Lenny Barszap and Aaron Brown, Writer & Director of Home Free – E144

This week, we're sitting down with Lenny Barszap and Aaron Brown to discuss their indie feature, ⁠Home Free⁠ . This is a coming of age film about college, growing up, friendship, and homelessness, all portrayed in a genuine way with enough laughs and heart to captivate you the whole way through.

Writer ⁠⁠Lenny Barszap⁠⁠ and director ⁠⁠Aaron Brown⁠⁠ both grew up in smaller towns in Texas, and they based this film on their experiences at UT Austin in the late 90's-early 00's. Though this isn't their first film or festival circuit though, Home Free represents the combination of their lived experiences and social change in a new and unique way. Through their organization, Been There, and through the collective efforts of film festivals, Austin, and fellow creatives, these two are continuing to push for change.

We hope you enjoy today’s episode, and make sure you go back to Episode 123 to catch our review of the Home Free LP.

Enjoy!

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About the Film: 

Home Free is based on the real-life experience of Onion Creek Productions founder and director/producer Aaron Brown and writer/producer Lenny Barszap of Entertaining Entertainment. In 1997, as sophomores at the University of Texas at Austin, Brown and Barszap invited an unhoused philosophy professor to crash on their porch – where they hosted several parties, many of which their friend and fellow UT Austin student at the time, Adrian Quesada, also attended. Twenty-five years later, this became the premise for the film Home Free, which explores profound themes of friendship, personal growth, and social impact through the lens of comedy (think Dazed & Confused meets Superbad).

Home Free aims to put a spotlight on the homelessness crisis and organizations like The Other Ones Foundation (TOOF), Caritas and other housing nonprofits in Austin that are actively working to rewrite the narrative around our unhoused neighbors and transition them off of the streets – with hopes of inspiring this kind of format across the country. 

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About Been There:

Been There is a Trojan-horse-style movement led by a community of creative do-gooders transforming films, music, festivals and art into catalysts for positive societal change.

- Instagram: @beenthereusa

- Website: https://www.beenthere.org/

- Reach out to Been There's team here.

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Listen to the Home Free (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack): 

- Listen on ⁠⁠Spotify⁠⁠

- Listen on ⁠⁠Apple Music⁠⁠

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