Interviews
Let’s chat with some creative people!

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.

TIFF24: J Stevens & Breton Lalama Talk “Really Happy Someday”
Before the premiere of Really Happy Someday, lead actor and co-writer, Breton Lalama, and director and co-writer, J Stevens, sat down with Film Obsessive’s News Editor, Tina Kakadelis.

TIFF24: Hanan Townshend Talks Scoring “Went Up the Hill”
Fresh off the world premiere of Went Up the Hill, Townshend sat down with Film Obsessive’s News Editor, Tina Kakadelis.

Producers Shannon McIntosh & H. Daniel Gross Create New Wave of Martial Arts Flicks with Tiger Style Media
Shannon McIntosh and H. Daniel Gross sat down with Film Obsessive’s Tina Kakadelis to talk all things Tiger Style Media in anticipation of the upcoming slate of films. The transcript has been edited for clarity and space.

Actor Nicholas Hammond Talks “Art of Eight Limbs”
Nicholas Hammond sat down with Film Obsessive’s Tina Kakadelis to talk about this new stage of his career and why he believes Art of Eight Limbs will speak to a new generation of martial arts lovers. The transcript has been edited for clarity and space.

29 Queer Film Festival Founders Jonathan Andre Culliton & Graham Kolbeins Talk Inaugural Year
In preparation for the festival next month, Jonathan Andre Culliton and Graham Kolbeins sat down with Film Obsessive News Editor Tina Kakadelis, to explain what moviegoers can expect during the run of the festival and the essential need for queer spaces.

Austin Peters Talks On the Upcoming “Skincare” Thriller
Austin Peters sat down with Film Obsessive News Editor Tina Kakadelis to chat about his upcoming film, Skincare. The transcript has been edited for clarity and space.

Writer/Director Daniel André Talks Fear of Death in “Running on Empty”
Daniel André sat down with Film Obsessive News Editor Tina Kakadelis to chat about his upcoming film, Running on Empty. The transcript has been edited for clarity and space.

'A Quiet Place: Day One' Writer/Director Michael Sarnoski Talks Power of Connection
What did it sound like as the world went quiet? Michael Sarnoski answers those questions and more in ‘A Quiet Place: Day One.’