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Explore every episode of the podcast The Oscar Project Podcast

Dive into the complete episode list for The Oscar Project Podcast. Each episode is cataloged with detailed descriptions, making it easy to find and explore specific topics. Keep track of all episodes from your favorite podcast and never miss a moment of insightful content.

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TitlePub. DateDuration
2.38 Filmmaker Interview with Louisa Connolly-Burnham04 Oct 202400:19:00

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In today's episode, I interview Louisa Connolly-Burnham the director of the short film "Sister Wives," an exploration of the dynamics between two women in a polygamous relationship as they explore their love for each other.

Listen to hear about the real life cult the film is based on, the process of casting a film with the intention of playing one of the main characters, and the how she came across the perfect little log cabin for filming the story.

Books mentioned in this episode include:

Films mentioned in this episode include:

The film showed at Hollyshorts in Los Angeles this summer and will be showing at the London Breeze Film Festival from October 23-27 and the North East International Film Festival from November 18-24. The film will also be available in the US on Film4 later this year.

Follow the film on Instagram @sisterwivesfilm for updates on screenings and festival selections and follow Louisa @louisaconnollyburnham.

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2.37 Filmmaker Interview with Daniel Salas01 Oct 202400:20:43

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In today's episode, I interview Daniel Salas the director of the experimental short film "WIRED," a surreal look at the impact technology can have on a person. The film was selected as a finalist for the 2024 Student Academy Awards.

Listen to hear how the film changed in the editing process, some of the challenges in shooting the film in just three days, and the importance of the sound supporting the visuals of the film.

Books mentioned in this episode include:

Films mentioned in this episode include:

Follow Daniel on Instagram @des_alas for updates on screenings and festival selections this fall.

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2.28 Filmmaker Interview with Robin Wang30 Aug 202400:25:40

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In today's episode, I interview Robin Wang about his film "Neither Donkey Nor Horse," a blending of historical fiction with science fiction. The film was selected as a finalist for the 2024 Student Academy Awards.

Listen to hear about how the story of Dr. Wu helped Robin become unstuck during Covid lockdown, parallels between 1910 and 2020, and the meaning behind the phrase "neither donkey nor horse."

You can check out Robin's film at the Telluride Film Festival this weekend on Saturday August 31st at 9 AM or the St. Louis International Film Festival in November.

Books mentioned in this episode include:

Films mentioned in this episode include:

Follow Robin Wang on Instagram @robin_z_wang

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2.27 Filmmaker Interview with Lu Lu27 Aug 202400:18:38

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In today's episode, I interview Lu Lu about her film "Invocation," a story of dealing with life's changes based on her own personal experiences. The film was selected as a semifinalist for the 2024 Student Academy Awards.

Listen to hear about the inspiration for the film rooted in her own experience, the importance of the Miao people in Guizhou to the development of the story, and what I think is the most practical dinner party yet recommended on The Oscar Project.

Films mentioned in this episode include:

Follow Lu Lu on Instagram @grooffe_llu.

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2.26 Filmmaker Interview with Dur Jamjoom20 Aug 202400:20:14

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In today's episode, I interview director Dur Jamjoom about her film "Kum-Kum," a story of loss and grief built from her own personal experiences. The film was featured at the Tribeca Film Festival back in June.

Listen to hear about the inspiration for the film, how her grandmother helped influence an important part of the film, and two versions of Tom Hanks coming to dinner.

Books recommended in this episode include:

  • Say Nothing by Patrick Radden Keefe
  • Oliver Twist by Charles Dickens
  • Crying in H Mart by Michelle Zauner

Films mentioned in this episode include:

  • “Kum-Kum” directed by Wendi Tang
  • The Grand Budapest Hotel directed by Wes Anderson
  • Brotherhood directed by Meryam Joobeur
  • The Girl with the Needle directed by Magnus von Horn
  • Toy Story directed by John Lasseter
  • Forrest Gump directed by Robert Zemeckis
  • Scarface directed by Brian De Palma

Follow Dur on Instagram @dur_jamjoom.

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2.25 Filmmaker Interview with Wendi Tang06 Aug 202400:18:02

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In today's episode, I interview director Wendi Tang about her film "Fishtank," a surreal story about a woman struggling to remain sober, but for some reason she can't stop vomiting goldfish. The film will be showing this August at the Flickers Rhode Island International Film Festival and the HollyShorts Film Festival.

Listen to hear about the inspiration for the film, the importance of close collaboration between practical and visual effects, and a very Marvel dinner party.

Books recommended in this episode include:

Films mentioned in this episode include:

  • “Fishtank” directed by Wendi Tang
  • Life of Pi directed by Ang Lee
  • Interstellar directed by Christopher Nolan
  • Soul directed by Pete Docter
  • X-Men directed by Bryan Singer
  • Doctor Strange directed by Scott Derrickson
  • Guardians of the Galaxy directed by James Gunn

Follow the film on Instagram @fishtank.mov and Wendi @_wenditang.

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2.24 Filmmaker Interview with Rebecca King and Nina Yndis02 Aug 202400:29:28

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In today's episode, I interview director Rebecca King and actress/producer Nina Yndis about their film "Elsa" about a tense love triangle between a Norwegian civilian woman, her adoring neighbor and a German soldier during World War II. The film will be showing this August at the Flickers Rhode Island International Film Festival.

Listen to hear about where Rebecca and Nina got the inspiration for the story, what challenges they faced making the film, and if they worried about sharing the name of their film with a certain animated character.

Books recommended in this episode include:

Films mentioned in this episode include:

  • “Elsa” directed by Rebecca King
  • High and Low directed by Akira Kurosawa
  • Ratatouille directed by Brad Bird
  • Parasite directed by Bong Joon-ho
  • Burning directed by Lee Chang-dong
  • Cabaret directed by Bob Fosse
  • Pulp Fiction directed by Quentin Tarantino
  • Joker directed by Todd Phillips
  • Toy Story directed by John Lasseter
  • Babe directed by Chris Noonan
  • Frozen directed by Jennifer Lee and Chris Buck
  • Bean directed by Mel Smith
  • Grease directed by Randal Kleiser

Follow the film on Instagram @womenlikeelsa. Rebecca is @rebeccajking_ and Nina is @ninayndis.

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2.23 HollyShorts 2024 Preview30 Jul 202400:12:51

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As I gear up for a series of interviews with filmmakers featured at the 2024 HollyShorts Film Festival, I'm kicking off this coverage by bringing you a few interviews that I did with some of this year's filmmakers that I already spoke with previously on the podcast. If you like these excerpts, check out the full episodes below:

Be sure to check out their work at the HollyShorts Film Festival if you're in Los Angeles this August.

Check out this information about the "Red, White and Blue" impact campaign.

Rent "Red, White and Blue" today.

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2.22 Filmmaker Interview with Dana Koops23 Jul 202400:20:02

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In today's episode, I interview director Dana Koops about her upcoming short film “La Bibliothèque” an intimate look at a young woman dealing with grief. The film has its world premiere at ComicCon this July 28th as part of the San Diego International Children's Film Festival.

Listen to hear about how Dana's inspiration for the film, how she went about casting someone to play her brother, and a very magical dinner party.

Books recommended in this episode include:

Films mentioned in this episode include:

  • “La Bibliothèque” directed by Dana Koops
  • The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King directed by Peter Jackson
  • The Quiet Girl directed by Colm Bairéad
  • You've Got Mail directed by Nora Ephron
  • Black Panther directed by Ryan Coogler
  • Black Panther: Wakanda Forever directed by Ryan Coogler
  • The Artful Dodger
  • Thor directed by Kenneth Branagh
  • Loki Season 2
  • Anne of Green Gables directed by Kevin Sullivan
  • Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them directed by David Yates
  • The Amazing Spider-Man directed by Marc Webb
  • Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children directed by Tim Burton
  • Good Omens

Follow Dana on Instagram @danakoops.

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2.21 Filmmaker Interview with Antonina Kerguelén Román04 Jun 202400:29:18

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In today's episode, I interview director Antonina Kerguelén Román about her short film “¡salsa!” a look at the world of music through the experience of someone who cannot hear. The film will be shown at the Tribeca Film Festival in New York this June.

Listen to hear about how Antonina explored experiencing music as a physical sensation through a character who cannot hear, the decisions that went into the sound design of the film, and her own memories of visiting the coast of Columbia growing up.

Books recommended in this episode include:

Films mentioned in this episode include:

Follow Antonina and the film on Instagram @antoninakr and @salsashortfilm.

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2.20 Filmmaker Interview with Courtney Dixon28 May 202400:15:09

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In today's episode, I interview director Courtney Dixon about her short documentary "Depression is a Beast," a frank look at how horror films can help people cope with anxiety and depression. The film was inspired by a New York Times article and will be shown at the Tribeca Film Festival in New York this June.

Listen to hear about how Courtney starts exploring her documentary subjects, how actor Jenna Kanell uses her horror roles to help deal with her depression, and how Courtney uses visuals, sound, and animation to tell the story in this short film.

Books recommended in this episode include:

Films mentioned in this episode include:

Follow Courtney and the film on Instagram @courtneydixon and @depressionisabeast.

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2.19 Filmmaker Interview with Julia Aks and Steve Pinder22 May 202400:28:23

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In today's episode, I interview the writer/director pair of Julia Aks and  Steve Pinder about their short film "Jane Austen's Period Drama," a hilarious comedy about well, periods, set in England two centuries ago. The film played at the Santa Barbara International Film Festival in February and will be shown at the Tribeca Film Festival in New York this June.

Listen to hear about how Julia and Steve collaborate on their comedy, some of the challenges they faced making the film, and  what we might be able to expect in a feature length version of this film.

Books recommended in this episode include:

Films mentioned in this episode include:

Follow the film on Instagram @janeaustensperioddrama along with Julia @jaksicle and Steve @stevecpinder. Also check out their videos on YouTube.

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2.36 Filmmaker Interview with Zac Lazarou27 Sep 202400:16:39

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In today's episode, I interview Zac Lazarou the director of the short documentary "The Undertakers," an beautiful look at the underappreciated world of vultures in Africa. The film was selected as a finalist for the 2024 Student Academy Awards.

Listen to learn a bit about the important place vultures hold in the ecosystems, the importance of the music in creating the mood of the film, and the goal of the film as it relates to hope versus reality.

Books mentioned in this episode include:

Films mentioned in this episode include:

Check out the film at the following film festivals this fall:

Follow Luke on Instagram @zacwildfilm.

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2.18 Filmmaker Interview with Nick Russell and Nick Musgrove14 May 202400:31:33

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In today's episode, I interview director Nick Russell and writer Nick Musgrove, about their short film "Favourites,"  about parents who are forced to make an impossible choice. The film has been showing at festivals including Australia's Flickerfest and the San Diego International Film Festival and will be shown at the Tribeca Film Festival in New York this June.

Listen to hear Nick and Nick discuss his how they developed the story for the film together, their incredible crew that they worked with, and one of the craziest dinner parties ever put together on The Oscar Project Podcast.

Books recommended in this episode include:

Films mentioned in this episode include:

Follow the film and Nick Russell on Instagram @favouritesfilm and @nickrussdog and follow Nick Musgrove on Twitter @Nickmusgrove

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2.17 Author Interview with Andrew Stanley Kiste16 Apr 202400:31:42

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In today's interview, I speak with Andrew Stanley Kiste, a campus life director and life long lover of all things Disney. He has written articles and books including Walt Disney and the 1964-1965 New York World’s Fair, and three volumes of A Historical Tour of Walt Disney World. He joins me today to talk about his new book, The Early Life of Walt Disney

Listen to hear how Walt Disney's father Elias impacted how Walt became the man we know, where Walt learned his storytelling and artistic abilities, and some of the early animated creations before Walt's famous mouse Mickey.
 
Books mentioned in this episode include:

Films mentioned in this episode include:

Follow Andrew on Facebook (@Andrew Kiste-Author) and check out his website and

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2.16 Movie Chat with Kyle, winner of the 2024 Oscars Prediction Contest04 Apr 202400:33:11

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In today's episode, I am joined by Kyle, the winner of the 2024 Oscar prediction contest on The Oscar Project. We talk about a little of everything including what we liked from the 96th Academy Awards, other movies from 2023 we enjoyed, and things we're looking forward to in 2024.
 
Books mentioned in this episode include:

The list of films we mentioned is too long to include in the show notes, but check out the full Letterboxd list for this episode. A few films mentioned in this episode include:

  • Oppenheimer directed by Christopher Nolan
  • Poor Things directed by Yorgos Lanthimos
  • The Creator directed by Gareth Edwards
  • Godzilla Minus One directed by Takashi Yamazaki
  • The Zone of Interest directed by Jonathan Glazer
  • The Killer directed by David Fincher
  • The Boy of the Heron directed by Hayao Miyazaki
  • Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse directed by Joaquim Dos Santos, Kemp Powers, and Justin K. Thompson
  • Maestro directed by Bradley Cooper
  • Killers of the Flower Moon directed by Martin Scorsese
  • 20 Days in Mariupol directed by Mstyslav Chernov
  • The Holdovers directed by Alexander Payne
  • "The Last Repair Shop" directed by Ben Proudfoot and Kris Bowers
  • May December directed by Todd Haynes
  • How to Blow Up a Pipeline directed by Daniel Goldhaber
  • Godland directed by Hlynur Pálmason
  • Anatomy of a Fall directed by Justine Triet
  • Society of the Snow directed by J. A. Bayona
  • Asteroid City directed by Wes Anderson
  • "The Wonderful Story of Henry Sugar" directed by Wes Anderson
  • Origin directed by Ava DuVernay
  • The Iron Claw directed by Sean Durkin

Check out Kyle on the Picture Box Cinema Hour Podcast with Gavin.

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2.15 Sadie Thompson-When it Rains, it Pours29 Mar 202400:14:47

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Today I am discussing the 1928 film Sadie Thompson. The film tells the story of Sadie Thompson, a woman of questionable moral character, and Mr. Davidson, the devout missionary who makes it his mission to reform her while they are both forced to stay on a remote Pacific island. Listen now to hear about the troubles the film faced in being made, how Swanson's performance can be related to her later work in Sunset Boulevard, and as always, my own thoughts about the film.

Resources:

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2.14 Author Interview with Lisa Stein Haven26 Mar 202400:20:00

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In today's interview, I speak with Lisa Stein Haven, a Professor of English at Ohio University and expert in all things Charlie Chaplin. She has written extensively on the actor and director and hosted the first international Charlie Chaplin conference ever held on American soil in 2010, the 100th anniversary of Charlie's first trip to America. In addition to several works on Charlie Chaplin, she has published books about hi brother Syd Chaplin and Max Linder. She joins the show to talk about her latest book, The Early Years of Charlie Chaplin: Final Shorts and First Features

Listen to hear how Chaplin dealt with the media when he was making movies, what type of person Chaplin truly was, and why Chaplin has been such an inspiration to actors over the last century.
 
Books mentioned in this episode include:

Films mentioned in this episode include:

Follow Lisa on Instagram (@lisasteinhaven) and check out her Amazon Author Page for links to all of her books.

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2.13-The Crowd-Love, Happiness, and Family Struggles24 Mar 202400:14:22

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As I announced in my spring preview episode earlier this week, today I am discussing the 1928 film The Crowd. The film focuses on the story of John and Mary Sims as they build a family together and face life's challenges in early 1900s New York City. Listen now to hear about the creative people behind the film, and as always, my own thoughts about the film.

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2.12 Spring Preview19 Mar 202400:03:08

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On today's episode, I give a quick preview of some of the things I'm working on for the podcast in the coming weeks a months. Be sure to subscribe to the show in your podcast player and follow The Oscar Project for all the updates.

I'm appearing on the next episode of The Playlist Project podcast with my friend Stacy. Check out her podcast all about the music people love at the link above.

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2.11 96th Academy Awards Recap12 Mar 202400:36:28

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With the 96th Academy Awards in the book, I am joined today by Luis Mendez to discuss all the happenings at the Oscars on Sunday night.

Check out Luis at The Mendez Report and follow him on Instagram, Twitter, Threads, and Letterboxd.

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2.10 96th Academy Awards Preview09 Mar 202400:19:56

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It's time for me to break down who I think will win at the Oscars this weekend. In this episode I go over all 23 categories, letting you know who I think will win the Oscar and who I think should win. They don't always match, so listen in to win your Oscar prediction pool!

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2.9 Filmmaker Interview with Vincent René-lortie27 Feb 202400:22:22

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In today's episode, I interview Vincent René-lortie, the director of "Invincible",  an ode to the memory of Marc-Antoine Bernier and the tale of a young man yearning for his freedom. The film is nominated for Best Live Action Short Film at the 96th Academy® Awards after winning Best Live Action Short Film at Chicago Children’s Film Festival in 2022 and Rendez-vous Québec Cinéma in 2023 .

Listen to hear Vincent discuss his personal connection to the story, how he got to work with some tremendous young actors and how he has dealt with being an Oscar nominee.

Books recommended by Vincent include:

Films mentioned in this episode include:

Follow Vincent on Instagram @vincentrenelortie and the film Invincble @invincibleshortfilm

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2.35 Filmmaker Interview with Julia Grupińska, Tian Westraad, and Ezequiel Garibay24 Sep 202400:21:30

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In today's episode, I interview Julia Grupińska, Tian Westraad, and Ezequiel Garibay, three of the five directors of the short film "El Ombligo de la Luna." The short animated film is a heartwarming story of a boy reconnecting with his long lost father and was selected as a finalist for the 2024 Student Academy Awards.

Listen to hear about how the team found the perfect voice for one of their main characters, the meaning of the title of the film, and what movies the directors all agree on as some of their favorites.

Books mentioned in this episode include:

Films mentioned in this episode include:

You can check out the film on YouTube and find the work of Aldo Martínez who composed the music for the film on SoundCloud and Instagram.

Follow the film on Instagram @luna.gobelins, Julia @juliagrupinska, Tian @tian.ouest, and Ezequiel @ezequiel_garibay.

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2.8 Filmmaker Interview with Nazrin Choudhury23 Feb 202400:31:47

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In today's episode, I interview Nazrin Choudhury, the director of "Red, White and Blue",  the story of a single mother in Arkansas who must cross state lines in search of an abortion. After winning the Grand Jury Award for Best Live Action Short at the Edmonton International Film Festival, the film is nominated for Best Live Action Short Film at the 96th Academy® Awards.

Listen to hear Nazrin discuss how she decided to make this impactful film, what she was able to bring from working in television to making a short film, and her experience of being announced as an Oscar nominee.

Books recommended by Nazrin include:

Films mentioned in this episode include:

Follow Nazrin on Instagram @nazrin.choudhury and the film Red, White and Blue @redwhiteandbluefilm

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2.7 Author Interview with Ryan Britt14 Feb 202400:25:44

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In today's interview, I speak with Ryan Britt, a fiction and non-fiction author who has written for Inverse, Esquire, The New York Times, and StarTrek.com, among others. His first two books were Luke Skywalker Can’t Read and Other Geeky Truths and PHASERS ON STUN! How the Making and Remaking of Star Trek Changed the World. He joins me to talk about his latest book, The Spice Must Flow: The Story of Dune, from Cult Novels to Visionary Sci-Fi Movies.

Listen to hear how Dune might have been different if it was published today, the genesis of Dune in the coastal seagrass of Oregon, and how the various film versions of Dune have had success or failure.
 
Books mentioned in this episode include:

Films mentioned in this episode include:

Follow Ryan on Twitter (@RyancBritt) or Instagram (@ryan.britt) and check him out at the Tucson Book Festival on March 9th.

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2.6 Filmmaker Interview with Misan Harriman09 Feb 202400:18:52

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In this week's episode, I interview Misan Harriman, the director of "The After", a powerful and affecting story that follows a man who has to reconnect with himself and society after witnessing a devastating random attack. After its world premier at the Oscar®-qualifying HollyShorts Film Festival, where it won Best Live Action Short, this incredibly thought-provoking short film is officially nominated for the 96th Academy Awards and Misan is kind enough to join me today and talk about the film. 

Listen to hear Misan discuss his inspiration for the film, what he experienced being a first time filmmaker, and how he felt at being nominated for an Oscar.

Films mentioned in this episode include:

Follow Misan on Instagram @misanharriman

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2.5 Filmmaker Interview with Jean Chapiro06 Feb 202400:15:04

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In this week's episode, I interview Jean Chapiro, recipient of the Bronze Medal in the Documentary category at the 2023 Student Academy Awards. She was recognized for her film "Till We Find Them" which looks at the families of missing persons in Mexico as they look for their loved ones.

Listen to hear Jean discuss what drew her to documentary film, the dangers of documenting the missing persons crisis in Mexico, and what her favorite documentary film is.
 
Books mentioned in this episode include:

Films mentioned in this episode include:

Follow Jean on Instagram @jean.chap

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2.4 2023 Podcast Year in Review30 Jan 202400:27:39

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As we near the end of January, I'm looking back at 2023. I interviewed 10 amazing authors about their books and spoke with six filmmakers as well. There was so much new content on The Oscar Project Podcast, it was hard to pick the best bits, but here are some of my favorite parts of the interviews from 2023.

Be sure to pick up the books from all these guests and support their work.

And of course, check out the work of my filmmaker interviewees

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2.3 96th Academy Awards Nominees23 Jan 202400:10:30

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The nominees for the 96th Academy Awards were announced early this morning. The nominees come from 53 films across 23 categories and cover all sorts of films from dramas to comedies, blockbusters to indie darlings. There will be plenty more to come from The Oscar Project in the next month and a half, but for today, let’s just get straight to the nominees!

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2.2 Author Interview with Katie Gee Salisbury17 Jan 202400:28:19

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In today's interview, I speak with Katie Gee Salisbury, a writer and photographer whose work has appeared in the New York Times, Vanity Fair, The Believer, and the Asian American Writers’ Workshop. She also writes the newsletter Half-Caste Woman. She has spoken about her work at the Museum of Chinese in America, Barnard College, New York University, and gave a TED Talk entitled “As American as Chop Suey.” She joins me today to talk about her first book, Not Your China Doll: The Wild and Shimmering Life of Anna May Wong

Listen to hear how Anna May Wong reinvented herself and took control of her career when Hollywood wouldn't cast her in leading roles and how she changed her approach to portraying Asian characters after visiting China.
 
Books mentioned in this episode include:

Films mentioned in this episode include:

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2.1 Author Interview with Saul Austerlitz03 Jan 202400:26:14

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Happy New Year! It's my first interview author of 2024, and today I speak with Saul Austerlitz, a freelance writer whose work has been published in the New York Times, Esquire, Vanity Fair, and Rolling Stone. He is an adjunct professor of writing and comedy history at New York University, and the author of Generation Friends, Just a Shot Away, Sitcom, Another Fine Mess, and Money for Nothing. He joins me today to talk about his new book, Kind of a Big Deal: How Anchorman Stayed Classy and Became the Most Iconic Comedy of the Twenty-First Century.

Listen to hear the how Adam McKay and Will Farrell created some of the most memorable scenes in the film, how the film uses the character of Veronica to comment on the male dominated newsroom culture, and why the early 2000s spawned so many great comedy films. Follow Saul's Substack called Hope in the Dark.
 
Books mentioned in this episode include:

  • Wild and Crazy Guys: How the Comedy Mavericks of the '80s Changed Hollywood Forever by Nick de Semlyen
  • Freaks, Gleeks, and Dawson's Creek: How Seven Teen Shows Transformed Television by Thea Glassman
  • The Deluge by Stephen Markley
  • The Heaven & Earth Grocery Store by James McBride

Films mentioned in this episode include:

  • Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy directed by Adam McKay
  • Monty Python directed by Terry Jones & Terry Gilliam
  • Don't Look Up directed by Adam McKay
  • Anchorman 2: The Legend Continues directed by Adam McKay
  • Wake Up, Ron Burgundy: The Lost Movie directed by Adam McKay
  • The 40-Year-Old Virgin directed by Judd Apatow
  • Superbad directed by Greg Mottola
  • Marvel Cinematic Universe
  • Star Wars Franchise
  • Bridesmaids directed by Paul Feig
  • Bottoms directed by Emma Seligman
  • Barbie directed by Greta Gerwig
  • City Lights directed by Charlie Chaplin
  • The Shop Around the Corner directed by Ernst Lubitsch
  • Wes Anderson Netflix shorts
  • Rushmore directed by Wes Anderson
  • Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby directed by Adam McKay

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1.24 Thanksgiving Special Filmmaker Interview with the creators of "Boom"25 Nov 202300:21:47

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In my third and final part of the Thanksgiving special, I interview four of the five creators of the animated short film "Boom," which won the Gold Medal in animation at the 2023 Student Academy Awards.

Listen to hear the team discuss the process for developing the story, what they enjoyed about visiting Los Angeles, and some of the movies that have inspired them.

Follow them on Instagram:

Books mentioned in this episode include:

Films mentioned in this episode include:



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1.23 Thanksgiving Special Filmmaker Interview with Iain Forbes23 Nov 202300:13:27

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In the my second of the three part Thanksgiving special, I interview Iain Forbes, recent recipient of the Silver Medal in the Narrative category at the 2023 Student Academy Awards. He was recognized for his film "Revisited" which explores how a family reacts when the father they thought was dead for 20 years suddenly returns to their home.

Listen to hear Iain discuss the inspiration for the film, how he went about casting this film and one of the most interesting dinner parties we've come up with on the podcast.
 
Books mentioned in this episode include:

Films mentioned in this episode include:



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2.34 Filmmaker Interview with Luke Purdye20 Sep 202400:43:38

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In today's episode, I interview Luke Purdye the director of the short documentary "Mail Order Queens," an intimate film about the world of beekeeping. The film was selected as a finalist for the 2024 Student Academy Awards.

Listen to get a brief overview of honeybee history, the challenges of working with an animal like the honeybee, and just how many times a director can expect to get stung when making a documentary about bees and beekeeping.

Books mentioned in this episode include:

Films mentioned in this episode include:

Check out the film at the following film festivals this fall:

Follow Luke on Instagram @lukepurdye and send him a message to get information about private screenings in October. You can also check out his website at https://www.lukepurdye.com/.

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1.22 Thanksgiving Special Filmmaker Interview with Giorgio Ghiotto21 Nov 202300:16:00

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In the first of a three part Thanksgiving special, I interview Giorgio Ghiotto, recent recipient of the Gold Medal in the Documentary category at the 2023 Student Academy Awards. He was recognized for his film "Wings of Dust" which shines a spotlight on the activism of Vidal Merma, an independent journalist in Peru.

Listen to hear Giorgio discuss the challenges of making a student documentary, why he became interested in documentaries to begin with, and what his favorite documentary film is.
 
Books mentioned in this episode include:

Films mentioned in this episode include:

  • “Wings of Dust” directed by Giorgio Ghiotto
  • Cartel Land directed by Matthew Heineman
  • Shot Caller directed by Ric Roman Waugh
  • Creed directed by Ryan Coogler



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1.21 Author Interview with Nate Patrin07 Nov 202300:24:33

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In this author interview, I speak with Nate Patrin, a freelance writer based in St. Paul, Minnesota. He has covered nearly every imaginable genre of music for outlets including Bandcamp, Stereogum, Pitchfork, The Vinyl Factory, and Red Bull Music Academy. His first book Bring That Beat Back: How Sampling Built Hip-Hop was published in 2020, and he joins me today to talk about his new book, The Needle and the Lens: Pop Goes to the Movies from Rock 'n' Roll to Synthwave.

Listen to hear the importance of Lynch's first film Eraserhead to his career, what exactly a Lynchian film is, and why Lynch is a mystery even to himself.
 
Books mentioned in this episode include:


Films mentioned in this episode include:

  • Pulp Fiction directed by Quentin Tarantino
  • Casino directed by Martin Scorsese
  • Boogie Nights directed by Paul Thomas Anderson
  • Master of the Flying Guillotine directed by 
  • Dazed and Confused directed by 
  • Guardians of the Galaxy directed by James Gunn
  • Easy Rider directed by Dennis Hopper
  • American Graffiti directed by George Lucas
  • Killer of Sheep directed by Charles Burnett

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1.20 Author Interview with Ian Nathan #224 Oct 202300:28:15

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In this author interview, I speak with Ian Nathan for the second time on the podcast He joins me today to talk about his book, David Lynch: A Retrospective

Listen to hear the importance of Lynch's first film Eraserhead to his career, what exactly a Lynchian film is, and why Lynch is a mystery even to himself.
 
Books mentioned in this episode include:

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1.19 Author Interview with Andrew DeGraff10 Oct 202300:19:19

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In this author interview, I speak with Andrew DeGraff, a freelance illustrator and artist living and working in Maine. He graduated from Pratt Institute’s Communications Design program and returned to teach there from 2009 to 2014. His gallery work has been shown in cities around the world including New York, Philadelphia, San Francisco, Calgary, Mexico City, and the Philippines. He published his book Plotted: A Literary Atlas in 2015 and he joins me today to talk about his book, Cinemaps: An Atlas of 35 Great Movies.  

Listen to hear what exactly a Cinemap is, how long it takes to make a single map, and what some of the challenges are in putting together these unique pieces of art.
 
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1.18 Author Interview with Nat Segaloff26 Sep 202300:17:45

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In this author interview, I speak with Nat Segaloff is a writer, broadcaster, teacher, film historian, and raconteur with a varied background in motion picture publicity, journalism, producing, and covering up other people's mistakes. Having begun his career during the exciting transition between the old studios and the film generation of the New Hollywood, he provides both perspective and commentary on a wide range of subjects, many of them having to do with movies. He joins me today to talk about his upcoming book, Say Hello to My Little Friend: A Century of Scarface

Listen to hear how the original Scarface film was impacted by the beginning of the production code, and why people gravitate to characters like Tony Montana in film.
 
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1.17 The Racket: Cops vs. Robbers18 Sep 202300:09:06

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Regular episodes of The Oscar Project are back and this week I'm discussing the 1928 film The Racket. This story is adapted from a play of the same name and was considered one of the most important cop/gangster films of the time when it was released. Listen now to learn about the threats made against the creators and as always, my own thoughts about the film.

Look for more episodes every Monday as I finish out the rest of the films nominated for Oscars at the very first Academy Awards.

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1.16 Author Interview with Brad Weismann12 Sep 202300:17:55

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In this author interview, I speak with Brad Weismann, an award-winning writer and journalist who has also worked as a stand-up comic and improv actor. He’s contributed to publications and websites worldwide such as Senses of Cinema, Film International, Backstage, Movie Habit, Colorado Daily and Boulder Magazine. His first book, Lost in the Dark: A World History of Horror Films, was recently published by the University of Mississippi and he contributed to the critical collection 100 Years of Soviet Cinema. He joins me today to talk about his new book, Horror Unmasked: A History of Terror from Nosferatu to Nope

Listen to hear about what horror is, how horror films are similar to today's superhero films, and why the horror genre has been kept out of the Oscars (with very few exceptions).
 
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1.15 Author Interview with Koren Shadmi29 Aug 202300:19:43

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In this author interview, I speak with Koren Shadmi, the author of Bionic, Rise of the Dungeon Master, Gary Gygax and the Creation of D&D, and The Twilight Man: Rod Serling and the Birth of Television. He joins me today to talk about his graphic novel, Lugosi: The Rise & Fall of Hollywood’s Dracula.

Listen to hear about how Lugosi's history as an activist, how Lugosi's career might have been different had he played Frankenstein's monster, and why Dracula is such an enduring story for film adaptation.
 
Books mentioned in this episode include:

Films mentioned in this episode include:

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1.14 Author Interview with Ian Nathan15 Aug 202300:30:40

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In this author interview, I speak with Ian Nathan, the author of Stephen King at The Movies, Ridley Scott: A Retrospective and James Cameron: A Retrospective, and biographies of The Coen Brothers, Quentin Tarantino, and Wes Anderson. He is the former editor and executive editor of Empire, the world's biggest movie magazine, and a regular contributor to newspapers, magazines, and TV. He joins me today to talk about his new book coming out September 7th, Clint Eastwood: The Iconic Filmmaker and His Work

Listen to hear about how Eastwood fits in to both the old star tradition of Hollywood and the upstart filmmakers that came in the 1970s, how Eastwood can be considered a feminist filmmaker, and whether Eastwood will ever truly retire from filmmaking.
 
Books mentioned in this episode include:

Films mentioned in this episode include:

  • Dirty Harry directed by Don Siegel
  • Play Misty for Me directed by Clint Eastwood
  • The Gauntlet directed by Clint Eastwood
  • Million Dollar Baby directed by Clint Eastwood
  • Bird directed by Clint Eastwood
  • Flags of Our Fathers directed by Clint Eastwood
  • Letters From Iwo Jima directed by Clint Eastwood
  • Invictus directed by Clint Eastwood
  • The Outlaw Josey Wales directed by Clint Eastwood
  • Unforgiven directed by Clint Eastwood
  • Mystic River directed by Clint Eastwood
  • Rawhide (television series)
  • A Fistful of Dollars directed by Sergio Leone
  • For a Few Dollars More directed by Sergio Leone
  • The Good, the Bad and the Ugly directed by Sergio Leone
  • High Plaines Drifter directed by Clint Eastwood
  • Pale Rider directed by Clint Eastwood
  • Juror #2 directed by Clint Eastwood
  • Cry Macho directed by Clint Eastwood
  • Blade Runner directed by Ridley Scott
  • Paris, Texas directed by Wim Wenders
  • Miller’s Crossing directed by Joel and Ethan Coen
  • E.T. The Extraterrestrial directed by Steven Spielberg
  • Rear Window directed by Alfred Hitchcock
  • Quo Vadis directed by Mervyn LeRoy

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1.13 Author Interview with Kristen Lopez01 Aug 202300:18:40

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In this author interview, I speak with Kristen Lopez, the film editor at The Wrap whose articles have appeared at Variety, MTV, TCM, and Roger Ebert. She joins me today to talk about her latest book, But Have You Read the Book?, a look at fantastic books that have been made into films over the last 100 years.

Listen to hear about how Kristen went about picking the books to include in this project, where he desire to read the book before seeing the movie came from, and why she feels it's helpful to read the book first.
 
Books mentioned in this episode include:

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2.33 Author Interview with Craig Singer and Michael Benson17 Sep 202400:24:06

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In today's interview, I speak with Craig Singer and Michael Benson, authors of the upcoming book Moguls: The Lives and Times of Hollywood Film Pioneers Nicholas and Joseph Schenck.

Listen to hear about some of the famous Hollywood stars that rubbed elbows with the Schencks, how Nick Schenck preferred running his amusement park over the movies, and how generous Joe Schenck was to those in Hollywood who may have been down and out.
 
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Follow Michael on Facebook and Craig on Instagram @craigsinger1.

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1.12 Author Interview with Suzanne Ferriss18 Jul 202300:33:34

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In this author interview, I speak with Suzanne Ferriss whose first book about Sofia Coppola The Cinema of Sofia Coppola: Fashion, Culture, Celebrity was published in February 2021 and she edited The Bloomsbury Handbook to Sofia Coppola, which was published in early 2023. She joins me today to talk about her latest book, Lost in Translation from BFI Film Classics about Coppola’s film that celebrates its 20th anniversary this year.

Listen to hear about Suzanne’s approach to writing about Coppola’s work, the wealth of films she recommends, and thoughts on who might be a good fit to cast in Lost in Translation if it were made today.
 
Books mentioned in this episode include:

Films mentioned in this episode include:

John Kacere on Wikipedia, inspiration for the opening shot of Lost in Translation.

Video for Shawn Mendes's son

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1.11 Author Interview with Charlotte Booth & Brian Billington04 Jul 202300:21:43

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In my second author interview, I speak with guests Charlotte Booth and Brian Billington. Charlotte Booth is a professional writer of history books (including The History of the Undead, and How to Survive in Ancient Egypt), and was also an extra in a Bollywood movie. Brian Billington is an IT professional, amateur photographer, and a lover of movies who enjoys working out where those movies were filmed.

Over the years they’ve created personal movie location tours including Wells, Turin and London, and decided it was time to share this with others. They join me today to talk about their collaboration, The Movie Lover’s Guide to London.
 
Listen to hear about how Charlotte and Brian came up with the idea for the book, some diverging thoughts on James Bond, and the oddest dinner party guest list in film.
 
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1.10 Author Interview with Mia Mask20 Jun 202300:27:39

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It's a first for The Oscar Project, an interview with an author who writes about movies. Today's guest is Mia Mask, a professor at Vassar College where she teaches African American cinema, Documentary History, and seminars on topics including horror film and auteurs like Spike Lee, Charles Burnett and Ava DuVernay. She also teaches feminist film theory, African national cinemas, and other genre courses. Her commentary can be heard on NPR and her first book Divas on Screen: Black Women in American Film was published in 2009. Today she joins me to talk about her new book Black Rodeo: A History of the African American Western.

Listen to hear about Mia's work with Criterion, including getting to speak with actor Sidney Poitier, what three of her favorite westerns are, and much more.

Books mentioned in this episode include:

Films mentioned in this episode include:

Check out Wikipedia for more information about the Lobo Comics mentioned in the interview.

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1.9 The Patent Leather Kid: A Boxer goes to War10 Oct 202200:17:37

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My analysis of the 1927 film The Patent Leather Kid, starring Richard Barthelmess  and Molly O’Day.

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