Career Pivot with SXSW Producers Elle Roth-Brunet and Mark Ankner
Angle on Producers with Carolina Groppa
Release Date: 03/18/2025
Angle on Producers with Carolina Groppa
Kicking off the new season with the spirited Adria Arjona for what was, incredibly, her first solo podcast ever. As someone whose face is literally on billboards outside my place currently, I found this fact both shocking and oddly kismet. It’s a special treat to share this unexpected and refreshing punk rock side of her with you all. What you'll discover about Adria is that beyond being gorgeous – which, obviously – she's a dynamic, perceptive citizen of the world with a penchant for doing "bad things." And I mean that in the best possible way. She's the kind of person who makes...
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Today, we are joined by actor and producer Jennifer LaFleur. She was recently in the HULU original film THE DROP and, just this past weekend, the psychological horror film she also co-produced, BIRTHRITE, directed by Ross Partridge. In a blast from the past, Jen and I met in 2011 on the set of a feature film where I was shadowing the producer. It’s a gentle reminder of how much the path zigs and zags. During our chat, Jen shares how she turned her Massachusetts hometown into a movie set for her latest film BIRTHRITE, why the Duplass Brothers' "you are the cavalry" philosophy changed her...
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Monday vibes got you down? Let's flip that energy! 🎬 We are gearing up to launch a new season of the show, but in the meantime, I wanted to share what I've been up to behind the scenes. We've been focused on elevating all across the board--from our content, to our vibrant new set by Sara Silkwood (https://www.sarasilkwood.me/), and intentional community engagement. After 6 years of a mostly solo podcasting hustle, I'm finally ready to share what's been happening behind the scenes—from our incredible Summer Cafecito series to landing at a Hollywood soundstage where Lucille Ball once...
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Kicking off August with a very special episode with the the brilliant minds behind Zello and Cinelease. They just announced a game-changing acquisition that's bringing our industry back to its roots - where crews are empowered and things get done without red tape. As someone who's filmed in LA most of my career, I know Hollywood's real magic isn't what's on screen—it's the thousands of passionate people behind the scenes. Cinelease has been one of those constants for me. No matter the scope or budget, they always found a way to make it work. What makes this deal special? The timing is...
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This is a very fun special crossover of AOP and Daddy Dailies with host Vika Stubblebine. She actor, writer, director and stand up comedian who most recently wrote on CBS's S.W.A.T.. She is a co-founder of , a social impact organization dedicated to empowering and educating women and nonbinary filmmakers through events, screenings and podcasts. The community they’ve built is truly remarkable. When you find your people - the ones who share your wavelength and want to build something meaningful together - the chaos becomes creative fuel rather than overwhelming...
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Earlier this week I shared part 1 of my conversation with Hollywood icon Steve Papazian. He is the former President of Worldwide Physical Production at Warner Bros. That chat was recorded back in April of 2019 and If you missed part one, I highly recommend you hit pause and go check that out. To refresh your memory, he started in the mailroom and rose the ranks over the course of almost 50 years at Warner Brothers at Universal. YEARS! His impressive filmography includes some of cinema's most defining moments: The Matrix, The Hobbit trilogy, and the Harry Potter films. He's been the...
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Delighted to share a truly remarkable conversation I had back in April 2019 with Steve Papazian - a Hollywood executive whose career spans nearly five decades and reads like a masterclass in entertainment industry evolution. When you look at his filmography, you're looking at some of cinema's most defining moments - The Matrix, The Hobbit trilogy, the Harry Potter films. He's been the trusted production partner for visionaries like Clint Eastwood and Christopher Nolan across multiple projects, helping bring their creative visions to life on an unprecedented scale. Steve takes us inside one of...
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A few weeks ago, I had the pleasure of hosting a panel at UTA for a screening of ANDOR - the Star Wars spinoff series from creator Tony Gilroy. It was there that I met today’s guest, executive producer, Sanne Wohlenberg. Check that out here: Sanne is a German-born television producer working primarily in the United Kingdom. After working on multiple episodes of the critically acclaimed series BLACK MIRROR, she went on to win an Emmy Award in 2019 for Outstanding Limited Series as the producer of CHERNOBYL, followed by a Producers Guild of America nomination for The David L. Wolper Award for...
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What happens when you combine the brilliant mind of Ryan Coogler and a bunch of blood-thirsty vampires? You get SINNERS, one of the most original and entertaining films of the year. A theatrical feat at the box office, it’s grossed over 285 million dollars since its April 16th release. It was my absolute pleasure to talk to producer Sev Ohanian about how this monster movie gem came to fruition. Sev is a homie and we go way back to our baby producer days, so it is really special for me to reconnect with him after so many years. Our meet cute story is also one for the books! Sev is...
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Christine Davila is a trailblazing TV executive and producer with an unexpected passion—she knows all the words to the musical CABARET. From her early days at prestigious film festivals like Sundance and Tribeca to building the vibrant Latina Squad community, Christine's journey is a masterclass in resilience, vision, and the power of authentic narratives. This Mexican-born industry leader is also a dear friend and the founder of The Latina Squad, a peer group of accomplished TV/Film executives across studios, networks, and production companies. What began as a way for Latina execs to...
info_outline*This episode is brought to you by Dolly Card, the corporate card for film production that’s a great alternative to petty cash. Dolly Card is here to streamline expense management, tax, and accounting. dollycard.com*
Beyond stoked for this crucial convo with two producers with films that premiered at SXSW who pivoted from other careers into producing. We had a lot of fun while also contemplating how we can leverage our collective knowledge to solve some of the crises plaguing the producers' plight.
Spoiler alert: We 100% got nachos after.
Elle Roth-Brunet, producer of I REALLY LOVE MY HUSBAND, sits at the intersection of innovation, business, and storytelling. She's a content strategist, brand builder, and creative producer who deeply believes in the power of representation and storytelling.
She has dedicated her career to helping 40+ underrepresented voices gain more equity in entertainment through content partnerships with Hello Sunshine, ARRAY, Paul Fieg's Powderkeg, the PGA, Women In Film, and the Black List.
Mark Ankner, producer of SLANTED, which won the grand jury award for Narrative Feature at SXSW, is dedicated to developing and producing creator-driven stories that resonate with culture.
He was instrumental at Endeavor Content, overseeing advisory business, film and television packaging and sales, and creating innovative distribution models for content creators and financiers. Prior to that, Mark was a partner at WME Global, focusing on emerging voices and building companies for established talent. Some notable film projects include the Academy Award-winning CALL ME BY YOUR NAME, FRUITVALE STATION and SORRY TO BOTHER YOU.
His first film PONYBOI premiered in the US Dramatic competition at the 2024 Sundance Film Festival. Directed by Esteban Arango, it was noted for its groundbreaking narrative and representation of diverse voices.
Currently, Mark leads Mountain Top Pictures, an indie film and TV production company dedicated to championing innovative storytelling and supporting emerging talent in the industry
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