeling a little “seller’s remorse” about it. But “everything happens for a reason,” they say, and in Mitch’s case he met fellow documentary filmmaker Charles Pearce and began work on their forthcoming film about the largest LGBTQ Pride Center in any rural community in America. Listen to Mitch & Charles detail what they found right next door in Spencer Indiana, Mitch’s memories of his many years in NYC, where he had a front row seat to the famed Lincoln Center Film Society, his tale of making his two best-known films in Peru and meeting his wife there, and his most recent run with Indy’s largest independent bookstore Morgensterns.

Time-stamp

00:00 Mitch, how we met, #Morgensterns, #LincolnCenter #FilmSociety, New York City, #NYC, #Bloomington IN

0:03:15 Ray’s book #Watchdogs, Ruth’s critique, Ray compares self to Dostoyevsky #DoucheAlert

0:04:30 NYC, love, Joan Didion, #TheRentIsTooDamnHigh

0:07:00 Ruth the Documentarian

0:09:30 Ruth the @VeganishVegetarian chef, influencer, Ray hates exercise!, smoking, childhood friend Indianapolis prosecutor Ryan Mears

0:16:00 Meet Mitch & Charles, Yiddish, #Austin TX, burning out in Commercials, #Midwest

0:18:45 The Film Kid Story, #A&E #ShippingWars, Follow your curiosity. Scorsese Schroeder Bringing Out the Dead

0:23:45 Mitch’s Documentary Top List, Lincoln Center Film Society, 1990s in New York, #SexintheCity, city people, Ruth’s NYC origin story, #London, #Chicago, #Argentina, The #Bronx!, #Jersey, #Vonnegut, NYC philosophy, Jackie #Kennedy

0:27:15 Ray’s Chicago, Mitch’s Bronx - Where are you from?, Jewish family, storytelling origin story, finding my people (documentary people)

0:36:00 Lincoln Center Film Society stories

0:38:00 The #Peru Films

1:00:00 Why are we in Bloomington IN?

1:03:00 #SpencerPride

1:18:45 Documentary Filmmaker - Outsider becomes Insider

1:21:45 #Spencer IN, American small town, a real Villain in town, #Karen, social contacts

Find Mitch Teplisky and the Spencer Pride movie:

https://www.mitchellteplitsky.com/

Crowdfunding campaign coming in next months!

Find Charles Pearce:

https://www.crpearce.net/

IG @crpearcecreative

https://www.linkedin.com/in/crpearce/

Follow & message Ruth:

IG @RuthVaca

IG @VeganishVegetarian

Follow & message Ray:

X @RayNowosielski

IG @BigPlayRay2023

TrueStories.us

© 2024 True Stories Inc.

Just in time for March Madness, Ruth & Ray talk with old friend and hit "Hoosier Hysterics" podcaster Ward Roberts about his new movie "Invaders From Proxima B" -- just snapped up by Buffalo 8 and coming your way soon -- the time Ward made Bloomington IN explode when he got IU legend Bobby Knight to return; life as an actor and moviemaker in Hollywood as part of Drexel Box; his daughter's acting debut; and his in-the-works Cole Porter documentary. Its a good un!

Time-stamp

00:00 A little about Ward Roberts, our special guest! How we know him. What does "Buffy The Vampire" and Ward have in common? A petty story about Ruth, Ray, his ex, and a Hollywood house party.

00:10:00 "Hoosier Hysterics" Podcast Spoiler. Autobiography contenders for Ruth and Ray. A tangent on Travis Betz (YouTube Creator of the Year awardee), a long time partner of Ward Roberts and co-creator of Drexelbox Films.

00:19:00 Breaking news on Ward Robert's latest film and an anecdote about DrexelFest00:23:00-Interview with Ward RobertsAbout the cast and crew of Drexelbox FilmsTeaching film for IU in LA

00:33:00 "Hollywood Hysterics" Podcast, a podcast for Indiana University Basketball Fanatics. How it started and gained a loyal following. Storytelling through sports history.

00:42:00 IU basketball Icon, a Bobby Knight Story with "Hollywood Hysterics" that drew hundreds in Bloomington, Indiana before Bobby Knight's passing.Is Ward making a doc about IU basketball?

00:46:00 Ward talks about his in-production documentary about legendary musician and fellow Hoosier, Cole Porter.

00:49:00 Making Guerilla style films with family, friends and micro-budgets. The love and lore or indie filmmaking.
We talk about Ward's past indie films, "Dust Up", "The Demon Lo", and "Little Big Top" How Ruth lost a friendship over Ward's somewhat controversial film, "Dust Up". How the Coen Brothers, Robert Rodriguez inspired Ward.
Ward's TV career.

00:57:00 Let's talk about Ward's latest film, "Invaders from Proxima B" How the film, cast and crew manifested with top-notch talent and old friends. You may recognize most of the cast from other films, TV series and national commercials.

01:00:00 Original music of "Invaders from Proxima B", how Ward wrote and performed original tunes for the film and what inspired him.

01:12:00 Where to follow Ward, his films, and "Hoosier Hysterics" podcast, and more on social media.Don't miss this! We end the episode with a very special performance from "Invaders from Proxima B"- performed and written by Ward Roberts

Find Ward Roberts at:
https://drexelbox.com/about-us/https://www.wardroberts.com/

"Hoosier Hysterics"

https://open.spotify.com/show/42MrbSHFT1R9bPzrtXncwB

"Invaders from Proxima B"

https://variety.com/2024/film/global/midnight-mass-samantha-sloyan-sci-fi-comedy-invaders-from-proxima-b-buffalo-8-1235895374/

Watching The Oscars has been a hallowed tradition for both Ruth & Ray since long before they met. This episode we are joined by Ruth's BFF Julia "Bling" -- who she has watched The Oscars with since they were teens -- for her first of what will hopefully be many appearances on the show. Join us for a funny convo about this year's movies, moments and the best ceremony in years!

Please don't forget to SUBSCRIBE to this show to be alerted to future episodes.

Timestamps:

01:00 Meet our special guest, Julia

11:00 Our first Oscars memories

17:50 Red carpet, Barbie fashion, our fave and least presenters moments and our thoughts on Jimmy Kimmel

25:00 Best Film nominees

27:00 Oppenheimer and Killers of the Flower Moon: What we hated and loved about them

40:00 Christopher Nolan, Best Actor, Wes Anderson wins his first Oscar

49:00 Best Documentary, Why Julia loves Barbie and all about Ken

57:00 Al Pacino, What was that? Best Short Film, Best Editor, Best Supporting Actress

01:09:00 Who would we thank if we won an Oscar

1:13:00 Why we love the speech by Cord Jefferson (Best Adapted Screenplay for his work on American Fiction)

Happy new year!!! Before they worked with Ruth & Ray to create iHeartMedia podcast "GEORGE BAILEY WAS NEVER BORN", husband-wife KURT ENGFEHR & ELIZABETH MARCUS worked with Michael Moore on two of the biggest and most controversial documentaries ever, Oscar-winning "BOWLING FOR COLUMBINE" and Cannes Palm d'Or-winning "FAHRENHEIT 9/11". And boy do they have some stories to tell! Just their impression of Harvey Weinstein in the edit room makes this ep worth a listen!

Please don't forget to SUBSCRIBE to this show to be alerted to future episodes.

Timestamps:

0:50-Welcome back! Episode 1 recap

2:36-Guests of the week preview: Kurt Engfehr and Elizabeth Marcus

6:00-What are Ruth and Ray up to? What are we watching or listening to in the new year? From introducing our almost-5 year-old Pablo to Back to the Future II to brainstorming for our next podcast pitch, cookbook proposal and more.

25:00-Ray's funny personal stories with Michael Moore.

34:00-Interview with Kurt and Elizabeth - The meet cute.

39:00-Elizabeth's first film with Kurt and Michael Moore and the making of Bowling for Columbine.

45:00-Behind the Scenes of working with Michael Moore in television and blockbuster Fahrenheit 9/11.

55:00-Elizabeth's directorial debut in documentary, No Manifesto: A Film About Manic Street. What encouraged her to direct her first film and more.

1:00:00-A hilarious anecdote about working with Harvey Weinstein and more behind the scenes of what it was like to be part of the most profitable documentary productions of their time.

1:08:00-How Kurt and Elizabeth's films have affected us personally and mention of other fine works by Elizabeth and Kurt. Plus, the state of documentary distribution.

1:16:50-Kurt and Elizabeth tell us what it was like to work on their very first podcast production, our own, George Bailey Was Never Born. An honest, funny and revealing conversation about working together and creative direction.

TrueStories.us

Twitter: @RayNowosielski

Instagram: @RuthVaca, @VeganishVegetarian, @BigPlayRay2023

Ruth & Ray are coming off the release of their latest iHeartMedia podcast, "GEORGE BAILEY WAS NEVER BORN" about IT'S A WONDERFUL LIFE and, just in time for Christmas, have on special guest KELLY STEWART HARCOURT, daughter of "George Bailey" himself, one of the greatest Hollywood actors ever, Jimmy Stewart. They talk intentions for this podcast and expand a bit on their story that you may have first heard in "Bailey" episode 10 "Happy Ending".