HS 415 FBF - "The Truth is Out There" with Phil Leirness

Today's Flash Back Friday comes from Episode 61, originally published in November 2011. Jason Hartman interviews director and co-executive producer Phil Leirness, about the incredible journey into conspiracy theories with Dean Haglund to create the documentary, The Truth is Out There. Phil talks about one thing that really resonated with him – on the one hand, there is no such thing as a conspiracy, that it's just business as usual, while on the other hand, everything in the world is a conspiracy. Phil Leirness likes making films about things that make him angry, but how about finding out how these things that make us angry can work for us? Does the word "conspiracy" have to have negative connotations? Thus the idea for the documentary was born. Phil found that the word is most often used to marginalize the people that are trying to tell us something is happening that isn't particularly good for us as a collective. Phil Leirness has always been a storyteller and by the time he graduated high school, he was a published film critic, a stand-up comic, and a television host. It was during that time that he realized he needed to become a filmmaker. He graduated from UCLA Film School and has directed five feature films, "The Party Crashers," "Spectres," "Till Do Us Part," "Story of O," and "Karl Rove, I Love You." He has also written/directed almost 40 documentary short subjects examining the making of various feature films. From 2005 through 2008, Phil served as the Managing Director of international film distribution and sales company Cinema Arts Entertainment and its sister company, Artedis S.A. Prior to that, Phil served as the Director of Acquisitions and Development for Shadowland, the feature film division of Pasadena-based GOAL productions he helped found. During this time, Phil oversaw the development of the PBS documentary, The Great Year. In addition to filmmaking, Phil, along with Dean Haglund, co-hosts the weekly podcast show "Chillpak Hollywood Hour" on the Farpoint Media Network. Website: www.PhilLeirness.com