{"podcast":{"title":"First Time Go","slug":"first-time-go-6464248","podcast_index_feed_id":6464248,"rss_url":"https://feeds.redcircle.com/9ddc691d-2273-47d5-a1b9-5a4acb0670f5","website_url":"https://redcircle.com/shows/first-time-go","image_url":"https://media.redcircle.com/images/2023/7/16/21/0c15e674-8c90-4b18-8b97-c53f23462b2f_230528_110552_88def817163bbbaf04b3c82bcdb5bd9f.jpg","author":"Benjamin Duchek","episode_count":163,"summary":"A weekly podcast highlighting the creators of independent film and the business behind it. Hosted by Ben Duchek.","last_synced_at":"2026-09-25T20:19:52.129211+00:00","page_url":"https://stenobird.com/podcast/first-time-go-6464248"},"episode":{"title":"Why Film In Minnesota? Deputy Director Of Explore Minnesota Film, Nell Lawrenz-Wareham","slug":"why-film-in-minnesota-deputy-director-of-explore-minnesota-film-nell-lawrenz-wareham","published_at":"2026-06-26T22:00:34+00:00","page_url":"https://stenobird.com/podcast/first-time-go-6464248/why-film-in-minnesota-deputy-director-of-explore-minnesota-film-nell-lawrenz-wareham","show_page_url":"https://stenobird.com/podcast/first-time-go-6464248","url":"https://redcircle.com/shows/9ddc691d-2273-47d5-a1b9-5a4acb0670f5/episodes/256fc186-86ea-4907-8c30-c14575baae69","audio_url":"https://audio4.redcircle.com/episodes/256fc186-86ea-4907-8c30-c14575baae69/stream.mp3","summary":"I love Minnesota; in fact, on June 29th, there I'll be, beside one of its 10,000 lakes, ready for America's 250th birthday. (It's the best place to spend the Fourth.) It's also a great place for filmmaking so I talk about that with deputy director of Explore Minnesota Film, Nell Lawrenz-Wareham. This was recorded at the beginning of the month so apologies about any confusion about application deadlines. I am quite certain if we support filmmaking in Minnesota, they'll be back around this time next year. In this episode, Nell and I talk about: how she got involved in film and became deputy director of Explore Minnesota Film; why Explore Minnesota Film transferred from a nonprofit to its current incarnation and what that means for other state film organizations; the pitch for filming in Minnesota; what might surprise you about filming in Minnesota; the 30 year anniversary of FARGO (1996) , which was filmed in Minnesota; the biggest challenges facing Minnesota's fim commission right now; what festivals and project markets stand out for her; the wide range of incentives available to you in Minnesota; the 10,000 Stories Fund ; what she hopes she can talk about regarding Explore Minnesota Film in the future. Nell's Indie Film/Filmmaker Highlight: ISH MEETS A MERMAID (2025), dir. by Jonathan Thunder ; Abby Harri Memorable Quotes: \" Most of our permits are free. We can get back to you on an application in under 30 days. We have $92 million in a tax credit pool waiting for you.\" \" And this is also a place where artists can afford to live and stay.\" Links: Follow Explore Minnesota On Instagram Explore Minnesota Film Website The 10,000 Stories Fund","meta_description":"I love Minnesota; in fact, on June 29th, there I'll be, beside one of its 10,000 lakes, ready for America's 250th birthday. (It's the best place to spend…","key_points":[],"chapters":[],"topics":[],"duration_seconds":1332,"processing_state":"not_requested","actions":[{"name":"request_transcript","method":"POST","url":"https://stenobird.com/v1/public/podcasts/first-time-go-6464248/episodes/why-film-in-minnesota-deputy-director-of-explore-minnesota-film-nell-lawrenz-wareham/transcription-requests","description":"Idempotently request low-priority transcript generation for this episode."},{"name":"read_markdown","method":"GET","url":"https://stenobird.com/podcast/first-time-go-6464248/why-film-in-minnesota-deputy-director-of-explore-minnesota-film-nell-lawrenz-wareham.md","description":"Read the agent-friendly Markdown representation of this episode resource."}]}}