Bitch Talk

Send us a textWelcome to day three of our SXSW Film Festival coverage, and we've got four films that are certain to spark a greater conversation about the state of our country, government, and world as a whole. The feature documentary Shouting Down Midnight follows then Texas Senator Wendy Davis' filibuster of SB5 in 2013 that sparked a whole new generation of activists in the fight for women's reproductive freedom. We spoke with director Gretchen Stoeltje about why she felt compelled to tell this story, how she got connected with Wendy Davis, and why the next generation of activists gives her hope for the future.In the short documentary Video Visit, we're introduced to a Brooklyn Public Library program that offers free video calls to those incarcerated and their loved ones. Director Malika Zouhali-Worrall explains how she found out about the program, how communicating with loved ones in prison has become a booming private business (PRISONS SHOULD NOT BE FOR PROFIT!), and the importance an

Send us a textIn this episode of our coverage for the SXSW Film Festival, we're bringing you the short films and episodic series that (in our opinion) have the best titles! Considering these names include the words slut, dicks, and gay, that should tell you a lot about us.In the short film Aspirational Slut, we meet Rosemary, who has just gotten her heart broken, and decides she needs to forget about love and focus on having random sex for the first time in her life. We speak to director Caroline Lindy and the star Ellyn Jameson about the importance of women's sexual liberation, awkward sex scenes, and reclaiming the word slut.The animated episodic series My Year of Dicks follows Pam, a teenager trying desperately to lose her virginity, and the dicks (literally and metaphorically) she meets along the way. We're joined by director Sara Gunnarsdottir, showrunner/writer Pamela Ribon, and lead actor Brie Tilton. In other words, get ready for a Zoom room full of women ready to commiserate about our

Send us a textOur first episode of the SXSW Film Festival features all return guests to the show! We love seeing familiar faces, and it's especially impressive that these filmmakers are all regulars on the film festival circuit.  Pussy Mask is a music video for Peaches' new song (of the same name), directed by Leah Shore, who we had on at last year's SXSW for her short film Puss. We're sensing a trend in the titles of her projects...anyway, this is an animated music video that features dancing vaginas (of varying colors) wearing masks. It's glorious. And Leah shares how she first met Peaches, some of her favorite Peaches lyrics, and her plans for (hopefully) catching some strange while in Austin, Texas during the festival.Really Good Rejects is a documentary centered around Reuben Cox, who makes some of the most unique and sought after guitars for some of the biggest names in the music industry, including Jackson Browne, Carrie Brownstein (of Sleater-Kinney) and Aaron Dessner (of The

Send us a textWelcome to the 2022 SXSW Film Festival (taking place March 11th-20th)! We're kicking off our coverage with a Basic Bitch of what's to come. From comedies and dark short films to documentaries about women's reproductive rights and the Christian mothers of LGBTQ+ children, we have a wide array of conversations coming up in the next two weeks that will (hopefully) make you laugh, help you empathize, and encourage you to take action. We will also have some returning guests to the show (shout out to Alice Gu, Milos Mitrovic, Fabian Velasco and Leah Shore!), and celebrate some of the best film titles we've ever seen at a festival (ie: multiple names containing the words dick, slut, and bitch). And of course it wouldn't be a Basic Bitch without at least one random rant. Does anyone else think Generation Alpha is a horrible name? And don't @ us about the Greek alphabet, the name still sucks.Be sure to tune in to our coverage of SXSW for the next two weeks! And don't fo

Send us a textWe're joined by Bay Area comedian Dhaya Lakshminarayanan, whose new album, Dhayatribe, is hilarious, relatable, and available right now! Everyone could use a laugh in this moment, and this conversation is full of them. She dives into her multiple MIT degrees (and her nerd pride), how comedy kept her sane while working as a venture capitalist, and her expert ability to shut down a heckler. Check out Dhayatribe, available right now on Blonde Medicine.You can follow comedian Dhaya Lakshminarayanan on Twitter & FB--Thanks for listening and for your support! We couldn't have reached 600 episodes without your help! --Be well, stay safe, Black Lives Matter, AAPI Lives Matter, and thank you for being vaxxed and masked!--SUPPORT US HERE!Subscribe to our channel on YouTube for behind the scenes footage!Rate and review us wherever you listen to podcasts!Visit our website! www.bitchtalkpodcast.comFollow us on Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter.Listen every other Thursday 9:30 - 10 am on BFF.FMPO

Send us a textThe Bitch Talk gang is finally all together in studio and we have a lot to catch up on! Erin discusses her recent trip to Maui, Char explains how she ended up at a church to see a magician and with a free room in Vegas (but not on the same night), and Ange shares how she managed to surprise Erin for her birthday (but almost froze to death in the process). Then we dive deep into our weekend in Mendocino, including the location of the most delicious fish and chips, why The Andiron is the best place to stay, hot tub healing, and falling asleep in a wet towel. And we cap this episode off with our first collective "Moment of Pleasure", getting sponsored by Lost Republic Whiskey!To find your local pub or bottle shop that sells Lost Republic Whiskey, head to their website--Thanks for listening and for your support! We couldn't have reached 600 episodes without your help! --Be well, stay safe, Black Lives Matter, AAPI Lives Matter, and thank you for being vaxxed and masked!--SUPPORT US HE

Send us a textWelcome to SF IndieFest! We’re happy to participate in this festival that celebrates stories told by people from the Bay, and shot in the Bay. We covered two films, one short, and one feature, that share an intimate look at two different sides of city life.In the short film Sammy & Quinn, we follow Sammy as he tries to convince his older brother, Quinn, who has been missing for five years and is suffering from mental illness, to join the family for Thanksgiving dinner. Director Christopher Coppola, and his son/actor, Bailey Coppola, discuss mental health, what it was like to film all over San Francisco during the heart of the quarantine, and the pros and cons of working with family.The narrative feature Love Letter Templates has a truly unique style that blends music, film, and animation to tell the story of loving and partying in San Francisco in the early 2000's. Director/writer/producer Joselito Sering explains how his first feature length film came to be, and the years of hard work

Send us a textYou don't have to be a San Francisco Giants fan to be a fan of Gabe Kapler. From taking a knee for racial injustice to his non-profit organization Pipeline for Change, he shares that his activist spirit can be traced back to his parents, who were very active in the civil rights movement. Pipeline for Change  "was created to provide resources and remove obstacles for BIPOC, women, non-binary people and members of the LGBTQ+community to participate in all aspects of collegiate and professional sports". The San Francisco Giants manager (who was named National League Manager of the Year in 2021) says that baseball (and sports in general) has been dominated by white men for far too long. In this interview, you'll hear how Gabe is focused on not just talking the talk, but walking the walk- both on and off the field. We get into everything from the importance of taking care of your mental health, to his thoughts on first moving to San Francisco, and his deep love of 90s hip-hop. We

Send us a textWe're ending our coverage of the Slamdance film festival with two films that take you on an unexpected journey, and leave you asking, "What the fuck?". And we mean that in the best way possible. In the short film Foulmouth, we follow a day in the life of a man who is cursed with the mouth of a sailor. Director Taylor Thompson and actor Brian DeMarco join us for an insightful conversation about the reality of our filthy inner monologues, the creation of this character- both on paper and on camera, and behind the scenes reactions from passers by as they were filming.For the narrative feature Snow White Dies at the End, director/writer Kristijan Risteski artfully interweaves three different storylines (and timelines) into one, and explains how the film-despite it's twists and turns, is really just about the good in people. He shares one of his favorite scenes to write, what he would like people to learn about his homeland (and where the film is shot), Macedonia, and what he mean

Send us a textWelcome to  Slamdance 2022! This film festival typically runs alongside  Sundance in Park City, Utah, and proudly states it's made "for filmmakers, by filmmakers". And we're kicking off our coverage with two films that show how family life can be both complicated and rewarding. And the cherry on top is- they're both festival winners! Hannah Ha Ha won the Grand Jury Award for best narrative feature, and the Acting Award for Hannah Lee Thompson, and Iron Family won the Audience Award for best documentary feature. The narrative feature Hannah Ha Ha follows a woman living at home with her father, struggling between what makes her happy, and her brother's pressure to be something she is not. We (virtually) sat down with co-directors and writers Jordan Tetewsky and Joshua Pikovsky, producer/talent Roger Mancusi, producer Emily Freire, and the award winner herself, Hannah Lee Thompson, to explain how they worked through last minute changes to the cast, filming during a pan

Send us a textHoly shit, it's Lisa Ling! This was a big deal for us, and she lived up to every expectation. Her new show, Take Out with Lisa Ling, is an HBO docu-series that takes a deep dive into the diverse communities behind Asian American take-out, and their contributions to American society. The conversation ranges from how she finally feels connected to her Chinese roots and the importance of traveling the world, to cussing and karaoke. She's worked on The View, CNN, The National Geographic Channel, and The Oprah Winfrey Network (Lisa, if you're reading this, we're still waiting for Oprah's number), and now she's hosting one of our favorite shows of the year, and her most personal project yet. We are filled with pride, and hoping for a season 2!Take Out with Lisa Ling is streaming right now on HBOMaxYou can follow Lisa Ling on IG & Twitter & FBThanks for listening and for your support! We couldn't have reached 600 episodes without your help!--Be well, stay safe

Send us a textThis is a fun one, ya'll! Not only are we reuniting with director Lisa Yadao, but we're also joined by someone we've wanted on the show since watching Roadrunner: A Film About Anthony Bourdain, Executive Producer Helen Cho. Their newest project, Take Out with Lisa Ling, is an HBO docu-series that dives deeper into the diverse communities behind Asian American take-out, and their contributions to American society. We talk Filipino love, the difference it makes to have representation both in front and behind the camera, and how Helen's work with Anthony Bourdain affected the way she produces shows today. These are powerhouse women who have joined forces to make one of our favorite shows out right now. Do yourself a favor and watch this show (streaming on HBO right now), and don't forget to support your local AAPI restaurants!You can follow Director Lisa Yadao on IG & FBYou can follow Executive Producer Helen Cho on IG & Twitter--Thanks for listening and for your su

Send us a textWe're kicking off our final Sundance 2022 episode with a Basic Bitch wrap up that includes Captain Party's Sundance premiere party extravaganza in LA for the documentary Sirens. Take a listen to find out how she reconnected with prior guest Charlie Barnett and (hopeful) future guest Natasha Lyonne. Following our Basic is our final interview that covers a fun and heartwarming family sci-fi film, Maika: The Girl From Another Planet. Writer/director Ham Tran and producer Jenni Trang Le explain how they were able to wrangle a cast that mainly consisted of children (hint: it involved a lot of naps), why Ham connected to this story on a deeper level, and the difference between filming in the US versus Vietnam. And just like that, it's a wrap on our fourth year covering the Sundance Film Festival, don't forget to support independent films and the local theaters that showcase them!You can follow director Ham Tran on IGYou can follow producer Jenny Trang Le on IG & Twitter--Thanks

Send us a textWe're  knee deep into our virtual coverage of the 2022 Sundance Film Festival, and are excited to bring you our special documentaries episode! Descendant follows the descendants of Clotilda, the last known slave vessel illegally brought to  America, before, during, and after finding the first remains of the ship. Director Margaret Brown shares not only the emotional, but the environmental issues in historic Africatown (in Southern Alabama where this film takes place), and her own emotional journey in making this film. Free Chol Soo Lee tells the story of a young Korean American immigrant living in San Francisco's Chinatown who gets wrongfully convicted of murder. Directors/Producers Eugene Yi and Julie Ha explain how relevant this story remains today, and the importance of representing Chol Soo Lee with complete honesty. Framing Agnes tells the story of a young trans woman in the 1950's who must choose between being honest, or gaining access to healthcare. Director Chase Joynt and

Send us a textWelcome to our "women are badass" episode from Sundance 2022! We've compiled a group of films that highlight the strength, resilience, and power that it takes to be a woman. In Sirens, we follow the rocky rise of Slave to Sirens, the Middle East's first all female thrash metal band. Director Rita Baghdadi explains how she fell in love with the band, and how she managed to complete the film despite the difficulties of filming abroad, including how she was saved from the Beirut explosion in 2020. The documentary Midwives introduces us to Hla, a Buddhist midwife, and her apprentice Nyo Nyo, a Muslim, who together run a clinic in the very divided Rhakine State in Myanmar. Director Snow Hnin Ei Hlaing and producer Mila Aung-Thwin describe how they were able to film during an ongoing Civil War, police checkpoints, and the unexpected changes in their main character's lives. With the documentary short Long Line of Ladies, we are introduced to the Ihuk ceremony, celebrated by the

Send us a textWe're continuing our (virtual) Sundance 2022 coverage with the cast and crew from the short films The Panola Project, Hallelujah, and Fck Em Right Back. This is a particularly fun group of conversations that bring inspiration, heart, and the strength to say "Fuck You"! Rachael DeCruz and Jeremy S. Levine (who wrote, directed, and produced The Panola Project) share the story of local hero Dorothy Oliver, who sets out to vaccinate her small town of Panola, Alabama (pop. 350) in a state where less than half of the population is vaccinated. They discuss meeting Dorothy, how shooting this film helped them deal with the stress of the pandemic, and filling the score with music from the great Jermaine "Mainframe" Fletcher. In the film Hallelujah, we meet two siblings who are stuck with having to take care of their nephew and niece after the death of their brother. The writer/director Victor Gabriel and producer Duran Jones explain their own real life connection to the story, and

Send us a textIt's Black History Month and one of the most memorable documentaries that we saw at last years South by South West (SXSW) is finally making it to the big screen in the Bay Area and beyond.  Who We Are: The Chronicle of Racism in America should be required viewing and your girls at Bitch Talk have learned so much from it that we refer to it's teachings often. We revere this documentary so much and have the utmost respect for the work that Jeffery Robinson is doing that we said yes to a second interview with directors Sarah and Emily Kunstler and subject/writer Jeffery Robinson. Listen in as we discuss how Who We Are is changing the minds and thoughts of the people that have been watching it, how, in just under a year, the political landscape has made this films message that much more important, and the non-profit that rose from this project. If you'd like to hear our previous interview, click this link.  And please, please go see this film wherever you can find it and bring some fa

Send us a textWelcome to our Sundance 2022 narrative features episode with three films that take you all around the world! Leonor Will Never Die is a Filipino film that follows a retired filmmaker as she becomes the action hero of her unfinished screenplay. The film's director, Martika Ramirez Escobar, explains her 8 year journey in creating the first grandma action hero in the Philippines, and how she blurred the lines between reality and fiction. Babysitter is a French Canadian film that explores what happens when a man makes a sexist joke that goes viral...and that's just the tip of the iceberg! Director and star Monia Chokri explains why she shouldn't have to explain this film, and hopes it sparks further conversation (and further love for the singer Peaches). Every Day in Kaimuki is the story of a Hawaiian native who is struggling with the fear and doubt of leaving his small home town. We have a full on party for this interview, with the director/co-writer Alika Tengan, talent Rina White,

Send us a textOur first batch of interviews from Sundance 2022 celebrates two returning guests, director of TikTok, Boom, Shalini Kantayya, and director of Fire of Love, Sara Dosa. The subjects of these documentaries couldn't be any more different, but their stories are equally powerful. With Shalini Kantayya's TikTok, Boom, we get a deep dive into the impact (both good and bad) of the world's most downloaded social media app, and the lives of some of its most successful influencers. In Sara Dosa's Fire of Love, we get an intimate look at the lives of the world's most famous volcanologist couple, Katia and Maurice Kraft, whose love for volcanoes and capturing the most informative (and closest) footage of them eventually leads to their death.You can follow director Shalini Kantayya on IG & Twitter & FBYou can follow director Sara Dosa on IG & Twitter & FB--Previous episodes with Shalini and Sara  can be found below:Coded Bias w/Direct Shalini KantayyaThe Seer and Unseen

Send us a textWelcome to virtual Sundance 2022! We're kicking off our coverage with friend of the show and returning guest W. Kamau Bell to discuss his four part docu-series, We Need to Tak About Cosby. To say this is a heavy topic is putting it lightly, but Kamau proves to be the right person for the job, as he dives in to the life and legacy of Bill Cosby with thoughtful insight, and brutal honesty. We discuss Kamau's personal need to make this documentary series, and his emotional journey of coming to terms with the fact that his childhood hero, and cultural trailblazer, is also a serial rapist.Trigger warning. Some portions of this episode talk about rape and drugging unsuspecting victims. Listen at your own discretion.We Need to Talk About Cosby starts airing on Sunday, January 30th on ShowtimeFollow W. Kamau Bell at his website, Instagram, and Twitter!--Thanks for listening and for your support! We couldn't have reached 600 episodes without your help! --Be well, stay safe, Black Lives Mat