This Is The Year

Cinematographer Joel D'Alimonte and Eric Bizzarri had a funny, awkward first encounter, but have now known each other for years, becoming great friends and collaborators. Joel discusses the non-linear path he took to starting in the film industry, and the two discuss what inspires a person to do so in the first place. Joel reflects on his personality growing up, bartending, the absence of a high school education, his relationship to God and how that's shaped his dream career path of cinematography. The process of cinematography is different than what he's used to, like the dialogue with his director, but there are similarities between what he's doing now, and what he's done before. Follow @thisyearpodcast on socials!

Actor and former athlete Harrison Browne reunites with Eric Bizzarri after two years in studio. Eric produced the Feature Film On the Fringe of Wild, with Harrison in the lead role. The film completed production March 14, 2020. The two discuss the unique experience of moving into isolation immediately after being surrounded by a large cast and crew each day. Harrison is the first transgender athlete in professional hockey, having been a part of the National Women's Hockey League and winning championships for the Metropolitan Riveters and Buffalo Beauts. As a trailblazer and pioneer for LGBTQ rights, Harrison discusses avoiding being labelled as a "poster child" for transgender rights and freedoms, but rather an activist for these segregations, as well as creating his own approvals and spaces to feel accepted in by pursuing projects and people he loves. Towards acting, he's always tackling imposter syndrome and the drive to "book the gig."

Actress and musician Hallea Jones is joined in studio with Eric Bizzarri, as they reunite after three years and recall how they started in the industry. Hallea recently rose to fame on Netflix's Locke and Key as "Eden", in addition to recording and writing her own music. She describes becoming more comfortable in her own skin as she grows older, learning to make choices for herself, including bolder and more confident fashion decisions that don't please the male gaze, while learning to digest inevitable rejection.

The podcast turns a new leaf. Host Eric Bizzarri introduces the new studio space, Hearts Gone Beyond. Marco Furgiele is a sound designer and recordist. Over the pandemic, he decided to turn the basement of his house in Toronto into a fully decked out studio. For the first time in the new studio, Eric is joined by Marco to discuss their newfound friendship, the value of starting over and reaching for new hobbies in the face of isolation. Marco discusses one of his most ambitious and transformative career moves, while Eric touches on how indulging a career in the arts can be, as much as it is consuming.

Musician Peter Serrado reached a low-point during the pandemic. He's joined virtually with Eric Bizzarri, as they discuss the value of their friendship and collaboration, Peter's upbringings creating music and developing his sound, while they both share how each of their creative endeavours took a bit of a turn during isolation. Peter performs "Sunset in the City", a track played first at Eurovision's annual competition.

Actress and entrepreneur Jamie Bloch is ready for change. She's joined virtually with Eric Bizzarri as they discuss their upbringings in the entertainment industry, family dynamics and what socializing could look like after the pandemic. This episode was recorded virtually. See zencastr.com/privacy-policy for privacy information.

Filmmaker Clark McRorie has a special relationship with people. He's joined by Eric Bizzarri as they discuss education in film, learning to navigate critics and reaction to personal work, Clark's short film "The Death of Malevolent Being", and how he discovered his filmmaking style. Clark also shares a story about a time in his life he won't ever forget - a time when everything changed. This episode was recorded virtually. See zencastr.com/privacy-policy for privacy information.

On this episode, Eric is joined by actress Keara Graves (Netflix's "Grand Army," "Lost and Found Music Studios," "Cardinals"), as they chat about how acting in commercials gave them prefferential treatment at school, her short film "Night Drive" and YouTube webseries "Queerantine," and understanding how our current politcal climate can help foster creativity. This episode is edited from an Instagram live interview on May 29th, 2020.

On this episode, the tables get turned on Eric as he gets interviewed on filmmaking with Director Rob Comeau. This episode is edited from an Instagram Live that took place on April 14th, 2020.

On this episode, Marc and Eric talk about COVID-19 mask fashion and Hamilton on Disney+. Eric is joined by fitness instructor and trainer Maral Habibi (14:21) as they talk about how to stay motivated and moving during quarantine, and how one builds and brands a business during a global pandemic. This interview is edited from an Instagram live broadcast from May 22nd, 2020.

On this episode, Eric is joined by artist Jay "Superior" Doodnauth as they talk about mental health, swimming, horror films, and creating music in the time of COVID-19. This episode is edited from its original instagram live broadcast on May 1st, 2020. 

On This Episode, Eric interviews Directors Emily Jenkins and Justin Black as they talk about the process and production of their award winning co-directed short film Terminally in Love, currently streaming on Vimeo (https://www.terminallyinlove.com/)

On This Episode, Marc interviews novelist Sidura Ludwig to discuss her recently published short story collection "You Are Not What We Expected." They also talk about raising a family during quarantine, how her Jewish identity is reflected in her writing, the quest to get as many rejections as possible, and how COVID-19 has affected the launch of her book.

The first in a series of Instagram live interviews, Eric interviews filmmaker Carol Nguyen as they talk about her Award-winning short No Crying at the Dinner Table, delving into the world of animation, managing the success from TIFF and SXSW, and extra-circulars beyond filmmaking.  This Interview is edited from its original Instagram live broadcast on April 17th, 2020. 

On This Episode, Marc and Eric talk about their weird habits and quirks, while Eric is joined by filmmaker Charlie Tyrell, as they talk about his Oscar-shortlisted film My Dead Dad's Porno Tapes, their responsibilities as creative storytellers, and the discipline to practice and collaborate while engaging in the craft.

On This Episode, Marc and Eric talk about life under quarantine, and are joined by Anna Jane Edmonds and Gina Simone from Pocket Film School (pocketfilmschool.io) as they discuss how they brought their indie skills into a cost-effective DIY program.

On This Episode, Marc and Eric indulge on childhood snacks to see if they still live up to their nostalgia, while Eric is joined by musical comedian Anesti Danelis, as they talk about how his "I Quit" song went viral.

On this episode, Marc and Eric discuss their favourite movie screenings they've attended, while Marc is joined by Writer and Pop Culture Critic, Anthony Oliveira (8:08) as they talk about how his PhD work ties into the Dumpster Racoon film series he programs at Toronto's Revue Cinema, his love for John Milton, his upcoming one-shot with Marvel Comics, and why queerness matters throughout his entire body of work.

On this episode, Marc wears a hat, while Eric talks about sitting courtside at a Raptors game. Eric is joined by motivational speaker Sam Demma (15:55), as they talk about starting one's entrepreneurial path collecting trash, giving life advice to high schoolers at age 20, and why it's important to build one's brand at a young age.

On this episode, Marc and Eric talk about having their last name spelled wrong in movie credits, while Eric is joined by film curator, programmer and experimental filmmaker Zac Goldkind (8:54), as they talk about growing up in a household of non-creative people, their mutual love for the 2002 Scooby Doo film, why the Criterion Channel is the only streaming service worth subscribing to, and the current state of foreign-cinema distribution and appreciation in the GTA.

On this episode, Marc and Eric pop quiz each other, and are joined by Director, Sound Designer and Editor, Nancy Yeboah (7:20), as they talk the York University convocation, failure, laying your reputation on the line, and celebrating your authentic self in the company of others.

On this episode, Marc and Eric talk about coordinating birthday parties, and are joined by Podcaster and Creator of The Canvas Series, Raphael Wong (7:41), as they talk about being introverted, refreshing one's mindset, having a constant sense of curiosity, and what success means for our podcast hosts.

On this episode, Marc and Eric reminisce about the past decade, and are joined by Dancer, Choreographer, Storyteller and co-founder of Black Lives Matter Toronto, Rodney Diverlus (10:32), as they talk about bringing art into activism, "Joe Jobs," why it's important for young artists to fail sometimes, and creating opportunities for yourself that also allows you to bring others along for the ride.

On this episode, Eric gets some hate mail, and Marc reveals where he's going for Grad School. Eric is joined by actress Amanda Zhou (13:18) and talk about the figure skating years of her youth, living in the shadow of her famous grandmother, and bullying within the film industry. 

On this episode, Marc tries to interpret Eric's dream, while also talking about Ari Aster's "MidSommar," Marvel, and the great summer of indie cinema. Eric is joined by filmmaker Kyle Reaume (18:49), whose latest short film "Vertical Lines" is available to stream on YouTube, talk about their mutual love of Olivia Wilde's "Booksmart", why he does not watch movie trailers all the way through, becoming more comfortable creating LGBTQ content after film school, and how to traverse the film festival scene with your shorts.

Happy TIFF 2019!!! On this episode, Marc and Eric give their do's and don't's for those attending TIFF. Eric is joined by Actress Yasmin MacKay, who you can catch at TIFF in the film Black Conflux (premiering September 6th), as they discuss uprooting oneself from Nova Scotia to Toronto, working on Black Conflux, and utilizing skills outside of acting.

On this episode, Marc and Eric go through their Letterboxd as they recap their thoughts on the 2019 Summer Movie Season. Eric is joined by Film Critic and podcaster Eric Marchen as they discuss their lifelong fascination with film, sing the praises of TIFFR (if you plan on attending TIFF, it will be your bible), and how prevent festival burnout by pacing yourself.

On this episode, Marc plays a sport for the first time in years (and pays for it with his body), and Eric does a favour that goes horribly wrong... Marc is then joined by Film Critic and Head Publisher of intheseats.ca Dave Voigt (12:19) as they discuss the journey from working in the family business to finding and carving out one's own space online, and what's on his must-see list for TIFF 2019 from Safdie Bros to Soderbergh.

On this episode, Eric texts his number neighbour, while he and Marc talk about  "wrong numbers" and childhood trading card theft rackets. With the Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF) just weeks away, Eric is joined by actress Ariana Marquis (12:41) as they share stories about their first TIFF experience, and share each other's initial "must-see" picks for the festival.

On this episode, Eric and Marc talk about being indecisive and cultural eating faux pas. Marc is joined by photographer and digital artist Joseph Hammond (10:53) as they discuss how being diagnosed with Autism alters one's understanding of how to approach art, their mutual love of Don Quixote and "Man of La Mancha," and go in-depth about the relationship of cults and gods in Panos Cosmatos' "Mandy" and Tarantino's "Once Upon a Time in Hollywood." 

On this episode, Eric has a squabble with a student, and shares how he and he family booked a Pizza Pizza commercial, while Marc explains his sudden urge for an impromptu run during a sleepless night. Eric is also joined by Film Producer Shant Joshi (11:43) as they discuss their time collaborating at York (specifically on the short film "Poop Emoji"), and how one balances to keep one foot working in Los Angeles and one foot working in Toronto.

On this episode, Marc and Eric talk about each other's greatest fears, the frustrations of teaching, and parkouring in Italy. Eric is also joined by Cinematographer and Steadicam operator Julian Lomaga (13:02) as they discuss his experience working with Eric on his latest short "Pressure Play" and his journey from playing baseball at Louisiana State University to Cinematographer.

On this episode, Eric explains his reasoning for being in the studio all day, while he and Marc share their favourite moviegoing experiences at the IMAX Cinesphere. Eric is also joined by Jessie Posthumus (11:35) as they discuss her filmography, the contrasting discipline needed when filming documentaries or narrative shorts, growing up with seven siblings, and whether it was ultimately worth it, in the grand scheme of things, to go to film school.

On this episode, Marc introduces Eric to the concept of Jewish Geography, and goes in depth about preparing for the holiday of Passover. Eric is also joined by Premika Leo (11:47) as they discuss their respective encounters with paranormal activity, working on DC's "Titans," the webseries "Couple-ish," and the intricacies of casting for a production that requires diversity.

On this episode, Marc asks Eric about his experience shooting his newest short film "Pressure Play," and Eric welcomes actor Andrea Pavlovic (7:00) to the show as they share stories about growing up with immigrant parents, working on their respective crafts in a university setting, and the journey of reaching personal truth in performing, regardless of the medium.

On this episode, Marc and Eric try to understand each other's reasoning behind the music they listen to, while Eric is joined by Alex Perry of The Strangemakers (10:56) as they talk about what it's like in one's creative process to have support emotionally and romantically,

On this episode, Marc and Eric exchange stories about their experiences selling items online, while Eric is joined by Mohammed Abdi (16:25) as they talk about how the journey of discovering your own self-worth is an ongoing process.

On this episode, Marc and Eric discuss their respective journey getting into film school, and travelling alone, while Eric is joined by Aaron Rota and Calyx Passailaigue (21:25) as they talk about how they discovered arthouse cinema, why it's important to seek out people to collaborate (especially while in school), and how a terrible experience at the Pearson International Airport brought Eric and Aaron together on their way to the Regina International Film Festival.

On this episode, Marc comes across a unique casting call email for Space Jam 2, and Eric talks to Adam Weitner, founder of Astrolab Studios, where we record This Is The Year (13:30). Adam tells Eric how he went from building houses to running a business in the heart of Toronto's Studio District, recalls some of his favourite clients that have used Astrolab Studios, and why it's important for him to support young creators.

Welcome to This Is The Year! On this bonus introductory episode, Eric and Marc discuss why they decided to start a podcast, try to remember how they first met, Marc's foray as a local celebrity (amongst his group of friends) during the Toronto International Film Festival, and Eric's experience running a film festival.