One Week Only - Podcast

Episode 126 of One Week Only! This is our "Youth in America" episode, with four terrific films centered around teenage life in the United States. Our key film this week is "We The Animals," a stunning coming-of-age drama about three Puerto Rican brothers growing up in upstate New York with and stuggling with their volatile parents. With gorgeous 16mm cinematography, thrilling hand-drawn animation and moving performances, Jeremiah Zagar's film is a breathtaking cinematic vision and one of the best films of the year. (35:10)

We also review the experimental performance drama "Madeline's Madeline" starring an incredible Helena Howard, directed by Josephine Decker (9:10), the NYC skater girls drama "Skate Kitchen" directed by Crystal Moselle (18:10), and the coming-of-age skating documentary "Minding the Gap" directed by Bing Liu (27:15).

Hosted by Carlos Aguilar & Conor Holt. Music by Kevin MacLeod at www.incompetech.com

Episode 125 of One Week Only! After we gripe about the inane new Oscar announcements, our key film this week is "Revengeance," a wild & crazy animated thriller about a low-rent bounty hunter hired by the mysterious Senator Deathface. Directed by animation maverick Bill Plympton & Jim Lujan, it's a grindhouse-style odyssey through a seedy Los Angeles told in vibrant, unique animation. (44:05)

We also review LGBTQ teen drama "The Miseducation of Cameron Post" directed by Desiree Akhavan (11:25), chilling WWII drama "The Captain" directed by Robert Schwentke (18:55), the music documentary "40 Years in the Making: The Magic Music Movie" directed by Lee Aronsohn (26:55), and the beguiling Nowergian drama "Gavagai" directed by Rob Tregenza (33:45).

Hosted by Carlos Aguilar & Conor Holt. Music by Kevin MacLeod at www.incompetech.com

Episode 124 of One Week Only! It's a great week with some really strong films. Our key film is "Cocote," a stylistically unique and morally complex drama from the Dominican Republic about an Evangelical Christian man who returns home and faces the scrutiny of his traditional family, who want him avenge his father's murder. Directed by Nelson Carlo De Los Santos Arias, it's a rich look at the island's culture & customs, weaving them together with a complex moral drama about family, revenge & justice. (25:20)

We also review Japanese legal drama "The Third Murder" directed by Hirokazu Koreeda (2:30), revenge drama "Night Comes On" directed by Jordana Spiro (10:20) and Iranian moral drama "No Date, No Signature" directed by Vahid Jalilvand (17:25).

Hosted by Carlos Aguilar & Conor Holt. Music by Kevin MacLeod at www.incompetech.com

"Room To Grow" is a documentary for Revry, a digital streaming service for the LGBTQ community, and it just premiered at the Outfest Film Festival. The film follows a group of LGBTQ youth as they face challenges & find acceptance among their friends and family while coming into their own identities. Conor had the chance to interview directors John Garcia & Matt Alber and the whole cast of kids, talking to them about the experience of coming to Outfest and how it felt to make a film about their personal lives.

Hosted by Carlos Aguilar & Conor Holt. Music by Kevin MacLeod at www.incompetech.com

Bonus Episode of One Week Only from the Outfest Film Festival! Conor was very happy to interview director Jeff Kaufman about his documentary "Every Act of Life" about the Tony-winning playwright Terrence McNally. Learn about how Kaufman met McNally, how Kaufman got interviews with such big stars as Rita Moreno and Angela Lansbury, and how McNally succeeded as a playwright despite being an openly gay man since the 1960s.

Hosted by Carlos Aguilar & Conor Holt. Music by Kevin MacLeod at www.incompetech.com

Episode 123 of One Week Only! Our key film this week is "Good Manners," a Brazilian horror fable about the unique relationship between a wealthy pregnant woman and her live-in nanny, and the supernatural elements surrounding them. Directed by Juliana Rojas & Marco Dutra, it's a gorgeously made fable that's not only wonderfully creepy, but also addresses race, class & sexuality in modern-day Brazil. (22:10)

We also review the chilling medical documentary "The Bleeding Edge" directed by Kirby Dick (2:50), and the evocative, thoughtful Romanian period drama "Scarred Hearts" directed by Radu Jude (12:45).

Hosted by Carlos Aguilar & Conor Holt. Music by Kevin MacLeod at www.incompetech.com

The Outfest Film Festival just wrapped, and we have lots of films to talk about! We discuss the Award Winners, a special screening of the Mexican drama "Duck Season," and new films including "1985," "Postcards From London" and "Wild Nights With Emily"!

Hosted by Carlos Aguilar & Conor Holt. Music by Kevin MacLeod at www.incompetech.com

Episode 122 of One Week Only! Our key film this week is "Winter Brothers" about two brothers working at a Danish limestone mine, and one of them gets in trouble for selling bootleg liquor to the other workers. Directed by Hlynur Pálmason, it's a gorgeously shot, atmospheric portrait of a harsh world and the strange characters who live their. (29:30)

We also review the documentary "Generation Wealth" directed by Lauren Greenfield (5:20), the Oakland drama "Blindspotting" written by & starring Daveed Diggs & Rafael Casal, directed by Carlos López Estrada (13:05), and the documentary "King Cohen" about maverick writer/director/producer Larry Cohen, directed by Steve Mitchell (22:40).

Hosted by Carlos Aguilar & Conor Holt. Music by Kevin MacLeod at www.incompetech.com

Bonus Episode of One Week Only! "Bernard and Huey" is an independent comedy about two womanizing college friends who reunite after 25 years, directed by Dan Mirvish (Omaha: The Movie) and written by Jules Feiffer (Carnal Knowledge). The film is currently playing in select cinemas across the country, and is available on VOD. Conor talked with Dan Mirvish about finding this long-lost screenplay, casting David Koechner and Jim Rash, and how independent filmmaking has evolved since he co-founded the Slamdance Film Festival in 1995.

Hosted by Carlos Aguilar & Conor Holt. Music by Kevin MacLeod at www.incompetech.com

Episode 121 of One Week Only! If you're in Los Angeles, be sure to check out Outfest, one of the largest & best LGBTQ film festivals in the country. Our key film this week is "What Will People Say" about a teenager girl in Norway who is kidnapped by deeply-religious family and sent back to live in Pakistan. Directed by Iram Haq, it's a terrifying drama, based on the director's real life, about the clash between family generations, and between culture & personal freedom. (28:50)

We also review the documentary "Robin Williams: Come Inside My Mind" about the beloved comedian, directed by Marina Zenovich (6:15), the charming coming-of-age comedy "Eighth Grade" directed by Bo Burnham (14:25), and the chilling documentary "Path of Blood" about Al Qaeda behind the scenes, directed by Jonathan Hacker (21:05).

Hosted by Carlos Aguilar & Conor Holt. Music by Kevin MacLeod at www.incompetech.com