Writer/Director Shana Feste joins Jeanne and Sadie to talk about her new film, Heartland, but they also dive into a raw and vulnerable conversation about authenticity, juggling parenting while creating art, being vulnerable and the importance of honest collaboration. 

This is such an important conversation for artists wanting to find life balance without the guilt.

Coming November 13th, Heartland stars Academy Award winner Jessica Chastain as a former country music megastar who comes out of seclusion to investigate the disappearance of her rising-musician niece, uncovering dark secrets and the seedy underbelly of Nashville along the way. The film takes Shana's country music background and twists it in a darker, mystery-thriller direction. The ensemble also includes Garrett Hedlund, John Hawkes, Jennifer Nettles, Ross Lynch and rising country artist Carter Faith.

*****

SHANA FESTE is an acclaimed writer, director and producer whose work spans intimate character dramas, music-driven stories, romance and genre filmmaking. She most recently wrote and directed HEARTLAND, Netflix's upcoming mystery thriller starring Academy Award winner Jessica Chastain, which arrives November 13, 2026. Set against the dark underbelly of Nashville, the film follows former country music megastar Misty Jones, played by Chastain, as she comes out of seclusion to search for her missing niece, a rising musician, uncovering long-buried secrets along the way. The film also stars Garrett Hedlund, John Hawkes, Jennifer Nettles, Ross Lynch and country singer-songwriter Carter Faith.

Feste first made her mark with her feature directorial debut THE GREATEST, which premiered in competition at the 2009 Sundance Film Festival and earned her a Humanitas Prize nomination. She followed with COUNTRY STRONG, the 2010 music drama starring Gwyneth Paltrow, Garrett Hedlund, Tim McGraw and Leighton Meester, which earned an Academy Award and Golden Globe nomination for Best Original Song. She went on to direct the romantic drama ENDLESS LOVE, the family dramedy BOUNDARIESstarring Vera Farmiga and Christopher Plummer, and the horror thriller RUN SWEETHEART RUN, which premiered at the 2020 Sundance Film Festival.

Beyond film, Feste created, wrote and directed the audio series DIRTY DIANA, starring Demi Moore, during the pandemic, which was later developed as a television series for Amazon. Throughout her career, she has built a reputation for bringing emotionally complex characters and intimate human stories to a wide range of genres, while developing a distinctive voice as both a writer and filmmaker. She has also been recognized by Variety as one of its “Ten Directors to Watch” and by Filmmaker Magazine as one of its “New Faces in Independent Film.”

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