SOUNDS OF FILM with Tom Needham

Josh Fox, a guest on the SOUNDS podcast with Tom Needham and SOUNDS OF FILM Radio show, is a renowned independent filmmaker and the founder and artistic director of International WOW Company, a dynamic film and theater collective. Since its founding in 1996, International WOW has worked with actors, filmmakers, writers, activists, and artists from a wide range of cultural and activist backgrounds,...

In this episode of the SOUNDS podcast, Tom Needham interviews Zack Weiner, actor and co-writer of “Bad Shabbos” and “Citizen Weiner,” alongside director Daniel Robbins. They delve into their creative process and discuss the making of two distinct films, each exploring different facets of modern life. “Bad Shabbos,” directed by Robbins and written by Robbins and Weiner, is a darkly comedic explorat...

On this episode of The SOUNDS Podcast with Tom Needham, acclaimed director Joshua Zeman discusses his powerful new documentary, “Checkpoint Zoo.” The film, a featured selection at the Port Jefferson Documentary Series and the Hamptons International Film Festival, tells the harrowing story of the rescue of animals trapped in Kharkiv’s Feldman Ecopark during the Russia-Ukraine conflict. Zeman takes...

On the latest episode of SOUNDS with Tom Needham, Emmy Award-winning director Erika Cohn joins the show for an eye-opening discussion about her documentary “Belly of the Beast.” The film delves into the alarming practice of forced sterilizations in California’s prison system, focusing on how women of color were disproportionately targeted. In this powerful conversation, Cohn explains how a young w...

On the next SOUNDS Podcast, Tom Needham speaks to acclaimed director Whit Stillman, known for his sharp, witty films that explore the intricacies of social class and relationships. Stillman’s filmography includes “Metropolitan,” “Barcelona,” “The Last Days of Disco,” “Damsels in Distress,” and “Love & Friendship.” In addition to his films, he directed the episode “The Heart of a Saturday Night” fr...

In the upcoming episode of the SOUNDS podcast, director Marc Levin discusses his latest documentary, “It’s Basic,” which delves into the transformative impact of guaranteed income pilot programs across the United States. The film, executive produced by Michael Tubbs, the founder of Mayors for a Guaranteed Income (MGI), examines how providing everyday people with an additional $500 to $1,000 per mo...

On a special edition of The SOUNDS Podcast, Robert “Kool” Bell will join the show to celebrate Kool & the Gang’s remarkable 50-plus year journey in the music business. This year, Kool & The Gang is being inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. As a founding member of one of America’s most iconic bands, Bell will reflect on their evolution from a jazz-influenced ensemble to global superstars...

Erik Nelson, a multiple Emmy and IDA award-winning filmmaker, will be a special guest on SOUNDS with Tom Needham to discuss his latest film, “Daytime Revolution.” Nelson has an extensive body of work, having produced and directed a wide range of feature documentaries through his company, Creative Differences. He is known for his collaborations with Werner Herzog on films like “Grizzly Man,” “Cave...

Cheech & Chong, the legendary comedy duo, made a lasting impact on both stand-up and film with their unique brand of stoner humor. Their early success stemmed from a series of popular stand-up performances, followed by comedy records like "Earache My Eye," "Basketball Jones," and "Sister Mary Elephant." These albums established them as counterculture icons, with the famous "Dave's not here" skit f...

Acclaimed filmmakers Chris Hegedus and D.A. Pennebaker are guests on Tom Needham’s SOUNDS Podcast. They will discuss their documentary, “Unlocking the Cage,” which follows animal-rights attorney Steven M. Wise in his efforts to persuade the legal system to recognize chimpanzees as legal persons. “Unlocking the Cage” highlights Wise’s argument that cognitively advanced animals such as chimpanzees a...

John Perkins, author of “Confessions of an Economic Hitman,” is a former Chief Economist at a leading consulting firm, where he served as an advisor to the World Bank, United Nations, International Monetary Fund, Fortune 500 companies, and influential political and business figures across Africa, Asia, Latin America, the Middle East, and the United States. Prior to this, he lived in the Amazon rai...

The SOUNDS podcast welcomes Howard Bloom, an American author and legendary music publicist, whose work shaped the careers of some of the biggest names in rock and pop during the 1970s and 80s. Bloom worked closely with artists such as Prince, Billy Joel, Michael Jackson, Cyndi Lauper, and many more. Known for his sharp insights into mass psychology, Bloom used his understanding of human behavior t...

Get ready to embark on a thought-provoking journey with "FINDING THE MONEY," where American economist Stephanie Kelton explores the controversial world of Modern Money Theory (MMT). Kelton challenges the conventional wisdom surrounding the National Debt Clock, arguing that the ever-increasing numbers we see are not a burden on taxpayers or future generations. Instead, she posits that this "debt" r...

On this episode of SOUNDS, Tom Needham speaks with Pete Davis, co-director with Rebecca Davis of the film “Join or Die.” The documentary explores why joining a club is crucial for America’s future, examining the nation’s civic decline through the work of Robert Putnam. Putnam’s groundbreaking research, famously captured in “Bowling Alone,” may provide answers to the challenges facing democracy tod...

Peter Singer, often referred to as the "world's most influential living philosopher," is renowned for his groundbreaking work in ethics, particularly in the areas of animal rights and effective altruism. His 1975 book, "Animal Liberation," is credited with launching the modern animal rights movement, inspiring countless activists to join the cause of reducing animal suffering. Singer's commitment...

Congressman Steve Israel is a dynamic figure who has worn many hats throughout his career, from serving as a U.S. representative to becoming an author and bookseller. Representing New York in Congress from 2001 to 2017, he initially served in the 2nd congressional district before moving to the 3rd district, which spanned parts of Long Island and a portion of Queens. Known for his thoughtful politi...

DJ Kool Herc, born in Jamaica and raised in the Bronx, is widely regarded as the "Father of Hip-Hop." In 1973, he revolutionized the sound of New York's streets by isolating the "break" — the instrumental portion of a funk record that emphasized the drumbeat — and extending it through the use of two turntables. This groundbreaking technique, known as "breakbeat DJing," laid the foundation for hip-...

Mel K, a journalist, filmmaker, and podcaster, is known for her investigative approach and thought-provoking content. With a background in journalism and film from NYU, she spent over two decades in Hollywood creating meticulously researched historical dramas. Her work is driven by a desire to expose hidden truths and explore the global dynamics of power, often uncovering the connections between i...

Skywalkers: A Love Story Filmmakers on Tom Needham's SOUNDS Skywalkers: A Love Story was featured at the Hamptons International Film Festival’s Summer Doc Series at Guild Hall of East Hampton. Skywalkers: A Love Story is a thrilling romantic film that follows a daring couple as they push their relationship to new extremes by attempting to climb the world's second-highest skyscraper and perform a b...

Alex Winter's "Deep Web" is a compelling exploration of the hidden layers of the internet, shedding light on a world that challenges traditional governmental and banking control. This award-winning documentary focuses on the notorious Silk Road online marketplace and the controversial trial of its creator, Ross Ulbricht. Winter, who directed, wrote, and produced the film alongside Marc Schiller an...

SOUNDS will feature an interview with THE STRANGERS' CASE's Brandt Andersen. The film is about what happens when a tragedy strikes a Syrian family in Aleppo, starting a chain reaction of events involving five different families in four different countries. Brandt Andersen is an activist and artist. Andersen has produced over 30 films. His directorial debut “Refugee” was shortlisted for an Academy...

The Presidents’ Tailor is a compelling documentary that tells the extraordinary story of Martin Greenfield, a Holocaust survivor who became one of America’s most renowned tailors. Born Maxmilian Grünfeld, Greenfield learned to sew while imprisoned in Auschwitz and later reinvented himself in America, where he crafted suits for iconic figures like Dwight D. Eisenhower, the general who liberated him...

THE CORPORATION is an award-winning documentary that explores the nature and spectacular rise of the dominant institution of our time. The film is based on the book 'The Corporation: The Pathological Pursuit of Profit and Power' by Joel Bakan. The movie features Noam Chomsky, Naomi Klein, Milton Friedman, Howard Zinn, and Michael Moore. Joel Bakan is an author, filmmaker and a professor of law at...

Traversing time, space and genre, Argentinian filmmaker Lisandro Alonso's EUREKA is an elliptical meditation on the experiences of indigenous communities across the Americas. Opening in a dusty town of the Old West, reality soon transitions to contemporary South Dakota’s Pine Ridge Reservation before finally landing in the jungles of 1970s Brazil. As the triptych unfolds, each temporal and spatial...

Jazz legend Jakob Bro Talks MUSIC FOR BLACK PIGEONS on Tom Needham’s SOUNDS Don't miss our upcoming interview with jazz legend Jakob Bro, who will delve into his captivating experiences featured in the documentary Music for Black Pigeons. This film, directed by Jørgen Leth and Andreas Koefoed, captures Bro's profound musical interactions with jazz icons like Lee Konitz, Bill Frisell, Joe Lovano, a...