#229: Keith Gerchak & Marisa Guterman (Lost & Found In Cleveland) — The Making of a New American Fable on Hope & the Post-Industrial American Dream in the Industrial Midwest (REWIND)

Nearly a year and a half after our conversation first aired in 2024, Lost & Found in Cleveland is ready to make its way to theaters nationwide on November 7, 2025.

When I first sat down with Keith Gerchak and Marisa Guterman, the creative forces behind the film, we explored the decade-long journey that brought this story to life—from writing and directing this cinematic love letter to Cleveland, to raising capital, recruiting a star-studded cast featuring Martin Sheen, Dennis Haysbert, June Squibb, Stacy Keach, and many others, and filming across Cleveland’s iconic landscapes.

With the film’s theatrical debut now just around the corner, this feels like the perfect moment to revisit their remarkable story.

So, with that exciting update, please enjoy this encore conversation from the Lay of The Land archives with Keith Gerchak and Marisa Guterman, the filmmakers behind Lost & Found in Cleveland, airing in theaters across Cleveland starting November 7, 2025.

Tickets are now on sale at https://tickets.lostandfoundincleveland.com/! More theaters are being added daily.

00:00:00 - The American Dream in Cleveland
00:05:56 - The Journey of Filmmaking
00:19:10 - Character Development and Storytelling
00:32:39 - Challenges and Triumphs in Production
00:42:44 - The Journey of Filmmaking: Vision and Execution
00:44:44 - Challenges of Fundraising in Cleveland
00:46:31 - The Economic Impact of Local Filmmaking
00:49:15 - Building a Sustainable Film Industry in Cleveland
00:51:33 - Changing the Narrative: Cleveland's Film Identity
00:54:53 - Casting Challenges and Triumphs
01:01:38 - Overcoming On-Set Challenges
01:09:21 - The Message of Hope in Film

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LINKS:
Lost & Found in Cleveland IMDB: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt4601732/
Connect with Keith Gerchak: https://www.linkedin.com/in/keithgerchak/
Connect with Marisa Guterman: https://www.linkedin.com/in/marisa-guterman-187677a9/
Double G Films: https://www.doublegfilms.com/

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