SOUNDS OF FILM with Tom Needham

The SOUNDS Podcast with Tom Needham features in-depth conversations with leading filmmakers, composers, authors, politicians, artists, scientists, actors and philosophers.The SOUNDS Podcast also brings listeners classic interviews from the deep archives of America's longest running film, music and ideas themed radio show, THE SOUNDS OF FILM.For more information, visit: https://soundsoffilm.com

SOUNDS OF FILM with Tom Needham is a society podcast hosted by Tom Needham, with 196 episodes on record and a Required Pod Score of 80. PitchCentric scores this show on Booking Probability, Listen Score, and live audience signals refreshed every 24 hours.

Tom Needham hosts SOUNDS OF FILM with Tom Needham, a society show with 196 episodes published.

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  SOUNDS OF FILM with Tom Needham

  Tessa Blake, Director of IF I TELL YOU Up Next on SOUNDS OF FILM

  Aug 26, 202619 min

  The next episode of SOUNDS OF FILM features special guest Tessa Blake, the award-winning writer and director of IF I TELL YOU. An alumna of AFI’s Directing Workshop for Women, Blake has worked extensively in film, television and theater, with her films premiering at Cannes and SXSW and receiving recognition from festivals including the Nantucket Film Festival and Human Rights Watch Film Festival. Set against the rugged beauty of Minnesota’s Boundary Waters region, IF I TELL YOU is a tender and suspenseful family drama based on Lisa O’Donnell’s novel Closed Doors. The film follows 12-year-old Michael, played by Etienne Kellici, as he tries to uncover what happened when his mother, Rosemary (Allison Miller), comes home with a black eye and bruised lip; the cast also includes Carol Kane, Bill Heck, Chris Jackson, Carmela Zumbado, Kennedi Butler, McKenzie Hays, Tiegen Fryberger and Zelalem Oestreich. IF I TELL YOU opened in theaters in Ely and Duluth, Minnesota, on August 21 and opens in select theaters across North America on August 27, 2026. The film has received numerous festival honors, including Best Minnesota Feature at the Twin Cities Film Festival and Best Director honors at both the Ely Film Festival and Montreal Women Film Festival. SOUNDS OF FILM with Tom Needham is a long-running radio show and podcast devoted to film, music and ideas, featuring conversations with filmmakers, actors, musicians, composers, authors and other cultural figures. Recent guests have included David Saint and Debby Hirshman, Christian Nilsson, Lynn Dow, Cassidy Rast and Odin Wadleigh, Micah S. Harris, Josh Fox, Alex Gibney, Michael Pack, Dan Geller and Dayna Goldfine, Ash Mayfair and Yana Alliata. The program has aired for more than 30 years on WUSB and features both new interviews and classic conversations from the SOUNDS OF FILM archive.

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  SOUNDS OF FILM with Tom Needham

  Big Chill: Staged Reading by Marisa Tomei & Matthew Broderick at Guild Hall for Center at West Park

  Aug 4, 202636 min

  Director David Saint and Debby Hirshman, Executive Director of The Center at West Park, join Tom Needham on Sounds of Film to discuss the one-night-only staged reading of The Big Chill, taking place on Monday, August 31, 2026, at 7:00 p.m. at Guild Hall in East Hampton. They discuss bringing the beloved 1983 classic to the stage with an all-star cast, the enduring appeal of its unforgettable characters and themes, and how this special evening supports The Center at West Park’s mission of making arts and culture affordable, accessible, and inclusive. Presented by The Center at West Park, this special staged reading of The Big Chill continues the organization’s annual summer tradition at Guild Hall following the acclaimed presentation of All the President’s Men. Directed by David Saint, the performance features Marisa Tomei, Matthew Broderick, Amy Brenneman, Spencer Garrett, Frederick Weller, Ilana Levine, and Jumaane D. Williams, with additional guest performers to be announced. Following the reading, audiences will enjoy a talkback with the cast and creative team. Proceeds benefit The Center at West Park’s affordable, accessible, and intergenerational arts programming while supporting its ongoing efforts to preserve the historic West Park Presbyterian Church as a vibrant cultural and community hub. Hosted by Tom Needham, Sounds of Film is the nation’s longest-running film, music, and ideas radio show and podcast. Over the years, the program has featured an extraordinary range of guests from the worlds of film, music, and culture, including Billy Joel, Rob Reiner, Alexander Payne, Laurie Anderson, Julie Andrews, Alec Baldwin, Jordan Peele, Chuck D, Howard Shore, William H. Macy, Oliver Stone, Nile Rodgers, Peter Fonda, Barbara Kopple, Cicely Tyson, Kenneth Lonergan, D.A. Pennebaker, Chris Hegedus, and many more, offering listeners engaging conversations with some of the most influential creative voices of our time.

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  SOUNDS OF FILM with Tom Needham

  WESTHAMPTON Director Christian Nilsson Up Next on the SOUNDS OF FILM

  Jul 29, 202624 min

  On this episode of Sounds of Film, host Tom Needham welcomes Emmy Award-winning writer, director, and producer Christian Nilsson to discuss his acclaimed feature Westhampton. Nilsson reflects on the film’s remarkable fourteen-year journey from screenplay to screen, its recent theatrical release, and its celebrated encore screening presented by the Stony Brook Film Festival at Stony Brook Southampton’s Avram Theater, where audiences gathered for a special reception and filmmaker Q&A following the screening. Westhampton follows filmmaker Tom Bell, who returns to his Long Island hometown years after a tragic accident that forever altered the lives of those closest to him. As he screens a semi-autobiographical film inspired by the tragedy, Tom is forced to confront painful memories, fractured relationships, and a community that has never forgiven him, resulting in a moving story about guilt, redemption, and the possibility of self-forgiveness. Sounds of Film is a long running radio show and podcast hosted by Tom Needham, featuring in-depth conversations with many of the world’s leading filmmakers, actors, composers, musicians, authors, and cultural figures. Past guests have included Billy Joel, Julie Andrews, Rob Reiner, Jordan Peele, Alex Gibney, Alexander Payne, Laurie Anderson, Bob Geldof, Chuck D, Nile Rodgers, Howard Shore, John Densmore, Eric Stoltz, Hannah Berryman, Michael Moore, Stephen Schwartz, DMC, and many more.

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  SOUNDS OF FILM with Tom Needham

  Writer/Director Lynn Dow Talks BULL STREET on The Sounds of Film

  Jul 21, 202628 min

  On this episode of Sounds of Film, host Tom Needham welcomes writer and director Lynn Dow to discuss her feature directorial debut, Bull Street. Dow shares the personal inspiration behind the film, her family’s roots in Summerton, South Carolina, her transition from a career on Wall Street to filmmaking, and how she crafted a powerful story about family, justice, legacy, and resilience. Bull Street follows LouEster Gibbs, a small-town South Carolina attorney who faces the legal battle of her life after the death of her estranged father leads to a dispute over her family’s longtime home. Featuring memorable performances from Loretta Devine, Amy Madigan, Malynda Hale, Arielle Prepetit, and Gary Ray Moore, the film explores family, inheritance, race, privilege, and the enduring bonds that connect generations. Sounds of Film is the award-winning radio show and podcast hosted by Tom Needham that explores the worlds of film, music, and ideas through in-depth conversations with acclaimed filmmakers, actors, composers, musicians, authors, and cultural figures. Over its more than 30-year history, the program has welcomed an extraordinary range of guests, including Billy Joel, Julie Andrews, Alec Baldwin, Alexander Payne, Rob Reiner, Jordan Peele, William H. Macy, Howard Shore, Laurie Anderson, Bob Geldof, Dionne Warwick, Chuck D, Morris Day,Pam Grier, Michael Moore, Rory Kennedy, Peter Fonda, Jesse Ventura, Nile Rodgers, Kenny Vance, and many more.

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  SOUNDS OF FILM with Tom Needham

  Body of Work’s Cassidy Rast & Odin Wadleigh Talk Eric Anfinson, Art & Movies

  Jul 20, 202626 min

  This episode of The Sounds of Film features directors Cassidy Rast and Odin Wadleigh discussing their documentary Body of Work, which was an official selection of the Stony Brook International Film Festival. The filmmakers share the inspiration behind bringing artist Eric Anfinson’s remarkable life story to the screen, the creative choices that shaped the film, and the experience of premiering it before festival audiences. Body of Work is a cinematic portrait of Eric Anfinson, whose life changed forever after a devastating spinal cord injury during a high school football game at age 16. Through evocative 16mm recreations, intimate interviews, and archival footage, the film follows Eric’s extraordinary journey of recovery, self-discovery, and artistic expression, culminating in a celebrated career as a self-taught painter whose work is collected throughout North America and Europe. Hosted by Tom Needham, The Sounds of Film is the nation’s longest-running film and music-themed radio show and podcast, featuring conversations with filmmakers, musicians, composers, actors, authors, and other cultural figures. Past guests have included Billy Joel, Julie Andrews, Alec Baldwin, Jordan Peele, Michael Moore, Stephen Schwartz, Taylor Dayne, DMC, Chuck D, Rob Reiner, Alexander Payne, Laurie Anderson, Dionne Warwick, Howard Shore, Phil Rosenthal, Barbara Kopple, Rory Kennedy, Jay Jay French, Garland Jeffreys, and many more.

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