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A discussion of all the films nominated for Oscars, starting in 1929, plus interviews with filmmakers and authors writing about the film industry.
207 Episodes
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Send a text Today's episode is my conversation about the 1930 film The Big House. I'm joined by Lewis Beer who writes the Slow Moving Pictures newsletter, and we talk about the key themes that weave throughout the film, how the writing of the film helps propel the narrative forward, and some of the real life prisoners and prison personnel that inspired characters in the film. You can watch The Big House on YouTube or Tubi or grab a copy of the film on DVD for yourself, and be sure to check ...
Send a text Today's episode is a re-air of portions of three interviews I did with several of this year's Oscar nominated filmmakers. You'll hear from Julia Aks and Steve Pinder, directors of the film "Jane Austen's Period Drama," John Kelly from "Retirement Plan," and Sam Davis of "The Singers." Full episodes are available at the links below along with over 100 other interviews with filmmakers, authors, and more. Support the show
Send us a text Today's episode is my conversation about the 1930 film With Byrd at the South Pole. I'm joined by Kevin Pettit who writes the See You At the Movies newsletter, and we talk about how the film is essentially a silent film in a world that has fully transitioned to talkies, how the editing of the film made a huge difference on the feel of what we see on screen, and the spectacular images that the cinematographers brought back that led to the film winning Best Cinematography. You ...
Send us a text In today's episode, I interview Chris Lavis and Maciek Szczerbowski, directors of the Oscar-nominated short film "The Girl Who Cried Pearls." The film is a wonderful lesson in the true value of a thing and is currently one of the five nominees for Best Animated Short Film at the 98th Academy Awards. Listen to hear about the inspiration for the film that came from their previous film collaboration, the unique approach the duo took in creating the characters for the film, and how...
Send us a text Today's episode is my conversation about the 1930 film Hell's Angels. I'm joined by Vicki Lesley who writes the Vicki Lesley is...Documental newsletter, and we talk about the beautiful cinematographic moments that earned the film a Best Cinematography nomination, the realities of being called home from abroad to fight for your country in wartime, and an incredible scene of self-sacrifice that came as quite a surprise when we watched the film. You can watch Hell's Angels on Yo...
Send us a text 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: Demon Copperhead by Barbara KingsolverI Who Have Never Known Men by Jacqueline Harp...
Send us a text 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 audio of Song of the Flame on YouTube and be sure to check out Taylor's n...
Send us a text 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 latest Oscar news and information and be notified of when you can submit y...
Send us a text 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 choosing to shoot much of the film in almost complete darkness. Books mentioned in this...
Send us a text 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 watch The Devil's Holiday online on YouTube and be sure to check out John's author ...
Send us a text 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 mentioned in this episode include: The Paper Palace by Miranda Cowley HellerCry to He...
Send us a text 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 film tells the story in a tight 70-minute runtime. You can watch The Big P...
Send us a text 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 medical professionals in just one day and making it feel real and authentic. Books ...
Send us a text 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 war, and how this film doesn't shy away from so many of the grisly realities o...
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 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. Support the show
Send us a text 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 Cutler-Kreutz, and recent Osar winners Victoria Warmerdam and Trent. You c...
Send us a text 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 2025Top short film of 2025Biggest surprises and disappointments of 2025Top first time watches in 2025Top films of 2025Be sure to check out my Substack newsletter for full articles on each of these as we count down to the new year and my next episode where I will be recapping everything that happe...
Send us a text 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 love and loyalty. You can watch The Divorcee online for yourself or pick u...
Send us a text 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 like ourselves, and whether an entire generation can feel like they lack a voice i...
Send us a text 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 Jazz online for yourself or pick up the Criterion release of the film, and be sur...
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