The Oscars are almost here! On the fifty- eighth episode of ATFT, my friends filmmaker Emma Catharine, movie lover Taylor Donaldson, and Emmy- winning photojournalist Cole Echevarria join this year’s panel to discuss the Oscar nominated films and share our predicted winners! This episode is explicit and spoiler- filled.

As Cole and I discussed in the “2025 in Film” episode, this past year has been a solid, diverse year for cinema and that is very much reflected in the Academy Award nominees. This year’s awards season has largely been excitingly unpredictable, making the Oscar’s more highly anticipated than usual. The four of us share many of the same favorite 2025 films such as Hamnet, One Battle After Another, and Sinners. The latter, which reunited one of the best actor- director collaborators of our time (Michael B. Jordan and Ryan Coogler), has already made history as the most nominated film in Oscars history. There were several actors who became first time nominees from Renate Reinsve to Teyana Taylor to Delroy Lindo. It’s a competitive year with so many great films and artists nominated. But there is one particular film and actor that we find overrated and it becomes a continuous topic of discussion… but you’ll have to listen to the episode to find out about what we’re talking about.

This is the fourth annual Oscars special! Cole has been a part of this big episode all four years and this episode marks his 21st appearance on the All the Film Things! Since the Oscars is the “Super Bowl for film fans”, this episode was aimed to be more of a Sports Center/ panelist format. This is the first time Emma and Taylor have joined the Oscars special panel, making this Emma’s second appearance on the show and Taylor’s fifth! Emma joined our friend filmmaker Franklin Ritch and I for an analytical discussion on One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest this past September while Taylor hasn’t been on the podcast since the 1999 in Film episode, which was released a year and a half ago. This episode was recorded on February 17, 2026. It was originally 2 hours and 45 minutes so it really had to be trimmed down and, sadly, some hilarious moments, were left on the cutting room floor.

After a sold out Cirque de Mort show in October, Emma will soon be performing in another aerial showcase for Jax Beach Aerial Arts this May! This spring showcase is in development so there will be more information to come! I’ll be sure to post about it on the All the Films Things Instagram but follow Emma on Instagram to stay updated! Taylor, who is based in North Carolina, is currently looking for a new job! Though she has a degree in film and experience in film production, she is very open to working in other industries. After working with her on a few projects, I can attest she is wonderful, hard- working, and easy to work with! Reach out to her on LinkedIn about potential job opportunities!

In this episode, Cole, Taylor, Emma, and I go through each category sharing our thoughts on what should win and what will likely win, according to Gold Derby and Cole’s new favorite writer Scott Fineberg from The Hollywood Reporter. Cole, who continuously brings up Fineberg, shared great insight about the documentaries nominated this year. He also has a short rant about a film that shouldn’t have been nominated for Best Visual Effects. Cole and I's banter nearly hits our peak in this episode, partly because of those two reasons. Taylor reveals which Oscar- nominated actor bothers her, Emma shares her least favorite Safdie brother and I once again champion my favorite actor who has a chance at earning his second Oscar this year. All this and much more on this new episode of All the Film Things!

ATFT Announcement!: All the Film Things will be back on April 8! Stay updated by following @all.the.film.things on Instagram! 

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On the fifty- seventh episode of All the Film Things, I had the pleasure of interviewing Oscar- nominated writer Kim Krizan! 

Kim Krizan is a California- based Oscar- nominated writer whose work thirty years ago has remained popular and continued to resonate deeply amongst audiences across generations. Her master’s thesis on Anaïs Nin piqued Richard Linklater’s interest whilst she auditioned for his film Slacker (1992). After that, the two became frequent collaborators in the 90s and 2000s. Not only did Kim star in Dazed and Confused (1993), she co- wrote Before Sunrise (1995) with Linklater and co- created the story of Before Sunset (2004), which earned her an Oscar nomination. Her creative writing expands beyond film as she has also written a comic book and two books, including Original Sins: Trade Secrets of the Femme Fatale which you could purchase by clicking here. Aside from her work on and for the big screen, Kim has been teaching creative writing around the world and at California colleges.

For the past five years, Kim has brought her creative writing lectures to Patreon through her channel “The Magic Hour”. “The Magic Hour” is a virtual writing class accessible to people around the world who want to gain the inspiration to write and tell original stories. Some of the collections offered include analyzing films, personal exploration, and solving writing problems. Go to Patreon.com/KimKrizan to subscribe to “The Magic Hour” and unlock lessons that will inspire and improve your creative writing as well as attend occasional live sessions to get advice in real time from Kim. Both monthly and annual subscriptions are offered or you can purchase specific collections at various prices.

This is Kim’s first time on ATFT! I reached out to her a few months ago and had been looking forward to this interview ever since! Both Before Sunrise and Before Sunset are two of my favorite films and, when I started preparing for the interview, the clearer it was how much of her voice is in the script. To have had the opportunity to chat with Kim will remain a true highlight and she was somehow even lovelier than I expected her to be! This episode was recorded on January 22, 2026. I wanted to ensure I could make this a good interview in the short amount of time we had so if I sound more nervous than usual, that is why. 

In this episode, Kim shares her passion for cinema from the silent era to foreign art films. Kim also talks about writing the Before Sunrise script with Richard Linklater in less than a month, how much the earrings she wore to the Oscars cost, and why she wasn’t involved in the making of Before Midnight. All this and much more on the latest episode of All the Film Things!

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On the fifty- sixth episode of All the Film Things, film pundit Kwestin Fisher joins me in discussing our top ten films of the 2020s (so far)! This episode is explicit.

Now that it’s January 2026, we are officially in the second half of the 2020s… if you can believe it! There have been a plethora of excellent films released in the past five years and, as we look to what’ll be hitting theaters this year, the second half of the 2020s will surely be bright for cinema. After reflecting on solely 2025 in the previous episode, I thought it would be fun to reflect on the 2020s as a whole as sort of a companion piece to that latest episode. 

This is Kwestin’s first time on the show! It’s hard to believe this is Kwest’s ATFT debut considering how long we’ve been trying to record an episode together. We’ve known each other for about four years now as we both were interns on the social media app formerly called Relevnt. We’ve stayed in contact ever since, most always discussing film. Because of our schedules and living in different time zones, it’s tough to set a time to record an episode together. Thankfully we were able to make it work this year and I’m thrilled to finally have him on the podcast! This episode was recorded on January 10, 2026.

Kwest is the face and founder of Fish Flicks Entertainment where he talks about film, television, and pro wrestling. He is an excellent movie critic who really goes to see all the movies (well… all except Sentimental Value 😂) and doesn’t hold back in giving his honest opinion. He’s been consistent for years covering topical stories in film, sharing both movie and television reviews, out of theater reaction reels, and interviews on his social media accounts including Fish Flicks Entertainment on YouTube so all you movie fans will definitely want to follow him across all platforms! In October, he interviewed stars, including Lil Red Howery, on the Micheaux Film Festival red carpet! Earlier this month, Kwest launched a weekly show called FishReel that can be found on his YouTube channel! It’s an exciting expansion of Fish Flicks so be sure to follow @FishFlicksEnt on YouTube as well as on Instagram, Tik Tok, and Twitter/ X! You can find links to all things Fish Flicks by clicking here!

In this episode, Kwest and I begin by discussing how the 2020s are shaping up as a decade in film before sharing our own top 10 lists. Kwest’s list is filled with blockbuster favorites including a few superhero movies that led him to recall significant movie theater experiences while my list contains films by some of today’s best filmmakers around the world. Between our lists, we only have one film in common 👀. We go on to discuss the Lily Gladstone- Emma Stone Best Actress Oscar’s race, reminisce about what a great year 2019 was for film, and our shared appreciation for Pedro Almodóvar. Also, Kwest sings a note from the beloved song from Sinners which you won't want to miss. All this and more on the brand new episode of All the Film Things!

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The first episode of the new year! On the fifty- fifth episode of All the Film Things, Emmy- winning photojournalist Cole Echevarria returns to look back and discuss 2025 in film! This episode is spoiler- filled. The 2025 films spoiled are Bridget Jones: Mad About the Boy, Bugonia, Caught Stealing, Hamnet, Jay Kelly, and Sinners..

While 2023 continues to set a high bar for the 2020s decade, 2025, in my opinion, was a pretty solid year filled with a fantastic variety of unique, original films and stories. Cole and I disagreed greatly in regard to 2024 in film, but when it comes to 2025… we still disagree. Early in the year, Michael B. Jordan reunited with Ryan Coogler for Sinners, proving that they are one of the best actor- director collaborators of our time while Robert Pattinson's long- awaited sci- fi film directed by Bong Joon- Ho, Mickey 17, finally hit theaters. While several prominent actresses, Scarlett Johansson, Kate Winslet, and Kristen Stewart each made their directorial debuts, Celine Song followed up her directorial debut, Past Lives, with another beautiful film that has endured as a favorite amongst audiences. And the Oscar season officially began with the return of two of the greats, Leonardo DiCaprio and Paul Thomas Anderson, for an epic, hilarious, and action- packed masterpiece beloved by film aficionados and general audiences in One Battle After Another. From then on, several brilliant films such as Sentimental Value, Hamnet, and Jay Kelly instantly became beloved by audiences and Oscar contenders. On previous year in review episodes, the concern of physical media's future was discussed and now, due to recent events, the future of movie theaters has become more grim than ever before.

This episode not only marks the 101st (!!) episode of All the Film Things, but also Cole’s 20th appearance on the show! He is far and away the most frequent guest and I’m very grateful for his friendship, banter and all, as well as, of course, being a part of ATFT since the early days in 2022. This is the fourth year in review episode on All the Film Things and I always look forward to these reflective episodes, not only because I get to chat with friends, but also because these episodes will act as sort- of time capsules someday. This episode was originally 130 minutes so much had to be cut, which especially affected the tribute segment, but it was recorded on December 23, 2025.

In this episode, Cole and I share our top five favorite films of the year and, much to our surprise since we never agree, we have the same number one pick . Weirdly enough, we have a few of the same films in our top five lists, though my fourth favorite of the year immediately made Cole laugh. We go on to discuss the favorite films of past ATFT guests from K- Pop Demon Hunters to Bugonia, ponder which other movie stars could have played the titular character of Jay Kelly, and pay tribute to the giant stars we lost in 2025 as well as two previous ATFT guests. You also won't want to miss Cole's Bob Dylan impression... because you won't be able to unhear it. All this and much more on the brand new episode of All the Film Things!

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Happy holidays! On the fifty- fourth episode of ATFT, film historian/ author/ lecturer Max Alvarez is back to join me in analyzing Billy Wilder’s 1960 comedy- drama masterpiece, The Apartment! This episode is spoiler- filled. 

The Apartment has been described by many as one of the greatest of all time, film- wise, and is regarded as the peak of Billy Wilder who had been making a string of masterpieces starting with Double Indemnity (1944), which was the focus of the previous episode. The Apartment revolves around C.C. Baxter (Jack Lemmon), a people- pleasing insurance agent, who is taken advantage of by his bosses most nights after work as they occupy his apartment to spend time with their mistresses. All the while, Baxter has a crush on the “best elevator girl in the building” Fran Kubelik (Shirley MacLaine) whose mind is elsewhere, specifically on her married ex, and C.C.’s big boss, Jeff D. Sheldrake (Fred MacMurray). When Sheldrake begins to get in on the action to use Baxter’s apartment to be with Fran, the film takes a dramatic turn on the night before Christmas. The Apartment went on to win five out of the ten Oscar categories, including Best Picture. This is one of my favorite films and it has become a tradition of mine to watch the film on Christmas night, after Fanny and Alexander. 

Max will be leading a Q&A after a screening of Robert Wise’s 1958 noir film Odds Against Tomorrow at New Plaza Cinema in NYC on Sunday, December 21 at 12:15 pm where he’ll be joined by Dan Cahill and, a special guest, Harry Belefonte’s widow Pamela will be in attendance. Get your tickets now by clicking here! You can also watch previous Talk Back lectures led by Max, including one on The Apartment, on that same website or on the New Plaza Cinema YouTube channel. Max also gives the occasional online lecture at the Smithsonian Institute. His most recent lecture was focused on Burt Lancaster but click here to learn of Max’s upcoming lectures. Before we closed out the episode, Max shared an update on his directorial feature film debut Noirfilm which is expected to be in post- production this Spring! 

This is Max’s third appearance on ATFT! His most recent appearance was last year to celebrate the 50th anniversary of Chinatown with an analytical discussion, but my interview with Max was actually the first wide- released episode of the show! I had been wanting to record another episode with Max this year and I actually asked him to join a prior analytical episode but I was surprised to learn he wasn’t a big fan of the film. With all the technical difficulties this year, this episode came together pretty quickly but I’m thrilled with the result because I believe this is one of the best episodes of the year. I’m thrilled to end another year of All the Film Things by discussing this film I hold so dear with Max. This episode was recorded on December 4, 2025. 

In this episode, Max and I talk about how The Apartment anticipates the New Hollywood era, the tightrope Wilder walks between comedy and drama, and the significance of setting the film around the holiday season. While Max recounts his experience attending a screening of the film with Billy Wilder, Fred MacMurray, and I.A.L Diamond in attendance, I take any chance I get to boast about Shirley MacLaine’s tremendous performance as Fran Kubelik. All this and much more on the latest episode of All the Film Things!

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Happy Noirvember! On the fifty- third episode of ATFT, the Director of Communications for the Film Noir Foundation, Anne Hockens, joins me in analyzing Billy Wilder’s 1944 film noir classic, Double Indemnity! This episode is spoiler- filled. 

Double Indemnity, according to Anne’s friend and the president of the Film Noir Foundation Eddie Muller, marked the beginning of the film noir movement. The film revolves around Walter Neff (Fred MacMurray), an insurance salesman, who one day meets Mrs. Phyllis Dietrichson (Barbara Stanwyck), the wife of a customer, in attempt to renew a policy. Their attraction is clear from the moment they first lay eyes on each other and grows stronger with each meeting. When Phyllis suggests she would like her husband dead, they plan “the perfect murder” with the intention of collecting as much money as possible through the "double indemnity" clause in Mr. Dietrichson's insurance policy, unbeknownst to him, but they have to get past Neff’s intuitive and deeply analytical boss Barton Keyes (Edward G. Robinson) to pull it off. Double Indemnity is regarded by many still to this day as one of, if not the best film, within the noir genre.

The Film Noir Foundation’s 23rd annual Noir City Film Festival will take place in Oakland, California from January 16- 25. Over this week, 24 films will be screened but those titles won’t be announced until the night of Noir Christmas which will take place in Oakland on December 17. Get your Noir Christmas tickets by clicking here! Individual tickets for the Noir City festival go on sale that night but you can get your Noir City pass by going to NoirCity.com. We talk extensively about the Film Noir Foundation towards the end of the episode so be sure to listen to the episode all the way through to learn more about all that’s going on with the foundation from upcoming Noir City film festivals to their monthly magazine to their biweekly podcast Ask Eddie, with Anne and Eddie Muller, by going to their Facebook page, YouTube channel, and FilmNoirFoundation.org.

In this episode, Anne and I talk about the techniques and noir tropes Double Indemnity introduces to the noir genre and cinema that continue to be utilized today, if Walter and Phyllis really loved each other, and why “tell” rather than “show” works to this film’s advantage! Since this conversation marked the first time Anne and I have conversed, this episode does contain several tangents on topics such as other noir films, the danger of nitrate prints, and film sites Anne sees on a daily basis living in San Francisco. All this and more on the new episode of All the Film Things!

Interested in listening to more film noir- focused episodes to celebrate Noirvember? Check out:

• Episode 2: The Wrong Man with Emmy- winning photojournalist Cole Echevarria
• Episode 8: Elevator to the Gallows with podcaster Cristina Santiago
• Episode 22: Chinatown with film historian/ author/ lecturer Max Alvarez
• Episode 31 : Le Samouraï with movie critic Matthieu Côté

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Happy Halloween! On the fifty- second episode of All the Film Things, my friend and ATFT regular, movie critic Matthieu Côté joins me for an analytical discussion about Stanley Kubrick’s 1980 psychological horror classic, The Shining! This episode is spoiler- filled and contains some explicit language.

The Shining, a classic psychological horror film which unnerves you instantly with its eerie score, almost entirely takes place at the Overlook Hotel that lies in isolation atop an Indian burial ground. Jack Torrance, played brilliantly by Jack Nicholson, accepts a job as the winter caretaker of the Overlook Hotel, when the hotel is out of commission, in order to get five months of peace and quiet to help him write his book. He brings along his wife Wendy (Shelley Duvall) and son Danny (Danny Lloyd) and, over time, isolation begins to wear on them... especially Jack. Over the course of the film, Jack becomes increasingly mad while Danny's gift of "shining" haunts him of the hotel's evil past, present, and future. While the film is based on Steven King’s 1977 book of the same title, King publicly criticized the film on numerous occasions because of the liberties Kubrick took that departed from his original story. King wasn’t the only one who disliked the film because, shockingly, The Shining is one of those films, like 12 Angry Men and Fight Club, that wasn’t well- received at the time of its release. It wasn’t until the film started airing on TV at the end of the 80s that public opinion shifted in favor of Kubrick’s film. Today, 45 years later, The Shining is widely considered one of the greatest horror films ever made and contains one of Jack Nicholson’s very best performances.

This is Matthieu’s fourth time on the podcast and he has rapidly earned the title of “ATFT regular”! I had been wanting to do an episode on The Shining for over three years now and when I learned it was Matthieu’s favorite film of all time, I knew he was the one to join me in celebrating The Shining for both it’s 45th anniversary and Halloween. While Matthieu is enamored with the horror genre, I very much shy away from it. The Shining is my favorite horror film and one of the only few I can really watch, in the daytime of course. This episode was recorded on October 2, 2025. 

Matthieu has been steadily interviewing filmmakers and actors through both his personal YouTube channel, @matthieucote2272, and through Horreur Québec for a few years now. Most recently, Matthieu was able to check off a bucket list interviewee off his list when he interviewed James Wan. Click to watch that interview here! Also, a few years ago, Matthieu made an analytical video essay analyzing a scene in The Shining titled “The Shining (And the Path to Redemption)- Scene Breakdown” which I highly recommend watching for his incredible insight to the character of Jack Torrence and performance by Jack Nicholson. Subscribe to Matthieu’s YouTube channel by clicking here to watch his past interviews, video essays, and more! 

In this episode, we attempt to understand The Shining’s biggest mysteries and discuss the most popular theories about the famous ending. Our analytical conversation, though wide- encompassing, is a bit sporadic since there is seemingly infinite points of discussion through every aspect of this film. It’s overwhelming and we only scratched the surface. In this episode, Matthieu and I share our rocky roads to appreciating this film, Kubrick's clever tricks in deceiving the audience, and how Grady could have possibly opened that storage room door for Jack. All this and much more on the latest episode of All the Film Things!

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On the fifty- first episode of All the Film Things, writer/ director Samy El- Kamel is back for an analytical discussion about Darren Aronofsky’s 2000 psychological drama classic, Requiem for a Dream! This episode is spoiler- filled and contains explicit language.

Darren Aronofsky’s sophomore feature, Requiem for a Dream, continues to be talked about today yet it’s a curious case as it’s respected but beloved may not be exactly the perfect word. This film is often regarded as "the best film you'll never rewatch" due to its bleak but impactful ending. Requiem for a Dream follows four people, all connected to Harry Goldfarb (Jared Leto), who are striving to achieve their dreams in the most dangerous, self- destructing ways through their addictions. While Harry's mother Sara (Ellen Burstyn) tries her hardest to lose weight to look her best on television, he along with his girlfriend Marion (Jennifer Connelly) and friend Ty (Marlon Wayans) are addicted to heroin. The three of them hope to turn their ideas of being successful businessmen into a reality but the need for heroin persists. Though widely considered a psychological drama, Aronofsky considers this film an “urban horror film” in the sense that the film captures a dream that turns into a nightmare. This film is based on Hubert Selby jr's novel published in 1978 and Aronofsky was happy to involve Selby in the making of this film (he even makes a cameo towards the end!). Even though Requiem for a Dream is still celebrated today, the film only earned one Oscar nomination in the "Best Supporting Actress" category for Ellen Burstyn. Of all the films I have seen, there is nothing quite like Requiem for a Dream from the cinematography to the editing to its lasting impact which has made me eager to devote an episode to the film.

This is Samy’s fourteenth time on the podcast! I had been wanting to do an episode on Requiem for a Dream for over three years now and it was a hard topic to pitch to others. Those who have yet to see the film were hesitant to watch it while those who have seen the film, did not want to revisit it. Thankfully Samy, although slightly reluctant, was up for the challenge. While it is hard for both of us to say this is one of our favorite films, we have a deep respect for it and would probably regard it as one of the best films we’ve ever seen. This episode was recorded on September 18, 2025. 

In this episode, Samy and I talk about our first experiences watching Requiem for a Dream, each character’s motivations for taking drugs, and why people should challenge themselves to watch the film at least once. While Samy discusses the impact of Sara Goldfarb’s storyline, I explain why the role of Harry Goldfarb is perfectly aligned with Jared Leto’s trademark character type. All this and much more on the latest episode of All the Film Things!

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On the fiftieth (!!) episode of All the Film Things, my friends, filmmakers Emma Catharine and Franklin Ritch, join me in analyzing Miloš Forman’s 1975 psychological comedy- drama classic, One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest! This episode is spoiler- filled and contains some explicit language.

One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest follows R.P. McMurphy (Jack Nicholson) as he becomes a patient at a mental hospital. He quickly becomes a leader with his rebellious, lively nature that awakens his fellow patients but antagonizes the woman who runs the ward, Nurse Ratched (Louise Fletcher), which creates a power balance slowly shifts in McMurphy’s favor. The film starts as a comedy- drama but elevates in the third act when it becomes a tragedy. One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest has a stellar ensemble cast that includes Danny DeVito, Will Sampson, and Brad Dourif. This film is the second of three films to have won the “Big Five” at the Oscars and has been widely viewed as one of the greatest films ever made for now 50 years. The film is based on Ken Kesey’s 1961 book and, after Kirk Douglas bought the rights soon after the book was published, he wasn’t able to get this film made in the 60s, so his son Michael Douglas took over the project and history was made. One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest is one of my very favorite films and I’m thrilled to have finally had such a stimulating conversation on the film for this podcast.

This is Franklin’s second and Emma’s first time on the podcast! I interviewed Franklin at the end of last year (check out Episode 34). I became friends with Franklin approaching two years ago and Emma about a year ago at Film Bar but they have been both friends and collaborators for well over a decade. Franklin directed Emma as Cat- woman in his film New Wings: A Batman Fan Film which you should all watch by clicking this link. One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest is a longtime favorite of Franklin’s as well while this was Emma’s first time watching the film. As we discuss throughout the episode, we have all been deeply impacted by many moments in this film. This episode was recorded on August 21, 2025. 

Emma will be starring in a spooky aerial showcase presented by the Ancient City Aerial Arts called Cirque de Morts on October 3 and 4th in St. Augustine, Florida! Get your tickets now for the 7 pm showings or matinee showing before they sell out by clicking here! As for Franklin, he took the time to shout out the new films made by his friends and co- stars from his film The Artifice Girl, which you should all absolutely watch by either renting it on platforms like Apple and Amazon Prime but it is also streaming free with ads on Tubi. Watch the trailer for David Girard's upcoming short film, "Normal", by clicking here and watch the trailer for "Would You Rather", Tatum Matthews' directorial short film by clicking here! Both shorts are coming soon! You should all also check out Franklin’s YouTube channel, Last Resort Ideas, to watch his past work and fantastic videos by clicking this link.

In this episode, we discuss the big questions surrounding the film including whether or not McMurphy is crazy and if Nurse Ratched has the patients’ best interest at heart. Emma dives deep into understanding the potential motivations behind Nurse Ratched and also tells a funny story about a bad football game experience in a little tangent. Franklin talks about the incredible differences between the book and the film while also pointing out the corrupt system in place that harms the patients at the ward. Our analytical conversation is wide- encompassing of the film as we also talk about the push and pull Billy faces between the protagonist and antagonist, the famously shocking electroshock therapy scene, and the cathartic ending. All this and much more on the latest episode of All the Film Things!

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On the forty- ninth episode of All the Film Things, I had the pleasure of interviewing producer/ director Jonathan Berman! 

Jonathan Berman is a California- based producer/ director who has been working in the industry for nearly 40 years. Before making his own documentaries often focused on sub- cultures not often highlighted in mainstream media, such as Commune (2005) and The Shvitz (1993), he worked as a producer, co- writer, and assistant sound editor on films and television shows with one of his first jobs being a production assistant on the set of Pee Wee’s Playhouse. My Friend Paul (1999), Jonathan’s sophomore documentary for which he directed, wrote, and produced was nominated for the Grand Jury Prize at the Slamdance Film Festival in 1999. His latest film, Calling All Earthlings (2018), won the Debut Feature Competition Jury Prize at the Illuminate Film Festival in 2018. Aside from his work in film production, he is a professor at Cal State San Marcos School of Arts and has taught courses on subjects like documentary filmmaking, media distribution, and both US and international cinema.

Jonathan’s documentary Commune, which is focused on the commune of Black Bear Ranch in the late 60s through the 70s, is celebrating its 20th anniversary by being screened in its newly restored form across the US. Three more screenings in California have been announced with the next in San Rafael on September 12, another in Los Angeles on September 17, and the last announced screening on September 20 in Ojai, California. More screenings are expected to be announced so follow @CommuneTheMovie on Instagram and Facebook to stay updated on the film and its upcoming screenings!

This is Jonathan’s first time on ATFT! I got connected to Jonathan thanks to Kelly Hargraves who presented me this excellent opportunity and then became a big help in setting the interview up. This episode was recorded on August 7, 2025. 

In this episode, Jonathan talks about his post- production process, specifically when it comes to trimming down hundreds of hours of footage to form a film, as well as his love for old noir and comedy films from the 1930s, and meeting Christopher Nolan. We also compared his film Commune to one of my favorite films: Easy Rider (1969)! All this and much more on the latest episode of All the Film Things!

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