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Artwork for Pure Nonfiction: Inside Documentary Film

Pure Nonfiction: Inside Documentary Film

Pure Nonfiction
Documentary Filmmaking
Toronto International Film Festival
Black Box Diaries
Art
Anand Patwardhan
Documentary Films
Documentary Film
Moths
Daughters
William Kentridge
The World Is Family
Edna O'brien
Porcelain War
Eno
Gaza
Netflix
Sundance Film Festival
Louis C.K.
Copa 71
Self-Portrait As a Coffee Pot

Hear the world's top storytellers talk all things documentary film. Host Thom Powers is as well-connected as it gets in this world as a documentary curator for TIFF and other renowned festivals. He wrote the book "Mondo Documentary" that is “required reading for fans of nonfiction cinema,” says Judd Apatow. Our podcast guests range from documentary legends to emerging talent. Follow us on Instagra... more

PublishesWeeklyEpisodes255Founded11 years ago
Number of ListenersCategories
TV & FilmDocumentarySociety & Culture

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Artwork for Pure Nonfiction: Inside Documentary Film

Latest Episodes

Pure Nonfiction and The Ankler collaborate for a live recording of Documentary Spotlight at the Culver Theater in Los Angeles. Host Thom Powers interviews the teams behind "Seized" (director Sharon Liese, producer Sasha Alpert), "Rehearsals for a Rev... more

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Pure Nonfiction and The Ankler collaborate for a live recording of Documentary Spotlight at the Culver Theater in Los Angeles. Host Thom Powers interviews the teams behind "American Doctor" (director Poh Si Teng, participant Dr. Thaer Ahmad), "Time a... more

YouTube

Oscar-winning filmmaker Alex Gibney delivers the most ambitious documentary of his career in "Musk." How did one person amass so much power in Tesla, Space X, Starlink, Twitter, Grok, DOGE and more? Host Thom Powers interviewed Gibney about the chall... more

YouTube

Fergie Chambers, the American multi-millionaire supporter of far left causes, is currently imprisoned in Spain as the U.S. Department of Justice seeks his extradition. He’s profiled in the documentary “All About the Money” that premiered at Sundance.... more

YouTube

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Recent Guests

Sharon Liese
Documentary filmmaker whose films include Transhood and The Flag Makers
Episode: 247: Live from Los Angeles, part 2
Sasha Alpert
Producer of Seized
Episode: 247: Live from Los Angeles, part 2
Pegah Ahangarani
Iranian filmmaker and actor
Episode: 247: Live from Los Angeles, part 2
Nana Adwoa Frimpong
Producer of The Eyes of Ghana
Higher Ground
Episode: 247: Live from Los Angeles, part 2
Ethan Lewis
Head of nonfiction at Higher Ground and producer of The Eyes of Ghana
Higher Ground
Episode: 247: Live from Los Angeles, part 2
Douglas Tirola
Documentary filmmaker whose films include Bernstein's Wall
Episode: 247: Live from Los Angeles, part 2
Poh Si Teng
Documentary director and former producer at Al Jazeera and ABC News
Episode: 246: Live from Los Angeles, part 1
Thaer Ahmad
Palestinian physician and participant in American Doctor
Episode: 246: Live from Los Angeles, part 1
Sara Dosa
Documentary filmmaker and director of Time and Water and Fire of Love
Episode: 246: Live from Los Angeles, part 1

Host

Thom Powers
Host of the show; documentary curator and writer with deep festival and industry connections

Reviews

4.5 out of 5 stars from 256 ratings
  • Love the guests. Hate the host.

    Please consider handing the show over to a more likable, intelligent, and insightful person.

    Apple Podcasts
    1
    Erin_Powell
    United States5 months ago
  • The best interviewer!

    Thom knows so much and knows just what to ask to get the story behind the story. Awesome show.

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    RFF_RFF
    United States4 years ago
  • Obsessed

    Thom is my hero. As well as the incredible filmmakers he artfully interviews.

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    gabyown
    United Kingdom5 years ago
  • The best!

    The best documentary podcast. Love the stories. Would love to hear from less well known docs too including shorts. Thanks for your hard work!

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    JJ8757686
    United States7 years ago
  • A must-listen for any doc enthusiast

    I like all kinds of films, and there are MANY film podcasts to choose from. But if you LOVE documentaries as I do, Thom Powers’ PURE NONFICTION is one of the few podcasts (the only one?) that focuses on documentary films. Powers interviews superb filmmakers, both new and familiar, and often highlights docs before they find distribution. This is an excellent show, and with documentaries appearing to be increasingly popular, here’s hoping PURE NONFICTION will increase in popularity, too.

    Apple Podcasts
    4
    CDMatthew
    United States8 years ago

Listeners Say

Key themes from listener reviews, highlighting what works and what could be improved about the show.

Guests repeatedly commend the high-caliber lineup and insightful, behind-the-scenes discussions.
Audio quality and interview depth are frequently highlighted as top strengths.
Listeners praise the host's deep knowledge and ability to pull back the curtain on documentary-making processes.
Some critics note the host's interviewing style can be very probing, which some listeners appreciate and others find intense.
Many say the show is essential listening for documentary enthusiasts and students.

Chart Rankings

How this podcast ranks in the Apple Podcasts, Spotify and YouTube charts.

Apple Podcasts
#179
Belgium/TV & Film
Apple Podcasts
#222
Finland/TV & Film

Talking Points

Recent interactions between the hosts and their guests.

246: Live from Los Angeles, part 1
Q: Do you feel like your tactics are working?
Michael Greenberg cites Climate Defiance's confrontation with presidential adviser John Podesta, which led to a meeting and was followed by a White House pause on new fracked-gas export infrastructure, one of the group's demands.
246: Live from Los Angeles, part 1
Q: How did you pull this off?
Poh Si Teng says she could not enter Gaza herself, so she worked with a cinematographer and co-producer on the ground, assessing safety daily and filming over a short period despite the danger.
247: Live from Los Angeles, part 2
Q: What was the process like to finally get into those archives and see what was there?
Chris Hesse, custodian of the archive, helped the team access it. The archive had been in a London vault and not digitized for decades; the film uses 15 minutes from more than 300 hours of footage.
247: Live from Los Angeles, part 2
Q: What drew you to making Rehearsals for a Revolution?
A family photograph with a face scratched out led Ahangarani to investigate a political prisoner and the way dictatorships erase people from history.
245: Alex Gibney on "Musk"
Q: How did Elon Musk go from being a liberal icon to Trump's biggest supporter?
Gibney explains the film traces a complex arc where Musk's public image shifts as political and business incentives realign, illustrating how power and wealth shape public narratives and policy influence.

Audience Metrics

Listeners, social reach, demographics and more for this podcast.

Listeners per Episode
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Frequently Asked Questions About Pure Nonfiction: Inside Documentary Film

What is Pure Nonfiction: Inside Documentary Film about and what kind of topics does it cover?

A deep-dive interview series centered on documentary filmmaking, exploring storytelling craft, ethics, archival strategies, and the industry's landscape. Conversations frequently cover interview techniques, access challenges, funding, and the impact of documentaries on culture and policy. Notable traits include a high-profile roster of directors, producers, and editors, with a focus on long-form, investigative, and biographical projects. The host's industry connections and insider perspective often yield revelations about funding, distribution, and editorial decisions, making it a valuable resource for practitioners, students, and potential guests alike.

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1. Fresh Air
2. The Book Review
3. Critics at Large | The New Yorker
4. The New Yorker Radio Hour
5. The Business

How many episodes of Pure Nonfiction: Inside Documentary Film are there?

Pure Nonfiction: Inside Documentary Film launched 11 years ago and published 255 episodes to date. You can find more information about this podcast including rankings, audience demographics and engagement in our podcast database.

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What guests have appeared on Pure Nonfiction: Inside Documentary Film?

Recent guests on Pure Nonfiction: Inside Documentary Film include:

1. Sharon Liese
2. Sasha Alpert
3. Pegah Ahangarani
4. Nana Adwoa Frimpong
5. Ethan Lewis
6. Douglas Tirola
7. Poh Si Teng
8. Thaer Ahmad

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