We Need to Talk About Oscar

Writer-director Bryn Chainey joins us to discuss 'Rabbit Trap,' his haunting exploration of how supernatural folklore mirrors our deepest human experiences. Bryn reveals his unique approach to using nature and the otherworldly as tools for confronting inner truths, tracing his thematic evolution from early work like 'Moritz and the Woodwose' to this latest feature. Our conversation centers on Bryn...

This week, we talk with cinematographer Bill Kirstein about his work on ‘Happyend,’ which premiered at the Venice Film Festival last year. Bill shares stories from his childhood, and how that rebellious spirit carries into his approach to filmmaking. We explore what draws him to projects where directors have bold visions that challenge conventional execution. Our conversation digs into the artisti...

This week, we sit down with writer-director Anu Valia to talk about her feature debut ‘We Strangers,’ which premiered at SXSW 2024. Anu walks us through the journey from festival premiere to theatrical release, and how her relationship with the film has evolved along the way. We dig into the story of Ray, a woman navigating spaces where she feels like an outsider, and explore how Anu wove themes o...

Director Oliver Hermanus joins us to discuss 'The History of Sound,' drawing from his South African background to explore how cinema can foster empathy across divides. Oliver reflects on his commitment to creating narratives that invite audiences into unfamiliar perspectives, shaped by experiences in a country where marginalized voices were systematically silenced. Our conversation explores his co...

Cinematographer Alex Disenhof joins us to discuss his work on HBO's limited series 'Task,' revealing the dramatic shift from the fantastical landscapes of 'The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power' to the gritty streets of Philadelphia. Alex opens up about his creative philosophy—that every project demands genuine emotional investment, and without that personal connection to the script, he simply...

Yeo Siew Hua joins us to discuss 'Stranger Eyes,' the thriller that made history as the first Singaporean film ever to compete for the Golden Lion at Venice International Film Festival. A year after this landmark achievement, he reflects on creating a deeply culturally rooted story that resonates internationally, exploring how surveillance paranoia transcends geographical boundaries while remainin...

Academy Award nominated filmmaker Sam Davis joins us to discuss 'The Singers,' his genre-bending adaptation of Turgenev's 19th-century tale that transforms a lowly pub into a stage for unexpected human connection. Working exclusively with first-time actors discovered on TikTok and YouTube, he reveals how embracing spontaneity led to moments of pure cinematic magic—including a bathroom performance...

Cinematographer Christophe Nuyens joins us to discuss his work on 'Andor' Season 2, where he partnered with director Ariel Kleiman to expand the show's established visual language. Treating each episode block as a standalone film, Christophe reveals his character-driven approach to framing—finding angles that immerse audiences in the emotional weight of rebellion rather than relying on spectacle a...

How do you visually transport audiences across three decades while maintaining narrative cohesion? Ante Cheng, whose breathtaking cinematography on 'Pachinko' Season 2 earned him an Emmy nomination, joins us to unravel this complex creative puzzle. Fresh off his recognition for the season's opening chapter, Ante discusses the ambitious leap from an already celebrated first season and the artistic...

Production designer Kalina Ivanov takes us inside the visual world of HBO's 'The Penguin,' revealing how she adapted Matt Reeves' Gotham for television. From the surprising discovery that Penguin's iconic Maserati is actually purple to the intentional color storytelling that contrasts Oz's pastel childhood memories with his dark present reality. We discuss her collaboration with cinematographer Da...

Filmmaker James J. Robinson joins us to discuss his debut feature 'First Light,' which premieres at the Melbourne International Film Festival. Robinson opens up about his Filipino-Australian identity and how reconnecting with his roots shaped this deeply personal project, exploring themes of cultural heritage, belonging, and authentic representation. We dive into James' transition from still photo...

Filmmaker Ramon Zürcher joins us to discuss 'The Sparrow in the Chimney,' the final installment in his trilogy with twin brother Silvan that explores family dynamics through a seemingly simple birthday gathering. We dive into how the brothers navigate their creative partnership—sometimes co-directing, other times working solo—while maintaining their unique collaborative relationship. Ramon walks u...

Writer-director Sarah Friedland joins us to discuss 'Familiar Touch,' her debut feature that follows Ruth, an octogenarian woman navigating memory and desire as she transitions into assisted living. We explore how the film reclaims the coming-of-age genre for older characters, with Sarah describing it as a "coming-of-old-age" story that emphasizes how Ruth remains herself even as her world transfo...

This week, we're joined by Fawzia Mirza, the writer-director behind 'The Queen of My Dreams', a deeply personal film that has garnered multiple award nominations since its TIFF premiere. Fawzia opens up about her artistic evolution from acting to filmmaking, revealing how creating this story became essential for processing her identity as a queer Muslim woman. Her journey into directing wasn't jus...

Fresh off their Tribeca premiere, we are joined by the creative team behind 'The Travel Companion' - Alex Mallis, Travis Wood and Wes Auburn. Their latest project brilliantly captures the messy reality of creative ambition through Simon, a struggling documentarian whose desperation for free flights becomes a mirror for every filmmaker's hustle. But this isn't your typical "artist suffers for art"...

Sarah Adler joins us to discuss her return to the character of Aya in ‘Dead Language’, the feature-length adaptation of the Oscar-nominated short film ‘Aya’. In our conversation, Sarah reflects on revisiting a role after more than a decade, exploring how both she and the character have evolved since the original 2012 short. She shares insights into working again with directors Mihal Brezis and Ode...

Walter Thompson-Hernández joins us to discuss his film ‘Kites’, which premiered at this year’s Tribeca Film Festival. In our conversation, Walter reflects on the five and a half year journey that brought ‘Kites’ to life, describing how the project evolved organically rather than following a traditional scripted approach. Working without a strict script, Walter embraced a fluid storytelling method...

Nora Kirkpatrick has burst onto the scene with her debut feature 'A Tree Fell in the Woods', and she joins us for a delightful deep dive into her creative process. With a cast that reads like a who's who of talent—Alexandra Daddario, Daveed Diggs, Josh Gad, and Ashley Park—Kirkpatrick explores her desire to present multiple perspectives on a singular event, ensuring no character becomes the "bad g...

Charlotte Ercoli joins us to discuss her debut feature 'Fior Di Latte,' a film as rich and layered as its title suggests. Her journey of transforming a personal obsession with perfume into a meditation on memory and identity reveals an artist unafraid to mine her own fascinations for cinematic gold. Charlotte opens up about the intimate process of translating scent into cinema, revealing how she c...

What happens when you take a hobby that once seemed outlandish and turn it into a poignant narrative about friendship, acceptance, and personal growth? That's the heart of today's discussion with Lillian Carrier and Lauren Meyering, the creative minds behind 'Horsegirls'. Lillian shares her audition journey and the emotional depth she discovered in Margarita, a character that breaks the mold of ty...

What happens when grief meets paradise? Lilian T. Mehrel's 'Honeyjoon' finds profound beauty in this collision, following a mother and daughter whose contrasting responses to loss play out against the stunning backdrop of the Azores. Lilian's debut feature asks whether we can laugh while we mourn, love while we ache. She describes her characters through a yin-yang lens: where one woman chases ligh...

Exploring the emotional landscape of parental love amidst legislative turmoil, our conversation with Gianna Toboni, director of the poignant documentary 'Just Kids,' delves deep into the heart-wrenching choices faced by families in states where gender-affirming care is under siege. In a world where government policies threaten the well-being of transgender minors, Toboni's film follows three famil...

Lucía Garibaldi's latest film, 'A Bright Future', making its world premiere at Tribeca, offers a compelling exploration of rebellion and belonging through the lens of a South American neighborhood that feels both intimately familiar and strangely otherworldly. Our conversation with the Uruguayan writer-director delves into her distinctive approach to crafting a narrative backdrop that blends reali...

Rowan Haber's documentary 'We Are Pat' explores the intricacies of identity and representation in the film industry through the lens of Julia Sweeney's groundbreaking character Pat. As the Tribeca Film Festival premieres approach, we delve into how this character became a cultural touchstone that reflects the evolving conversation around gender non-conformity, examining its unexpected relevance in...

Navigating the choppy waters of modern communication while attempting to craft a film about it can feel like trying to tame a wild goose—an exercise in futility and occasional hilarity. Brian Crano and David Joseph Craig, the duo behind the lens of 'I Don't Understand You,' dive deep into the intricacies of their creative process. Our conversation with the two reveals how they tackled the overwhel...