On this week’s two-part podcast, we’re sharing Q&As from screenings of two films hitting theaters this weekend: the coming-of-age drama The Fits and the fascinating documentary The Witness. Subscribe to The Close-Up on iTunes so you never miss an episode. If you like what you hear, leave us a review!

The Fits had its New York premiere at New Directors/New Films, our annual festival of new discoveries co-presented with the Museum of Modern Art. Violet Lucca of Film Comment magazine called it a “beautifully constructed film, by turns deeply poignant and laugh-out-loud funny.” During ND/NF, director Anna Rose Holmer joined actress Alexis Neblett, producer Lisa Kjerulff, cinematographer Paul Yee, and editor Saela Davis for a Q&A.

The Witness, a new documentary by James Solomon, follows the brother of Kitty Genovese as he attempts to sort through the muddled media reports regarding his sister’s tragic death. The 1964 murder was famously reported by The New York Times, who alleged that dozens of bystanders sat in their apartments in Queens ignoring the woman’s cries for help. In recent years, the Times coverage was scrutinized for its alleged distortion of the facts in service of a sensationalist agenda. The Witness had its premiere at last year’s New York Film Festival, where Solomon, Bill Genovese, and co-producer Melissa Jacobson joined us for a Q&A. 

Listen to the episode below or click here to listen and subscribe on iTunes.