The Oscar Project Podcast

Send us a textToday's episode is the beginning of my conversations about the films nominated at the 3rd Academy Awards. I'm joined by Beth Lisogorsky who writes the Beth's TV & Film Recommendations newsletter and we break down some of the history of the 3rd Academy Awards, all of the nominees, and take some a few moments to discuss the one missing film that won't get an individual episode...

Send us a textToday's episode is the first of a series of double episodes you'll be getting throughout the month of September all featuring conversations with 2025 Student Academy Award nominees.My first interview is with 2025 Student Academy Award Winner Lucas Ansel, director of the animated film "The 12 Inch Pianist." We discuss where he found the story the film was based on and some of what...

Send us a textToday's special episode is a conversation I had with my son Joshua about the 1926 film The General, written by, directed by, and starring Buster Keaton. Joshua recommended this film to me after he saw it in a Film Studies class in school and when I realized I'd never seen the entire thing, we decided to make a podcast episode about it.Take a listen to hear us discuss .You can watch...

Send us a textToday's episode is a replay of the very first interview episode from back in June 2023. My guest was 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...

Send us a textToday's episode is my recap of everything from the second Academy Awards back in 1930. I run through all the nominees and winners of every category and give a final ranking of all 19 films I was able to watch from this year of the Oscars. If you missed any of the episodes discussing specific films, you can go back in this feed or just tap on the links below.3.28-The Return of the...

Send us a textIn today's episode, I interview Dylan Trupiano, director of the new short film "Recesses," a poignant reflection on hidden childhood trauma and education system.Listen to hear about the inspiration for the story in his own childhood experience with a teacher for a parent, the nature of childhood memories versus adult memories, and the difficulties of figuring out how to tackle such...

Send us a textToday's episode is my conversation about the 1929 film Dyamite. I'm joined by Murray Mintz from the "CineVibez Fanzine" newsletter and we talk about what the going rate for "buying a husband" was in 1929, some wonderful twists and turns throughout the plot, and innovative uses of sound in director Cecil B. DeMille's first fully sound feature. You can watch Dynamite on YouTube and be...

Send us a textIn today's episode, I interview Meron Alon, director of the new short film "Too Good," a humorous take on what happens when we die and meet God at the gates to heaven.Listen to hear about the process of casting the two stars of the film, some unconventional questions that God asks at the gates of heaven, and one of the best character names I think I've heard in a long time.Books...

Send us a textToday's episode is my conversation about the 1929 film Madame X. I'm joined by Dan Pal from the "PalCinema, Television, & Music" newsletter and we talk about the theme of forgiveness which appears in the film, director Lionel Barrymore's conscious decision to limit the amount of music in the film, and whether the story might have worked better as the original stage production....

Send us a textIn today's episode, I interview Hannah Rose Ammon, director of the new short film "We Do Our Best," a tender, true-to-life portrait of motherhood, girlhood and growing up in New York.Listen to hear about the real life event that inspired the film, what it was like filming in a small bar environment in New York City, and the importance of music in telling a story like this.Books...