Special Guests
Debra Markowitz
- www.IntentionFilmsandMedia.com
- Instagram: @debramarkowitzfilm
- IMDb
John Marean
- www.IntentionFilmsandMedia.com
- Instagram: @johnmarean
- IMDb
Please join us on Monday, May 4, 2026 at 1:00 PM EST on The Best of Intentions Podcast as we J.R. Stokes, welcome writer and director of the film, Beautiful, Pam, as well as actors Tom Ciorciari and Peter Konsevitch.
Beautiful, Pam follows a Queer sex-worker, named Pam, in the midst of a mid-life crisis during the week of their son’s 18th birthday. While living out of a motel and turning tricks, Pam attempts to balance fatherhood and addiction.
J.R. Stokes is an independent filmmaker from New York. From a very young age, J.R. has taken a strong interest in the art of storytelling and hopes to continue having the privilege of curating films that can push the boundaries of independent filmmaking. His latest feature film, ‘Beautiful, Pam” is available now for free on Youtube.
Tom Ciorciari is an accomplished stage and film actor, based out of Long Island and New York City. Starting at a young age, he studied in New York at both the acclaimed HB Studios and The Actor’s Studio, and has a long list of theater credits, as well as a growing resume of indie feature and short film work. He recently shot his first co-star role for season 25 of Law & Order, and received the award for Best Actor in a feature at the 2025 Queens World Film Festival for his performance in the film “Beautiful, Pam”.
Peter Konsevitch is a New York based actor and a two time Irene Ryan Award nominee. He most recently received an award nomination for Best Supporting Actor in a feature at the 2026 Garden State Film Festival for his performance in the critically acclaimed independent feature film “Beautiful, Pam”.
J.R. Stokes socials:
- Instagram: @sidscinematics @beautifulpamfilm
- Facebook: J.R. Stokes Sidscinematics
Tom Ciorciari socials:
- Instagram: @Tciorciari60
- Facebook: Tom Ciorciari
Peter Konsevitch
- Instagram: @peter_konsevitch
- Facebook: @Peter Konsevitch
Debra Markowitz
- www.IntentionFilmsandMedia.com
- Instagram: @debramarkowitzfilm
- IMDb
John Marean
- www.IntentionFilmsandMedia.com
- Instagram: @johnmarean
- IMDb
Past Guests
On Monday, April 27, 2026 at 1:00 PM EST, we’re happy to welcome one of my creative collaborators (The Prof, Silent Harmony), actress/producer/musician, Linda Collins.
Linda Collins is an award-winning actress and musician with a varied slate of films, theater and television in her body of work. She has won Best Actress awards from several Film Festivals in the United States, Canada and overseas. Most recently, she was awarded Best Actress at Long Island’s Shorts and Stout Film Festival, Best Actor/Producer at the Austin Revolution Film Festival, and Best Actress at the Venus on Broadway Film Festival for her latest film SILENT HARMONY, written and directed by Debra Markowitz. For this film, Linda served as Executive Producer, played the lead actress role, and composed original music and played piano(onscreen), as part of her character’s story. This music has been nominated for Best Music at the International Indie Film and Screenplay Festival where SILENT HARMONY will screen in Graz, Austria, at their live Awards Ceremony Event later this year. Linda’s work can be seen on Amazon Prime, Tubi, Discovery, History Channel, and Peacock, among others. She is committed to Indie productions, and work that has an important message for the world.
Linda also works in comedic productions, such as the pilot short “Three for the Road”, “Follow Me” (in pre-production), and the Off-Broadway production of “Robbie Rosenthal’s Bar Mitzvah Dinner”.
Linda spent several years playing French horn in symphony orchestras, musical theater productions, and as a recording musician. In that capacity, she has been previously regularly heard on CBC radio (Canada) and has performed live with such artists as Yo-Yo Ma, Emanuel Ax and both Willie Nelson and Sheryl Crow in the televised CMT Awards; and recorded with Jars of Clay, Matchbox 20, Garth Brooks and Amy Grant, among others. She has degrees from Duquesne University, summa cum laude, and Northern Illinois University in music performance. Linda is a member of the Phi Kappa Phi National Honor Society. Her work background includes advocating for musicians’rights in the International Musicians Union in New York City, as well as in Canada, and as an advocate for the arts as an original member of the Canadian Advisory Committee on the Status of the Artist, which established legislation in Canada to protect artists’ rights. In addition to her current dramatic work in film and television, she maintains an active musical life as a performer and music director and is currently working on an album of original healing piano music.
Debra Markowitz
- www.IntentionFilmsandMedia.com
- Instagram: @debramarkowitzfilm
- IMDb
John Marean
- www.IntentionFilmsandMedia.com
- Instagram: @johnmarean
- IMDb
Please join us on Monday, April 20, 2026 at 1:00 PM EST on The Best of Intentions Podcast as we welcome Actor/Producer Tom Paolino.
Tom produced and starred in “One of the Good Ones”, a feature film inspired by the actual events of Buffalo’s Lawyers Discipline Office. The film was made in collaboration with writer/director Julie O’Hora, and is based on the first of Vincent Scarsella’s four book series, “Lawyers Gone Bad”. “One of the Good Ones” won The Audience Award at The 8th Annual Dunedin International Film Festival and is now available on Amazon Prime, Google Play and YouTube TV.
Tom often performs in procedural crime TV dramas (“FBI” – Seasons 2 and 5; “FBI: Most Wanted” – Seasons 2 and 6; “Law & Order: SVU” – Season 24 and “Blue Bloods – Season 10). This year, in addition to “One of the Good Ones”, Tom performed principal roles in feature films “Wish Watch” (2026), and “Chasing Christmas” (The Great American Family TV Network).
On the NYC stage, Tom recently appeared in Shakespeare’s “Pericles”, “Cymbeline” and “Twelfth Night”, plus Seamus Heaney’s “The Burial at Thebes”. This fall, he will play Sigmund Freud in “A Far Country” at The Highland Center for the Arts in Greensboro, Vermont.
Tom Paolino protects and serves what is sacred and just. His work exposes corruption. Tom also coaches ice hockey, teaches yoga and lives in NYC with his cat, Stevie Nyx.
Join us at Governors Comedy Club Podcasts at https://govspodcasts.com
Tom Paolino – Actor/Producer
- IG: @herosjourneyproductions
- TikTok: @oneofthegoodonesfilm
- FB: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61580084924705
- YouTube: www.youtube.com/@OneofTheGoodOnes-Movie
Debra Markowitz
- www.IntentionFilmsandMedia.com
- Instagram: @debramarkowitzfilm
- IMDb
John Marean
- www.IntentionFilmsandMedia.com
- Instagram: @johnmarean
- IMDb
On Monday, April 13, 2026 at 1:00 PM EST, we welcome Melissa Skirboll. Melissa is an award-winning filmmaker who tells stories where humor, heartbreak, and human contradiction collide. A true multi-hyphenate, she has spent over two decades creating work across film and theater as a director, a writer, producer and actor.
Her films have screened at festivals around the world. Her films and screenplays have earned over 60 awards across disciplines, a testament to her collaborative approach and ability to elevate both performance and craft.
Simultaneously, she has maintained a strong presence in the theater world, directing with New York companies including Nylon Fusion Theatre Company, A.N.D. Theatre Company, Urban Stages, and Estrogenius, while her original plays have been brought to life in festivals and theaters in New York and beyond.
Her films, including $13, Overdue, Blood is Thicker, and My Dinner With Schwartzey, are known for their strong performances, sharp dialogue, and emotionally grounded narratives. Whether working on screen or stage, she is particularly interested in complex relationships and the moments that reveal who we really are: the messy, complicated places where contradiction, vulnerability, and truth tend to live.
Melissa is a member of New York Women in Film & Television (NYWIFT), SAG-AFTRA, and the Brazen Giant Ensemble. She has served as a jury member for the Beeston Film Festival since 2019 and is part of the selection committee for the Reel East Texas Film Festival.
Join us at Governors Comedy Club Podcasts at https://govspodcasts.com
- Instagram: @melissadirectorfilm
- Vimeo (reels, clips, trailers, films)
- IMDB – https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0804383/?ref_=ext_shr_lnk
- Instagram @melissaskirboll
- Melissa Skirboll WEBSITE
Debra Markowitz
- www.IntentionFilmsandMedia.com
- Instagram: @debramarkowitzfilm
- IMDb
John Marean
- www.IntentionFilmsandMedia.com
- Instagram: @johnmarean
- IMDb
On Monday, April 6, 2026 at 1:00 PM EST, we welcome writer/director/producer, Maria Sawoch Filippone.
Maria Filippone is an award-winning director, writer, producer, and actor whose passion for storytelling has shaped a self-motivated calling in independent film. She began her filmmaking journey over 14 years ago as a production assistant, steadily immersing herself in every facet of the craft and refining a distinctive creative voice. Her short films have been showcased across multiple states, earning widespread recognition and numerous accolades, including Best Screenwriter, Best Romantic Comedy, Best Actress, Best Actor, and Best Director. Among her most notable works are Moments, Over Tea, Mid Life Conversations, Every Good Piece, The Graveyard Medium, and Addiction—all of which have been met with strong audience and festival reception. Maria co-directed the feature film It’s All About Me alongside filmmaker Millie Micheals, currently in post-production. Most recently, she completed principal photography on her own feature film, Portrait of a Still Life, which she wrote, directed, and produced. The project stands as a testament to her vision, bringing out exceptional performances from both cast and crew. Both feature films are slated for release in 2026.
Join us and find out how she does it all at Governors Comedy Club Podcasts at https://govspodcasts.com
- Email Contact: mariaflip@optonline.net
Debra Markowitz
- www.IntentionFilmsandMedia.com
- Instagram: @debramarkowitzfilm
- IMDb
John Marean
- www.IntentionFilmsandMedia.com
- Instagram: @johnmarean
- IMDb
Jennifer Plotzke is an award winning actress and producer, appearing on television in The Hunting Party, FBI: Most Wanted and Blue Bloods, working opposite industry greats Eric McCormack, Dylan McDermott and Donnie Wahlberg. She co-stars with Peter Friedman in the film Fizzle and she appears in Ezra, directed by Tony Goldwyn. She has been awarded multiple acting awards both internationally and domestically.
Jennifer is the founder of Poor Monster Productions and has served as a producer on a host of independent films & series. She directed a collaborative mentoring program with the National Academy of Television Arts & Sciences and has worked as a Consultant, Panelist and was invited as a Guest Lecturer at the School of Visual Arts in New York. She was the recipient of the 2025 NY Filmmaker Signature Award from the Chain Film Festival in New York City and the 2024 Best Producer award at the AMT International Film Festival.
Debra Markowitz
- www.IntentionFilmsandMedia.com
- Instagram: @debramarkowitzfilm
- IMDb
John Marean
- www.IntentionFilmsandMedia.com
- Instagram: @johnmarean
- IMDb
On Monday, March 23, 2026 at 1:00 PM EST, we continue our month-long interviews of kickazz women in the film and media industries for Women’s History month, I’m excited to have Jennifer Elyse Feldman aka Jenny Feldy as our guest on the Best of Intentions Podcast. She’s an actor, a SFX Artist, Make-up Artist, Producer, Certified Holistic Health Counselor & a Trainer, and there’s a lot more not mentioned here.
Please join us at Governors Comedy Club Podcasts at https://govspodcasts.com/
- Bio: “if it involves public bathrooms, I don’t want to go.”
- Instagram: @JEN_IS_EL_MAN @lifewithjenergy @ManSuccessNetwork
- IMDB
Debra Markowitz
- www.IntentionFilmsandMedia.com
- Instagram: @debramarkowitzfilm
- IMDb
John Marean
- www.IntentionFilmsandMedia.com
- Instagram: @johnmarean
- IMDb
On Monday, March 16, 2026, at 1:00 PM EST, we continue our celebration of Women’s History Month with another kickazz woman in media. Donna Drake is the host of The Donna Drake Show: Live it Up! (a weekly, one hour show featuring uplifting interviews with celebrity entertainers, sports legends, top journalists, business moguls and everyday heroes, etc), and she also runs Drake Media Studios, a NYS qualifying, woman-owned studio located in the 30 mile zone of NYC. With over 8,200 square feet of stages, editing suites, support spaces, full gear from an Arri Alexa to a light bulb, the studio landscape represents one of the most welcoming video and film production facilities in the USA.
Join us and find out how she does it all at Governors Comedy Club Podcasts at https://govspodcasts.com/
- Website: Home | Drake Media Studios
- Instagram: @donnadraketv
Debra Markowitz
- www.IntentionFilmsandMedia.com
- Instagram: @debramarkowitzfilm
- IMDb
John Marean
- www.IntentionFilmsandMedia.com
- Instagram: @johnmarean
- IMDb
Debra Markowitz
- www.IntentionFilmsandMedia.com
- Instagram: @debramarkowitzfilm
- IMDb
John Marean
- www.IntentionFilmsandMedia.com
- Instagram: @johnmarean
- IMDb
On Monday, March 2, 2026 at 1:00 PM, we welcome Letty Buchanan to The Best of Intentions Podcast.
Leticia “Letty” Buchanan is a seasoned award-winning producer, director and writer with over 20 years of industry experience. Her credits span CNBC, Court TV, The Food Network and the Emmy award winning team of HBO’s Taxicab Confessions.
She co-founded Love Your Face Films with Eddie Lebron, focusing on horror, narrative works, music videos, and documentaries.
Her films reflect the power of femme fatales, with complex, dynamic female characters at the forefront. She strives to create stories that resonate with everyone, regardless of their background or identity. By seeing themselves reflected in her work, she hopes audiences will feel a sense of belonging and connection.
Writer/Director/Producer
Debra Markowitz
- www.IntentionFilmsandMedia.com
- Instagram: @debramarkowitzfilm
- IMDb
John Marean
- www.IntentionFilmsandMedia.com
- Instagram: @johnmarean
- IMDb
On Wednesday, February 25, 2026 at 1:00 PM EST, we welcome actor and comedian Travis Grant as our guest on the Best of Intentions Podcast.
Besides appearing at some of New York’s biggest comedy clubs, Travis is an award winning actor who has several projects coming out, and we can’t wait to tell you about them.
Please join us at Governors Comedy Club Podcasts at govspodcast.com
See you then!
Travis Grant
Debra Markowitz
- www.IntentionFilmsandMedia.com
- Instagram: @debramarkowitzfilm
- IMDb
John Marean
- www.IntentionFilmsandMedia.com
- Instagram: @johnmarean
- IMDb
Welcome to the first installment of the Best of Intentions Podcast. The Podcast of Intention Films and Media where we discuss movies and more.
On Monday, February 16, 2026 at 1:00 PM EST, please welcome our first guest, Michael Fedele. Michael is a multi-award winning actor as well as a producer, writer, great friend and creative collaborator.
Please join us at Governors Comedy Club Podcasts at govspodcast.com
See you then!
Michael Fedele
Debra Markowitz
- www.IntentionFilmsandMedia.com
- Instagram: @debramarkowitzfilm
- IMDb
John Marean
- www.IntentionFilmsandMedia.com
- Instagram: @johnmarean
- IMDb














