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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