Filmmakers Astra Taylor, Craig Ahrens and David Espinosa are Tom Needham’s exclusive guests this Thursday at 6 pm on a special July 4th edition of the SOUNDS OF FILM on WUSB. Astra Taylor is the author of the new book, DEMOCRACY MAY EXIST BUT WE’LL MISS IT WHEN IT’S GONE and the director of the recently released documentary WHAT IS DEMOCRACY? Craig and David Are the filmmaking team responsible for the film THE EVIL DOWN THE STREET.
WHAT IS DEMOCRACY is a film which reflects on the word democracy. In the film, director Astra Taylor travels the world looking for answers. She explores ancient Athens, medieval Italy and the United States where there is a growing gap between the rich and poor. The film features interviews with political theorists Silvia Federici and Cornel West.
Astra Taylor is an internationally recognized filmmaker, author, activist and musician. She is known for her philosophical documentaries ‘Zizek!’ and ‘Examined Life.’ She is also the author of ‘The People’s Platform: Taking Back Power and Culture in the Digital Age,’ ‘Examined Life: Excursions with Contemporary Thinkers,’ and the current DEMOCRACY MAY EXIST BUT WE’LL MISS IT WHEN IT’S GONE.
THE EVIL DOWN THE STREET was released recently on Amazon Prime. It’s a story about a family of four that moves into their new dream home having no idea their new home is possessed by a demon. The mother becomes tormented by the demon and begins to terrorize her family. THE EVIL DOWN THE STREET is a paranormal horror thriller inspired by true events.
Producer, Craig Ahrens, is the CEO of CRA Entertainment, an Award Winning Filmmaker and SAG-AFTRA Actor. As a filmmaker, Craig has received Awards from various independent film festivals. As an actor, he has appeared in over 25 films (along with ‘Criminal Minds’ on CBS). Director, David Espinosa, is the President of CRA Entertainment. He’s a graduate of the Law School at Santa Clara University (1984) and UCLA’S TFTA Department. David has written, produced, directed and acted in a variety of works including, ‘Painting,’ ‘Fortune Dane,’ ‘True Believers,’ ‘Dead Man’s Walk’ and others. He has screen, television, stage credits and is the point person for all CRA’s legal affairs.
THE SOUNDS OF FILM is the nation’s longest running film, music and ideas themed radio show. For the past 30 years, the program has delivered a popular mix of interviews and music to listeners all over Long Island, parts of Connecticut and streaming worldwide live on the internet. Past people interviewed for the show include William H. Macy, Matthew Broderick, Michael Moore, Ernest Dickerson, Cheech & Chong, Jim Breuer, Laurie Anderson, Rory Kennedy, Susan Lacy, Gabriel Yared, and Ricki Lake.
