We discuss Sundance’s Spotlight Program and its history as the only feature film program at the festival dedicated to films that premiered at other festivals. We also discuss this year’s selections, including The Eight Mountains, L’Immensità, and Joyland.
Orla Smith podcast
Sundance 2023 E1: What to watch at the festival
In this episode, we preview the Sundance 2023 Film Festival and discuss the films we’re most excited for at the festival and why. We also give some context about the kinds of films we’ve discovered (and been disappointed by) at past film festivals, and discuss Sundance alum returning to this year’s festival.
E132: Sarah Polley’s Women Talking
n this episode of the podcast, we discuss Sarah Polley’s new Oscar hopeful film: her screen adaptation of the Miriam Toewes’s novel Women Talking. We talk about how the film works (or doesn’t) as an adaptation, its lack of specificity in depicting a mennonite community, and the many problems that plague the film.
E130: Jerzy Skolimowski’s Eo – a film podcast
On this members only episode, we discuss Jerzy Skolimowski’s visually and aurally inventive Eo and creating empathy for animals on screen.
Women at Cannes Ep. 5: Women at Cannes 2022
On the podcast, we look back at the 2022 Cannes Film Festival: both its many institutional failings and great films by women that we watched.
Women at Cannes Ep. 4: Naomi Kawase at Cannes
On the podcast, we discuss the great Japanese filmmaker Naomi Kawase, the darling of Cannes, and why she’s still so under-appreciated.