We Need to Talk About Oscar

Festival season is in full swing, and this time, we had the pleasure of speaking with Miriam Shor and Josh Stamberg, the stars of Magic Hour , Jacqueline Christy's directorial debut, which premieres at this year's Santa Barbara International Film Festival. Miriam, who you might know from Younger , and Josh, who starred in Fleishman Is in Trouble and WandaVision , discuss the evolution of their act...

We're not used to seeing refreshing, high-quality movies (other than intended Oscar palyers) hit theatres in January, or as some like to call it, Dumpuary. Of course, there are always exceptions, like Paddington 1 and 2, Split , or Cloverfield. This January, on the brink of February, writer-director Drew Hancock’s feature debut, Companion , joins that list. The romcom-esque sci-fi thriller, starri...

As we rapidly approach the 40th Independent Spirit Awards, you'll hear a few conversations with this year's nominees. One of them is comedian, writer, director, and star of her own feature debut: Vera Drew! In our conversation with her, she shares the ups and downs of bringing The People's Joker to life—a film that defies not only genre but all expectations. Beyond that, Vera takes us on a trip do...

One of the few things the pandemic couldn’t put a stop to was creativity. Our next guest is a perfect example: first-time director Gala del Sol, who began developing her debut feature during a time of great uncertainty. Gala’s incredibly ambitious Rains Over Babel premieres at Sundance in the NEXT section, offering something fresh and new while working within a familiar story and structure. In our...

Three worlds, three dimensions? Not necessarily... However, director Flora Lau’s interpretation of the search for something both on a physical and spiritual level is exactly what we get to witness in Flora’s second feature LUZ . To up the ante, we haven’t been joined by this many guests before, as this time, in writer-director Flora Lau, producer Yvette Tang, actresses Sandrine Pinna and Huang Lu,...

We could write endlessly about why you should look out for Amanda Kramer's By Design , but we’ll let the film’s synopsis speak for itself: “A woman swaps bodies with a chair, and everyone likes her better as a chair.” Honestly, what more do you need to strap in and watch this hour and a half long film starring Juliette Lewis and Mamoudou Athie, narrated by Melanie Griffith?! Like all films, there...

Even though this year’s edition of the Sundance Film Festival has just kicked off, today marks the release of one of the buzziest titles from last year’s festival. We’re talking about none other than one of the two Steven Soderbergh movies to see the light of day (well, actually the silver screen), the technically ingenious, thematically spooky Presence ! Our guest today is someone who you might k...

As far as the art of cinematography goes, few are as accomplished or, dare I say, as revered as Edward Lachman. A frequent collaborator with Todd Haynes and a former partner to Paul Schrader and Steven Soderbergh, Ed has left an indelible mark on the craft. Today, we’re discussing Maria , the Angelina Jolie-led drama that marks Ed’s second collaboration with Chilean auteur Pablo Larraín following...

It’s one thing to make a film about tragic historical events, but it’s another to depict them gracefully and objectively. This is exactly what director Tim Fehlbaum, his crew, and the stellar ensemble of Peter Sarsgaard, John Magaro, Ben Chaplin, and Leonie Benesch set out to do in the movie September 5 . During our sit-down with Tim, he shared what led him to his third feature, his connection to...

Very few actors possess the level of versatility and underappreciation as Shea Whigham. From starring in indie gems like Wristcutters: A Love Story and Take Shelter to blockbuster franchises such as Mission: Impossible and acclaimed TV shows like Boardwalk Empire , Shea’s range is undeniable. Last June marked the Tribeca premiere of his team-up with Carrie Coon for Jeffrey Reiner’s crime dramedy L...

You probably know by now that we wouldn’t even risk not talking about the unexpected yet glorious return of VistaVision, with none other than The Brutalist cinematographer Lol Crawley! Brady Corbet’s third feature’s been the talk of the town ever since it’s buzzy Venice premiere and Silver Lion win. Lol tells us not only about his approach to photographing buildings, but what makes his collaborati...

Our coverage of one of 2024's most masterfully crafted films wouldn’t be complete without the mind responsible for executing its extraordinary visual language. So, with that, we present our breakdown of Nickel Boys , featuring cinematographer Jomo Fray. Among other things, Jomo tells us about how he is choosing projects, the evolution of the film’s unique look and the creative process behind...

2024's final episode features cinematographer Rina Yang, who joins us to discuss her work on The Fire Inside , the debut feature from cinematographer-turned-director Rachel Morrison. In our chat, we dig into the challenges of capturing the inspiring yet painfully real story of boxer Claressa Shields, from adapting to the Flint, Michigan setting to incorporating different lighting techniques i...

The Peanut Butter Falcon , you remember that one, right? Well, the directing duo of Michael Schwartz and Tyler Nilson are back with Los Frikis ! And what’s more punk than staying in the world of indies instead of chasing a big studio deal? In our in-depth conversation with the two, we dive into the creative decisions behind their follow-up to their debut feature, their choice to take a universal s...

We don't talk enough about the cinematography of documentaries. But we should. And this time, we did. Daughters premiered in January at Sundance and was released on Netflix in August. The film, co-directed by Natalie Rae and Angela Patton, centers on and follows four young girls preparing for a special Daddy-Daughter Dance with their incarcerated fathers. This event is part of a unique father...

The series adaptation of Gabriel García Márquez’s One Hundred Years of Solitude has captivated audiences for a week now in its highly anticipated series adaptation. While a story of this scale requires time to fully absorb, we’ve got a little “nudge” to help you dive deeper: our interview with the TV show’s cinematographers, Maria Sarasvati Herrera and Paulo Perez. In this conversation, they take...

To start the week strong, we sit down with cinematographer Markus Förderer and production designer Julian M. Wagner to discuss their work on Tim Fehlbaum’s September 5 . The duo shares their initial reactions to the script, how they approached the sensitive subject of the Munich massacre, and the extensive research that went into their technical and material decisions, in order to ensure that the...

After its world premiere in late August at the Telluride Film Festival, the adaptation of Colson Whitehead’s 2019 novel, Nickel Boys has taken festivals, awards season, and audiences by storm over the past few months. We had the opportunity to sit down with writer-director RaMell Ross after a screening and Q&A of the film at the Camerimage Festival, where it played as part of the Directors’ De...

Our coverage of Sing Sing is far from over! Why would it be? Awards season has just begun! This week, we’re joined by the film’s co-writer and producer, Clint Bentley. After his feature directorial debut, Jockey , Clint passed the director’s chair to his longtime collaborator, Greg Kwedar. In our conversation with Clint, we explored his and Greg’s working relationship, its dynamics, the delicacy a...

After lensing one of last year’s most unexpected yet remarkable double-feature pairings - Barbie and Killers of the Flower Moon - Rodrigo Prieto, widely regarded as one of his generation’s finest cinematographers, brings us his feature directorial debut, Pedro Páramo . This time around on the show, we had the privilege of sitting down with Rodrigo at Camerimage, the world’s No1 festival dedicated...

Following the widely successful stage production of August Wilson’s The Piano Lesson , Malcolm Washington has chosen the story as his feature directorial debut, with the film produced by his father, Denzel Washington, and Netflix. Three actors reprise their roles from the stage production, bringing their immense talent to the screen: Samuel L. Jackson, John David Washington, and, last but not leas...

Without a doubt one of 2024’s biggest cinematic events is The Substance . Coralie Fargeat’s body horror premiered at this year’s Cannes Film Festival to great critical acclaim and has been gathering more and more attention ever since. We managed to sit down with the film’s cinematographer Benjamin Kračun for an interview. If you’ve seen the film, you surely know just how gripping it looks and feel...

Despite Sean Baker’s impressive track record, his seventh feature, Anora , might be what brings him the next level of critical- and, more importantly, commercial- success. Baker, who shoots his projects on film, reteamed with DoP Drew Daniels for the second time after Red Rocket . Drew, whose work you might know from projects such as Waves or It Comes at Night (both directed by Trey Edward Shults)...

If you're wondering what legendary director Sam Raimi is up to these days (besides prepping his next project Send Help , rumored to star Rachel McAdams), he’s busy producing films. His latest project is Don’t Move , directed by Brian Netto and Adam Schindler, and headlined by Kelsey Asbille. In our conversation with Type AB, we touch on the duo's directing history, the production set in...

Spending too much time within the confines of your home, in front of your computer, might lead some to tell you to “touch some grass”. But what do you do when that’s not an option? You touch others’ hearts in the world of World of Warcraft and make a difference in the digital world that translates into the real one. That’s exactly what Mats 'Ibelin' Steen did during his short yet impactf...