The Film Lounge: running the show

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For six years one of my ongoing projects at Iowa PBS has been The Film Lounge. When the show launched way back in 2016, the show was brain child of Chuck Czech, former local programming manager at Iowa PBS. Chuck and I both started at Iowa PBS in 2014 and in the years leading up to the creation of The Film Lounge we spent a fair amount of time talking movies and filmmaking. In particular there was one night in 2015 after the crew wrapped a day-long broadcast of high school volleyball championships and everyone stayed up far too late sharing a few beverages in the lobby of our hotel. That evening Chuck and I talked our career paths and our love for film for probably three hours straight. It was only a few months later that Chuck asked me to be a producer on his burgeoning short film showcase. I asked no questions and signed on immediately.

Hey Chuck, when you read this I hope life is treating you well and you've seen some good films.

Throughout the show's run my involvement in production of the program has varied based on what my other projects would allow. Season three, I basically reviewed films and gave Chuck some creative insights. But throughout the whole run I've reviewed probably 300 (400?) Iowa short films and been a cheerleader for the value of the program. And now this coming Monday, January 31 season five premieres and Chuck has moved on to the next stop in career, leaving me as the lead producer on the program. 

The Film Lounge is still a joint partnership between Iowa PBS, Produce Iowa, and Iowa Arts Council. I feel our partnership has really coalesced into something fun and collaborative. Whenever a meeting request or event pops up for The Film Lounge I get a little bump of excitement. Being the head production honcho on a program you care about is pretty cool, but on top of that this year The Film Lounge is in the best time slot PBS can offer; Monday at 9pm with Antiques Roadshow as our lead-in. That means prime time with a HUGE program hopefully delivering loads of eyeballs. To say I'm excited is putting it lightly.

As a recovering rock n roller, I'm always dubious when any type of artist claims their latest project is their best offering to date, but still... season five of The Film Lounge is the best season to date, on all accounts. The films are a great assortment of genre, ambition, and style. The interviews really open up the more challenging pieces. Plus, there are a few production changes to the program that I feel add a little flair. 

Is The Film Lounge for everyone? Well, is anything? I'd say anyone who enjoys art, film, and Iowa will find a great deal in the lounge worth their time. As I've said an embarrassing number of times; short films NEED a screen and Iowa PBS is the only platform that can put these Iowa artists on screens in every Iowa home. There's no program like The Film Lounge, just like there is no service like Iowa PBS. 


So set you DVRs, RSVP to the Facebook event, and subscribe and click the little bell on the Iowa PBS YouTube channel because Monday, January 31 and Monday, February 7 The Film Lounge debuts. Produce Iowa, The Iowa Arts Council, and Iowa PBS have really hit our collective stride with this show. Oh and if you're a filmmaker living in Iowa, hit up TheFilmLounge.org and look into how you can submit your film for season seven consideration.

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