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
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...
Today's episode is my conversation about the 1930 film The Vagabond King. I'm joined by Rebecca Deniston from the Taking Up Room blog and Taking Up More Room newsletter and we talk about how movie musicals continue to be very stagey, try to come up with other films where a character changes identity and is unrecognized by his friends, and look at some great performances from several actors early on in their ...
In today's episode, I interview Salvatore Scarpa, Max Burgoyne-Moore, and Rachid Sabitri, the directors and producer of the short film "Largo," a look at the refugee experience through the eyes of a young child.
Listen to hear about knowing that they had the right actor to play their young lead, a very ambitious script which turned out to be easier to write than to film, and one sure fire way to test and...
Today's episode is my conversation about the 1930 film The Green Goddess. I'm joined by Murray Mintz from the CineVibeZ Fanzine newsletter and we talk about how much fun George Arliss clearly has playing this role, the differences between the silent version and talkie version of the film, and we try to unravel a twisted knot of a love quadrangle.
You can watch The Green Goddess online for yourself ...
In today's episode, I interview Phil Mazo, director of the short film "Replay," a short docucomedy that explores a memory from his own past.
Listen to hear about the challenges of making a documentary film about yourself, how Phil went about reaching out to the original interviewer to involve him in the project, and how certain memories can become lasting images in your mind even decades later.
...
Today's episode is my conversation about the 1930 film Street of Chance. I'm joined by Amanda Kusek from The 90-Minute Movie newsletter and we talk about how the gambling murder in the film ands up being front page news, how it is sometimes easier to follow a silent film than a sound film with poor sound quality, and how many of the stars of this film had just started acting in films after having successful ...
In today's episode, I interview Alexandra Bahíyyih Wain, director of the short film "In the Clouds," a story of a family of Iranian refugees and the struggles they face in contemporary London.
Listen to hear about the inspiration for the story based on anti-immigration sentiment, how the shooting location became a bit of a character unto itself, and the challenges of finding actors to play her lead roles...
Today's episode is my conversation about the 1930 film The Rogue Song. I'm joined by Helen Cox from the Movies of Note newsletter and we talk about how MGM could let a momentous film like this end up lost over the years, the incredible work put in by YouTuber Unreeled8 to recreate the film from what we do have remaining, and how MGM marketed the film as a Laurel and Hardy production rather than relying on th...
In today's episode, I interview Tobias Eckerlin, director of the short film "A Sparrow's Song," a story of a widowed air raid warden in the midst of World War II struggles to overcome grief and rediscover joy in her life.
Listen to hear about the challenges of creating a consistent look and feel in an animated virtual world, the importance of using sound and music to support and enhance the visual w...
Today's episode is my conversation about the 1929 film Their Own Desire. I'm joined by Maria Banson from the Brunello Bombshell newsletter and we talk about Norma Shearer's place as an inspiration for women in Hollywood of the time, the portrayal of a young athletic woman on screen, and a special bond between father and daughter that is a throughline in the film.
You can watch Their Own Desire...
In today's episode, I interview David and Sam Cutler-Kreutz, the duo over brother directors behind the film "A Lien" which was nominated for Best Live Action Short at the 97th Academy Awards last March. Their latest short film "Trapped" is also qualified for the 98th Academy Awards.
Listen to hear about the inspiration for the story based on their own childhood as sons of a teacher, a creative ...
Today's episode is my conversation about the 1929 film Sally. I'm joined by Dan Pal from the PalCinema, Television, & Music newsletter and we talk about the use and re-use of popular songs in movies even in the 1930s and 40s, the innovative use of early Technicolor in the film, and how the film might have been much different if made a few years later once the production code was in place.
You c...
In today's episode, I interview Elham Ehsas, director of the short film "There Will Come Soft Rains," a story of a young woman confronting the personal implications of rising sea levels resulting from global warming.
Listen to hear about the importance of understanding the personal stories of people impacted by climate change, the importance of layered identities in creating a complex character, and the ...
Today's episode is my conversation about the 1929 film The Love Parade. I'm joined by Enrico Banson from the Director's Notes newsletter and we talk about some uses of editing we haven't seen much in early sound films, how gender roles and class differences are portrayed in the film, and what people mean when they talk about "Lubitsch Land" in the director's films.
You can ...
In today's episode, I interview Daniel Persitz, director of the short film "Key of Genius," a story of a young blind autistic savant and the teacher determined to unlock his genius through music.
Listen to hear about the process of casting such a specific character, a brief communication with royalty, and the task of picking which music to feature in a film that focuses so much on playing music.
Today's episode is my conversation about the 1929 film Condemned. I'm joined by Luis Mendez from The Mendez Movie Report and we talk about whether or not it is smart for a prison warden to bring in a prisoner to work in his home, the ongoing development of story pacing in films at this time, and some choices that were made with the intent of taking advantage of the use of sound even in the early stages of so...
In today's episode, I interview Sam Davis, director of the new short film "The Singers," a beautiful exploration of untapped talent and raw emotion.
Listen to hear about the Russian short story that served as the inspiration for the film, some practical steps the production took to make the film feel more timeless, and the process of finding the incredible singers that populate the film.
Books m...
Today's episode is my conversation about the 1929 film The Trespasser. I'm joined by Kevin Pettit from the See You at the Movies newsletter and we talk about comparisons between relationships of the 1920s and today, the impact of the stock market crash of 1929 on the film industry (and greater economy), and an unexpected hometown connection with the film.
You can watch The Trespasser on YouTube or ...
Today's episode is the final episode of my series of double episodes featuring conversations with 2025 Student Academy Award nominees.
My first interview today is with 2025 Student Academy Award finalists Loïck du Plessis D’Argentré, Maud Le Bras, and Jiaxin Huang, collaborators on the animated short film "The Shyness of Trees." We discuss thoughts on being away from family, thoughts of losing a parent, ...
Popular Podcasts
If you've ever wanted to know about champagne, satanism, the Stonewall Uprising, chaos theory, LSD, El Nino, true crime and Rosa Parks, then look no further. Josh and Chuck have you covered.
My Favorite Murder is a true crime comedy podcast hosted by Karen Kilgariff and Georgia Hardstark. Each week, Karen and Georgia share compelling true crimes and hometown stories from friends and listeners. Since MFM launched in January of 2016, Karen and Georgia have shared their lifelong interest in true crime and have covered stories of infamous serial killers like the Night Stalker, mysterious cold cases, captivating cults, incredible survivor stories and important events from history like the Tulsa race massacre of 1921. My Favorite Murder is part of the Exactly Right podcast network that provides a platform for bold, creative voices to bring to life provocative, entertaining and relatable stories for audiences everywhere. The Exactly Right roster of podcasts covers a variety of topics including historic true crime, comedic interviews and news, science, pop culture and more. Podcasts on the network include Buried Bones with Kate Winkler Dawson and Paul Holes, That's Messed Up: An SVU Podcast, This Podcast Will Kill You, Bananas and more.
Current and classic episodes, featuring compelling true-crime mysteries, powerful documentaries and in-depth investigations. Follow now to get the latest episodes of Dateline NBC completely free, or subscribe to Dateline Premium for ad-free listening and exclusive bonus content: DatelinePremium.com
The World's Most Dangerous Morning Show, The Breakfast Club, With DJ Envy, Jess Hilarious, And Charlamagne Tha God!
The official podcast of comedian Joe Rogan.