Bond on Cinema

The Film Documentary DIVIA: War-torn Ukraine, nature faces devastating destruction as Russian forces ravage the land

My guests today are film director Dmytro Hresko and film producers Polina Herman and Glib Lukianets and their beautifully haunting film documentary DIVIA. 
Since 2021, Dmytro Hresko has created the full-length documentary films "Mountains and heaven in between" about the workers of the ambulance station and the life of the villagers in the mountain village of Kolochava in Transcarpathia, as well as the documentary "King Lear: How We Looked for Love During the War", about the life of migrants and their participation in amateur theater in the west of Ukraine.
Dmytro Hresko is a Member of Ukrainian Association of Cinematographers and Ukrainian Film Academy. 
Polina Herman is a film producer with over 10 years of experience in the film and television industry. She is the founder and CEO of the production companies UP UA Studio (founded in 2016, Kyiv, Ukraine) and UP USA Studio (founded in 2023, Los Angeles, USA), which specialize in the production and promotion of fiction and documentary films, as well as in the development of international co-productions. 
Under her leadership, the studio has produced over 20 films, including international co-productions with Poland, the United Kingdom, and the United States. 
Glib Lukiahnets is Ukrainian-Polish film producer and writer, the owner of Gogol Film and Gogol Vertigo production houses, that focus on social and national issues by creative storytelling and new art forms. 
He earned his Master's Degree in Economics from Kyiv National Economic University and Master's Degree in Arts from Leon Schiller National Film School - one of leading film academies according to The Hollywood Reporter's numerous ratings. 
In 2025, this filmmaking team finished the documentary DIVIA about the impact of society and war on the state of ecology and nature in Ukraine. 
The film premiered at the The 60th Karlovy Vary Film Festival in the Crystal Globe Competition program, also participated in the 31st Sarajevo Film Festival, and is currently continuing its film festival journey. 
Ladies and gentlemen, the film documentary DIVIA, film explores the catastrophic influence of Russian invasion on nature in Ukraine. This is a journey from the harmonious life of nature to the fiery whirl of war which burns out the earth, forests and all flesh. As the spring comes, nature revives and brings new life among animals despite the irreversible damage. Yet the tremendous scope of the tragedy deprives us of hope for immediate natural recovery and cleaning of the remains of war.
This film shows us the devastation from the ground up as well as giving us a God’s eye view of the destruction to nature, wildlife, and the human existence. The images will not leave you mind quickly, but they will stay with you to help you remember that war is damaging to every living thing. 
Nature is a powerful force. It doesn’t stop growing. It doesn’t stop regenerating, but it adapts to what man does to it. 
DIVIA is a very powerful, emotional film documentary that needs no words to convey its haunting message to the world. The combination of the cinematography and the music score helps to tell the whole story. 
#ukraine #russia #ecology #ecosystem #film #filmdocumentary #documentary #filmmaking #filmmaker #filmdirector #filmproducer #filmproduction #war #landmines #wildlife #nature #farms #farming #farmland #waterways #humanitarian 
 

Filmmaker Rosie May Bird Smith Discusses her Hilarious Biological Clock Short Film EGG TIMER

Rosie May Bird Smith, an emerging British comedy director renowned for her distinctive style that seamlessly blends humor with heart.
Working across film and commercials and specializing in script writing, film craft and comedy - over the past 5 years she has produced a range of high-profile films for some of the world's largest and most influential brands.
Rosie won the Young Directors Award in Cannes 2023 and Best New Director at Creative Circle 2024. Rosie’s new short film, the hilarious dark comedy EGG TIMER has an incredible cast, including Kerry Godliman and Lauren O’Rourke - featured wearing giant ovarian egg costumes! - and Ella Bruccoleri (from Bridgeton and Paddington 3) who plays the lead.
The film Executive Produced from Academy Award-winning Slick Films and British Arrow-winning Biscuit Filmworks with Associate Producers from female led company Bridget Productions. Ladies and gentlemen, BAFTA & BIFA qualifying EGG TIMER, the latest dark comedy short film from award-winning director Rosie May Bird Smith.
EGG TIMER is a witty, dark comedy centered around the societal pressure on women to have children by a certain age. As Megan approaches her 30th birthday, the expectation to take the “next step” in life starts to feel overwhelming. But just as she’s grappling with opinions from family and friends, her own outspoken ovarian eggs start weighing in - unfiltered, relentless, and impossible to ignore.
Caught between external pressures and the hilariously brutal commentary from within, Megan must decide whose voice to listen to.  This short film is laugh out loud funny and we need more of that in short films. But EGG TIMER is truly a poignant film for all women who enter the stage in their life when the biological clock starts to count down. The pressures of being a woman are often being ignored by society today.
We don’t live in the 1950s anymore where people got married when they were 18-19 years old and had a kid the next year. Our world today is full of independence and we see the spark of independence in Meghan in EGG TIMER. Her clock is ticking, but I feel her real clock was not a biological one, but a clock where you find your real self. The only alarm we need to listen too is the one that goes off in our heart. #biologicalclock #fertility #shortfilm #darkcomedy #film #cinema #filmmaker #movie #shortfilm #bondoncinema #film #interview #filmdirector #filmmaking #cinematography

Grey's Anatomy's James Pickens, Jr stars in the short film Albert's Flower - Revisiting Childhood Memories

My guest today is actor James Pickens, Jr. who many of you know as as Dr. Richard Webber for 22 Seasons on the hit series Grey’s Anatomy. 
He is a Co-Executive Producer on the series which continues its amazing run winning SAG-AFTRA Screen Actors Guild Awards, multiple People’s Choice Awards, and close to his heart, the NAACP Image Award.
James stars in the emotional short film “Albert’s Flower”, a powerfully emotional short film. 
Ladies and gentlemen, “Albert’s Flower” is an intimate and moving short film, drawn back to his childhood home, a man returns to confront the weight of his past and finally turn the page on long buried pain. What do we do with – what do we do about – the maddening, ungainly, exhausting, and sometimes ridiculous baggage we carry around with us, that hurts with every step we take; and at the same time makes us, for good and bad and in-between, who we actually are? 
Albert's Flower is a taut, heartfelt journey into a present relentlessly haunted by the past, andthe courage required to face uncomfortable, unexpected truths about who we are and wherewe come from...those "flowers" that go untended in our lives.
James Pickens, Jr and Eilis Cahill give stellar performances. You feel each characters emotions, as their cinematic synergy radiates onscreen. This a must see short film.
#shortfilm #greysanatomy #childhoodtrauma #memories #lifelessons #forgiveness #healing #film #cinema #bondoncinema #filmmaking #filmmaker #cinephile 
 

Jonny Durgan's Heart-Stopping Short Film G.S.W. - When Duty, Mercy and Judgement Collide

My guest today is Jonny Durgan, a double-Cannes Lion-winning Writer-Director for his work in commercials. 
Spending almost fifteen years working at some of the world’s best advertising agencies, creating work for some of the biggest brands such as Audi, Adidas, KFC and Sipsmith Gin. 
He made his first short film as Writer-Director called “Somewhere I’ve Been”, it stars Sheila Reid, Lindsey Coulson and John Love, it showed at festivals here and abroad, and now he’s back with his second effort - “G.S.W.” 
GSW is a heart pounding 7 minute short film, so let’s welcome award winning filmmaker Jonny Durgan to the show.
Ladies and gentlemen, Jonny Durgan’s short film, GSW is about Beth, a paramedic dealing with a victim of a self-inflicted gunshot wound. However, the situation escalates when news comes over the radio of a school shooting nearby, the same school her son attends. The shooter is still on the loose, and he matches the description of the man on their stretcher. 
GSW gives us multiple things to consider. Do we uphold our duty, possibly an oath we have made, do we show mercy, grace or do we show judgement? 
GSW is a fast paced 7 minute short film that seems like you are watching a feature film and I love that. 
Actresses Genevieve O’Reilly and Kya Brame give absolutely brilliant performances as paramedics with different degrees of experience. Basically a veteran versus a rookie.
I see this short film going a long way during its film festival run. If you are attending a film festival and GSW is going to be shown. You have to be in the audience to experience the tension, the emotion, the moral dilemma of two people who feel they are justified in their actions. 
This film will leave the audience thinking about their own morality, which is a good thing. How many of us actually think about “What Would We Do” if placed in a similar position?
#gsw #medical #paramedic #hippocraticoath #shortfilm #shortfilms #thriller #suspensethriller #filmmaking #filmmaker #filmdirector #cinephile #bondoncinema #cinematography #cinematographer 

Animated Short Film HURIKAN: The City of Prague and the Love of Beer

My guests today are director Jan Saska, illustrator Marek Pokorny and Kamila Dohnalova and their animated short film HURIKAN.
Jan Saska is a Czech director of animated films and author of several comics. After obtaining a diploma in classical animation from the University of Tomá? He continued his studies at the Faculty of Cinema and Television of the Academy of Arts of the Prague show (FAMU). The previous film, Assault, won prizes at festivals in Portugal and Russia. Happy End, his license film, was nominated this year for the Czech Lion - Magnesia Prize for the best student film.
Marek Pokorný is an illustrator, comics author and 2D animator currently based in Praha, Czech Republic. He drew two comics that were published. One won the Czech comics award Muriel (for the best book and art) and got nominated for Czech Grand Design award for illustrations.
Kamila Dohnalová is an independent film producer based in Prague, Czech Republic. Besides brining to life animated and live action projects within her production company Last Films, she is in charge of the industry program at Anifilm IFAF. Kamila has produced more than twenty films including Happy End in 2015, an Academy Awards-shortlisted animated black comedy that premiered at Director’s Fortnight in Cannes, and Peacock, also in  2015, a Sundance-awarded short fiction.
Ladies and gentlemen, in the animated short film, HURIKAN, Hurikán rushes to save his favorite beer stand from closure by fetching a new keg to impress the bartender he crushes on. In a wild Prague district, he faces robbers, cops, and his own thirst.
HURIKAN is one of the best short films I’ve seen in the last couple of years. It keeps your attention, the story moves fast, but actually seems longer than its 13 minute run time.
The black and white animation is a joy to look at and mixed with one of the best sound mixes I’ve ever heard, I expect this animated short film to go a long way this award season. #animation #prague #czech #oscars #filmmaker #shortfilm #interview #bondoncinema #film #filmdirector #filmmaking #cinematography #berr #beerlover

The Inspiring Story of Lisa Dahl's Rise to Restaurant Empire

My guest today is restaurateur Lisa Dahl who leads an empire of exquisite restaurants in beautiful Sedona, AZ that are ranked among the best dining destinations in the world. 
A self-taught chef who began her culinary journey in Sedona following the tragic death of her beloved son Justin. 
Lisa inspires those who have suffered their own hardships by bringing them joy and nourishment one dish at a time.
For nearly 30 years, Lisa Dahl has been among the upper echelon of women chefs/restauranteurs leading a revolution in organic farm-to-fork food ways while showing the culinary industry that dreams do come true through grit, innovation, and top-shelf hospitality. 
Her fine dining flagship Mariposa Latin Inspired Grill has garnered global recognition since its opening in 2015, and her first restaurant venture Dahl & Di Luca was just ranked 7th in the country in TripAdvisor’s "Travelers' Choice Awards" of "Best of the Best" Date Night restaurants. 
Dahl Restaurant Group is one of the largest employers in Northern Arizona with its 300 employees. Her two cookbooks, Elixir of Life and A Romance With Food, have collectively sold over 25,000 copies. 
On March 1, 2025, the documentary short film, Lisa Dahl: Blessed By Grace premiered at the Sedona International Film Festival to a sold-out crowd with notable celebrities in attendance.
Ladies and gentlemen, LISA DAHL: BLESSED BY GRACE is not just a film documentary about Lisa and her variety of restaurants. It is a film that anyone can overcome adversity and become a blessing to the others and form a community around the very thing we all love…food and fellowship. 
Lisa Dahl is an inspiration, but gives all of us the encouragement that we can overcome anything. Either drawing from a higher power for those who left before us. 
It is the super natural spirit that lives in each one of us that when you tap into it, we can do amazing things. Not just for ourselves, but for others as well. 
#film #documentaryfilm #restaurantuer #sedone #arizona #finedining #filmmaker #filmmaking #cinema #italianfood #latinfood #pizzeria 

Acclaimed Actress Caroline Goodall: Short Films, Steven Spielberg, Robin Williams, Maggie Smith, Blockbusters & Independent Film

My guest today is Caroline Goodall, internationally known as a leading actress who has starred in some of the biggest blockbusters of the 1990’s including Schindler’s List, Hook, Cliffhanger, Disclosure, White Squall and The Princess Diaries.
As a writer, in addition to "The Bay of Silence" for Radiant Pictures, credits include screen adaptations of Rupert Thomson's "Dreams Of Leaving" for HKM Films.
A former member of The Royal Shakespeare Company and the National Theatre of Great Britain, Caroline appeared extensively on stage before being chosen by Steven Spielberg to star in Hook in 1991. 
She was nominated for Best Actress by the Australian Film Institute in 1990 for Cassidy and again in 1995 for Hotel Sorrento.
She has recently appeared in the feature film SEW TORN by Freddy MacDonald and she was an associate producer on that film as well. 
Caroline plays one of the lead roles in one of the best short films I have ever had the honor of seeing, THE SECOND TIME AROUND by director Jack Howard. Which we will be talking about today. 
Ladies and gentlemen, THE SECOND TIME AROUND is one of those films that once you see it, you want to watch it again. The film left me speechless in so many ways. 
The film starts on a rainy night, while closing a cafe, a waitress is confronted by a mysterious older woman. And that sense of mystery is carried throughout the film and never lets you go. 
Every element of this film fits perfectly together. The rain, the cafe, two people who have never met or maybe they have met, a small yet intimate personal conversation that leaves the audience hanging on every word. 
I don’t want to give too much away, but it’s a cinematic experience you have to see, feel and experience. Mainly due to the brilliant writing as well as the performances of Caroline Goodall and Hannah Onslow. 
I see hundreds of short films each year and there are usually less than five films that capture me that I will never forget. THE SECOND TIME AROUND is one of those films and it is definitely in my top five this year. 
I’ve seen this film so many times, I get the same sense of wonder and awe every time I watch it. Is THE SECOND TIME AROUND a perfect film? From a filmmaking point of view? I think it is.
I speak from the heart and I would suggest many of my Academy member friends, seek this film out and watch it and let me know if you feel the same way I do about it. 
#stevenspielberg #ridleyscott #sylvesterstallone #liamneeson #schindlerslist #brucewillis #robinwilliams #hook #cliffhanger #movie #film #cinema #audition #johnlithgow #benkingsley #jeffbridges #dustinhoffman

Oscar-Qualified Animated Short MY BROTHER, MY BROTHER: A split narrative retells the two sides of twin's memories

MY BROTHER, MY BROTHER Animated Short Film
Abdelrahman Dnewar is a filmmaker from Egypt, who is based in Berlin, Germany. He started his film career in 2012 when his first animated short film “The Super Twins” was selected by the Ghetto Film School in Los Angeles to be shown at their section in Sundance Film Festival. 
Abdallah Dnewar is an Egyptian filmmaker who started his career as a writer. He reviewed books at Ahram Online in 2010 after which he published his first collection of short stories titled "Before you Commit Suicide" in 2011. He then worked as a Scriptwriter/Director on 2 short films Something Nice 2014, Temporary 2018. His latest contribution is on the short film "Yesod" to be release end of 2021.
Ladies and gentlemen, My Brother, My Brother is an auto-fiction animation film that explores the complexities of a past shared by two identical twins: Omar and Wesam. 
A split narrative retells the two sides of their memories – from the instant they were fused together in their mother’s womb to the moment they are parted by the tragic death of one of them. 
Tied together by the twins’ confusion about their existence, a fragmented world of memories and dreams emerges, blurring the lines between reality and fiction, present and past, Omar and Wesam.
The film brings us a hybrid version of animation. Part animation, part live action, but in setting only. The blend is so seamless that your eyes may not tell the difference between the two different elements. It actually helps the audience to truly focus on the story of Omar and Wesam, and with that, the film MY BROTHER, MY BROTHER has achieved its goal. 
#shortfilm #film #cinema #bondoncinema #egyptianfilm #egypt #twins #twinbrothers #filmmaking #filmmaker #filmdirector #filmproducer #cinephile #animatedshort #animation 

Filmmaker Kareem Tabsch Discusses NAKED AMBITION Doc on the Prettiest Photographer in the World: Bunny Yeager

My guest today is director Kareem Tabsch. Kareem is an Emmy-nominated filmmaker whose work focuses on documenting that which exists on the fringes of mainstream society.
His feature films include Mucho Mucho Amor and The Last Resort and the short film Dolphin Lover. Kareem's work has been included at prestigious festivals like Sundance, SXSW, HotDocs and has been featured in outlets like The New York Times, Los Angeles Times, and NPR among others.
Kareem is here today to talk about their newest full feature documentary NAKED AMBITION, the story of Bunny Yeager, who once heralded as the world's prettiest photographer, had a huge influence in 20th-century pop culture though few people know her name.
Ladies and gentlemen, the incredible full feature documentary film NAKED AMBITION, the story of Bunny Yeager, who once heralded as the world's prettiest photographer, had a huge influence in 20th-century pop culture though few people know her name.
Whether by popularizing the bikini, helping discover Bettie Page, shaping the image of Playboy or inventing the selfie, Bunny was a trailblazer whose work bucked against conservative 1950s America and helped pave the way for the feminist movement and the sexual revolution. Yet the very changes she helped usher in would soon render her a forgotten relic...till now.
Featuring Dita Von Teese, Bruce Weber, and Larry King's last film appearance, Naked Ambition is a rediscovery of a brilliant and talented forgotten artist.  Thank you Kareem for sharing this amazing documentary about Bunny Yeager with me today.
#film #playboy #penthouse #hustler #photography #cinema #documentaryfilm #filmmaking #filmmaker #bunnyyeager #ditavonteese #nudephotorgraphy #bettiepage

Madison Lawlor's STELLAR Performance in PURSUED Beats Hollywood Norms

My guest today is Madison Lawlor, a multifaceted actress and writer whose compelling performances and creative vision have made waves across both indie film and television. 
She grew up in Rapid City, South Dakota, where endless days spent running through fields and forests sparked a boundless imagination. From a young age, she filled the daylight with make-believe stories and characters, a habit that would eventually shape her life’s path. At sixteen, she moved to Los Angeles with a singular focus: to tell stories.
Most recently she can be seen acting in The Conjuring: Last Rites, Green and Gold (opposite Craig T. Nelson and Brandon Sklenar), Pursued, Tracker, and Casa Grande. 
But while she thrived as a performer, she found herself equally fascinated by everything happening behind the scenes. On set, Madison absorbed knowledge from every department, discovering an even deeper passion for writing, producing, and directing.
That curiosity evolved into filmmaking. She has co-written and produced two independent features, Juniper and Theater Is Dead, each a testament to her love of bold, character-driven stories.
She is here today to talk about her lead role in the suspense thriller PURSUED starring Molly Ringwald, Sam Trammell, Angus Macfadyen, the late Paul Sorvino and Miesha Tate to name a few. 
Ladies and gentlemen, PURSUED, is a terrifying tale focusing on LARK played by Madison Lawlor, an idealistic righter of wrongs, who is still guilt-ridden by the death of her father a few years earlier. 
When she stumbles upon a threatening exchange in an online chat forum, she connects it to the brutal murder of a young woman. With strong suspicions but little evidence, Lark decides that the only way to draw the violent killer out is to make personal contact with him online using a false identity. 
But what starts out as a simple, clever strategy from the safe distance of social media ends in unforeseen, terrifying complications, leading to the unmasking of her identity by the killer. 
Now, with the help of some unlikely allies, Lark is forced to take matters into her own hands... before becoming the next victim of the ruthless killer.
The film is available to rent or buy on Prime Video, followed by Google Play and YouTube.
#filmmaker #interview #bondoncinema #film #filmdirector #filmmaking #movie #horror #thriller #suspensethriller #actor #actress #paulsorvino #mollyringwald