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PODCAST

The Oscar Project Podcast

Jonathan Ytreberg

A discussion of all the films nominated for Oscars, starting in 1929, plus interviews with filmmakers and authors writing about the film industry.

tv & film film history

All Episodes

26:28

3.95-Filmmaker Interview with Salvatore Scarpa, Max...

The Oscar Project Podcast ·

2025/11/25

Send us a text 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 see if a boat actually floats. Books mentioned in this episode include: B...

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40:55

3.94-The Green Goddess with Murray Mintz

The Oscar Project Podcast ·

2025/11/21

Send us a text 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 and be sure to check out Murray's newsletter. Other films mentioned in this ep...

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20:03

3.93-Filmmaker Interview with Phil Mazo

The Oscar Project Podcast ·

2025/11/18

Send us a text 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. Books mentioned in this episode include: The Short and Tragic Life of Robert Peace:...

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35:52

3.92-Street of Chance with Amanda Kusek

The Oscar Project Podcast ·

2025/11/14

Send us a text 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 Broadway careers. You can watch Street of Chance online for yourself ...

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21:32

3.91-Filmmaker Interview with Alexandra Bahíyyih Wain

The Oscar Project Podcast ·

2025/11/11

Send us a text 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 that fit a very specific set of skills. Books mentioned in this episode i...

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48:51

3.90-The Rogue Song with Helen Cox

The Oscar Project Podcast ·

2025/11/07

Send us a text 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 the relatively new stars that featured more prominently in the film. Yo...

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12:03

3.89-Filmmaker Interview with Tobias Eckerlin

The Oscar Project Podcast ·

2025/11/04

Send us a text 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 world, and what the experience of the Student Academy Awards was like. Books men...

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47:19

3.88-Their Own Desire with Maria Banson

The Oscar Project Podcast ·

2025/10/31

Send us a text 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 on YouTube or rent it from Amazon and be sure to check out Maria's newsletter....

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23:06

3.87-Filmmaker Interview with David and Sam...

The Oscar Project Podcast ·

2025/10/28

Send us a text 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 effects solution that solved the central problem of their film, and the story of shoo...

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53:08

3.86-Sally with Dan Pal

The Oscar Project Podcast ·

2025/10/24

Send us a text 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 can watch Sally on Tubi and be sure to check out Dan's newsletter. Other f...

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15:34

3.85-Filmmaker Interview with Elham Ehsas

The Oscar Project Podcast ·

2025/10/21

Send us a text 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 poem that inspired the film's title. Books mentioned in this episode inclu...

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44:33

3.84-The Love Parade with Enrico Banson

The Oscar Project Podcast ·

2025/10/19

Send us a text 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 watch The Love Parade on YouTube and be sure to check out Enrico's newsletter. Other films mention...

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18:01

3.83-Filmmaker Interview with Daniel Persitz

The Oscar Project Podcast ·

2025/10/14

Send us a text 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. Books mentioned in this episode include: In the Key of Genius: The Extraordinary L...

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46:06

3.82-Condemned with Luis Mendez

The Oscar Project Podcast ·

2025/10/10

Send us a text 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 sound cinema. You can watch Condemned on YouTube and be sure to ch...

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19:12

3.81-Filmmaker Interview with Sam Davis

The Oscar Project Podcast ·

2025/10/07

Send us a text 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 mentioned in this episode include: A Swim in a Pond in the Rain: In Which Four Russi...

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53:02

3.80-The Trespasser with Kevin Pettit

The Oscar Project Podcast ·

2025/10/03

Send us a text 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 on Vimeo and be sure to check out Kevin's newsletter. Other films mention...

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32:27

3.79-Filmmaker Interviews with Loïck du Plessis...

The Oscar Project Podcast ·

2025/09/30

Send us a text 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, and the ability to bring influences from multiple cultures into the film. F...

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48:53

3.78-Disraeli with Jeff Kramer

The Oscar Project Podcast ·

2025/09/26

Send us a text Today's episode is my conversation about the 1929 film Disraeli. I'm joined by Jeff Kramer from The Death Star Human Resources Department Newsletter and we talk about British politics in the late 1800s, how well George Arliss carries the entire film as the title character, and how it seems like the Russians always make good spies and adversaries in movies regardless of the time period. You can watch Disraeli on YouTube and be sure to check out Jeff's newsletter. Other f...

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12:05

3.77-Filmmaker Interviews with Megan Mullen (Student...

The Oscar Project Podcast ·

2025/09/23

Send us a text Today's episode is part of my series of episodes featuring conversations with 2025 Student Academy Award nominees. I spoke with 2025 Student Academy Award semi-finalist Megan Mullen, director of the documentary short film "Secrets of Satellite Beach" and we discuss the light that she wanted to shine on the issue of contaminated water in her home town, working with two incredible activists for for the film, and the challenges of making a film about a topic so close to her heart....

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56:27

3.76-Hallelujah with Jonathan Hammond

The Oscar Project Podcast ·

2025/09/19

Send us a text Today's episode is my conversation about the 1929 film Hallelujah. I'm joined by Jonathan Hammond, film director who has multiple shorts on the festival circuit this fall. We talk about many of the problems of the film even though it does include an all African American cast, some interesting images of what life was like at the time in the South, whether or not the film qualifies as a "musical" as we would define it today, and what representation looks like in film both in the ...

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181 results

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