PODCAST · comedy
Ilse Will Say
by Intrepida Entertainment
Welcome to My Brain. I'm Ilse, and every Wednesday I sit down with actors, filmmakers, comedians, and storycreators to talk about the stuff that doesn't make the press kit. How they actually got here, the project that almost didn't happen, the festival story they can't believe they're telling me, and whatever weird detour we end up on. Haunted sets, folklore they secretly believe in, the best taco in town. It's part industry real talk, part group chat, and I promise I'm more curious than qualified.
Episodes
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Jake Myers: How my short film became a feature
Oh, what an incredible time with Jake Myers! He’s doing the thing that all of us Chicago folks in the film industry want to do: he created a proof of concept that led to a feature film that’s now streaming. Incredible. Watch Kombucha now, streaming free on Tubi. We get into his film Kombucha and...
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Barbara Howlin: Can you Reiki a ghost?
Barbara Howlin is on the pod, and I completely lost track of time. We cover everything from The NeverEnding Story (which I had somehow never seen) to luck dragons to whether you can Reiki a ghost, with real tears of laughter along the way. Barbara’s new book, Can It Be That Easy?, is on the way....
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Sean Slimak: Don't get trigger happy with festival submissions
Sean's one-take horror short Intruder premieres on The Longest Take YouTube channel this Halloween! Filmmaker and fellow podcast host Sean Slimak joins me to talk about his love of one-take films, making six shorts while working a full-time day job, and why joy is his secret weapon. Sean grew up…
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Tommy Martin: He's harmless, we talk to him all the time
Tommy Martin is a Chicago based actor, filmmaker, and musician who has basically worked every job on a set at some point, and honestly it kind of exhausted me just hearing about it. We start with an unreasonable amount of hair talk (his, not mine) before getting into how a random DIY filmmaker...
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John David Wolfe: The Hansel and Gretel origin of Candy House
This week, Ilse sits down with John David Wolfe, a DGA member and Chicago based producer whose two decade career as a location scout and manager put him behind the scenes on Spider-Man 2, High Fidelity, Proof, and Rhythm + Flow before he made the leap to producing his own work. John talks through...
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Connar Brown Sprenger: I called them chicken nuggets
Connar Brown Sprenger is an actor, puppeteer, voice actor, and award winning filmmaker who somehow makes all four look easy. She joins Ilse to talk growing up between Tokyo, London, and Atlanta, playing all seven brothers in one production of Grimm, and the practical, gross, wonderfully weird…
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Veronica Miles: New Orleans has an internal council
Veronica Miles has spent over 25 years inside the business of film exhibition, running festivals, theaters, and now the American launch of a ticketing platform. On this episode of Ilse Will Say, she and Ilse get into film festival strategy, the reality of building a career in independent cinema,...
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Tony Scott-Green: Reformed chronically late person
Tony Scott-Green spent years as a corporate consultant with an entire soundtrack playing in his head before he finally let it out of the speakers. This episode is about what happens when you actually listen to the thing that makes you different. Tony walks Ilse through his path from a bedroom...
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Miguel Lepe Jr: Jon Seda punched a bee for me
Chicago based comedian, writer, actor, and filmmaker Miguel Lepe Jr joins Ilse for a conversation that starts with a defunct pandemic podcast and somehow ends up covering pick-me culture, immigrant parent one liners, a haunted house, and the correct way to sleep in a marriage. Miguel opens up…
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Juan Luis Garcia: I want to need an exorcism
Juan Luis Garcia has designed key art for Netflix, HBO, and A24, and was the art director and photographer behind Narcos: Mexico. He also built a sports media company that hit 300 million YouTube views before walking away to go back to making posters, because apparently one impressive career…
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Sofie Khan: Doritos and yogurt go together, fight me
Sofie Khan is an actor, writer, producer, and director born and raised in Chicago, with a chapter of her childhood spent in Brownsville, Texas. She's the creator of the sold out, award winning one woman show MexiStani: Growing Up Mexican and Pakistani in America, wrote and directed the short film...
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Kyle Leland Cullerton: I handed the evidence to a Catholic priest
Kyle walks us through his path from a rejected Catholic school film submission to editing two of his friend's short films at Tribeca, taking his own 48 Hour Film Project entry all the way to Cannes, and turning that same project into an award winning web series shot partly inside Paris's city…
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Tim Corpus: Gravity is just weird
Before he was orchestrating for Andrea Bocelli and Renée Fleming, Tim Corpus was fixing Segways and running walking tours around downtown Chicago. On this episode, we get the full story, including the day one of his tour Segways rolled straight off a cliff into Lake Michigan. Tim is a Filipino...
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Vishaal Desai: Do not start a company right out of film school
Vishaal Desai is a writer, director, and editor with over fifteen years of experience and a career that has taken him from Mumbai to London to Chicago. He's been a producer on the Asian Academy Award-winning series Bhak, directed the acclaimed documentary Uniting Through Yoga (crowdsourced from…
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Marco Rosas: Green tea and a psychological thriller
Ever wonder what actually goes into editing a film? Like the real version, not the glamorous one? This week I sat down with Marco Rosas, a Mexican-American editor based in Los Angeles who has spent over a decade cutting everything from high-end commercials to HBO's Winning Time to Sender, a...
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Nick Cartwright: The cosmic egg made me do it
Nick Cartwright is a filmmaker, DP, Meisner acting teacher, and co-founder of two Chicago production companies: Cosmic Egg Productions and Film in a Bag. He started his filmmaking journey in 2023 when he and his wife turned their honeymoon into a short film production of HP Lovecraft's "The…
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Derry Shillitto: There is something living in the caves
Derry Shillitto is a writer, director, and producer from Nottingham, England — the rebel city, as he'll tell you, birthplace of Robin Hood, D.H. Lawrence, Lord Byron, and the Luddite movement. He's the founder of Foyle River Films and the director of The Correction Unit, a dystopian sci-fi…
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Sundance, SXSW and Cannes: Film festival strategy for independent filmmakers
This one's a little different. No guest this week - just me and my producer Jacob Cagle, flipping the mic and doing a proper debrief on the last six months. We're talking Sundance, South by Southwest, and Cannes. What worked, what didn't, and what I'd tell anyone who's scared to walk into a room...
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Lorena Lourenço: Showing up unapologetically on set, at festivals, and in life
Laurena Lourenço has been backed by Film Independent, Series Fest, and the Orchid Project. She's directed festival-winning shorts, an MTV music video for Anitta, and she's currently developing her first feature, Whatever Happened to Rosa Elena? — a queer horror comedy set in Palm Springs. She's...
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Jake Ferree: Life is too short to be one thing
This week on Ilse Will Say, Ilse sits down with actor, musician, wine guy, and casual full-calendar haver Jake Ferree. You’ve seen Jake on The Baxters, True Detective, and more, but this episode gets into the stuff that does not fit neatly on an IMDb page: touring with his Irish punk band Hounds…
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Sonya and Wendy Madrigal: Just say yes first
This week on Ilse Will Say, Ilse is joined by sisters Sonya and Wendy Madrigal, two Chicago artists who somehow make multi-hyphenating look genetic. Sonya is an actor, director, choreographer, and educator, while Wendy is a multidisciplinary artist, producer, puppeteer, and voiceover agent, which...
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Giselle De La Rosa: Always late but worth the wait
This week on Ilse Will Say, Ilse sits down with Giselle De La Rosa, associate director at Cine Las Americas and a SXSW film festival screener, for a behind-the-scenes conversation about film festival programming, short film submissions, festival curation, and what makes a film stand out fast....
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Alexander Gonzalez: Improv brain meets editor instinct
You know when a scene just hits and you can’t explain why? That’s editing. Ilse sits down with editor and assistant editor Alexander Gonzalez to talk about the invisible craft that shapes everything we feel on screen. From working on Sender with Jamie Lee Curtis and Britt Lower to navigating SXSW...
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Teresa Martinez Moore & Adam Rebora: They said “let’s make something” and didn’t flake
When your friends don’t just talk about making something… they actually do it—and then keep going? Yeah, that’s the vibe. This week, Ilse sits down with Teresa Martinez Moore and Adam Rebora, the duo behind Film in a Bag and the kind of creative partnership that makes you rethink your group chat....
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Paige Galdieri: I came out the womb with jazz hands
When someone can make you laugh, hit a note, and quietly diagnose why your last post flopped… you listen. This week, Ilse sits down with multi-hyphenate menace (compliment) Paige Galdieri — a performer who moves between comedy, music, and acting like it’s nothing, while also helping other artists...
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Jerry S. Gonzalez: Ideas aren’t made. You catch them.
You know when a film title sounds absolutely ridiculous… and then somehow ends up hitting you right in the chest? Yeah. That’s this episode. Ilse sits down with director Jerry S. Gonzalez, the brain behind The Spaghetti Man, Intergalactic Pizza Boy, and Hamster in My Head—aka films that sound…
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Juan Francisco Villa: Tacos, Tom Hanks, and the power of presence
Juan Francisco Villa is one of those artists who makes you want to raise your standards a little. In this episode, Ilse and Juan get into what real leadership looks like on set and in life, from Tom Hanks introducing himself to crew members to Mariska Hargitay knowing exactly how to make guest...
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Raven Whisnant: Indie Empire & the porcelain doll situation
This episode starts with princess birthday parties and immediately swerves into a staircase ghost and an army of redheaded porcelain dolls living in Raven Whisnant’s basement. So yes, we are thriving. Raven is an actor-writer-director-editor-producer (casual) and the co-founder of New 32...
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Eddie Mujica: Strapped in the rocket, ready to go
Eddie Mujica is the kind of person who makes you want to take a deep breath and also… open fifteen tabs. He’s a Cuban-American actor, writer, director, and Emmy-winning producer who somehow lives in three lanes at once: stepping into the newest Second City Mainstage show with basically one...
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Chloe Mikala: Risk-averse but on stage anyway
Chloe Mikala is the kind of person who can destroy a stand-up set, headline a comedy variety show, play an EMT on Chicago P.D., co-captain a travel flag football team, and still insist she’s “just sending emails.” We talk about what it actually means to be Type A without being unbearable, why…
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George Ellzey Jr: What comes from the heart reaches the heart
A Walgreens parking lot. A father and son. A whole lot of stuff they never say out loud. That’s the kind of quiet, devastating power George Ellzey Jr. brings to filmmaking, and this conversation made my cheeks hurt from laughing and my brain do the full “wait… that’s real” pause. George is a…
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Erick Juarez: Stop waiting for permission
This episode starts messy, stays honest, and lands somewhere unexpectedly grounding. Ilse sits down with Erick Juarez, a Guatemala-born, Chicago-raised filmmaker who studied at NIU, trained at the Moscow Art Theatre, spent years in LA, and came back with one clear realization: stop asking for...
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Elizabeth Austin: Operas and features and distribution, oh my!
If you’ve ever finished a film and immediately whispered “cool… but what now?” this one is for you. Ilse sits down with Elizabeth Butler Austin, VP of Sales and Licensing at Echelon Studios, for a real-world look at how movies actually find an audience once the creative part is over. Elizabeth...
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Mishu Hilmy: This episode will make you smarter
Ilse sits down with comedian, writer, filmmaker, and professional vocabulary flexer Mishu Hilmy for a conversation that starts in comedy craft and somehow ends in ghosts, dreams, and the psychology of “enough.” They talk about why timing and silence are the secret sauce of a joke, why making art…
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Brittani Ward: Real Ones Only
Ilse sits down with filmmaker (and beloved casting powerhouse) Brittani Ward for a conversation that feels like a warm pep talk… with teeth. They get into the weird in-between space between “I’m still learning” and “I’m ready,” how casting can sweep you up even when writing and directing was…
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Jacob Cagle: A Christmas episode for soft boys
This one feels like a late-December exhale. Cozy, funny, a little tender, and unexpectedly grounding. Ilse sits down with filmmaker, editor, and all-around creative Swiss Army knife Jacob Cagle for a holiday episode that drifts from Santa Claus lore to sibling dynamics to the quiet weight of...
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Jessie Komitor: If Ben Affleck can do it, so can you
Ilse sits down with actor, writer, and director Jessie Komitor, whose debut film Chasing the Party premiered at Tribeca and somehow manages to be nostalgic, stylish, and devastating all at once. They dig into the strange magic of saying your dreams out loud, the moment Jessie finally allowed...
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Marissa Lichwick: The woman who turned her life into a movie
When an artist has lived ten creative lives and still shows up curious, brilliant, and fully human — you listen. Marissa Lichwick joins Ilse for a conversation that feels like a masterclass, a pep talk, and a cosmic hug all at once. They dive into the summer she spent training at UCLA, what…
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Gloria Chavez: Leaving the 9-5 and betting on yourself
Ilse sits down with actor Gloria Chavez (Chicago P.D., national commercials, and your favorite person to whisper-set-gossip with) for a conversation that feels like catching up with your comadre between takes. Gloria shares how she left a draining 9–5 in the dental world, trusted her instincts…
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Joel Maisonet: Stop playing small in your headshots (and your career)
Ilse sits down with Chicago photographer Joel Maisonet, whose headshots have quietly become the city’s best-kept secret... BUT IT'S TIME EVERYONE KNEW! They talk about intention, identity, and why a good photo is less about posing and more about letting yourself be seen. Joel shares how dance...
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Ben Bishop: The accidental cowboy filmmaker
Ilse sits down with filmmaker and multi-hyphenate Ben Bishop (Dogwood, Hold Your Horses, Hamster in My Head) for a conversation that’s equal parts filmmaking pep talk and comedy hour. They talk about growing up in Arkansas, writing without film school, and why creative people need to stop waiting...
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Abby Gilster: Stop shrinking—the world needs your weird
Ilse sits down with Chicago actor Abby Gilster (Chicago Fire, Single Car Crash, Theatre Above the Law*) for a conversation that swings from haunted babies and bad anesthesia stories to imposter syndrome and the art of taking up space. They talk about perfectionism, football rage, Twilight...
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Sadieh Rifai: You’re not 'too much,’ you’re finally enough
Ilse sits down with Chicago legend Sadieh Rifai (Patriot, Shining Girls, The Humans, Grey House) for a raw and joyful conversation about success, identity, and the quiet power of gratitude. They talk immigrant parents, audition anxiety, the lie of constant productivity, and why sometimes doing...
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Patrick Burke: How editing teaches you patience, precision, and maybe Lizard People
Ilse sits down with editor and former musician Patrick Burke of Method & Madness for a conversation that somehow covers 48-hour film projects, oyster shucking, and the terrifying beauty of a well-timed dissolve. Patrick shares what he’s learned about rhythm—both in editing and in life—and how...
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Tony Bondoc: You don’t need permission to create - Just corn, grit and heart
Ilse sits down with arts programmer, community builder, and fellow South Texan Tony Bondoc, whose resume runs from the Neo-Futurists to the League of Chicago Theaters. They talk about growing up on the Texas border, why “football for theater” (the UIL one-act competitions) shapes unstoppable...
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Steve Berg: Paranormal but make it midwest
Ilse sits down with actor, comedian, and podcaster Steve Berg, whose resume spans The Good Place, Bob’s Burgers, Tag, and his own podcast Hi, Strangeness. They dive into the joy of folklore, the spirituality of UFOs, and why curiosity might be the most creative muscle an artist can have. Between...
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Janice V. Rodriguez: The woman who accidentally built comedy movement
Ilse sits down with comedian, producer, and festival founder Janice V. Rodriguez, the woman who turned a New Year’s resolution into one of Chicago’s most vital comedy movements. Janice shares the origin of Las Locas Comedy, how the Latina Comedy Festival grew from a “one-show festival” into a...
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Raul Benitez: The programmer who rewrites a city’s film culture
Ilse sits down with film programmer and Chicago Screen Gem Raul Benitez, a man who’s been shaping the city’s film culture for over a decade without ever setting foot in film school. From curating cult Czech fantasy films at midnight to launching a Chicago–Mexico City filmmaker exchange, Raul has...
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Keiph Oliver: You can lead the work...or keep waiting to be picked. Your choice.
Ilse sits down with writer–producer–multi-hyphenate Keiph Oliver for a conversation that’s equal parts business school, therapy, and creative pep talk. They get into what it means to lead instead of chase, why filmmakers should stop gatekeeping their own work, and how YouTube might be a smarter...
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Ana J. Christian & C. Ryan Stemple: Bath meetings, broken timelines, and film magic
Ilse kicks it with Ana J. Christian (editor/paladin) and C. Ryan Stemple (colorist/wizard)—aka the post team behind Journey Work Entertainment, the Chicago studio making indie films look like a million bucks (without ever leaving the Midwest). They talk about what post actually is, why metadata’s...
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ABOUT THIS SHOW
Welcome to My Brain. I'm Ilse, and every Wednesday I sit down with actors, filmmakers, comedians, and storycreators to talk about the stuff that doesn't make the press kit. How they actually got here, the project that almost didn't happen, the festival story they can't believe they're telling me, and whatever weird detour we end up on. Haunted sets, folklore they secretly believe in, the best taco in town. It's part industry real talk, part group chat, and I promise I'm more curious than qualified.
HOSTED BY
Intrepida Entertainment
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Frequently Asked Questions
How many episodes does Ilse Will Say have?
Ilse Will Say currently has 59 episodes available on PodParley. New episodes are automatically indexed when they're published to the podcast feed.
What is Ilse Will Say about?
Welcome to My Brain. I'm Ilse, and every Wednesday I sit down with actors, filmmakers, comedians, and storycreators to talk about the stuff that doesn't make the press kit. How they actually got here, the project that almost didn't happen, the festival story they can't believe they're telling me,...
How often does Ilse Will Say release new episodes?
Ilse Will Say has 59 episodes. Check the episode list to see recent publication dates and frequency.
Where can I listen to Ilse Will Say?
You can listen to Ilse Will Say on PodParley by clicking any episode. We provide an embedded audio player for direct listening, and you can also subscribe via your preferred podcast app using the RSS feed.
Who hosts Ilse Will Say?
Ilse Will Say is created and hosted by Intrepida Entertainment.
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