I’ve been listening to podcasts for what feels like the entire history of podcasts. I’ve been watching films since I could form words, and I’m Jewish. So it only seemed natural to launch a Jewish film podcast.
Like most podcast junkies, I have always wanted to start one. Like many of those, I wish I’d come to that realization a decade ago. I could’ve started a podcast when nobody was doing it, and now I’d be swimming in that David Chen money.
Sadly, I did not start a podcast a decade ago. Since then, I’ve never quite had the time. But in 2020, I was working for the Atlanta Jewish Film Festival. They suddenly had a need for some new programming to replace all the in person events we normally did.
A podcast was a welcome low-overhead idea. Thanks to Zoom, it also didn’t require us to be in the same room as each other. Bonus!
Fellow AJFF team member, Sara Glassberg, handled co-host duties.Chris Holland handled the editing and technical post-production. I already owned a handful of nice microphones, which kept costs to a bare minimum. We put the show on the proverbial air in a couple weeks.
In addition to co-hosting, I whipped up the branding for the podcast. AJFF had previously started in person panels under the “In Conversation” banner, so that got converted into the podcast name. We eventually added “the Jewish Film Podcast” to it, simply because it wasn’t a great name for podcast discovery.
Ultimately we produced 49 episodes, one every week or two. Sara Glassberg departed the festival in 2021. We put the show on hiatus while focusing on getting back in theaters. It hasn’t come off the shelf, and after I left the organization, it’s unlikely to. At least in the same format it had.
Below is a selection of particular favorite episodes of AJFF In Conversation: The Jewish Film Podcast.
The Nora Ephron Appreciation Society
Released: July 23, 2021
Nora Ephron was a trailblazing female filmmaker, especially when it came to romantic comedies, with directorial efforts like Sleepless in Seattle and You’ve Got Mail. Even more prolific as a screenwriter, she penned those two films plus a dozen others, including the iconic When Harry Met Sally, the classic Jewish rom com that transcended stereotypes about the genre. Yet her name does not necessarily come up as often as male writer-directors.
Sara and Brad are here to help correct that, diving into what made her work so meaningful, what made her prose so memorable, and what to make of her legacy, as a filmmaker, an essayist, a journalist, and a foodie. And here to help is Eleanor Ringel-Cater, Pulitzer Prize-nominated former film critic for The Atlanta Journal-Constitution.
Film 101: Appreciating the Cinematic Arts
Released: May 6, 2021
Discriminating audiences know a great work of cinema when they see it. And festivalgoers have high expectations for the quality of film we present annually at AJFF and year-round programs. But what are the ingredients and traits that make for exceptional filmmaking? For audiences seeking to fine-tune and expand their palate, a deeper awareness and understanding of the creative building blocks of cinematic stories can greatly enhance their viewing experience.
An expert in hard-to-find cult germs from her perch with TCM Underground, Turner Classic Movies programmer Millie De Chirico joins our latest podcast for a larger industry perspective on some intriguing big picture questions and hot topics. Who are arbiters of taste, and who decides a movie’s status in the canon of film history? What’s the definition of a classic vs. a cult hit? Where are lines blurred between objective and subjective quality? Plus, what are some specific examples of Jewish film works you may have missed? Join hosts Sara and Brad as we find out!
The Politics of Aaron Sorkin and The West Wing
Released: October 13, 2020
Joining us for this edition of AJFF In Conversation: The Jewish Film Podcast, is very special guest Eli Attie, whose own time in politics and natural writing talent helped shape the much-beloved The West Wing, created by Aaron Sorkin.
This fall, Sorkin is back with The Trial of the Chicago 7, based on the infamous court proceedings of seven defendants charged with conspiracy for their protests at the 1968 Democratic National Convention. He is also gathering the cast of The West Wing for a reunion special in support of voter turnout.
Forays into the political have been a mainstay of Sorkin’s work, beginning with A Few Good Men and The American President. Even when his films and TV shows have focused on sports, showbiz, or social networks, the tinge of politics finds a way in. Before the 2020 election season comes to a close, we dissect Sorkin’s political preoccupations, and his vision of political idealism and civic virtue, best personified in the fictional Bartlet administration.
Stan Lee and Beyond
Released: July 21, 2020
We often don’t think about the way Jewish culture and values have shaped comic book characters and the superhero stories we tend to see in our summer blockbusters, but they certainly have.
This episode seeks to unpack the influence of Stan Lee’s Jewish identity on some of our most cherished superhero movies, but also to consider the way Jewish actors like Gal Gadot and Paul Rudd uniquely portray and embody the beloved superhero characters they play.
So join hosts Sara and Brad and special guest Matt Goldberg, Senior Editor for Collider, as they absolutely geek out over comic book and superhero movies through a specifically Jewish lens.
Am I Allowed to Laugh at This?
Released: May 12, 2020
Cinema has offered numerous satirical takes on history’s darkest chapter, often controversial and sometimes considered in questionable taste. Film scholar Eddy Von Mueller joins AJFF In Conversation podcast hosts Sara and Brad as they grapple with the taboo topic of Holocaust humor, discussing Chaplin’s The Great Dictator and Taika Waititi’s Jojo Rabbit, among other films.
Bonus Episode Released: May 19, 2020
Sometimes we think we’re done talking but we’re not really done talking. Enjoy these extra minutes of conversation with film scholar Eddy Von Mueller as we dig a little deeper on the subject of comedies about tragedy. This bonus episode was recorded after we thought the discussion from the previous episode (“Am I Allowed to Laugh at This?”) was finished.