The Oscar Project Podcast
A discussion of all the films nominated for Oscars, starting in 1929, plus interviews with filmmakers and authors writing about the film industry.
Episodes
In today's episode, I interview Luke Angus, director of the animated short film "Solstice." The film tells a story of loss and grief through the eyes of a lonely Inuit.
Listen to hear about how he started from the end of the story and worked backward, the challenges of getting certain visual elements just right, and a unique approach to scoring the film.
Books mentioned in this episode include:
Today's episode is my conversation about the 1930 film Song of the Flame. I'm joined by Taylor Lewis who writes the Luz Films newsletter, and we talk about how difficult it is to evaluate a film based on just the partial audio, how a film can take on a different focus when large parts are missing, and some music in the film that is incredibly recognizable even today.
You can listen to the surviving...
The nominees for the 98th 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're there, be sure to subscribe to the newsletter so you can get all the ...
In today's episode, I interview Simon Panay, director of the short film "The Boy With White Skin." The film explores the world of artisanal gold mines in West Africa and the beliefs and superstitions the miners have.
Listen to hear about the inspiration for the film in some of Simon's previous documentary work, the challenge of finding an albino child actor to fill the film's lead role, and cho...
Today's episode is my conversation about the 1930 film The Devil's Holiday. I'm joined by John DiLeo who previously appeared on the podcast talking about his latest book, Not Even Nominated, and we talk about several instances of overreactions throughout the film, how several scenes feel very out of place in the film, and how much Nancy Carroll drives the film with her performance.
You can watc...
In today's episode, I interview Christine La Monte, producer of two recent documentaries, Ai Weiwei's Turandot and the Oscar shortlisted Viva Verdi!.
Listen to hear about Christine's experience growing up listening to opera, what it was like working with a world renowned artist like Ai Weiwei, and the joy of finding new young filmmakers and helping them express their voice through film.
Books me...
Today's episode is my conversation about the 1930 film The Big Pond. I'm joined by James Kreul from the Moving Image Madison newsletter and we talk about the comparison between this and the other recent Maurice Chevalier films covered on the podcast (The Love Parade), how a film can achieve romance between two characters that don't appear on screen together for most of the movie, and how efficiently the...
In today's episode, I interview Jonny Durgan, director of the short film "G.S.W." The film stars Genevieve O'Reilly as a paramedic tasked with helping a gunshot wound victim who might be involved with a school shooting.
Listen to hear about why Jonny decided to make a film around this topic at this time, how he was able to land a dream casting choice, and the challenges of shooting a film about medi...
Today's episode is my conversation about the 1930 film All Quiet on the Western Front. I'm joined by Kyle Wilson from the Oscar Chaser newsletter and we talk about the challenges of making a film about WWI from the German perspective in the United States, how many of the greatest war movies are about what war does to a person and how they deal with going back to normal life after what they've seen in wa...
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 2026. 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.
It's time for my 2025 podcast year in review where discuss some of the popular episodes from this year. Take a listen to hear clips from my Oscar nominated movie discussions with Beth Lisogorsky, Kevin Pettit, Maria Banson, Jeff Kramer, Enrico Banson, and Amanda Kusek. You'll also hear parts of my interviews with Jonathan Hammond, Madison Hatfield, Aaron Blaise, Tatiana McCabe, Xindi Zhang, Sam and David Cut...
Today's episode is the first of several year end episodes where I recap 2025 and look ahead into 2026. First up are my top 10s of 2025 where my lists include:
- Top movie books I read in 2025
- Top short film of 2025
- Biggest surprises and disappointments of 2025
- Top first time watches in 2025
- Top films of 2025
Be sure to check out my Substack newsletter for full articles on each of these as we count down to the ne...
Today's episode is my conversation about the 1930 film The Divorcee. I'm joined by Beth Lisogorsky from the You Need to Watch This! newsletter and we talk about Norma Shearer's Oscar-nominated performance, how different the film might have been had it been released a few years later under the Hayes Production Code guidelines, and the complex set of relationships the film uses to delve into all sorts of ...
In today's episode, I interview Giovanna Ferrari, director of the animated short film "Éiru," her directorial debut which is currently on the shortlist for Best Animated Short Film for the 98th Academy Awards.
Listen to hear about the inspiration for the story that stemmed from Giovanna's own travels around the world, the importance of being willing to see the world through the eyes of people not li...
Today's episode is my conversation about the 1930 film King of Jazz. I'm joined by Matthew Brady from the Warren Peace newsletter and we talk about the use of color in this film that sets it apart for many other films of the time, the relative success of various comedy bits throughout the film, and how many of the sequences throughout are reminiscent of the vaudeville days.
You can watch King of Ja...
In today's episode, I interview Alex Thompson, director of the short film "Em & Selma Go Griffin Hunting," the story of a mother and daughter faced with difficult choices as they take part in a coming-of-age hunt set in a fictional 1930s America.
Listen to hear about how Alex's world building for the film began with the characters, the process of casting the main characters of the film to ensure...
Today's episode is my conversation about the 1930 film Sarah and Son. I'm joined by Matthew Carlson from the What Am I Making newsletter and we talk about whether the film would even survive today if not for Chatterton's Academy Award nomination for her performance as Sarah, compare lost films to what it would be like if our music catalog was missing dozens of Elvis or Beatles recordings, and learn abou...
In today's episode, I interview Christoffer Stenbakken, director of the short film "The Thief," which follows a boy in a remote town in East Greenland as he looks for his dog that has gone missing.
Listen to hear about the challenges of filming with a small crew in a remote location, trying to find the film's lead actors around town when they didn't have phones, and the story's foundation ...
Today's episode is my conversation about the 1930 film Anna Christie. I'm joined by Swabreen Bakr from the Anti-Brain Rot newsletter and we talk about Greta Garbo's first words heard on screen, how the film addresses women's issues at a time when that was not a topic of conversation in film, and how the film looks at characters of lower social status in a time when many movies focused on the rich a...
In today's episode, I interview Liz Rao, director of the short film "The Truck," which explores the story of a teenage girl and her boyfriend seeking out the morning-after pill in a small town.
Listen to hear about Liz's need to tell this story following the overturning of Roe v. Wade, how she made a film with a strict script that still allowed for improvisation from her actors, and some perfect beh...
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