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.
Elliot Tuttle, Kieron Moore and Reed Birney on vulnerability and vision in 'Blue Film'
Blue Film (2026) · May 5, 2026
Nicole Bazuin on claiming agency through form in 'Modern Whore'
Modern Whore (2025) · May 1, 2026
Madison Young faces her younger selves in 'By the Roots'
By the Roots (2026) · Apr 21, 2026
Chandler Levack on distance, exposure, and doubling down in 'Mile End Kicks' and 'Roommates'
Mile End Kicks (2026) · Apr 17, 2026
Katarina Zhu and Daisy Zhou on seeing and being seen in ‘Bunnylovr’
Bunnylovr (2026) · Apr 10, 2026
Matthew Shear explores the personal and cultural in 'Fantasy Life'
Fantasy Life (2026) · Mar 27, 2026
Aisha Evelyna lives between roles in 'Seahorse'
Seahorse (2024) · Mar 20, 2026
Will Ropp and Matthew Pothier on anxiety, authenticity, and the harder path in 'Brian'
Brian (2026) · Mar 17, 2026
Brian Tetsuro Ivie on faith, celluloid, and the leap into ‘Anima’
Anima (2019) · Mar 13, 2026
Emily Robinson on the art of breaking down in 'Ugly Cry'
Ugly Cry (2026) · Mar 12, 2026
Jessica Barr and Sarah Whelden on making a film with no way out in ‘The Plan’
The Family Plan (2023) · Feb 25, 2026
Lucy Sandler and Mechi Lakatos embrace spontaneity in 'Danny Is My Boyfriend'
Danny Is My Boyfriend (2025) · Feb 23, 2026
Autumn Best on what ‘Woman of the Hour’ unlocked and what ‘BRB’ called for
Woman of the Hour (2024) · Feb 21, 2026
Revenge on Repeat: Kevin & Matthew McManus on grief, obsession, and working with family in ‘Redux Redux’
Redux Redux (2025) · Feb 19, 2026
Patrick Jones on blurring the line between subject and object in 'By Design'
By Design (2026) · Feb 17, 2026
James Whitaker captures man versus machine in 'Good Luck, Have Fun, Don't Die'
Good Luck, Have Fun, Don't Die (2026) · Feb 10, 2026
Breathing new life into horror, with 'Whistle' director Corin Hardy
Whistle (2026) · Feb 6, 2026
Sook-Yin Lee revisits a shared past in ‘Paying for It’
Paying for It (2025) · Jan 30, 2026
We Need to Talk About Sundance #5: Georgia Bernstein on caregiving and obsession in 'Night Nurse'
Night Nurse (1979) · Jan 27, 2026
We Need to Talk About Sundance #4: Family as canvas, with ‘TheyDream’ director William D. Caballero
They Dream · Jan 24, 2026
Nurturing a vision into being, with the director and producers of ‘Blue Sun Palace’
Blue Sun Palace (2025) · Jan 20, 2026
Mascha Schilinski and Fabian Gamper peer through time in ‘Sound of Falling’
Sound of Falling (2025) · Jan 13, 2026
Albert Birney merges pixels and reality in 'OBEX'
OBEX (2026) · Jan 6, 2026
Not falling too fast, with ‘The Baltimorons’ actress Liz Larsen
The Baltimorons (2025) · Dec 30, 2025
Submerged storytelling, with ‘The Plague’ director Charlie Polinger and DP Steven Breckon
The Plague (2025) · Dec 23, 2025
Julia Jackman and Xenia Patricia build a world of desire in '100 Nights of Hero'
100 Nights of Hero (2025) · Dec 19, 2025
Filming the divine, with ‘The Testament of Ann Lee’ cinematographer William Rexer
The Testament of Ann Lee (2025) · Dec 16, 2025
Bringing back the dead, with ‘Influencers’ director Kurtis David Harder
Influencers · Dec 12, 2025
Finding the man behind the lyrics, with ‘Blue Moon’ writer Robert Kaplow
Blue Moon (2025) · Dec 5, 2025
Clint Bentley and Adolpho Veloso on collaborating with nature in 'Train Dreams'
Train Dreams (2025) · Nov 21, 2025
From secrets to sequels: Simon Cellan Jones on 'The Family Plan 2'
The Family Plan 2 (2025) · Nov 18, 2025
‘There Was, There Was Not’ director Emily Mkrtichian in the warzone of erasure
There Was, There Was Not (2025) · Nov 14, 2025
Seamus McGarvey on reshaping light and vision in 'Die My Love'
Die My Love (2025) · Nov 11, 2025
Cherien Dabis bears witness across generations in 'All That's Left of You'
All That's Left of You (2025) · Nov 4, 2025
John-Michael Powell sculpts violence in 'Violent Ends'
Violent Ends (2025) · Oct 31, 2025
Sailing towards compassion, with the co-directors of 'Largo'
Largo (2025) · Oct 25, 2025
‘Anino’ director M.G. Evangelista on genre and identity
Anino (2025) · Oct 14, 2025
We Need to Talk About Emmy #26: Mattias Nyberg on the subjectivity of 'The Girlfriend'
The Girlfriend (2025) · Oct 10, 2025
Mercedes Bryce Morgan & Nick Matthews navigate the twisted waters of 'Bone Lake'
Bone Lake (2025) · Oct 7, 2025
Alexander Dynan on visualizing sound and time in 'The History of Sound'
The History of Sound (2025) · Oct 3, 2025
Policing Your Feelings: Carmen Emmi on the emotional depth of ‘Plainclothes’
Plainclothes (2025) · Sep 20, 2025
The soundscape of the supernatural, with 'Rabbit Trap' director Bryn Chainey
Rabbit Trap (2025) · Sep 17, 2025
Shaking up the future, with 'Happyend' cinematographer Bill Kirstein
Happyend (2024) · Sep 15, 2025
Anu Valia on the many layers of 'We Strangers’
We Strangers (2025) · Sep 12, 2025
Director Oliver Hermanus on how music shapes the story in ‘The History of Sound’
The History of Sound (2025) · Sep 10, 2025
Yeo Siew Hua wants you to see through ‘Stranger Eyes’
Stranger Eyes (2024) · Aug 29, 2025
Improv Magic: How Sam Davis and Co redefined short film storytelling on 'The Singers'
The Singers (2026) · Aug 22, 2025
Visual storytelling and cultural roots: James J. Robinson on 'First Light'
First Light (2010) · Aug 7, 2025
Sibling Synergy: Ramon Zürcher takes us inside the making of 'The Sparrow in the Chimney'
The Sparrow in the Chimney (2024) · Aug 1, 2025
Interpreting the Unfamiliar, with 'Familiar Touch' director Sarah Friedland
Familiar Touch (2025) · Jun 27, 2025
Fawzia Mirza transforms personal truth into 'The Queen of My Dreams'
The Queen of My Dreams (2024) · Jun 20, 2025
From free flights to creative freedom: The trio behind 'The Travel Companion'
The Travel Companion (2026) · Jun 13, 2025
Back in the Driver’s Seat with Sarah Adler, star of ‘Dead Language’
Dead Language (2022) · Jun 12, 2025
Flying High: The Journey of 'Kites' and its director Walter Thompson-Hernández
Kites (2010) · Jun 11, 2025
Cabin Fever: Nora Kirkpatrick on exploring relationships in 'A Tree Fell in the Woods'
Cabin Fever (2003) · Jun 10, 2025
Scented memories, with 'Fior Di Latte' director Charlotte Ercoli
PERFUMANIA (2025) · Jun 9, 2025
Galloping through life, with 'Horsegirls' director Lauren Meyering and star Lillian Carrier
Horsegirls (2025) · Jun 8, 2025
A mother-daughter tale of light and dark, with 'Honeyjoon' director Lilian T. Mehrel
Honeyjoon (2025) · Jun 7, 2025
Fighting for Love: Gianna Toboni on families vs government in 'Just Kids'
Karate Kid: Legends (2025) · Jun 6, 2025
Old school rebels and new age challenges, with 'A Bright Future' director Lucía Garibaldi
A Bright Future (2025) · Jun 5, 2025
'We Are Pat' director Rowan Haber on how a 90s character mirrors today's gender conversations
We Are Pat (2025) · Jun 4, 2025
Navigating Love and Miscommunication: The Making of 'I Don't Understand You'
I Don't Understand You (2024) · Jun 2, 2025
Out of place but in control: John Maclean and Robbie Ryan on 'Tornado'
Tornado (2025) · May 30, 2025
Back for More: Julia Max and Ian McDonald talk 'The Surrender'
The Surrender (2025) · May 23, 2025
Rolling with 70 Cameras: Eugene Kotlyarenko and Barton Cortright on the wild metaverse of 'The Code'
The Da Vinci Code (2006) · Apr 29, 2025
No rest for the independent, with ‘Gazer’ DP Matheus Bastos
Gazer (2025) · Apr 4, 2025
Magic in the Mundane: How 'Some Nights I Feel Like Walking' Captures Queer Intimacy
Some Nights I Feel Like Walking (2025) · Mar 26, 2025
Framing fear, with 'Control Freak' cinematographer Scott Siracusano
Control Freak (2025) · Mar 24, 2025
Julia Max summons Colby Minifie for ‘The Surrender’
The Surrender (2025) · Mar 9, 2025
Cam Banfield’s directorial debut makes you question ‘How Was Your Weekend?’
How Was Your Weekend? (2025) · Mar 7, 2025
Exploring family and chaos, with 'Riff Raff' director Dito Montiel
Riff-Raff (2020) · Feb 28, 2025
Lured into injustice, with the co-director and cinematographer of ‘A Lien’
A Lien (2023) · Feb 14, 2025
Jarin Blaschke brings color to the world of 'Nosferatu'
Nosferatu (2024) · Feb 11, 2025
Maria Bakalova reconciles with grief in ‘O Horizon’
O Horizon (2026) · Feb 9, 2025
Drew Hancock realizes AI in 'Companion'
Companion (2025) · Jan 31, 2025
We Need to Talk About Sundance #2: The search for ‘LUZ’
LUZ (2020) · Jan 26, 2025
We Need to Talk About Sundance #1: One of a kind 'By Design'
Designed by Disaster (2024) · Jan 24, 2025
Chris Sullivan visits Soderbergh’s Hollywood in ‘Presence’
Presence (2025) · Jan 24, 2025
'September 5' director Tim Fehlbaum on the weight of history
September 5 (2024) · Jan 16, 2025
How ‘The Brutalist’ cinematographer Lol Crawley moved what's immobile
The Brutalist (2024) · Jan 7, 2025
How DoP Jomo Fray’s camera joined the act in ‘Nickel Boys’
Nickel Boys (2024) · Jan 2, 2025
Rina Yang fights the battle of perception in ‘The Fire Inside’
The Fire Inside (2024) · Dec 30, 2024
The brutal art of indie filmmaking with Tyler Nilson and Michael Schwartz, co-directors of 'Los Frikis'
Los Frikis (2024) · Dec 25, 2024
Exploring emotions through the lens of cinematographer Cambio in 'Daughters'
Daughters (2020) · Dec 20, 2024
Inside the Control Room of 'September 5'
September 5 (2024) · Dec 16, 2024
Directing and portraying the cross-generational tragedy of 'Nickel Boys'
Nickel Boys (2024) · Dec 13, 2024
Co-writer Clint Bentley on exploring the reality of ‘Sing Sing’
Sing Sing (2024) · Dec 6, 2024
Ray Fisher goes from stage to screen in 'The Piano Lesson'
The Piano Lesson (2024) · Nov 22, 2024
DoP Benjamin Kračun on concocting ‘The Substance’
The Substance (2024) · Nov 8, 2024
When everything falls into its right place, with 'Anora' cinematographer Drew Daniels
Anora (2024) · Nov 1, 2024
A memory to live by, with the Director of ‘The Remarkable Life of Ibelin’
The Remarkable Life of Ibelin (2024) · Oct 25, 2024
College life on 'The Line', with director Ethan Berger
The Red Line (2026) · Oct 22, 2024
Fiction in truth, with 'Woman of the Hour' writer Ian McDonald
Woman of the Hour (2024) · Oct 18, 2024
Timeless timelines, with 'Caddo Lake' co-directors Celine Held & Logan George, plus cinematographer Lowell A. Meyer
Caddo Lake (2024) · Oct 11, 2024
An out-of-body (swap) experience, with 'It's What's Inside' director Greg Jardin and actor David Thompson
It's What's Inside (2024) · Oct 4, 2024
Familiar grief and familial dynamics, with 'His Three Daughters' writer-director Azazel Jacobs
His Three Daughters (2024) · Sep 20, 2024
We Need to Talk About Emmy #15: The fever dream - like tragedy of ‘Lady in the Lake’
Lady in the Lake (1946) · Aug 23, 2024
We Need to Talk About Emmy #12: Production designer Tommaso Ortino on how limitations turned into an advantage for 'Fantasmas'
Pictures of Ghosts (2023) · Jul 18, 2024
We Need to Talk About Emmy #11: Cinematographer Sam Levy on becoming the eyes of Julio Torres for 'Fantasmas'
Rosas y Fantasmas (2024) · Jul 12, 2024
Setting up a film to be shot solely in a taxi, with 'Daddio' production designer Kristi Zea
Daddio (2024) · Jul 9, 2024
Unpacking 'Jazzy': Inspiration, emotion and execution
Jazzy (2025) · Jun 14, 2024
Is there an 'Antidote' to all this?
Antidote (2021) · Jun 11, 2024
We Need to Talk About Emmy #8: Showrunner Steven Knight on how the lies prevail over the truth in 'The Veil'
The Painted Veil (2006) · May 29, 2024
Production designer Jess Gonchor on stepping into John Krasinski’s imagination for 'IF'
IF (2024) · May 20, 2024
The idea of a score with Sidd Koshla, composer of ‘The Idea of You’
The Idea of You (2024) · May 17, 2024
'Monkey Man' composer Jed Kurzel
Monkey Man (2024) · May 9, 2024
We Need to Talk About Emmy #5: Barry Ackroyd BSC on lensing “The Sympathizer” Ep4
The Sympathizer (2023) · May 6, 2024
Inside the visuals of ‘Immaculate’, with cinematographer Elisha Christian and production designer Adam Reamer
Immaculate (2024) · Apr 11, 2024
‘Immaculate’ editor Christian Masini on creating the horror atmosphere that will punch you in the face
Immaculate (2024) · Apr 3, 2024
How composer Will Bates used an out of tune 19th century piano to heighten the eerie atmosphere of 'Immaculate'
Immaculate (2024) · Mar 27, 2024
We Need to Talk About Emmy #1: ‘The Gentlemen’ series through the lens of cinematographer Callan Green
The Gentlemen (2020) · Mar 23, 2024
‘Spaceman’ screenwriter Colby Day on creating a meaningful relationship drama in a science-fiction setting
Spaceman (2024) · Mar 19, 2024
How music can embody feelings, with the composers of ‘Orion and the Dark’
Orion and the Dark (2024) · Mar 17, 2024
How to honor, yet bring something new to earlier soundtracks, with 'May December' composer Marcelo Zarvos
May December (2023) · Mar 13, 2024
How ‘The Holdovers’ achieved its ‘70s look both behind and in front of the camera, with Eigil Bryld and Ryan Warren Smith
The Holdovers (2023) · Mar 7, 2024
Yorgos Mavropsaridis on bringing order into the wonderful chaos of 'Poor Things' through the art of editing
Poor Things (2023) · Mar 4, 2024
Sound mixer Steve Morrow on 'Maestro'
Maestro (2023) · Feb 27, 2024
Kevin Tent on editing 'The Holdovers'
The Holdovers (2023) · Feb 22, 2024