Vancouver-based director, writer, and actor Stephanie Izsak and Helenna talk about the horror genre, adding more creative career tools to her toolkit, her 3 short films featured for our 2025 book + film club, the importance of coffee, and so much more...
Stephanie's IG: @stephanie_at_the_movies
Stephanie's website: stephanieizsak.com
_________
email Helenna at: helenna@storytellingclubhouse.com
follow us on IG at: @storytellingclubhouse
follow Helenna at: @helennamsantos
join our book + film club at storytellingclubhouse.com
Thank you to our advertisers/friends/sponsors:
D Studios Productions
&
Helenna goes "back to school" in this conversation with Celine Parreñas Shimizu, the new Dean of UCLA Theater, Film and Television and the highest-ranking Filipina American woman in the UC system.
"So To Speak" film website: sotospeakfilm.com
Dean Celine’s IG: @uclatftdean
_________
email Helenna at: helenna@storytellingclubhouse.com
follow us on IG at: @storytellingclubhouse
follow Helenna at: @helennamsantos
join our book + film club at storytellingclubhouse.com
Thank you to our advertisers/friends/sponsors:
&
Helenna and author Andrew Boryga talk about his novel “Victim” and do a deep dive into their lived experiences regarding “mining trauma”, questioning what authenticity even means, and Andrew’s personal creative process.
Andrew’s website: andrewboryga.com
Andrew’s IG: @borywrites
Andrew’s Substack: DWELL
_________
email Helenna at: helenna@storytellingclubhouse.com
follow us on IG at: @storytellingclubhouse
follow Helenna at: @helennamsantos
join our book + film club at storytellingclubhouse.com
Thank you to our advertisers/friends/sponsors:
&
Helenna learns all about Wattpad from their Head of Content, Alessandra Ferreri. What is Wattpad you ask? Listen in to find out!
ABOUT ALESSANDRA:
Alessandra Ferreri is the Head of Content at Wattpad, a leading global webnovel platform and storytelling community from WEBTOON Entertainment.
With nearly a decade spent accumulating her “fan-thropological” understanding of online communities and their evolving appetite for stories, she specializes in balancing both the art and science of uncovering adaptation hits on Wattpad for screens and bookshelves around the world.
Previously, Ferreri was the VP of Content at Wattpad WEBTOON Studios, an integrated studio and publishing business from WEBTOON Entertainment that has introduced webcomics and webnovels to new entertainment audiences around the world.
_____
Check out Wattpad HERE: https://www.wattpad.com/
and on IG: @wattpad https://www.instagram.com/wattpad/
_________
email Helenna at: helenna@storytellingclubhouse.com
follow us on IG at: @storytellingclubhouse
follow Helenna at: @helennamsantos
join our book + film club at storytellingclubhouse.com
Thank you to our advertisers/friends/sponsors:
&
Helenna Santos and Alexandra Boylan spill all the tea on how they made "At Your Own Risk" for only $5,000 ALL IN. Now, ten years later, that film made it onto the "most popular" list of movies on TUBI. This is one that filmmakers do not want to miss!
______
Watch "At Your Own Risk" on TUBI HERE.
Watch the trailer HERE.
______
Check out Alexandra's indie filmmaking class/Producer's mentorship program HERE.
Follow Alexandra on IG at @alexandramboylan
_________
email Helenna at: helenna@storytellingclubhouse.com
follow us on IG at: @storytellingclubhouse
follow Helenna at: @helennamsantos
join our book + film club at storytellingclubhouse.com
Thank you to our advertisers/friends/sponsors:
&
A quick bonus episode to introduce to you "Audrey Is All Alone" from our host Helenna Santos.
Find "Audrey Is All Alone" exclusively on Amazon worldwide, and visit AudreyIsAllAlone.com for more info!
_____________________
email Helenna at: helenna@storytellingclubhouse.com
follow us on IG at: @storytellingclubhouse
follow Helenna at: @helennamsantos
join our book + film club at storytellingclubhouse.com
Thank you to our advertisers/friends/sponsors:
&
Reading Glasses Podcast / Reading Smut
Author and Bad on Paper podcast co-host Olivia Muenter sits down with Helenna to talk about her journey from fashion & beauty editor, to influencer, to author, and the way cultural and societal beauty standards have played into her experiences. They also discuss Olivia's bestselling book “Such A Bad Influence” and her upcoming novel “Little One”.
LINKS:
Olivia’s Website: oliviamuenter.com
Olivia’s IG: @oliviamuenter
Olivia’s Substack: oliviamuenter.substack.com
“Little One”: order via any place you find books!
“Such A Bad Influence”: ditto!
Bad on Paper podcast: badonpaperpodcast.com
_________
email Helenna at: helenna@storytellingclubhouse.com
follow us on IG at: @storytellingclubhouse
follow Helenna at: @helennamsantos
join our book + film club at storytellingclubhouse.com
Thank you to our advertisers/friends/sponsors:
&
Reading Glasses Podcast / Reading Smut
Helenna sits down for some coffee & tea (literally and figuratively), in this frank conversation about career, life, aging, and the wisdom that comes with 2 decades in the entertainment industry with actor and filmmaker Lynn Chen.
Lynn stars in “Saving Face” (2004) which was the Storytelling Clubhouse film club pick for August. The film just had it’s 20 year anniversary of release and it was also recently added to the prestigious Criterion Collection.
LINKS:
Lynn’s Website: lynnchen.com
GenX Taste: genxtaste.substack.com
Watch "Saving Face": find a viewing platform
email Helenna at: helenna@storytellingclubhouse.com
follow us on IG at: @storytellingclubhouse
follow Helenna at: @helennamsantos
join our book + film club at storytellingclubhouse.com
Thank you to our advertisers/friends/sponsors:
&
Helenna and author Matthew Norman talk all about his novel "All Together Now" which was the Storytelling Clubhouse book club pick for July. They walk through his career thus far, and his amazing ability to turn life's often bittersweet quality into heartfelt, grounded, & gripping novels.
LINKS:
Matt’s website: thenormannation.com
Matt’s IG: @thenormannation
"All Together Now": BUY here
"Grace and Henry's Holiday Movie Marathon": PRE-ORDER here
email Helenna at: helenna@storytellingclubhouse.com
follow us on IG at: @storytellingclubhouse
follow Helenna at: @helennamsantos
join our book + film club at storytellingclubhouse.com
Thank you to our advertisers/friends/sponsors:
&
Helenna speaks with historian, host, producer, and influencer Malia Miglino. The discuss her role as a content creator in our current social & political climate, the importance of studying and teaching history, the logistics of the influencer/creative economy, and more!
LINKS:
Malia's LinkTree: all things Malia
Malia's IG: @macabremalia
Malia's TikTok: @la_history_girl
Malia's website: lahistorygirl.com
email Helenna at: helenna@storytellingclubhouse.com
follow us on IG at: @storytellingclubhouse
follow Helenna at: @helennamsantos
join our book + film club at storytellingclubhouse.com
Thank you to our advertisers/friends/sponsors:
&
Brendan Bradley (actor, producer, motion-capture/voice-over artist, and filmmaker) discusses the vital importance of human connection, building community, staying true to artistic vision, navigating AI as a creative, the film he currently stars in "The Devil and the Daylong Brothers", and much more!
LINKS:
Brendan's website: brendanabradley.com
Brendan's IG: @brendanabradley
The Devil and the Daylong Brothers: daylongmovie.com
email Helenna at: helenna@storytellingclubhouse.com
follow us on IG at: @storytellingclubhouse
follow Helenna at: @helennamsantos
join our book + film club at storytellingclubhouse.com
Thank you to our advertisers/friends/sponsors:
&
Helenna speaks with internationally bestselling author Allison Larkin (Home of the American Circus, The People We Keep) about the importance of staying authentic to your own voice as a creative, the grief involved in letting go of a project, and much much more.
LINKS:
Allison's website: allielarkinwrites.com
Allison's IG: allielarkinwrites
True Hearts Collective: allielarkinwrites.com/truehearts-collective/
Now That We Think About it Podcast: podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/now-that-we-think-about-it-podcast/id1806974586
email Helenna at: helenna@storytellingclubhouse.com
follow us on IG at: @storytellingclubhouse
follow Helenna at: @helennamsantos
join our book + film club at storytellingclubhouse.com
Thank you to our advertisers/friends/sponsors:
&
What is ART? Helenna sits down with video installation artist and professor Leslie Foster to do a deep dive into the role of an artist, his feelings around AI and art, his greatest inspirations, and his career thus far.
Artists that Leslie mentions in this podcast episode:
- Maya Deren
- Nam June Paik
- Bill Viola
- Kahlil Joseph
- Maurizio Cattelan
- Felix Gonzalez Torres
- Sol de Witt
- Ida B Wells
- Booker Washington
- W. E. B. Du Bois
- Becky Chambers - A Psalm for the Wild-Built
- Robin D.G. Kelley
- Stephanie MH Camp
- Gabriela Ruiz
LINKS:
Leslie's website: lesliefoster.art
Leslie's Instagram: leslie_muse
email Helenna at: helenna@storytellingclubhouse.com
follow us on IG at: @storytellingclubhouse
follow Helenna at: @helennamsantos
join our book + film club at storytellingclubhouse.com
Thank you to our advertisers/friends/sponsors:
&
Reading Glasses Podcast / Reading Smut
Today's episode features professional opera singer Rhoslyn Jones.
Rhoslyn is a former Adler Fellow at the San Francisco Opera and has performed at major opera companies and leading orchestras across North America.
She is a distinguished voice teacher and is on the voice faculty at the San Francisco Opera Center’s Adler and Merola programs.
Rhoslyn is also an award winning stage director, the writer of Diary of an Opera Singer, and the owner of House of Roz which drops amazing opera themed collections of antique and vintage treasures.
LINKS:
Rhoslyn's IG: instagram.com/rozwithazed
Rhoslyn's Official Website: rhoslynjones.com
House of Roz (antiques/vintage) IG:
House of Roz website: houseofroz.com
Diary of an Opera Singer on Substack: diaryofanoperasinger.substack.com
email Helenna at: helenna@storytellingclubhouse.com
follow us on IG at: @storytellingclubhouse
follow Helenna at: @helennamsantos
join our book + film club at storytellingclubhouse.com
Thank you to our advertisers/friends/sponsors:
&
Helenna does a filmmaking deep dive with Diane Paragas, writer/director of "Yellow Rose" starring Tony nominated Eva Noblezada, and Kraig Wenman, writer/producer of"Bandit" and 67 other sold feature film scripts. Yes, 67!!
LINKS:
follow Diane: @paragasdiane
follow Kraig: @kraigwenman
email Helenna at: helenna@storytellingclubhouse.com
follow us on IG at: @storytellingclubhouse
follow Helenna at: @helennamsantos
join our book + film club at storytellingclubhouse.com
Thank you to our advertisers/friends/sponsors:
&
Helenna speaks with author Mallory O'Meara, "Daughter of Daring" and filmmaker Abe Forman-Greenwald, "Brother Orange" via highlights from the Storytelling Clubhouse book + film club hangouts.
LINKS:
follow Mallory: @malloryomeara
follow Abe: @djformgreen
email Helenna at: helenna@storytellingclubhouse.com
follow us on IG at: @storytellingclubhouse
follow Helenna at: @helennamsantos
join our book + film club at storytellingclubhouse.com
Thank you to our advertisers/friends/sponsors:
&
Helenna brings you highlights from the Storytelling Clubhouse book + film club hangouts. She speaks with author Jesse Lipscombe, "The Art of Doing" and actress, Riley Dandy and writer/director, Michael Felker from the indie sci-fi feature film "Things Will Be Different".
LINKS:
follow Jesse: @thelipscombe
follow Riley: @goodbyeriley
follow Michael: @michaellfelker
email Helenna at: helenna@storytellingclubhouse.com
follow us on IG at: @storytellingclubhouse
follow Helenna at: @helennamsantos
join our book + film club at storytellingclubhouse.com
Thank you to our advertisers/friends/sponsors:
&
A little intro to the Storytelling Clubhouse podcast. “For storytellers and story lovers”. Coming soon!
Storytelling Clubhouse is a weekly podcast featuring creatives and storytellers in a variety of fields and vocations. Hosted by actor, photographer, writer, and producer Helenna Santos.
Not only does this podcast explore the world of books, film, tv, and music, but we also speak to visual artists, chefs, sommeliers, interior designers, historians, architects and more. This is truly meant to be a love letter to storytelling in all of its forms and the people who bring those stories to life. So join us as we dive into an wide array of worlds and the people who create them.
Join our book + film club at: storytellingclubhouse.com
follow us on Instagram: @storytellingclubhouse
and follow Helenna on Instagram at: @helennamsantos