1st on Film

On this episode of 1st on Film , we sit down with Ethan Popp, the Grammy Award-nominated music producer, orchestrator, arranger, and music supervisor behind Broadway’s The Lost Boys ! Based on the iconic 1987 vampire film, The Lost Boys brings the dark, rock-filled world of Santa Carla to the stage with a cinematic sound and an original musical score. We chat with Ethan about his role in shaping t...

FIGHT! Stefano and James are stepping into the arena to break down the new Street Fighter movie! Does this live-action adaptation deliver the action, humour, and video game nostalgia fans have been waiting for, or does it miss the mark? In this spoiler-filled review, we discuss the biggest pros and cons of the film, from its action sequences and iconic characters to its story, performances, and ov...

Welcome back to the 1st on Film Podcast! Today, we’re joined by actor and comedian Jermaine Fowler to discuss his latest film, Terrestrial . Directed by Steve Pink, this sci-fi thriller follows Allen, a struggling writer whose newfound success brings his college friends together for a reunion that quickly takes an unsettling turn. As suspicions grow and Allen’s behaviour becomes increasingly unpre...

Premiering October 16, 2026 at 9 p.m. ET on Super Channel Fuse and available On Demand the same day, Dolph: Unbreakable takes viewers inside the life and career of DolphLundgren, revealing the man behind decades of global stardom and the personal challenges he faced along the way. Best known for his iconic roles as Ivan Drago in Rocky IV and He-Man in the original Masters of the Universe, Lundgren...

We’re taking a trip to a galaxy far, far away — and into the terrifying depths of space! Recorded live at Vaughan Con in Vaughan, Ontario, this special episode of the 1st on Film Podcast features an unforgettable Q&A with legendary filmmaker and production designer Roger Christian. Best known for his Oscar-winning set decoration on Star Wars: Episode IV – A New Hope and his work on Ridley Scott’s...

We sit down with filmmaker Sean Menard and Darrell Fox , the younger brother of Canadian icon Terry Fox, to discuss the powerful new documentary Run Terry Run . Directed by Menard, the film offers an intimate, behind-the-scenes look at Terry Fox’s legendary 1980 Marathon of Hope, bringing audiences closer than ever to the person behind the Canadian icon. We talk about the discovery of 96 reels of...

In this interview, we sit down with Matthew Lillard and Samantha Sloyan to talk about their upcoming Prime Video series Carrie, a new take on Stephen King’s iconic story. The two actors reflect on first meeting while working together on The Life of Chuck, before diving into their complicated characters in Carrie and what it’s like to play people who may see themselves as villains—or perhaps never...

we sit down with award-winning filmmaker Lacey Schwartz Delgado at TIFF 2026 to discuss her new documentary feature Re/Pair . The film brings together Black and Jewish voices for honest conversations about identity, history, division, solidarity, and the possibility of finding a path toward healing and repair. Lacey shares what inspired her to make the film, how her own experiences as a Black and...

Cinematographer Bradford Lipson joins us to talk about the making of Rolling Loud: The Movie , the new comedy starring Owen Wilson and Matt Rife and inspired by a real experience at the massive hip-hop festival. Directed by Jeremy Garelick, the film follows an overprotective father who sneaks his 13-year-old son into Rolling Loud, only to lose him in the middle of one of the world’s biggest music...

In this episode of the 1st on Film Podcast, we sit down with actor and producer Drew Van Acker to discuss his new psychological sci-fi thriller Orion. Drew stars as Apollo, an astronaut who returns to Earth as the sole survivor of a catastrophic mission with no memory of what happened to his crew. As Apollo attempts to piece together the events surrounding the mission, the film explores memory, tr...

In this episode of the 1st on Film Podcast, we speak with cinematographer David Kruta about his work on Orion, the psychological sci-fi thriller from director Jaco Bouwer. Starring Andrew McCarthy, Drew Van Acker and Debby Ryan, Orion follows an astronaut who returns to Earth after a catastrophic mission leaves his crew dead and his memory shattered. As he undergoes interrogation to uncover what h...

From a groundbreaking vertical web series to a feature film screened at the Toronto International Film Festival, Rags 2 Richmond has taken an unconventional journey to the big screen. At TIFF, we sat down with actor, writer, producer and co-creator Jonathan Chee Hynn Wong, choreographer Joe Tuliao , actor Howie Lai , director and original series co-creator Simon Yin , to talk about the evolution o...

We’re hitting the ice for a special 1st on Film conversation about Smudge the Blades, the new hockey comedy bringing together a talented ensemble of actors and filmmakers. In this in-depth interview, we’re joined by director and actor Cody Lightning, Ed Helms, and cast members Isaiah Kakepetum, Ezekiel Mekanak, River Rayne Thomas, Elijah Moar, and Tyler Halcrow. The group takes us behind the scene...

In this episode of the 1st on Film Podcast, we sit down with writer and director Agata Trzebuchowska to discuss her feature directorial debut, Sick (2026). A haunting psychological horror film set against the oppressive heat and isolation of the Polish countryside, Sick follows 16-year-old Maks and his older sister Emma as they travel to care for their ailing grandmother. What begins as an uneasy...

On this episode of the 1st on Film Podcast , we sit down with writer and director Hanaël El Yousfi to discuss her feature film THE DAUGHTERS OF ABRAHAM , which premiered at the 2026 Toronto International Film Festival. The film follows two young women from Jewish and Muslim backgrounds whose friendship brings them face-to-face with family expectations, cultural identity, tradition, and the forces...

In this in-depth interview, 1st on Film sits down with Canadian actress and writer Maddy Foley to discuss her short film FIVEHEAD , which premiered at the 2026 Toronto International Film Festival. Maddy takes us behind the scenes of creating the dark comedy, exploring its themes of beauty standards, insecurity, and the pressures of appearance. We dive into her experience writing and starring in th...

We sat down in person with filmmaker and production designer Logan Graham Greene at the Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF) to discuss his short film THE EPISODE , which premiered at this year’s festival. In this interview, Logan takes us behind the scenes of the film, exploring his creative process, the challenges of filmmaking, and the vision that brought THE EPISODE to life. We dive into...

We sit down with filmmakers Brittney Gavin and Amy Mielke, the creative duo behind Dough Man , a quirky supernatural dark comedy making its World Premiere at the 2026 Toronto International Film Festival. In this conversation, we explore the inspiration behind the film, bringing a unique story rooted in a Halifax Black community to the screen, and the creative collaboration that brought this eccent...

Composer Samuel Jones joins 1st on Film to discuss his work scoring Meera Menon’s Didn’t Die , the black-and-white zombie comedy-drama that premiered at the 2025 Sundance Film Festival. The film follows Vinita, a podcaster celebrating her 100th episode when a zombie apocalypse throws her world into chaos. But beneath the genre elements, Didn’t Die is also a story about grief, family, connection an...

On this episode of the 1st on Film Podcast , we sit down with Anna Lambe and Maika Harper , the stars of the hit Arctic comedy North of North , to talk all about the highly anticipated second season. Anna Lambe returns as Siaja, the young Inuk mother determined to take charge of her life, while Maika Harper reprises her role as her mother, Neevee — a character whose complicated past and larger-tha...

In this episode of the 1st on Film Podcast , we sit down with the creative team behind Dead Deer High — director Jo Rochelle , writer/producer Joshua Roark , and cinematographer Anup Kulkarni — to discuss their powerful new drama about grief, healing, poetry, and finding your voice after tragedy. Dead Deer High follows a once-brilliant high school slam poetry team and their English teacher one yea...

In this episode of the 1st on Film Podcast , we sit down with filmmaker Ryan Noufer , writer and director of the moving short film Mary the Widow . The film follows Mary, a 78-year-old widow who, at her daughter’s urging, reluctantly attends a speed-dating event for widowed seniors. After a series of awkward and forgettable encounters, she connects with Ed, a gentle stranger who leaves a lasting i...

In this episode of the 1st on Film Podcast , we sit down with writer and director Louis Paxton to discuss his film THE INCOMER . Louis takes us behind the scenes of the film, discussing the inspiration behind the story, bringing the characters and world to life, and the creative process of writing and directing the project. We also dive into the challenges of making the film, finding the right ton...

In this episode of the 1st on Film Podcast , we sit down with production designer Justin Lieb to discuss the making of Gail Daughtry and the Celebrity Sex Pass . Justin takes us behind the scenes of the film’s production design, breaking down how the visual world of the story was created and how the sets, locations, props, colour, and overall aesthetic help bring the film to life. We dive into the...

On this episode of the 1st on Film Podcast , we sit down with award-winning writer-director-actress Louisa Connolly-Burnham to discuss her latest short film, The Intimacy Coordinator . The darkly comic psychological thriller follows Kate, a highly respected intimacy coordinator who is secretly battling sex addiction. As her personal struggles begin to collide with her professional responsibilities...