The Business

Daryl Hannah, actress and activist known for films like Splash and Blade Runner and for directing Neil Young’s concert film Coastal. She talks about moving into filmmaking, capturing life on tour with inventive camera work, her Oscar moment saying Slava Ukraini, and confronting Harvey Weinstein during the Kill Bill press tour.

Diane Becker, documentary producer (Navalny), and Ted Tremper, film producer (The Daily Show, Borat), discuss making The AI Doc. They share how they booked top AI leaders, nearly reached Elon Musk, and organized a massive, collaborative production. The conversation covers long-form interviews, balancing expert and general audiences, theatrical strategy, and the film’s apocaloptimist title choice.

Eline van der Velden, actress, comedian and co-founder of Particle 6 Productions, defends her synthetic character Tilly Norwood and explains why she sees AI-native characters as valid creative work. She discusses how Tilly is built with mocap, prompts and human editors. She also tackles training-data ethics, creative control and where AI belongs in entertainment.

Sean Astin, actor and president of SAG-AFTRA, talks about stepping into union leadership during a turbulent year. He covers AI scraping and synthetic performers. He discusses contract talks on wages and working conditions. He describes legal clashes and how the union represents diverse performer groups.

Kleber Mendonça Filho, Brazilian writer-director and former film critic behind Aquarius and The Secret Agent. He talks about moving from criticism to filmmaking. He recounts Cannes backlash and political pushback in Brazil. He explains why Recife influences his storytelling and reflects on cinema, theatrical windows and streaming shifts.

Autumn Durald Arkapaw, Academy Award–nominated cinematographer known for high-profile films, discusses her work on Sinners and her career arc. She talks about transforming a 16mm concept into an IMAX spectacle. She reflects on the strain as production moves away from Los Angeles and the scarcity of meaningful opportunities for women in film.

Jafar Panahi, Palme d’Or–winning Iranian filmmaker known for clandestine, socially engaged cinema. He talks about self-financing and tight trusted crews. He explains shooting in secret under censorship, representing women without headscarves, and why he chose to return to Iran despite legal danger.

Scott Feinberg, Executive Editor of Awards at The Hollywood Reporter, brings his Oscar-season expertise. He breaks down Warner Bros.' two-front Best Picture strategy. He explains the new Best Casting category and why Sinners could benefit. He highlights surprise nominees like F1 and Hamnet, and reviews acting, music, and documentary frontrunners.

Alexandria Stapleton, documentary filmmaker who directed Netflix’s Sean Combs: The Reckoning, chats about uncovering rare pre-arrest footage. She describes collaborating with 50 Cent while keeping editorial control. She talks about working gently with alleged victims, vetting explosive material, and why Netflix was the right home for the project.

Tom Freston, media executive who co-founded MTV and later led Viacom, reflects on his memoir and a life shaping cable television. He recounts MTV’s wild early launch and the culture that fueled it. He talks about dealings with Sumner Redstone, launching Comedy Central, and the high-stakes studio and merger debates around Warner and Netflix.