The Cinema Files

"Phoenix Press were invited to sit down with stars, Esther Smith and Rafe Spall to discuss 'Trying,' an Apple Original TV series. The final two episodes of this, the third season will be available on Friday, August 26th, and September 2nd.

We sit down with the one and only Mark Wahlberg to discuss his passion project, “Father Stu”   Father Stu tells the inspirational true story of Stewart Long and his journey from a short-tempered boxer to a humble man of God.  We ask Wahlberg how he brought this biopic to the screen and what drove him to do so.

In this interview we discuss how Alfonso got his start, who some of the composers that inspired him are, how the process of composing the music for Klaus, and other topics.

We recently sat down with the charming lead actress of JoJo Rabbit, Thomasin McKenzie. We discussed what it was like working with an already amazing line of directors, and if she had any hesitation taking on the subject matter of Taika's latest comedy. Some may remember Thomasin from 2018's “Leave No Trace” with Ben Foster. If her performances in these two films are any clue, she has an amazing career ahead of her.

Eugenio Derbes has been a staple in Mexican pop culture for years. Earlier this week, in a small theater hidden behind a freezer door at a Scottsdale Multiplex, we caught up with Eugenio to discuss his latest project, “Dora and the Lost City of Gold.”

A roundtable interview with writer/director Joe Berlinger, who discusses with us what makes "Extremely Wicked, Shockingly Evil, and Vile" different from other movies about Bundy's life, and the origin of its rather unusual title.

Director John Lee Hancock and Writer John Fusco discuss their unique approach to their unique take on the Bonnie & Clyde story in "The Highwaymen"

If you've ever longed for naked Jedi, you'll love this interview with Russall Beattie, the creator of “The Empire Strips Back”, a traveling burlesque extravaganza that will be premiering in Arizona on April 2nd!

With the recent success of the brilliant Netflix series “The Haunting of Hill House”, WE thought it would be a great time to revisit our conversation with Mike Flanagan, Trevor Macy, and Jason Blum.

Just prior to the release of "Ralph Breaks the Internet" we had a quick chat with Michelle Robinson who was the “Character Look Development Supervisor” for the movie. Michelle has a long history with Disney Animation and has worked on some of their best films including Bolt, Tangled, Zootopia, and Frozen

During the "Eighth Grade" festival run, we had the chance to talk to Youtube personality, turned stand-up comedian, turned Writer/Director, Bo Burnham, about the inspiration behind this wonderful movie, and how his own experiences and opinions on social media are reflected in the lead character.

The day after screening "Super Troopers 2" for an early audience in Phoenix, we sat down with the guys of Broken Lizard, the minds behind "Club Dread", "Beerfest", and "Super Troopers." We asked about their experiences bringing a comedic sequel to the screen nearly two decades after the original, and how it was all because of a successfull crowd funding campaign that hit it's first goal in only 24 hours.

Recently, fellow Cinema File Dan Silva was able to speak with "Peter Rabbit" Composer, Dominic Lewis. Dominic is currently scoring the third season of Amazon's "The Man in High Castle." He has composed scores for a number of movies and TV shows, including the new "Ductales", Sony's "Rough NIght" and "Fist Fight" In addition to this he's contributed to scores for "How to Train Your Dragon", "Wreck-it Ralph", and "Captain America: Winter Soldier"

We catch up with composer Ben Lovett just before the 2017 TIFF premier of "The Ritual" (Now available on Netflix) Ben is best known for his score on Magnolia Pictures' “The Signal,” which received an Independent Spirit Award nomination. He has also scored the Duplass Brothers' thriller “Black Rock,” and Magnolia Pictures' sci-fi noir “Synchronicity”

“12 Strong” is based on the TRUE story, of a 12-man team sent to Afghanistan mere WEEKS after 9/11. I along, with a few of my colleagues, was given the chance to sit down talk with the two, real life, ex-special forces, whom the lead characters are based on, Bob Pennington and Mark Nutsch.

Actor, Academy Nominated writer and now director, Jason Hall was in Phoenix last week promoting his upcoming film “Thank you for Your Service” While here, we spoke with him about his process as a screenwriter, why he felt the importance of making this film, and his particular attention to detail as a director.

Last week I sat down with NYT bestselling author, Jeannette Walls to chat about “The Glass Castle”, a new film based on a book she penned about her experiences growing up in poverty. While her story is quite engaging, it pales in comparison to the enchanting presence Jeannette has in person. It's not a word I use often, but “vivacious” is the perfect description for her. Our ten minutes together blew by as we discussed the impact her youth had on her adult life, and how well the film captured the essence of her family.

Shortly before the wide release of the inspiring documentary “STEP” I was part of a round-table discussion with Writer/Director Amanda Lipitz, Director of College Counselling Paula Dofat, Step Team Coach Gari McIntryre, and three of the Lethal Ladies of BLSYW(Baltimore Leadership School for Young Women), Tayla Solomon, Blessin Giraldo, and Cori Grainger. The ladies had plenty to say about their their experiences during the documentary which filmed most of their teenage years, and what they've been up to in the two years since graduation.

On the night of March 13th, 1997 two major UFO sightings occurred over Phoenix. Collectively they have been known has “The Phoenix Lights” The first was a massive V-shaped object that blocked out the stars as it flew overhead. It traveled southeast from Prescott, over Phoenix, and then down past Tucson. Later that same evening, a formation of large shimmering lights hung over the Estrella mountains to the southwest of Phoenix. This has become the most widely seen and documented UFO sightings in history. A new film is coming out that tells a fictional story framed against these events. We had the chance to talk to director Justin Barber about what to expect from his upcoming thriller “PHOENIX FORGOTTEN”

Last week we caught up with the multitalented comedian, Demetri Martin, at a small cafe just outside of the Phoenix Film Festival. That night his film “DEAN”, which he wrote, directed, and starred in, would be screening at the festival. We chatted about his experiences as a first-time director and some of the more interesting and risky elements that made his film stand out.

With the new Ghost in the Shell live-action film coming out, I jumped at the chance to interview Chin Han, the actor portraying Togusa. Depending on the version of Ghost you prefer, Togusa is the “most human” of the Section 9 officers that work alongside The Major. Chin was recently named one of Asia's 25 greatest actors of all time by CNNgo and has played a role in a variety of major films and TV shows including Marco Polo, Captain America:The Winter Soldier, Independence Day: Resurgence, Arrow, and The Dark Knight. Speaking with him, it quickly becomes clear that he is a true fan of the source material and brings along a refreshing level of passion and understanding for the narrative weight behind the Ghost in the Shell saga.

We chat with Monte Yazzie, Programming Director for the International Horror & Sci-Fi Film Festival about what to expect from the upcoming 2017 Phoenix Film Festival.(April 6th-13th) Plus, follow the link below for a chance to win a pair of FLEX PASSES! Enter to win: http://wp.me/p6Xbkq-1y1 2017 Phoenix Film Festival Schedule: http://www.phoenixfilmfestival.com/the-films/

We sit down with Director John Madden and discuss his latest film, "Miss Sloane." You may recognize Madden from his previous movies such as “The Debt”, “Proof”, and “Shakespeare in Love” Madden talks about his collaboration process with the writer on this brilliant script, and what makes the title character so fascinating.

We chat with Darrin Butters, a CGI character animator for Disney, about his work on "Moana", his start with animation in the mid 90s, and how they made this film look -so good-!

In this roundtable interview, Haley Lu Richardson shares what makes "The Edge of Seventeen" feel so authentic, if she believes "All's fair in love and War," and what her favorite teen movie is. (The answer may surprise you!)

We chat with Nicolas Winding Refn about his latest film, The Neon Demon, what some of the symbolism means, and how he's able to create such visually stunning films while color blind.

We talk with four of the cast members from Linklater's latest film "Everybody Wants Some!!" Both the film, and this interview, were a blast! We discuss how much of their onscreen friendship is real and some of the philosophy behind their characters.

We spend a few minutes chatting with Jason Carney, director of the Phoenix Film Festival for over a decade. Jason lets us know what new and exciting things are in store for this year's Film Fest! (April 7th-14th)

Available now, "Southbound" is a unique and satisfying horror anthology which ranks among the best in its genre. We talk with Directing Quartet "Radio Silence" about their segment which spans both the beginning and end of the film.

Available now, "Southbound" is a unique and satisfying horror anthology which ranks among the best in its genre. We talk with Writer/Director David Bruckner about his bone-chilling segment titled "Accident."

The new film "13 Hours: The Secret Soldiers of Benghazi", based on the book by Mitchell Zuckoff of the same name, is the true story of the 2012 attack on the US Embassy in Lybia. Mark “Oz” Geist and John “Tig” Tiegen are two of the former Marines who were there during the attack. During this interview we speak to them about what it was like, why they've gone public with their story, and how accurate the book and film are to the events as they actually happened.