The Firecracker Department with Naomi Snieckus

Latest Episodes:

Reel Women's Network Spotlight: Meosha Bean Sep 29, 2021

Show notes

Our tenth Reel Women's Network (RWN) spotlight is award-winning actor-director-writer MEOSHA BEAN. Meosha, founder of M.V.B Films, started filming and acting at the tender age of 7, inspired by watching horror films with her older brother and it grew from there. Meosha was voted the best upcoming director at the New Jersey Film Festival in 2012. Meosha directing projects include: the doc THE UNTOLD STORY OF MARIANO MENDOZA, MISS PEPPER an award- winning short that got over 30K views during its first week, horror film DELUSION and ANATOMY OF AN ANTIHERO: REDEMPTION (available on RWN), won Best Film at the Los Angeles Film Awards, the April Award at the New York Film Awards and the Best Action film at the Istanbul Film Awards.

Meosha Bean on RWN: https://reelwomensnetwork.com/meosha-bean/ Instagram: @meoshabeanofficial https://mvbfilmproductioninc.blogspot.com/

Photo credits Meosha Bean: from her personal collection Naomi Snieckus: David Leyes

Reel Women's Network Twitter: @ReelWomensNetw1 Instagram: @reelwomensnetwork https://reelwomensnetwork.com/

Social Justice Department presents Igniting Social Justice Part 1 Tuesday, October 5, 2021 Led by Sedina Fiati @bwheelsheels and Farah Merani @fa_me https://www.eventbrite.ca/e/igniting-social-justice-part-1-tickets-169552739809

Shoutout Catherine Gourdier @cathgourdier https://catherinegourdier.com/

Lara Margaret Marjerrison @insidestoriesto https://www.insidestories.ca/

Podcast Team Head Producer and Editor: Winnie Wong @wonder_wong Editor: Shayne Stolz @shaynestolz

Subscribe to our newsletter at https://www.firecrackerdepartment.com and follow us @firecrackerdept!

Bonus Episode: 2021 Live Blaze Award Presentation to Jo Vannicola Sep 22, 2021

Show notes

Bonus Episode: the 2021 live red carpet Blaze Award presentation to screenwriter-author-advocate-and-Emmy Award-winning actor Jo Vannicola. The Blaze Award is presented to a spectacular woman or non-binary artist who has outstanding achievements in their artistic field and givebacks to their community. It was a unanimous decision to present this year's Blaze Award to Jo. Whether they are in front or, behind the camera or at outACTRAto, they approach everything with integrity and a joyful heart that inspires others to want to create and lead with the same level of passion, vulnerability and drive.

LINKS:

@joannevannicola

@trashedshortfilm

https://joannevannicola.com/

Photo Credit: Denise Grant

BLAZE AWARD SPONSOR - Made You Look Jewellery

@madeyoulookjewellery

https://www.madeyoulook.ca/

RED CARPET SPONSORS - Zaza Espresso Bar and Resilientista

@zazaespresso

https://zazaespresso.com/

@resilientista

http://www.resilientista.com/

NAOMI TIFF ONE DRESS - Matin Mathris

@matinmithras

https://matinmithras.com/

RED CARPET GUESTS

Vinessa Antoine @therealvinessaantoine - KICKING BLOOD
Director Haya Waseem @haya_wsm - QUICKENING
Executive Producer-Writer-Lead Performer-Co-Creator Bilal Baig @sortofbilal - SORT OF (CBC/HBO Series - part of TIFF Primetime) @cbc and @cbcgem
Savonna Spracklin @savonna_spracklin - WILDWOOD
Director Alanis Obomsawin @onf_nfb -HONOUR TO SENATOR MURRAY SINCLAIR AND TIFF Cinematheque presents CELEBRATING ALANIS
Director Fawzia Mirza @thefawz and Writer/Actor Kaursar Mohammed @kausartheperson from THE SYED FAMILY XMAS EVE GAME NIGHT

To watch the red carpet got to: https://fb.watch/7-iOYo5kyC/

TIFF BRUNCH ROOMS

Photobooth - Host and Sponsor Rachel McCaig @rachealmc
Writing and Script Room - Hosts Fran Coviello @fran_creates and Liesl Lafferty
Wellness Room - Host Emily Churchill - sponsor Let's Heal This Shit @letshealthisshit
Mentorship Room - Host Veronica Martin @veronicaannemartin - sponsor Fab in the City @uberfab
Trivia Room Sydney Neilson @sydney_neilson - sponsor Creemore @creemoresprings
Daily Fare @thedailyfare

PODCAST TEAM

Head Producer: Winnie Wong @wonder_wong

Head of Post Production: Sydney Neilson @sydney_neilson

Editor: Shayne Stolz @shaynestolz

Subscribe to our newsletter at https://www.firecrackerdepartment.com and follow us @firecrackerdept!

BONUS EPISODE: WORK IN PROGRESS July 2020 Panel Sep 01, 2021

Show notes

This week's episode is a throwback to our exciting Facebook Live WORK IN PROGRESS Panel from last July 2020.

WORK IN PROGRESS is about Abby, a forty five-year-old self-identified fat, queer dyke whose misfortune and despair unexpectedly lead her to a vibrantly transformative relationship.

Panel Guests:

Abby McEnany stars as Abby and is the co-creator of WORK IN PROGRESS
Celeste Pechous @celesteinclogs stars as Campbell, Abby's bestfriend (Twitter: @cpechous)
Mary Sohn @maroldswan stars as Susan, Abby's annoying officemate
Kate James stars as Miriam and is a writer for the show (Twitter: @katecjames)
Host: Naomi Snieckus @snieckus

Both Celeste and Mary were past podcast guests so check out their episodes.

WORK IN PROGRESS Season 2 is currently airing Sunday nights at 11pm ET/PT on SHOWTIME. @showtime

Stream WORK IN PROGRESS on CraveTV in Canada. @cravecanada

https://www.sho.com/work-in-progress

https://www.crave.ca/en/tv-shows/work-in-progress

Firecracker Department Virtual TIFF Brunch - Sunday, September 12, 2021

1:00pm ET/10:00am - TIFF Virtual Red Carpet - Live Facebook (@firecrackerdept)
2:00pm ET/11:00pm - TIFF Brunch (invite only)

The amazing production team for our Facebook Live WORK IN PROGRESS Panel are:

Winnie Wong as the main producer
Rebecca Marquardt as technical director @rebeccaloops
Anna Gustafson as the co-producer follow her @goosegustafson
Sydney Neilson as the social media manager

Podcast production team:

Head Producer and Editor: Winnie Wong @wonder_wong
Head of Post Production & Head Writer: Sydney Neilson @sydney_neilson
Editor: Shayne Stolz @shaynestolz

Subscribe to our newsletter at https://www.firecrackerdepartment.com and follow us @firecrackerdept!

Camille Beaudoin Aug 25, 2021

Show notes

Our guest on the show this week is award-winning producer and the founder and executive director of Girls in Film and Television (GIFT) CAMILLE BEAUDOIN.

Camille is mixed blood Cree, Haudenosaunee, Métis, and French Canadian. She is an alum of the National Screen Institute and Banff Centre for the Arts, Facilitator for the Whistler Film Festival Indigenous Filmmaker Fellowship, as well as Edmonton YWCA's 2014 Woman of Distinction in Arts & Culture and one of Avenue Magazine's Edmonton's Top 40 under 40!

Camille founded Mosaic Entertainment with Eric Rebalkin. They produce and distribute hours of digital entertainment, nearly 100 episodes of television, 3 mobile games, and 3 feature length films featuring Danny Trejo, Colin Mochrie, and the late great Alan Thicke. Credits include: CAUTION: May Contain Nuts (APTN), Tiny Plastic Men (Super Channel), Roxy (#Roxy) starring Booboo Stewart from Disney's Descendants and The Twilight films, which recently won Best Teen/Tween Movie at the Kidscreen Awards, and Best Feature Film at the Alberta Film and Television Awards. Their new teen brand SPESCH, which specializes in smart, empowering content for tween and teen girls.

Girls in Film and Television (GIFT) is a not-for-profit dedicated to addressing the need for gender parity and diverse representation on screen through hands-on learning and support.

Quick content warning: this episode does contain sensitive talk regarding the Indigenous lives taken by Canada's residential schools. If that's too much for you right now, skip this episode and take care of you.

Twitter: @mosaiccamille

Instagram: @mosaicent

Facebook: @mosaicentertainment

Twitter and Instagram: @girlsinfilmtv

Facebook: @mosaicentertainment

www.mosaicentertainment.ca

www.girlsinfilmtv.com

Indian Residential School Survivors - @IRSSurvivor www.irsss.ca

Shoutout from Kathleen Harquail (Actioneer, Mentorship Department) @atkharquail for Liesl Lafferty award-winning director, scriptwriter, story developer, and facilitator.

Head Producer and Editor: Winnie Wong @wonder_wong

Head of Post Production & Head Writer: Sydney Neilson @sydney_neilson

Editor: Shayne Stolz @shaynestolz

Subscribe to our newsletter at www.firecrackerdepartment.com and follow us @firecrackerdept!

Marina Cordoni Aug 18, 2021

Show notes

Our guest on the show this week is superstar producer Marina Cordoni, the founder of Marina Cordoni Entertainment, aka MCE! This is going to be such a treat because Marina will also be one of the mentors for our Indie Producers mentorship workshop on September 25th!

Marina's handled pre-sales and completed picture sales on hits including '4 Weddings and a Funeral', 'Dead Man Walking', 'Fargo' and 'Sleepers'! With all her amazing distribution smarts, Marina pivoted into the production world. Marina met her business partner Kelley Feldsott Reynolds when they both executive produced one of Hallmark Network's highest-rated TV movies, 'Love on the Air'! Now, they've built a bridge between Canada and the U.S., with Marina producing from Toronto and Kelley from L.A. Some of Marina and Kelley's upcoming projects include Fear the Worst, a Linwood Barclay novel starring Jason Priestley, and Wanda Woman, with writer Bridget Canning, director Gia Milani, and producer, Mary Sexton in Newfoundland.

Marina shared exclusively about her journey to sobriety and how this opened up a whole new world of creativity.

Follow Marina Cordoni @mcordoni Website: www.marinacordoni.com Photo Credit : Liliana Reyes Fotography @lilianareyesfoto

Never Saw It Coming @neversawfilm - catch it on Amazon Prime American Hangman is on iTunes globally and Amazon in the US Love On the Air can be streamed on Hallmark Movies Now

Firecracker Department Indie Producers Mentorship Workshop on September 25, 2021! Link is posted on the Firecracker Department Members Page. Members have early bird registration. Join us! The Firecracker community/general public can register on August 24th. Stay tuned.

Shoutouts - Core member and Actioneer Anna Jane Edmonds (@atotheje) - support AJ's upcoming project Dark Highway by giving to the Seed&Spark page or spread the word. - a documentary film exposing the pervasiveness of sex trafficking in Ontario. Be a part of bringing this story to life: share, donate, and ask questions! Go to @darkhighwayfilm for links in their bio.

-Community member Anne-Marie Krytiuk (@itsannemariek) shouts out actor-comedian Robyn Deverett (@robyndeverett) who has a podcast Window Chats with Robyn.

Podcast Production Credits: Head Producer: Winnie Wong @wonder_wong

Head of Post Production and Head Writer: Sydney Neilson (@sydney_neilson)

Editors: Jordyn Giddens @jordyngiddens and Shayne Stolz @shaynestolz

Intro/Outro Writer: Winnie Wong @wonder_wong

Subscribe to our newsletter at https://www.firecrackerdepartment.com and follow us @firecrackerdept!

Reel Women's Network Spotlight: Asis Sethi Aug 11, 2021

Show notes

Our guest on the show this week is director, writer, producer, TV personality, ASIS SETHI! Asis is not only an incredible creator whose work is featured on the Reel Women's Network streaming platform, but is also part of our Firecracker Department Core Team!

Asis Sethi started her career as a Reporter on OMNI Television, quickly became a host! Asis has directed, written, and produced a ton of independent projects and founded Fly Away Films, a film company focusing on issues women and communities face that promote a cross-cultural understanding.

Her most recent short film titled 'A Bloody Mess' focuses on the taboo surrounding menstruation in the South Asian community living outside of India, with the specific goal of encouraging conversation to normalize menstruation. It has been screened at over 26 film festivals worldwide, won awards internationally, and is available now on Reel Women's Network!

Asis believes that cinema has the ability to transcend borders, cultures and identities to bring everyone together and bring change into society and she hopes to use cinema as a tool to highlight issues facing women and bring about a change in society.

Instagram: @asis.sethi @flyawayfilmsinc @bollywoodfilmfamecanada

Twitter: @AsisSethi @FlyAwayFilmsInc @bffcmag

https://www.asissethi.com/

https://flyawayfilms.ca/

https://bollywoodfilmfame.com/

Head Producer: Winnie Wong @wonder_wong

Head of Post Production & Head Writer: Sydney Neilson @sydney_neilson

Editor: Jennifer Rowley

Subscribe to our newsletter at https://www.firecrackerdepartment.com and follow us @firecrackerdept!

Dotsie Bausch Aug 04, 2021

Show notes

Our guest on the show this week is Olympic silver medalist, advocate, speaker, and the executive director of Switch4Good, Dotsie Bausch! She won her silver medal in cycling at the 2012 London Olympic Games, as well as two Pan American gold medals, eight US national championships, AND a world record!

Since concluding her professional cycling career, Dotsie's become a major influencer for plant-based eating! She founded the non-profit Switch 4 Good and has been featured in two different Netflix documentaries: Personal Gold and The Game Changers.

We talk about Dotsie's athletic and emotional journey, her struggle with eating disorders, her road to sobriety, and so much more. She speaks all over the world now, and she's even got me ready to try going plant based with my eating!

Follow Dotsie!

Instagram: @veganolympian

Instagram: @Switch4Good

Facebook: @Switch4Good

Twitter: @Switch4GoodOrg

Instagram and Facebook: @gamechangersmovie

Twitter: @gcmovie

https://dotsiebauschusa.com/

https://switch4good.org/

https://gamechangersmovie.com/

Head Producer: Winnie Wong @wonder_wong

Editor: Jordyn Giddens @jordyngiddens

Head of Post Production: Sydney Neilson @sydney_neilson

Subscribe to our newsletter at https://www.firecrackerdepartment.com and follow us @firecrackerdept!

Reel Women's Network Spotlight: Emily Churchill Jul 28, 2021

Show notes

Our guest on the show this week is actor, producer, writer, certified Reiki healer, and Firecracker Core Member, EMILY CHURCHILL! AND, Emily also just so happens to be a creator also featured on Reel Womens Network! Emily has trained and performed at Second City Chicago and Hollywood, UCB LA, AND The Comedy Central Stage. She's been a writer and performer for groups and troupes, and her series Friends on A Bench was featured in LA at Hollyshorts, plus The Chicago Comedy Festival AND The Austin Comedy Film Festival. Emily's been on your screens in Criminal Minds on CBS, in Sydney To The Max on Disney Channel (which you can both find now on Disney plus, of course). Em's also in a ton of animation and voice over work, PLUS national commercial campaigns, including a beautiful moment in a purple bodysuit as The Flea for Simparica! Listen now!

Follow Emily: https://www.instagram.com/emchurchill/

https://www.instagram.com/letshealthisshit/

https://www.friendsonabench.com/

https://www.emilychurchill.com/reel

https://reelwomensnetwork.com/emily-churchill/

Head Producer: Winnie Wong @wonder_wong

Head of Post Production & Head Writer: Sydney Neilson @sydney_neilson

Editor: Jennifer Rowley

Subscribe to our newsletter at https://www.firecrackerdepartment.com and follow us @firecrackerdept!

AnnaJane "AJ" Edmonds Jul 21, 2021

Show notes

Our guest on the show this week is filmmaker, actor, and firecracker CORE MEMBER, Anna Jane Edmonds, aka AJ! @atotheje is an emerging leader in the film industry, splitting her time between Toronto and Los Angeles working as a producer, director, performer and idea creator. AJ's garnered over 10 years of experience in the entertainment and film industry as an actor, director, assistant director, production manager AND producer credited on over 40 commercials, short films and features.

AJ was awarded the Best Canadian Feature for producing the film POOR AGNES at the 2017 Fantasia Film Festival, and is one of the co-founders of the amazing POCKET FILM SCHOOL! She's lived around the world, from Bosnia-Herzegovina and Croatia, to Toronto, Los Angeles, and more. AJ's story is incredible and working with her is an absolute joy. Listen now!

Follow AJ

on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/atotheje/

via Pocket Film School: https://www.instagram.com/pocket.film.school/

Donate to AJ's upcoming documentary "Dark Highway" https://seedandspark.com/fund/dark-highway#story

Head Producer: Winnie Wong @wonder_wong

Head of Post Production: Sydney Neilson @sydney_neilson

Editor: Jennifer Rowley

Associate Producer: Saba Dolati Miab

Writer: Francesca Coviello

Subscribe to our newsletter at https://www.firecrackerdepartment.com and follow us @firecrackerdept!

Jeena Bloom Jul 13, 2021

Show notes

Our guest on the show this week is transgender writer and stand up comedian, Jeena Bloom! Jeena has performed all over the country, including a headlining tour of the southern United States, shortly before the pandemic. She has previously been a winner of the Harlem Comedy Festival Competition and a finalist for the She Devil Comedy Competition in NYC. She has performed at the Hollywood Improv, Comedy Store and most NYC comedy venues. Her writing has been featured in the LA Times, New York Magazine and The AV Club. She has also appeared on Viceland and Sit N Spin for Comedy Central. In her previous life, Jeena had worked for eight years as an independent filmmaker. Jeena took over a decade off from filmmaking as a survivor of domestic violence and finally as an out trans woman!

LINKS

Follow Summertime: https://www.instagram.com/summertimemovie2021

See Summertime in theatres now! https://gooddeedentertainment.com/summertime/#get-tickets

More on Summertime: https://linktr.ee/SummertimeTheMovie

Follow Marquesha: https://www.instagram.com/ladi3lyrix

Marquesha performs "That Girl": https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KhokgQh0_DY

Twitter: @jeenabloom

Instagram: @jeenabloom @antidepressantcomedyhour @morebananapods

Website: https://www.jeenabloomdoescomedy.com/

Jeena's Photo Credit: Noah Eberhard

Head Producer: Winnie Wong @wonder_wong

Head of Post Production & Head Writer: Sydney Neilson @sydney_neilson