
Slow Down, Start Over: What Italy Taught a Burned-Out Filmmaker | Steve Dabal Interview | Italian Wannabe
Most of us are moving faster than ever — more content, more hustle, more output. But what if the most powerful thing you could do right now is stop? In this episode of Cut to the Chase: with Gregg Goldfarb, Gregg sits down with filmmaker Steve Dabal, director of Italian Wannabe — a feature documentary that sold out five screenings at the 2026 Palm Springs International Film Festival and is now doing pop-up screenings across the country. Italian Wannabe follows chef Bill Disselhorst — co-founder of Fiore Market Cafe, one of America's Top 100 restaurants — as he walks away from his Los Angeles life and returns to Casperia, a small medieval village an hour north of Rome, where he and his late wife Anne first fell in love with Italian food, slow living, and the kind of community that doesn't exist on a screen. What started as one man's grief became a meditation on reinvention, passion, and what it really means to belong somewhere. Join Gregg and Steve on Cut to the Chase: as they discuss: How chef Bill Disselhorst built one of America's Top 100 restaurants — and what happened when he lost it all Why the village of Casperia, Italy holds the secret to a life most of us only dream about What Italian Wannabe is really about — and why it's not just a food documentary How Steve went from a year of no work and near burnout to making his first feature film with a borrowed camera Why community is the most underrated currency in business, film, and life What the film festival circuit looks like right now — and why it has never been a better time to make a documentary The one lesson from Bill Disselhorst that will change how you treat every person you meet Key Moments: 00:00 — Gregg introduces Italian Wannabe and filmmaker Steve Dabal 01:30 — What Italian Wannabe is really about and how it began 03:00 — How Steve met Bill at Fiore Market Cafe during film school 05:00 — The village of Casperia, Italy and why Bill keeps going back 07:30 — The contrast between hustle culture and the Italian slow life 10:00 — How Bill's approach to community changed how Steve lives and works 13:00 — The one habit — asking people their names — that builds real connection 16:00 — How the writers' strike and a year without work led to the film 19:00 — What it takes to make a documentary today — no degree, no big budget required 22:00 — Italian Wannabe's journey: from borrowed camera to Palm Springs Film Festival sellout 25:00 — Why this film will make you rethink what you're chasing Guest Bio: Steve Dabal is an Italian-American director, cinematographer, and editor with a deep VFX background and a focus on non-fiction storytelling. As co-founder and Creative Director of The Family, a New York-based production house, he has interviewed subjects ranging from Scarlett Johansson and Fortune 500 CEOs to war veterans and 9/11 survivors. His work has screened at SXSW, the New York Film Festival, and internationally. Italian Wannabe is his debut feature documentary. The film sold out five screenings at the 2026 Palm Springs International Film Festival and was also an official selection at the Berkshire International Film Festival. The film was directed, shot, and edited by Dabal, and produced with The Family in association with Current Mindset. Resources Mentioned: Learn more about Italian Wannabe and follow the film's festival and pop-up screening tour Learn more about Fiore Market Cafe, chef Bill Disselhorst's legendary South Pasadena restaurant, one of America's Top 100 restaurants Learn more about the village of Casperia, Italy — one hour north of Rome — featured throughout the documentary Learn more about The Family, Steve Dabal's New York-based production company Follow the Italian Wannabe pop-up screening tour to find a screening near you Want to hear more conversations about life, law, and the stories that matter? Subscribe to Cut to the Chase: with Gregg Goldfarb. Want to stay updated on our latest podcasts? Subscribe to Cut to the Chase: Podcast Newsletter for monthly podcast releases and the latest legal news: https://lp.constantcontactpages.com/sl/KqDopgE





