Directora

For our final bonus interview of Halloween season, we talk to Adell Lashawn who writes, produces, and directs horror shorts for an upcoming anthology. Her latest film Don't Open After 3 AM was just released this week and it's the perfect horror short to treat yourself to this Halloween. Adell talks about indie filmmaking, how she got her start learning on-set as an actress and an AD, and what it's like to make movies in Atlanta. She also talks about what's in store for her next!

I love talking to indie filmmakers. I always learn something new! Listen to the episode to learn a little something, too.

Watch her new film here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jtwk4O5RxRE

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For Directora's 31-for-31 horror movie challenge, we watched several films inspired by myths and urban legends: Cropsey, The Daisy Chain, Mother of Flies, and The Lure. That last one is a mermaid horror, something that my good friend Kate Haley has also made a movie about. Kate joins me from Ireland tot alk about Irish folk horror, mermaids, local legends, and more. We have a great time exchanging local lore from both of our places of origin!

Listen to hear more - and watch Kate's film A Fairytale Romance to see the mermaid horror for yourself.

This is our final Halloween episode, so the episode ends with a summary of the month and a sneak preview into what's next. Keep following Directora for more updates on Instagram and TikTok. Subscribe to the podcast for new episodes!

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Here's a bonus episode for Halloween week! Five Nights at Freddy's was one of the 31-for-31 horror films this month, featuring horror films directed by women. Derrick McDuff of Underrated Movie Podcast wanted to talk about it, too, so Directora and Underrated joined forces to chat about Five Nights at Freddy's. They talk about the film's strengths and weaknesses, its history, and its legacy, as well as other horror movie topics.

Listen to Underrated Movie Podcast wherever you listen to podcasts!

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Why are there so many pregnancy horror films? And horror films where motherhood is made horrific by an evil child? I wanted to delve into domestic horror and why we've seen so many pregnancy horror films in recent years. Actress and producer Deborah Lee Smith joined me to talk about pregnancy fears - both in film and in real life - and the ways that these are reflected in movies. This was a GREAT conversation as we talked about all things pregnancy and motherhood as they relate to horror. I learned some things about reproductive healthcare that I didn't know! Listen to hear more.

Follow Directora on Instagram and TikTok. Email directorapodcast@gmail.com for questions, comments, and compliments. Directora is created, written, hosted, and edited by Stephanie Weber. Artwork by Brock Alter.

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For the month of October, Directora is all things women in horror - including talking to directors of cool new horror films! We talked to director Alison-Eve Hammersley about her new found footage horror film Erie. She talked about the process of making the film, what inspired it, and trends in horror that she would love to see more of. Erie is currently doing the festival circuit, so check it out if it is coming to a film festival near you!

Follow Directora on Instagram and TikTok for clips and stills from episodes. Email directorapodcast@gmail.com if you have questions, compliments, and comments.

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Have you ever noticed that there are a lot of films featuring lesbian vampires? Or gay vampires in general? Where did that come from, and what films depict gay vampires best? This was a GREAT episode. There is a ten-minute history of vampires in film up top, followed by a hilarious and informative conversation with content creator and film lover Butch Noir. This is definitely one to listen to!

Directora is created, written, hosted, and edited by Stephanie Weber. Artwork by Brock Alter. Follow Directora on Instagram and TikTok for clips and stills from the episodes. Email directorapodcast@gmail.com with suggestions, compliments, and questions.

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The 7th film for our 31-for-31 challenge this month, in which we watch a horror film directed by a woman for every day in October, is 1983's A Night to Dismember directed by Doris Wishman. It's a fascinating, low-budget, indie film for a lot of reasons: there are multiple versions, she did everything herself, and Wishman was best known for directing nudie films.

While some might dismiss Wishman as being just a sexploitation director, she was actually the most prolific female director in the 20th century. There is so much to know about Wishman, so we were very lucky to chat with producer and director Elizabeth Pauker. Pauker is currently working on a documentary about Doris Wishman, so she sat down to tell us more about Wishman's story and her approach to filmmaking.

Listen to this special interview episode. Follow us on social media to watch recaps and reviews of our 31-for-31 films. Directora is brought to you by Stephanie Weber, with artwork by Brock Alter.

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The Musical is a hilarious dark comedy in theaters now. The film stars Will Brill, Rob Lowe, and Gillian Jacobs. When middle school drama teacher Doug (Brill) gets his heart broken by fellow teacher Abigail (Jacobs), he gets petty revenge by writing and directing his students in an outrageous musical. Director Giselle Bonilla talks about the wild making of the film. This is a must-listen for any indie filmmaker out there! Bonilla's movie went through the ringer to get made, and it was well worth it. This film is hilarious!

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What IS horror? How do we define what scares us? That's what we aim to explore this month on the podcast. Welcome to Directora's Women and Horror Mini-Series. Throughout October, we will release episodes every Wednesday about horror themes. And guess what? We'll have special guests! Not only that, but we will do a horror movie challenge: 31 horror films directed by women!

Every day in October, I’ll post recaps, reviews, and fun facts about the film of the day until Halloween. This year’s list offers a wide range of films: gory, slasher, psychological, folk horror, domestic horror, creatures, vampires, ghosts, low budget, indie, remakes, sequels, franchise, anthology, and even a documentary! I’m thrilled to watch these with you.

This is the second time we are doing this here at Directora. Last year was an absolute blast, so please join Directora Podcast this year as we watch a horror film a day directed by a woman. Follow on Instagram and TikTok to watch recaps and reviews of the films. Listen every Wednesday to hear special guest interviews and deep-dives into themes like body horror, lesbian vampires, urban legends, and more!

New episodes every Wednesday.

Get spooky with me this Halloween season. Join us for 31 horror films directed by women.

Directora is researched, written, edited, and hosted by Stephanie Weber. Artwork by Brock Alter.

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This season closes on one of the wildest true Hollywood stories: the life and inventions of Hedy Lamarr. The actress was always smarter than everyone else in the room. Her intelligence is how she escaped Europe during the war, spied for the Allies, and eventually invented the technology that would become the foundation for WiFi.

This episode initially aired on Grab Bag Collab as part of their network. Thank you to Daisy Eagan, Amanda Rossman, and Amber Hunt for their help on this. Thank you to Brock Alter for his art. Directora is researched, written, recorded, and edited by Stephanie Weber. Email directorapodcast@gmail.com for questions and suggestions. Follow Directora on Instagram and TikTok.

Sources:

You Must Remember This

Bombshell: The Hedy Lamarr Story

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ghc6uab1EX4

Women in History

https://www.womenshistory.org/education-resources/biographies/hedy-lamarr

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It’s easy to take Barbra Streisand for granted because she really is good at everything. From singer and actress to director and producer, Barbra is a perfectionist who fought against discrimination and stereotypes in order to make unapologetic work that made her a star. She has been labeled difficult, while also fighting through a lot to make it to the top. Is she difficult? Does it matter when you're as talented as she is?

This episode initially aired on the Grab Bag Collab network. Thank you to Amber Hunt, Daisy Eagan, and Amanda Rossman. Thank you to Brock Alter for Directora's artwork. Directora is researched, written, recorded, edited, and hosted by Stephanie Weber.

Email directorapodcast@gmail.com and follow Directora on Instagram and TikTok.

Sources:

Mojo

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gzv1DlQU8KU

How Barbra Streisand Fought Hollywood to Make Yentl

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0r1FhIT8efw

A Star is Born - You Must Remember This

Pierson, John. My Battles with Barbra and John. New West Magazine. November 20, 1976.

https://web.archive.org/web/20150716005847/http://barbra-archives.com/bjs_library/70s/new_west_battles_barbra_jon.html

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PoNdQxkI-0w

1991 Barbra Streisand on 60 Minutes

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xw5dQBZavUw

Mann, William J. Hello Gorgeous. Houghton Mifflin Harcourt. October 2012.

Streisand, Barbra. My Name is Barbra. Viking. November 7, 2023.

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Debbie Allen wears a thousand hats. The actress and dancer might be best known for starring in Fame, but she has directed and produced incredibly important television shows for nearly 40 years.

This episode initially aired on Grab Bag Collab as part of their network. Thank you to Daisy Eagan, Amanda Rossman, and Amber Hunt for their help on this. Thank you to Brock Alter for his art. Directora is researched, written, recorded, and edited by Stephanie Weber. Email directorapodcast@gmail.com for suggestions and questions. Follow Directora on Instagram and TikTok for stills and clips from the episode.

Sources:

Debbie Allen, Maven of the Arts

Debbie Allen and Lena Waithe interview, via Hillman Grad YouTube.

Playbill's My Life in Theater with Debbie Allen

Smith, David. Paying in Sweat! How Debbie Allen Went from Stardom in Fame to Conquer Hollywood. https://www.theguardian.com/stage/2026/may/12/how-debbie-allen-went-from-stardom-in-fame-to-conquer-hollywood

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Penny Marshall and her brother Garry were mainstays of 1970s and 80s sitcoms. Garry's little sister became a big star when she starred in the Happy Days spinoff, Laverne and Shirley. However, Penny observed her brother and all of the other creative writers and directors around her. She realized that she had an eye for directing, and she was especially good with actors. Penny Marshall's films are very underrated for how successful they are. Her second film was Big, which launched Tom Hanks into stardom, and it became the first film directed by a woman to gross over $100 million at the box office. Her follow-up to Big was Awakenings, which was nominated for an Academy Award. Her next film, A League of Their Own, grossed over $100 million again, and it remains popular and quotable to this day. Penny Marshall made legitimate, bona fide hits - and she doesn't get nearly as much credit as she deserves. Let's change that!

This episode originally aired on Grab Bag Collab. Brock Alter does the artwork for Directora. Directora is researched, written, recorded, and edited by Stephanie Weber.

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Lucille Ball is everyone's favorite funny redhead! Decades after her hit sitcom I Love Lucy, there are still references to the gags she performed on her hit show. People might not realize how influential I Love Lucy was to American sitcoms - and how much she and Desi Arnaz did for television as a whole. From an actress and dancer in New York City to a bit player in Hollywood, Lucille Ball learned how to stand out, and she quickly learned that making a fool of herself was a good way to do it. She cultivated her physical comedy skills, while never once thinking of herself as a comedian. She and her husband worked very hard throughout their lives to entertain American audiences for years, overcoming substance abuse, divorce, and Communist accusations. Listen to this episode to hear all that and more!

This episode originally aired on Grab Bag Collab. Thank you to Daisy Eagan, Amber Hunt, and Amanda Rossman for their hard work. Thank you to Brock Alter for the art. Directora is researched, written, recorded, and edited by Stephanie Weber.

SOURCES:

Arnaz, Desi. A Book. William Morrow and Company. 1976.

Kanfer, Stefan. Ball of Fire: The Tumultuous Life and Comic Art of Lucille Ball. Knopf. January 1, 2003.

American Masters: Finding Lucy.

The Plot Thickens, by Turner Classic Movies. Lucille Ball podcast series.

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The musical Waitress is a modern success, a smash hit that has people around the world singing along to its soundtrack. Fans of the musical might not realize that it was based on a hit 2007 indie film written and directed by Adrienne Shelly. Sadly, Shelly never saw her own film's success. Shelly wrote and directed three original feature films and was director Hal Hartley's muse early in her career. She had big plans for more, but her life was cut tragically short when she was murdered. Hear about her inspiring life, amazing films, and the legacy she has left behind.

This episode initially aired on Grab Bag Collab as part of their network. Thank you to Daisy Eagan, Amanda Rossman, and Amber Hunt for their help on this. Thank you to Brock Alter for his art. Directora is researched, written, recorded, and edited by Stephanie Weber.

Click here to learn more about the Adrienne Shelly Foundation.

SOURCES:

Horton, Adrian. “The Life and Death of Filmmaker Adrienne Shelly.” The Guardian. December 1, 2021.

Ostoy, Andy. Adrienne (2021).

Special features on the DVD’s for Sudden Manhattan and Waitress. Director’s Commentary on Sudden Manhattan.

Zimmer, Vanessa. “Who Was…Adrienne Shelly?”. Sundance.com. November 11, 2022.

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“The devastating thing about Elaine is that she’s better at everything - writing, directing, acting - than anyone else I know.” That quote comes from director Clive Donner regarding the one and only Elaine May.

Elaine May is the woman behind so many pivotal comedic moments you know and love. From the Second City and Nichols & May, to A New Leaf and Mikey and Nicky, to directing the massive flop that was Ishtar and coming back with the script for The Birdcage, Elaine May has always been relentlessly talented. She still is! She also has a reputation for being a difficult director. The dreaded D word. Is she difficult? Is that a fair assessment? We talk all about it! Listen to hear about her inspiring life, her many creative endeavors, triumphs, and everything in between.

This episode originally aired on Grab Bag Collab earlier in 2026. Directora was created by Stephanie Weber, who researches, writes, records, edits, and hosts every episode. Artwork by Brock Alter.

Check out film clips and stills from these movies on our Instagram and TikTok. Follow along! Email questions, concerns, press opps to directorapodcast@gmail.com. Rate and review as kindly as possible!

Sources:

Coleman, Janet. The Compass Players: The Improvisational Theater that Revolutionized American Comedy. University of Chicago Press. November 1, 1991.

Couregan, Carrie. Miss May Does Not Exist: The Life and Work of Elaine May, Hollywood's Hidden Genius. St. Martin's Press. 2024.

Griggs, Jeff. Guru: My Days with Del Close. Ivan R. Dee. April 25, 2005.

"Ishtar". What Went Wrong. Bassett, Lizzie and Winterbauer, Chris. February 1, 2021.

May, Elaine. Power Plays. Samuel French.

May, Elaine. Not Enough Rope: A Play in One Act. Samuel French.

May, Elaine. Mikey & Nicky. Criterion Collection DVD Special Features.

McGrath, Douglas. Becoming Mike Nichols. 2016.

Mikey & Nicky Restoration Documentary. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4bZVWLwQvbw

Nichols and May: Take Two. American Masters. PBS. May 1996.

Elaine May at Mike Nichols AFI Achievement Awards. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AgjBxiDmJyU

Elaine May and Mike Nichols in Conversation. 2006. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ShLPGHoXJFY

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“Come up and listen sometime.” Mae West was an icon of old Hollywood. She has been impersonated by The Looney Tunes and Drag Queens alike. She was a woman who was so ahead of her time that her comedy holds up to this day. She was an actress, writer, and producer who wrote her own material - and sometimes that material was SO controversial that she wound up having to go to court over it. We are talking about the one and only Mae West as we get into her enduring legacy, her impressive career, and her court case over sex. That was the title of her script, not like a court case over whether or not she could have. Because I’m pretty sure she did…a lot. Listen to her wild adventures in and out of show business.

This episode originally aired on Grab Bag Collab earlier in 2026. Directora was created by Stephanie Weber, who researches, writes, records, edits, and hosts every episode. Artwork by Brock Alter.

Check out film clips and stills from these movies on our Instagram and TikTok. Follow along! Email questions, concerns, press opps to directorapodcast@gmail.com. Rate and review as kindly as possible!

Sources:

American Masters: Mae West: Dirty Blonde. PBS. Season 34. June 16, 2020.

Chandler, Charlotte. She Always Knew How: A Personal Biography of Mae West. Applause Publishers. March 1, 2010.

Mae West and the Men Who Knew Her. Directed by Gene Feldman and Suzette Winter. PBS Documentary 1994. Wombat Productions.

Longworth, Karina. "Fact Checking Hollywood Babylon: Mae West". You Must Remember This. December 3, 2018.

West, Mae. Edited by Schlissel, Lillian. Three Plays By Mae West. Taylor and Francis, LTD. 1997.

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Welcome to season two of Directora: Actresses Who Became Power Players!

This is a great season. Yes, we have directors, but we also have writers, producers, studio executives, and even inventors. This season will feature some heavy hitters like Lucille Ball, Elaine May, Debbie Allen, Mae West, and Barbra Streisand, and some lesser-known actresses like Adrienne Shelly who made a big impact. And an inventor, Hedy Lamarr. But first? We have to start with one of the most important female directors of the 20th century.

I can’t kick off my season on actresses who became power players without talking about Ida Lupino. The petite British actress with the femme fatale voice became one of the ONLY directors working in the 1940s and 50s. She made a lot of historic firsts, including being the first woman to direct film noir. She directed boundary-breaking independent films and then went on to direct some of the most legendary episodes of early television. This is why she often comes up in discussions of women directors or women in film history, and that’s exactly what our podcast is about. Her film The Hitch-Hiker is part of the National Film Registry, and her films Outrage and The Bigamist are considered important works of 20th-century art. Learn about her life, career, and triumphs in today's episode!

This episode originally aired earlier in 2026 on Grab Bag Collab. Directora was created by Stephanie Weber, who researches, writes, records, edits, and hosts all episodes. Episode art by Brock Alter. Please visit Directora on Instagram or TikTok for clips of things discussed in the episode. Email directorapodcast@gmail.com for questions, concerns, and compliments. And, kindly rate and review!

Sources:

Donati, William J. Ida Lupino: A Biography. University Press of Kentucky. April, 1996.

Kuperberg, Clara and Julia. Ida Lupino: Gentlemen and Miss Lupino. (2021)

Longworth, Karina. “The Many Loves of Ida Lupino”. You Must Remember This. July 10, 2014.

Lupino, Ida. “Outrage.” 1950.

Lupino, Ida. “The Bigamist.” 1953.

Lupino, Ida. “The Hitch-Hiker.” 1955.

Ida Lupino- Documentary. Film Historian. Oct 12, 2016. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1XCu7O9sw-Q

This is your life https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2UgbgrLve7A

Walsh, Raoul. “They Drive By Night.” 1940.

Wellman, William. “The Light That Failed.” 1939.

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If you're a quirky internet/Tumblr girl, the chances are super high that you've seen images of the 1966 Czech film Daisies. The images are vibrant, striking, and adorable; but the story behind the film and the reactions to it in director Věra Chytilová's home country go so much deeper than you can imagine and the film put her on a career blacklist for years. Find out why the Czech communist regime took issue with her films and attempted to ruin her career.

This episode originally aired on Grab Bag Collab's Patreon. Thank you to Amanda Rossman for sound mixing and to Brock Alter for the artwork. Directora is hosted, created, researched, and written by Stephanie Weber. Follow Directora on Instagram and TikTok. Please email directorapodcast@gmail.com for any questions, suggestions, or compliments. I love those!

Sources for this episode:

Brockel, Cal. “Věra Chytilová: the Czech New Wave director banned by her government”. Hero Magazine. May 8, 2021. https://hero-magazine.com/article/189560/vera-chytilova

“BFI At Home: Filmmakers in Focus: Věra Chytilová”. BFI YouTube Channel. April 8, 2021. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dwbA6aNiG7A

Čulík, Jan. “A Courageous Voice from Central Europe: The Films of Věra Chytilová”. Eastern European Film Bulletin. Volume 88. October 2018. https://eefb.org/retrospectives/The-Films-of-Vera-Chytilova

“Daises: City Cinematheque.” CUNY TV YouTube Channel. Recorded January 1, 1997. Aired February 1, 1997. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G0tU4ioovoA

Gray, Carmen. “Vera Chytilová for beginners”. British Film Institute. February 27, 2015. https://www.bfi.org.uk/features/vera-chytilova-beginners

Sarno, Elena Pachner. “Feminism, Destruction, and Joy in Daises”. East European Film Bulletin. Volume 88. October 2018. https://eefb.org/retrospectives/feminism-destruction-and-joy-in-daisies/

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Leni Riefenstahl was one of the most important directors of the 20th century. She pioneered several filmmaking techniques and forever influenced how sports and action are filmed on camera. But she was also a Nazi. Or was she? After the war, Riefenstahl spent the rest of her very long life defending her work and denying any involvement with the Nazi Party...sometimes in the face of very real evidence to refute her claims. So what's the truth? Listen to this episode to hear the full story.

Warning: this episode talks about the Holocaust, bigotry, and stigmatization of mental illness.

This episode was re-recorded for this release. The original version aired on Grab Bag Collab in May 2025. Stephanie Weber researched, wrote, recorded, and edited the episode. Brock Alter did all of the artwork. Follow us on social media to see clips and stills from the films discussed in this episode.

SOURCES:

Connolly, Kate. Gypsies’ Fate Haunts Film Muse of Hitler. August 18, 2002. https://www.theguardian.com/world/2002/aug/18/artsandhumanities.germany

Connolly, Kate. “Film suggests Nazis’ lead propagandist had role in 1939 massacre.” The Guardian. August 28, 2024. https://www.theguardian.com/film/article/2024/aug/28/film-suggests-nazis-propagandist-leni-riefenstahl-had-role-in-1939-massacre

“Just What Did Leni Riefenstahl’s Lens See?” New York Times. March 13, 1994. Accessed via https://writing.upenn.edu/~afilreis/Holocaust/maslin.html on May 1, 2025.

Indiana, Gary. “Leni Riefenstahl.” Art Forum. https://www.artforum.com/columns/leni-riefenstahl-168029/

Muller, Ray. The Wonderful Horrible Life of Leni Riefenstahl. (1993)

Prose, Francine. “Leni Riefenstahl: On a Nazi Filmmaker”. The Yale Review. October 1, 2018. https://yalereview.org/article/leni-riefenstahl

Riefenstahl, Leni. “The Blue Light”. (1932).

Riefenstahl, Leni. “Olympia Part One: The Festival of Nationals” (1938).

Riefenstahl, Leni. “Olympia Part Two: Festival of Beauty” (1938).

Veiel, Andres. Riefenstahl. (2024)

Zajc, Melita. A cruel game by Hitler’s Favourite Filmmaker Exposed. Modern Times Review. February 20, 2022. https://www.moderntimes.review/a-cruel-game-by-hitlers-favourite-filmmaker-exposed/

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