IndieWire is proud to announce our inaugural Craft Roundtables series to roll out throughout November and December as videos celebrating the finest in cinematic artistry in 2025.
All moderated by IndieWire features writer Jim Hemphill, the Craft Roundtables comprise four panel discussions filmed at Lumen West LA November 8 focusing on cinematography, casting, production design, and editing from movies that will be part of the awards conversation in the months ahead.
“These roundtables are a reminder that craft isn’t an abstraction,” said Dana Harris-Bridson, senior VP and Editor in Chief at IndieWire. “It’s the lived experience of some of the most inventive artists working today. When you put them together, the conversation becomes both masterclass and creative reset. We’re thrilled to launch this series, and even more excited to build on it as we spotlight the people shaping the future of filmmaking.”
To start, IndieWire will roll out the cinematography roundtable, which featured interviews with DPs Adolpho Veloso (“Train Dreams”), Malik Hassan Sayeed (“After the Hunt”), Michael Bauman (“One Battle After Another”), and William Rexer (“The Testament of Ann Lee”). You can now watch the initial interviews with Veloso, Sayeed, and Bauman.
Then we’ll be celebrating casting with the rollout of our conversation with casting directors Nina Gold (“Jay Kelly”), Margery Simkin (“Avatar: Fire & Ash”), and Jessica Ronane (“After the Hunt”).
For the production design roundtable, we’re welcoming production designers Cara Brower (“Hedda”), Sam Bader (“The Testament of Ann Lee”), Alexandra Schaller (“Train Dreams”), Scott Chambliss (“Kiss of the Spider Woman”), and Dylan Cole and Ben Proctor (“Avatar: Fire & Ash”).
And the editing roundtable will feature editors Kirk Baxter (“A House of Dynamite”), Alfonso Goncalves (“Hamnet”), Michael P. Shawver (“Sinners”), Andy Jurgenson (“One Battle After Another”), Pamela Martin (“Springsteen: Deliver Me from Nowhere”), Saar Klein (“Dead Man’s Wire”), and Luke Lynch (“BLKNWS: Terms & Conditions”).
Catch up on all the Craft Roundtables as they’re published here.
IndieWire’s Craft Roundtables are presented in partnership with Amazon/MGM, Focus Features, Disney, Neon, Netflix, Rich Spirit, Roadside Attractions, Row K, Searchlight, and Warner Bros.