KCRW Don't @ me with Justin Simien

In the season finale of Don’t @ Me, Boots Riley shares his history, muses, and the long road to one of 2018’s finest films, Sorry to Bother You.

Justin talks about what it’s like to be a filmmaker outside of the traditional studio system with producers Alana Mayo from Michael B. Jordan's new production company, Outlier Society, and independent producer Cameron Washington.

Grab a snack for this chat with David Gelb, creator of Chef’s Table and director of Jiro Dreams of Sushi. He tells Justin about food as narrative subject and the making of a career in documentary film.

You might recognize Dear White People’s Ashley Blaine Featherson (Joelle) and Courtney Sauls (Brooke). There is so much more to an actor’s life than getting a good part (think: never-ending auditions and scant parts for black women). Ashley and Courtney sit down with Justin and go deep on what success looks like for them.

Justin is joined by Green Book director and writer, Peter Farrelly, and Kris Bowers, the film’s composer. They discuss the "white savior" trap films like this often fall into, the steps Peter took to avoid it, how Kris created the score, and the talents of the film’s stars Mahershala Ali and Viggo Mortensen.