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PODCAST

We Need to Talk About Oscar

We Need to Talk About Oscar offers in-depth interviews with filmmakers, actors, and industry professionals. Although inspired by titles you expect to be represented at the Oscars, our conversations extend to buzzy indie projects and TV shows, exploring both the technical aspects of filmmaking and the personal stories behind them.

tv & film social sciences

All Episodes

13:48

We Need to Talk About Emmy #17: Peter Craig adapts...

We Need to Talk About Oscar ·

2025/03/14

As we dive into the creative universe of Peter Craig, the mastermind behind the gripping series 'Dope Thief', we explore the intricacies of storytelling and character development that make this show a must-watch.Peter shares his passion for writing, revealing that the thrill of crafting a narrative comes from fully immersing himself in his characters' lives. He likens the process to an egoless trance, where the line between himself and his characters blurs, leading to deeply authentic portrayals of

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23:40

We Need to Talk About SXSW #1: Julia Max summons...

We Need to Talk About Oscar ·

2025/03/09

Family dynamics can be tricky to manoeuvre, but they’re absolutely worth the struggle! Julia Max's debut feature, 'The Surrender' really highlights this. The horror drama features the amazing Colby Minifie alongside the legendary Kate Burton as a mother-daughter duo, delivering a tough but captivating story for those who can handle it.As we sit down with the incredibly talented pair, Julia and Colby share their experiences in bringing this ambitious project to fruition, the expected yet still

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18:49

Nothing Short of SXSW #1: Cam Banfield’s directorial...

We Need to Talk About Oscar ·

2025/03/07

As we kick off our coverage of this year's edition of SXSW, we welcome first-time director Cam Banfield on the show, whose short film 'How Was Your Weekend' premieres in the fest's Narrative Competition. The 9-minute film stars James Morosini stuck in the loop of dreadful Monday mornings, alongside the amazing Rachael Harris.Cam walks us through the early days of the project, the fun and challenges of shooting a Monday over the weekend, and the symphony formed by his two leads and the rest of the

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19:35

Exploring family and chaos, with 'Riff Raff' director...

We Need to Talk About Oscar ·

2025/02/28

Dito Montiel, the director of memorable films like 'Boulevard' and 'A Guide to Recognizing Your Saints', joins us for a riveting chat about his newest project, 'Riff Raff'. The film features a star-studded line-up, including Jennifer Coolidge, Ed Harris, Bill Murray, and many more, which only adds to the intrigue of this film that delves into the chaotic yet beautiful world of family dynamics. Montiel’s storytelling is rooted in his personal experiences, particularly the familial bonds he formed in

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27:25

Brace yourselves for 'Lockjaw'

We Need to Talk About Oscar ·

2025/02/21

Slamdance is one of those festivals where the voices of the future become the voices of the present! One of the buzziest titles in this year’s lineup is Sabrina Greco’s directorial debut, ‘Lockjaw,’ starring Blu Hunt as Rayna, the main character wearing braces that are the physical manifestation of the titular situation one and a half months after a DUI.But the physical damage is only what’s on the surface. We embark on dissecting the entire affair with the director and star of the refreshingly

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19:15

Lured into injustice, with the co-director and...

We Need to Talk About Oscar ·

2025/02/14

With the final voting for this year's Academy Awards underway, we bring you a short film that's thematically as timely as it gets. 'A Lien' chronicles a far too common and unjust tearing apart of a family in the midst of the father's immigration process.The 15-minute short is directed by brothers David and Sam Cutler-Kreutz, and today we are joined by Sam and cinematographer Andrea Gavazzi to discuss the baffling situation, the personal stories behind it, and the multi-faceted nature of the family's

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16:45

Jarin Blaschke brings color to the world of 'Nosferatu'

We Need to Talk About Oscar ·

2025/02/11

The unsurprising surprise hit of late 2024 - early 2025 was undoubtedly Robert Eggers’ gothic horror retelling of Nosferatu. The familiar story of Count Orlok, portrayed by Bill Skarsgård, is captured from a fresh perspective, through the eyes and nightmarish life of Ellen, played by Lily-Rose Depp. The two are accompanied in their gory ventures by other talented actors, including Nicholas Hoult, Willem Dafoe, Emma Corrin, and Aaron Taylor-Johnson.The not only thematically but visually striking

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19:09

Maria Bakalova reconciles with grief in ‘O Horizon’

We Need to Talk About Oscar ·

2025/02/09

Bulgarian actress Maria Bakalova took Hollywood and the world by storm as Tutar in 2020's Borat Subsequent Moviefilm, and her choices ever since have lived up to that. Whether playing a vital role in Halina Reijn and A24's first venture, Bodies Bodies Bodies, voicing Cosmo in Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3, or just last year playing Ivana Trump alongside Sebastian Stan and Jeremy Strong in The Apprentice, she also finds time for passion projects like Triumph, her home country's Oscar submission this

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16:08

‘Magic Hour’ captures actors Miriam Shor and Josh...

We Need to Talk About Oscar ·

2025/02/06

Festival season is in full swing, and this time, we had the pleasure of speaking with Miriam Shor and Josh Stamberg, the stars of Magic Hour, Jacqueline Christy's directorial debut, which premieres at this year's Santa Barbara International Film Festival.Miriam, who you might know from Younger, and Josh, who starred in Fleishman Is in Trouble and WandaVision, discuss the evolution of their acting careers, the relationships they have built with the characters they've portrayed over the years and

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15:50

Drew Hancock realizes AI in 'Companion'

We Need to Talk About Oscar ·

2025/01/31

We're not used to seeing refreshing, high-quality movies (other than intended OScar palyers) hit theatres in January, or as some like to call it, Dumpuary. Of course, there are always exceptions, like Paddington 1 and 2, Split, or Cloverfield.This January, on the brink of February, writer-director Drew Hancock’s feature debut, Companion, joins that list. The romcom-esque sci-fi thriller, starring Sophie Thatcher and Jack Quaid, undeniably brings a fresh perspective to one of the most pressing topics

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22:12

Vera Drew revisits the early days of 'The People's...

We Need to Talk About Oscar ·

2025/01/29

As we rapidly approach the 40th Independent Spirit Awards, you'll hear a few conversations with this year's nominees. One of them is comedian, writer, director, and star of her own feature debut: Vera Drew!In our conversation with her, she shares the ups and downs of bringing The People's Joker to life—a film that defies not only genre but all expectations. Beyond that, Vera takes us on a trip down multiverse lane, dissects the character, the very idea of the Joker and all it represents, and much

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19:45

We Need to Talk About Sundance #3: The unintentional...

We Need to Talk About Oscar ·

2025/01/27

One of the few things the pandemic couldn’t put a stop to was creativity. Our next guest is a perfect example: first-time director Gala del Sol, who began developing her debut feature during a time of great uncertainty.Gala’s incredibly ambitious Rains Over Babel premieres at Sundance in the NEXT section, offering something fresh and new while working within a familiar story and structure.In our conversation, we discuss the birth and evolution of the film, the importance of our upbringing, and how

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23:55

We Need to Talk About Sundance #2: The search for ‘LUZ’

We Need to Talk About Oscar ·

2025/01/26

Three worlds, three dimensions? Not necessarily... However, director Flora Lau’s interpretation of the search for something both on a physical and spiritual level is exactly what we get to witness in Flora’s second feature LUZ.To up the ante, we haven’t been joined by this many guests before, as this time, in writer-director Flora Lau, producer Yvette Tang, actresses Sandrine Pinna and Huang Lu, and composer Mimi Xu.In our conversation with them, the group reflects on the physical manifestati...

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55:25

We Need to Talk About Sundance #1: One of a kind 'By...

We Need to Talk About Oscar ·

2025/01/25

We could write endlessly about why you should look out for Amanda Kramer's By Design, but we’ll let the film’s synopsis speak for itself: “A woman swaps bodies with a chair, and everyone likes her better as a chair.” Honestly, what more do you need to strap in and watch this hour and a half long film starring Juliette Lewis, Mamoudou Athie, and narrated by Melanie Griffith?!Like all films, there are two sides to the story: one behind the camera and one in front of it. We had the incredible op...

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19:22

Chris Sullivan visits Soderbergh’s Hollywood in...

We Need to Talk About Oscar ·

2025/01/24

Even though this year’s edition of the Sundance Film Festival has just kicked off, today marks the release of one of the buzziest titles from last year’s festival. We’re talking about none other than one of the two Steven Soderbergh movies to see the light of day (well, actually the silver screen), the technically ingenious, thematically spooky Presence!Our guest today is someone who you might know from TV shows such as This Is Us or The Knick, and films like Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2. I...

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28:00

Ed Lachman and a cinematographer’s spatial awareness

We Need to Talk About Oscar ·

2025/01/20

As far as the art of cinematography goes, few are as accomplished or, dare I say, as revered as Edward Lachman. A frequent collaborator with Todd Haynes and a former partner to Paul Schrader and Steven Soderbergh, Ed has left an indelible mark on the craft.Today, we’re discussing Maria, the Angelina Jolie-led drama that marks Ed’s second collaboration with Chilean auteur Pablo Larraín following El Conde. The film, centered on the infamous opera singer’s final days, came with its share of chal...

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16:00

'September 5' director Tim Fehlbaum on the weight of...

We Need to Talk About Oscar ·

2025/01/16

It’s one thing to make a film about tragic historical events, but it’s another to depict them gracefully and objectively. This is exactly what director Tim Fehlbaum, his crew, and the stellar ensemble of Peter Sarsgaard, John Magaro, Ben Chaplin, and Leonie Benesch set out to do in the movie September 5.During our sit-down with Tim, he shared what led him to his third feature, his connection to the 1972 Munich events, his approach to directing this incredibly talented cast, and the complexiti...

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23:39

Shea Whigham breaks out of character

We Need to Talk About Oscar ·

2025/01/09

Very few actors possess the level of versatility and underappreciation as Shea Whigham. From starring in indie gems like Wristcutters: A Love Story and Take Shelter to blockbuster franchises such as Mission: Impossible and acclaimed TV shows like Boardwalk Empire, Shea’s range is undeniable.Last June marked the Tribeca premiere of his team-up with Carrie Coon for Jeffrey Reiner’s crime dramedy Lake George, where Shea plays Don, a white-collar ex-convict who forms an unlikely alliance with Phy...

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25:21

How ‘The Brutalist’ cinematographer Lol Crawley moved...

We Need to Talk About Oscar ·

2025/01/07

You probably know by now that we wouldn’t even risk not talking about the unexpected yet glorious return of VistaVision, with none other than The Brutalist cinematographer Lol Crawley!Brady Corbet’s third feature’s been the talk of the town ever since it’s buzzy Venice premiere and Silver Lion win.Lol tells us not only about his approach to photographing buildings, but what makes his collaboration with Brady go, and we even try to define the undefinable: beauty.(Photo: Courtesy of A24)

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48:08

How DoP Jomo Fray’s camera joined the act in ‘Nickel...

We Need to Talk About Oscar ·

2025/01/02

Our coverage of one of 2024's most masterfully crafted films wouldn’t be complete without the mind responsible for executing its extraordinary visual language. So, with that, we present our breakdown of Nickel Boys, featuring cinematographer Jomo Fray.Among other things, Jomo tells us about how he is choosing projects, the evolution of the film’s unique look and the creative process behind it, as well as the subsequently obvious, yet unexpected challenges the team faced along the way.

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137 results

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