Send us a text Today's episode is my conversation about the 1927 film Wings. My friend Kevin Pettit from the See You At The Movies newsletter joins me to discuss the film and we talk about some of the most impressive special effects in early films, the various aspects of love between many of the characters in the film, and someone who has way too m…

Send us a text Today's episode is my 100th episode(!) and my conversation about the 1927 film 7th Heaven. My friend Maria Banson from the Brunello Bombshell newsletter joins me to discuss the film and we talk about the connection between Janet Gaynor and Charles Farrell that began with this film, the religious undertones that keep cropping up throu…

Send us a text In today's episode, I interview Victoria Warmerdam and Trent, the director and producer of the short film "I'm Not a Robot," a story of a woman who discovers that she might just be a robot and how she deals with that realization. Listen to hear about the inspiration for the film straight from Victoria's own experience, the wonderful …

Send us a text Today's episode is my conversation about the 1927 film Sunrise: The Song of Two Humans. My friend Joe Cruz from the Joe's Video Club newsletter joins me to discuss the film and we talk about how modern filmmakers could take a lesson from Murnau in trusting the audience to understand the story based on visuals alone, how we disagree w…

Send us a text In today's episode, I interview Adam J. Graves, the director of the short film "Anuja," a story of two young sisters working in a garment factory in India. Listen to hear some staggering statistics about the number of children around the world engaged in child labor, the importance of casting the film from real children that live in …

Send us a text Today's episode is my conversation about the 1928 film The Last Command. My friend Vicki Lesley from the Meandering Over the Pebbles newsletter joins me to discuss the film and we talk about how actors were able to use their eyes to convey emotion in silent films, how audiences might have understood the film at the time, and how the …

Send us a text In today's episode, I interview Luke Shelley, Jenna-Louise Hawkins, and Sophie Stacey, the director, writer, and producer of the short film "What We Wished We Could Be," a story of a young couple dealing with illness as a result of contaminated blood. Listen to hear about Jenna-Louise's personal experience that inspired the story, so…

Send us a text The nominees for the 97rth Academy Awards are here. Take a listen to hear the full list, some fun trivia facts about the nominees, and my personal thoughts on the films that made the cut as well as those that were snubbed. You can check out the full list of nominees on my Substack newsletter at theoscarproject.substack.com. While you…

Send us a text Today's episode is my conversation about the 1927 film Underworld. My friend Jeff Kramer from The Death Star Human Resources Department Newsletter joins me to discuss the film and we talk about other films that start off with a heist like this one, how the idea of a mobster has changed over the last century of film, and some of the f…

Send us a text In the wake of the wildfires in Los Angeles, I wanted to leave some links to resources you can use if you are affected, or if you want to help those in need. I also provide a brief schedule update for the podcast in the next few weeks. LA Fire Mutual Aid Resources-central repository for all sorts of resources including meals, donatio…

Send us a text Today's episode is my conversation about the 1927 film Two Arabian Knights. My friend Shawna Carroll from Notes from Post newsletter joins me to discuss the film and we talk about the key players involved in the film (including someone you might know better as a famous monster), how you could easily remake this film with Bugs Bunny a…

Send us a text Today's episode is my conversation about the 1928 film Tempest. My friend Amanda Kusek from The 90-Minute Movie newsletter joins me to discuss the film and we talk about the nature of shifting character dynamics throughout a film, how we see historical events through the lens of film, and almost being able to hear the voice of an act…

Send us a text In today's episode, I interview Hannah Beach, Phoebe Campbell-Harris, and Sophie Stacey, the director, writer, and producer of the short film "A Matter of Minutes," a story of a young woman facing a life threatening situation at a house party. Listen to hear about Phoebe's personal experience that inspired the story, how the film use…

Send us a text Today's episode is a rundown of all the biggest films (and some not so big) that will be coming out in wide release in 2025. These dates are always subject to change, so be sure to subscribe to The Oscar Project newsletter to stay up to date on all the new releases coming your way each and every week.…

Send us a text Happy New Year! The Oscar Project returns to its origins today with a conversation about the 1928 film Street Angel. My friend Beth Lisogorsky from Beth's TV & Film Recommendations joins me to discuss the film and we talk about some modern analogues to the love story, how certain stars were able to make the transition from silent to …

Send us a text It's time for my 2024 podcast year in review where I count down the 12 most listened to episode of the year. Check back in this podcast feed for all the episodes mentioned.

Send us a text Today's episode is the first of several year end episodes where I recap 2024 and look ahead into 2025. First up are my top 10s of 2024 where my lists include: Top movie books I read in 2024 Top short film of 2024 Biggest surprises and disappointments of 2024 Top first time watches in 2024 Top films of 2024 Be sure to check out my Sub…

Send us a text I am joined on the podcast today by fellow Substack author Vicki Lesley where we sit down to discuss 2024 in documentaries. We review the Oscar short lists that were announced earlier this week, and talk about a few of our favorites as well as some of the titles that were missing from these lists. The full list of short listed docume…

Send us a text In today's episode, I look over the Oscar shortlists for ten categories that were released by The Academy this morning and provide initial reactions. The categories with announced shortlists are: Documentary Feature Documentary Short Subject International Feature Makeup and Hairstyling Sound Original Score Original Song Animated Shor…

Send us a text In today's episode, I interview Aryasb Feiz, the director of the short film "Tomorrow," a story of a young boy fighting for survival in the streets of Shiraz in the 1970s. The film is currently qualified for the 97th Academy Awards. Listen to hear a little bit about the meaning behind the title of the film, the ideas behind the devel…

Send us a text In today's episode, I interview Nebojsa Slijepcevic, the director of the short film "The Man Who Could Not Remain Silent," a story of one man who decided to stand up for those being persecuted unfairly. The film is currently qualified for the 97th Academy Awards. Listen to hear about the inspiration for the film and the true story it…

Send us a text In today's episode, I interview Isaac Bell, Emiliano Bolado, and Madalyn Horcher, three of the creative forces behind the short film "Over the Board," a story of two long lost brothers who connect over a shared interest in chess. Isaac stars with his twin brother Elijah (who sadly was not available to join the conversation) and the f…

Send us a text In today's episode, I interview Marco Pergeo, the director of the short film "Dovecote," a intimate look at one woman's preparation to leave prison. Filmed in a working women's prison in Venice and featuring actual inmates, the film stars Zoe Saldaña and is qualified for the 97th Academy Awards. Listen to hear about how Marco came to…

Send us a text In today's episode, I interview Akshit Kumar, the director of the short film "bonVoyage pour monVoyage," an experimental film animating Akshit's travels. The film received the bronze medal in the experimental/alternative category at the 2024 Student Academy Awards. Listen to hear about the some of the Akshit's travels, the process of…

Send us a text 17 years ago today, my wife Denise and I lost our first son Jackson and it was by far the hardest thing either of us has ever been through. I asked her to come on the podcast with me to tell Jackson's story to the world and help me remember him on this very difficult day. If you have a story related to premature birth or anything sim…

Send us a text In today's episode, I interview Neal Fischer, author of two new movie trivia books, The Rom-Com Ultimate Movie Trivia Book and the Christmas Movie Ultimate Trivia Book. He also hosts two podcasts, Triviality and Curated by Chance. Listen to hear about what goes into creating trivia questions for books like these, a bit about Neal's e…

Send us a text In today's episode, I interview Aaron Johnson, the director of the short film "The 17%," a documentary about Colette Divitto, a young woman with Downs Syndrome and her successful cookie business. The film received the silver medal in the documentary category at the 2024 Student Academy Awards. Listen to hear about the some of the peo…

Send us a text In today's episode, I interview Florian Maurice, Maxime Foltzer, and Estelle Bonnardel, the directors of the short film "Au Revoir Mon Monde," an animated film about a man in a fish costume trying to reach the woman he loves before the world ends. The film received the gold medal in the animation category at the 2024 Student Academy …

Send us a text In today's episode, I interview Rishabh Raj Jain, the director of the short film "A Dream Called Kushi (Happiness)," a documentary about a one young woman seeking an opportunity to escape a Rohingya refugee camp in Bangladesh and receive education in the West. The film received the bronze medal in the documentary category at the 2024…

Send us a text In today's episode, I interview Hannah Rafkin, the director of the short film "Keeper," a documentary about one man's effort to keep bees in the Bronx while raising his daughters as a single father. The film received the gold medal in the documentary category at the 2024 Student Academy Awards. Listen to hear about how a small 5-minu…

Send us a text In today's episode, I interview Jens Kevin Georg, the director of the short film "Crust" which tells the story of a young boy in search of his first scar. The film received the silver medal in the narrative category at the 2024 Student Academy Awards. Listen to hear about the inspiration for the film, how he knew he had selected the …

Send us a text In today's episode, I interview Sarah Blok, the director of the short film "Trouble" which explores the story of a family dealing with changing relationships amid the separation of the two parents. The film was a finalist for the 2024 Student Academy Awards. Listen to hear about the involvement of two actors in casting the film, how …

Send us a text In today's episode, I interview Jamie O’Rourke, the director of the short film "Calf." The film looks at a topic that is extremely relevant to many people around the world today, yet not talked about nearly enough and is it qualified for the 97th Academy Awards. Listen to hear about the inspiration for the film in working on a docume…

Send us a text In today's episode, I interview Kirsten Slemint, the director of the short film "Burnt Country" which explores the threat of wildfire in Australia and the indigenous population who works hard to help manage the threat. The film was a finalist for the 2024 Student Academy Awards. Listen to hear about the editorial decision to juxtapos…

Send us a text In today's episode, I interview Bartłomiej Błaszczyński, the director of the short film "Take Me to Her" which explores the story of a woman who has gone through an incredible loss, and struggles to deal with it. The film was a finalist for the 2024 Student Academy Awards. Listen to hear about the genesis of the story of the film, a …

Send us a text In honor of the Student Academy Awards that took place this past Monday October 14th, I'm providing a quick recap of the winners. You'll also hear a little bit of my interviews from earlier this year with two of the winners and some thoughts on the ceremony experience itself. Check out my previous interviews with Robin Wang and Birdy…

Send us a text In today's episode, I interview Tom Potter, the director of the experimental short film "Lullaby for the Lost" which explores the memories of a man who is beginning to forget his mother. The film was a finalist for the 2024 Student Academy Awards. Listen to hear some incredible thoughts on dreams and memories, some very manual tactic…

Send us a text In today's episode, I interview Luke Morgan, the director of the short film "The Boat." The film is based on a heartbreaking true story of a father who must make a difficult choice when his daughter begins exhibiting troubling medical symptoms and is it qualified for the 97th Academy Awards. Listen to hear about the work that Luke an…

Send us a text In today's episode, I interview Birdy Wei-Ting Hung, the director of the experimental short film "A Brighter Summer Day for the Lady Avengers." The film looks at the experience of a young girl in 1980s Taiwan and won a gold award at the 2024 Student Academy Awards. Listen to hear how the film was inspired by two other films, how impo…

Send us a text 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 …

Send us a text 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 fil…

Send us a text 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 impor…

Send us a text 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…

Send us a text 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,…

Send us a text 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 t…

Send us a text In today's episode, I interview Loïc Girault and Anna Danton, two of the creators of the film "Coquille," an animated short that follows an adorable little hermit crab looking for safety on the beach. The film was selected as a finalist for the 2024 Student Academy Awards. Listen to hear about how the inspiration for the film in Loïc…

Send us a text In today's episode, I interview Roger Torres about his film "Irma," a personal story of family dealing with difficult choices that is based on his own life. The film was selected as a semifinalist for the 2024 Student Academy Awards. Listen to hear about how the intense personal experience that inspired Roger's film, how he used that…

Send us a text In today's episode, I interview Luke Salewski about his film "The Lights Above," a genre crossing short film set in Los Angeles in the early day of 1942. The film was selected as a finalist for the 2024 Student Academy Awards. Listen to hear about how Luke and his team creatively sourced their period furniture, a last minute casting …

Send us a text In today's episode, I interview Tomás Orrego about his film "Fever," an experimental short film that was selected as a semifinalist for the 2024 Student Academy Awards. Listen to hear about the bold design choices employed in the film, how the film evolved based on budget and time constraints, and how music and sound play a part in t…

Send us a text 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 an…