Interviews
Let’s chat with some creative people!



Composer Paul Koch Puts Music to Parental Woes in “Redux Redux” & “Black Heat”
Paul Koch sat down with Beyond the Cinerama Dome to discuss his musical roots, frequent collaborations with the McManus brothers, and how his other recent project, Black Heat, bears some unlikely similarities to Redux Redux.

Writer/Director/ Editor Stephanie Kaznocha Gets Confessional
Stephanie Kaznocha sat down with Beyond the Cinerama Dome to discuss her career as an editor, the heart of Confessions, and the novel experience of cutting A Nice Indian Boy to the film’s lush, sweeping score. This transcript has been edited for length and clarity.

Paul Raschid Bridges the Gap Between Film & Games in “Hello Stranger”
Ahead of Hello Stranger’s run as part of the London Games Festival, Paul Raschid sat down with Beyond the Cinerama Dome to discuss the capabilities of interactive film, the added value of audience participation, and his second interactive film of 2025, The Run.

Raashi Kulkarni Talks Bollywood-Inspired Score in “A Nice Indian Boy”
Kulkarni sat down with Beyond the Cinerama Dome to discuss the beginning of her composing career, her second collaboration with director Roshan Sethi, and the best part about Indian weddings.

Katie Bignell of Festival Formula Demystifies Festival Submission Process
Katie Bignell sat down with Beyond the Cinerama Dome to discuss her expertise in the field, the power of the critic in the lifecycle of a short film, and the specific plan Festival Formula created for a recent SXSW premiere. This transcript has been edited for length and clarity.

Writer/Director Gemma Creagh Talks Haunting & Housing Crisis in “Conveyance”
Writer/director of Conveyance, Gemma Creagh, sits down with Beyond the Cinerama Dome to discuss the inspiration for her short, if she believes in ghosts, and the worst habits a roommate can have.

CIFF 2025: Emily Sheskin Puts Together Pieces of “Livestreams with GrandmaPuzzles”
Ahead of Livestreams with GrandmaPuzzles’ upcoming Cleveland International Film Festival screening, Emily Sheskin sat down with Beyond the Cinerama Dome to discuss the making of the short film.

The Newton Brothers Don’t Pull Punches in “Daredevil: Born Again” Score
With the first four episodes of Daredevil: Born Again now streaming on Disney+, The Newton Brothers sat down with Beyond the Cinerama Dome is discuss their longtime collaboration with Mike Flanagan, honoring the Netflix series, and keeping Marvel’s secrets.

SXSW: Lucy Davidson Unpacks Her Baggage
Ahead of Baggage's international premiere at SXSW, Lucy Davidson sat down with Film Obsessive News Editor Tina Kakadelis to discuss female friendships, the tedious nature of stop motion, and how friendships can alleviate our deepest insecurities.

Production Designer Arthur Max & Costume Designer Dave Crossman Bring Ancient Rome to Life in “Gladiator II'“
In order to pull off this return to ancient Rome, Scott had to call upon some trusted crew who have been frequent collaborators throughout his storied career. Arthur Max, production designer, and Dave Crossman, military costume designer, were integral to building the epic world of ancient Rome.

Inside Volker Bertelmann's Score for “Conclave”
The election of a new pope is not what comes to mind when most people think of a political thriller, but Edward Berger’s Conclave exemplifies the best of what the genre has to offer. The film is Berger’s follow-up to his highly decorated remake of All Quiet on the Western Front (2022), so who better to compose the score for Conclave than Berger’s frequent collaborator, Volker Bertelmann?

José Lourenço Brings 1774 Angst to 2024 in “Young Werther”
After its premiere at the 2024 Toronto International Film Festival earlier this year, Young Werther will begin its theatrical and digital release on December 13. Writer/director José Avelino Gilles Corbett Lourenço sat down with Film Obsessive News Editor Tina Kakadelis to discuss updating a classic, the timelessness of Werther, and the magic of Toronto.

Rainey Qualley Talks Musical Revenge in The Devil and the Daylong Brothers
Ahead of the film’s theatrical release, Rainey Qualley sat down with Film Obsessive’s Tina Kakadelis to talk combing her singing career with her love of acting, shooting a movie musical in 14 days, and the desperation that drives her character.

Composer Dave Metzger Returns to Pride Rock with “Mufasa”
Ahead of the December 20, 2024 theatrical release, Dave Metzger sat down with Film Obsessive News Editor Tina Kakadelis to discuss the role of an orchestrator, honoring the original score, and cultivating the blending of epic and intimate sounds.

Sisters Libe & Ariela Barer Talk the Heavy Heart of “Disfluency”
Ahead of the film’s theatrical run, Libe and Ariela Barer sat down with Film Obsessive’s Tina Kakadelis to discuss the journey from short film to feature, their sisterly bond on/off camera, and the power of language.

Kris Bowers Talks Magic of Scoring “The Wild Robot”
In celebration of The Wild Robot’s home entertainment release, Film Obsessive’s News Editor, Tina Kakadelis, sat down with Bowers to discuss his first animation project, sentiment vs. sentimentality in music, and the ways man-made objects play a role in his score. This transcript has been edited for length and clarity.

TIFF24: Samir Oliveros Breaks Down “Luckiest Man in America”
Ahead of its world premiere at the 2024 Toronto International Film Festival, director and co-writer, Samir Oliveros, sat down with Film Obsessive’s Tina Kakadelis.

TIFF24: Cinematographer Luc Montpellier Talks “On Swift Horses”
Fresh off the world premiere of On Swift Horses, Luc Montpellier sat down with Film Obsessive’s News Editor, Tina Kakadelis.