The Plaza Classic Podcast

With its stark lighting, brooding characters, and dark themes, the film noir style dominated Hollywood in the 1940s and 1950s and inspired generations of filmmakers, from David Lynch to Quentin Tarantino. If you ask Alan Rode to define film noir, he'll say, "you know it when you see it." Rode -- an expert of the style, Charter Director of the Film Noir Foundation, plus documentarian, producer, and author -- joined Lisa Elliott and Stephanie Valle for a conversation about Film Noir virtually from his home in Los Angeles. The Plaza Classic Podcast is a production of the El Paso Community Foundation and is recorded on the El Paso Community College campus. Check out this week's show notes here. The Plaza Classic Film Festival takes place from July 16-26, 2026 in Downtown El Paso. Learn more about the festival here.

On Jan. 23, 2026, El Paso Film Commissioner Drew Mayer-Oakes bids farewell to the city that he helped promote for eight years. Mayer-Oakes, who is taking on a similar role in Corpus Christi, was instrumental to recruiting Hollywood film productions to use the Sun City as their backdrops, most recently in the lauded Paul Thomas Anderson movie, One Battle After Another. He joins Plaza Classic Podcast hosts Stephanie Valle and Lisa Elliott to talk about his work, his hopes for El Paso, and what's to come. The Plaza Classic Podcast is a production of the El Paso Community Foundation and is recorded on the El Paso Community College campus. Check out this week's show notes here. The Plaza Classic Film Festival takes place from July 16-26, 2026 in Downtown El Paso. Learn more about the festival here.

Is there a movie you enjoy watching in spite of mostly negative reviews?  For Plaza Classic Film Festival Advisory Committee member Jaime Mendez, that movie is Xanadu, the 1980 rock musical starring Olivia Newton-John and Gene Kelly. As a matter of fact, Jaime enjoys this film so much, he can't help but sing the theme song. On this season finale of the Plaza Classic Podcast, Jaime joins podcast hosts Lisa Elliott and Stephanie Valle to talk about movies only a true fan could love. (Some call them "guilty pleasures," which is a deep point of contention for Lisa.) The Plaza Classic Podcast is a production of the El Paso Community Foundation and is recorded on the El Paso Community College campus. Check out this week's show notes here. Learn more about the Plaza Classic Film Festival here.

Is there a movie that sets the tone for the "cozy" holiday season? For Plaza Classic Film Festival Advisory Committee member Erin Ritter, she picks her favorite holiday movies like she organizes her Thanksgiving meal, complete with an appetizer, the main course, savory sides, a dessert, and a post-gathering drink. Erin, Lisa Elliott, and Stephanie Valle trade their favorite movies to watch over turkey and stuffing. Do yours make their lists? The Plaza Classic Podcast is a production of the El Paso Community Foundation and is recorded on the El Paso Community College campus. Check out this week's show notes here. Learn more about the Plaza Classic Film Festival here.

While the weather outside is frightful(ly pleasant), the Holiday Movies at the Plaza Theatre are delightful! The movies are back as a part of WinterFest. We're showing six movies over three weekends starting on Nov. 30. Doug Pullen (the El Paso Community Foundation's Artistic Director and Program Director for the Plaza Classic Film Festival, and a.k.a. "Friend of the Pod") is back with podcast hosts Lisa Elliott and Stephanie Valle to go over which films made the cut. Check out the Holiday Movies at the Plaza schedule here. The Plaza Classic Podcast is a production of the El Paso Community Foundation and is recorded on the El Paso Community College campus. Learn more about the Plaza Classic Film Festival here.

The lives of American service members have often been depicted on film -- from 1998's Saving Private Ryan (shown in the 2025 Plaza Classic Film Festival) to 1979's Apocalypse Now (screened in 2016). But perception isn't always reality. Kristin Trick -- a member of the film festival's advisory committee, a licensed therapist, and a wife to an Army veteran -- joins Stephanie Valle and Lisa Elliott in studio to talk about the representation of soldiers and veterans on the big screen. The Plaza Classic Podcast is a production of the El Paso Community Foundation and is recorded on the El Paso Community College campus. Check out this week's show notes here. Learn more about the Plaza Classic Film Festival here.

During the 2025 Plaza Classic Film Festival, a new take on the Western genre made its debut, complete with red carpet fanfare for the director, producer, and crew -- many of them with ties to the Borderland. Long Shadows is set in the Wild West, and follows one man's mission to avenge his parents' death, with lots of twists along the way. In his directorial debut, it was also written by actor William Shockley (RoboCop, Death in Texas), and produced by El Paso native Allen Gilmer. Shockley and Gilmer join Stephanie Valle and Lisa Elliott to talk about how the film -- and the film festival screening -- came to be. The Plaza Classic Podcast is a production of the El Paso Community Foundation and is recorded on the El Paso Community College campus. Check out this week's show notes here. Learn more about the Plaza Classic Film Festival here.

Is Alien a sci-fi, a horror, or both? What about Invasion of the Body Snatchers? Whichever you choose, both are good options for rewatches on Halloween. Veronica Cartwright ("Lambert" in Alien and "Nancy" in Invasion of the Body Snatchers) joins podcast hosts Lisa Elliott and Stephanie Valle for a brand-new interview from her home in Los Angeles, where she's preparing to give out candy to trick-or-treaters on Oct. 31. And you have to hear about her favorite costume. The Plaza Classic Podcast is a production of the El Paso Community Foundation and is recorded on the El Paso Community College campus. Check out this week's show notes here. Learn more about the Plaza Classic Film Festival here.

Great films often begin as strong pitches. But oftentimes, those pitches are critiqued, revised, and refined before they truly shine. That was the process behind the 2025 Plaza Classic Film Festival's Pitch Fest. And out of the ten budding local screenwriters, one El Paso Community College English professor came out on top. Jorge Gomez joined Stephanie Valle and Lisa Elliott to talk about his pitch and his method. The Plaza Classic Podcast is a production of the El Paso Community Foundation and is recorded on the El Paso Community College campus. Check out this week's show notes here. Learn more about the Plaza Classic Film Festival here.

It's back! It's growing! And it's even scarier than before! Horror is taking over the border once again for the 3rd annual Oculto Film Festival. Angel Benitez, the festival's co-deputy director, joins Lisa Elliott and Stephanie Valle to give a sneak peek at what audiences can expect here in El Paso on October 24th and 25th and in Ciudad Juárez, Chihuahua, on November 1st and 2nd. The Plaza Classic Podcast is a production of the El Paso Community Foundation and is recorded on the El Paso Community College campus. Check out this week's show notes here. Learn more about the Plaza Classic Film Festival here.

You don't have to wear stretchy pants to enjoy movies, nor must you believe in science to be a fan of a family-friendly outdoor arts festival. But if you like quoting the Jack Black comedy Nacho Libre (2006), then get that corn out of your face! Be ready to stake your spot outside the Mexican American Cultural Center for a special showing of 'Nacho' during Chalk the Block. The MACC's Rebecca Muñoz is back in the podcast studio with Stephanie Valle and Lisa Elliott to talk about their favorite things (the color light tan and puppies) and how the screening came to be. The Plaza Classic Podcast is a production of the El Paso Community Foundation and is recorded on the El Paso Community College campus. Check out this week's show notes here. Learn more about the Plaza Classic Film Festival here.

Classic films are timeless and inspirational for both film fans and filmmakers.  Scott McGee is somewhat of an expert on the classics. McGee has spent the last two decades curating movies that are shown during the film festival sponsored by Turner Classic Movies. And for almost as long, he's shared his  insight with El Paso audiences as a special guest at the Plaza Classic Film Festival. McGee sat down with Lisa Elliott and Stephanie Valle to go over the theater experience, film-watching etiquette, and his must-watch list. The Plaza Classic Podcast is a production of the El Paso Community Foundation and is recorded on the El Paso Community College campus. Check out this week's show notes here. Learn more about the Plaza Classic Film Festival here.

One Battle After Another, the latest film by acclaimed director Paul Thomas Anderson, took over El Paso when the film crew shot parts of the movie here in 2024. The excitement was palpable as Downtown El Paso's historic buildings and unique facades became the backdrop for several scenes and Academy Award winning actors Leonardo DiCaprio, Benicio Del Toro, and Sean Penn were spotted meandering around the city. On Sept. 13, 2025, the fervor spilled over. Warner Bros. Studios worked with the El Paso Community Foundation and others to screen One Battle at the Plaza Theatre. Dozens of movie extras, local crew, and supporters of the El Paso film community were invited to the special showing two weeks before the world premiere. Podcast hosts Stephanie Valle and Lisa Elliott are joined in studio by El Paso location scout Jacob Cena and architect Bill Helm, who were both instrumental in winning "one battle after another" to shoot the film in the Sun City. The Plaza Classic Podcast is a production of the El Paso Community Foundation and is recorded on the El Paso Community College campus. Check out this week's show notes here. Learn more about the Plaza Classic Film Festival here.

Veronica Cartwright is one of Hollywood's busiest character actors. As a child, she started off as a model, then a commercial actor, and even landed a recurring role in Leave It to Beaver. Cartwright's big screen break came at age 14, when she was cast as Cathy Brennan in The Birds (1963), directed by Alfred Hitchcock. She later worked alongside Ridley Scott as "Lambert" in the sci-fi classic Alien (1979). The actress was a special guest at the 2025 Plaza Classic Film Festival, where she sat for a Q&A ahead of both aforementioned films. The following episode contains the interview Plaza Classic Podcast host Lisa Elliott conducted with Cartwright before the screening of The Birds on July 26. The Plaza Classic Podcast is a production of the El Paso Community Foundation and is recorded on the El Paso Community College campus. Check out this week's show notes here. Learn more about the Plaza Classic Film Festival here.

Luis Valdez influenced a generation of Latinos and Latinas when he showcased their stories on the big screen in the 1980s. The director was the special guest during the first weekend of the 2025 Plaza Classic Film Festival, appearing before the screenings of La Bamba on Friday, July 18 and Zoot Suit on Saturday, July 19. The following interview with Film Festival Advisory Committee member and podcast co-host Stephanie Valle was held before a live audience onstage at the Plaza Theatre on Friday evening.  The Plaza Classic Podcast is a production of the El Paso Community Foundation and is recorded on the El Paso Community College campus. Check out this week's show notes here. Learn more about the Plaza Classic Film Festival here.

Location matters when it comes to setting up a business, buying a house, and filming a movie. Jacob Cena knows El Paso like the back of his hand. It's one of his most prized assets as the Borderland's trusted location scout. Cena will delve deeper into his craft during the Filmmaker's Brunch, which takes place on the last day of the Plaza Classic Film Festival. He also shares some insight into what it takes to get a film shot in the Sun City with Lisa Elliott and Stephanie Valle. The Plaza Classic Film Festival runs from July 17-27, 2025. Find the full schedule here. Get festival passes and more here. Want more? Check out the show notes. The Plaza Classic Podcast is a production of the El Paso Community Foundation and is recorded on the El Paso Community College campus.

Not all the movies shown during the Plaza Classic Film Festival are classics in the traditional sense of the word. Some are making their debut on the big screen during the festival. Local filmmaker Diego Munoz Holguin has the honor of screening several of his short films at the Plaza. Munoz talks to podcast hosts Stephanie Valle and Lisa Elliott about his works and the method to his filmmaking. The Plaza Classic Film Festival runs from July 17-27, 2025. Find the full schedule here. Get festival passes and more here. Want more? Check out the show notes. The Plaza Classic Podcast is a production of the El Paso Community Foundation and is recorded on the El Paso Community College campus.

Luis Valdez and Veronica Cartwright may not be household names, but they have both played large roles in some memorable films you surely have seen. Valdez directed "Zoot Suit" with Edward James Olmos and "La Bamba" with Lou Diamond Phillips; Cartwright portrayed both Cathy, the teen girl in "The Birds," and Lambert in "Alien." And both stars will be gracing the stage during the Plaza Classic Film Festival. Festival Program Director and "Friend of the Pod" Doug Pullen is back in the podcast studio with Stephanie Valle and Lisa Elliott to run down the schedule of the 18th film festival. The Plaza Classic Film Festival runs from July 17-27, 2025. Find  the full schedule here. Get festival passes and more here. Want more? Check out the show notes. The Plaza Classic Podcast is a production of the El Paso Community Foundation and is recorded on the El Paso Community College campus.

If you're a fan of "Notting Hill" starring Julia Roberts and Hugh Grant, then you're in luck. The 1999 rom-com is the star of the newest date night event held during the Plaza Classic Film Festival. The "I'm Just a Girl" Dinner is on Monday, July 21 with a screening of "Notting Hill" to follow. In this episode, podcast hosts Lisa Elliott and Stephanie Valle are just two girls, sitting in front of two fellow committee members Craig Holden and Rebecca Mendez, asking them to talk about "Notting Hill." Get "I'm Just A Girl" Dinner tickets here. The Plaza Classic Film Festival runs from July 17-27, 2025. Find the full schedule here. Get festival passes and more here. Want even more? Check out the show notes. The Plaza Classic Podcast is a production of the El Paso Community Foundation and is recorded on the El Paso Community College campus.

Do you know the story behind the most famous pitch in film history? It was for 1979's Alien. Legend has it, the screenwriters told the studio heads three words: "Jaws in space." The power of the pitch is clear, and there will be a workshop during the Plaza Classic Film Festival to help writers finesse that much-needed skill. El Paso Film Commissioner Drew Mayer-Oakes joins Lisa Elliott and Stephanie Valle in the podcast studio to talk about the Screenwriting Pitch Fest. The Plaza Classic Film Festival runs from July 17-27, 2025. Find the pitch fest on the full schedule here. Get festival passes and more here. Want more? Check out the show notes. The Plaza Classic Podcast is a production of the El Paso Community Foundation and is recorded on the El Paso Community College campus.

2025 marks the 80th anniversary of the end of World War II. As part of a massive collaborative effort, the Plaza Classic Film Festival is teaming up with FIVE of El Paso's museums to showcase "Hollywood Goes to War," the festival's major theme commemorating the anniversary. Podcast hosts Stephanie Valle and Lisa Elliott are joined in studio by representatives of the Mexican American Cultural Center, the El Paso Museum of Art, and the El Paso Holocaust Museum, so they can share the special World War II-themed exhibits and programs taking place during the festival. Check the show notes for the special exhibits and features at La Nube STEAM Discovery Center and the El Paso Museum of History. The Plaza Classic Podcast is a production of the El Paso Community Foundation and is recorded on the El Paso Community College campus. The Plaza Classic Film Festival runs from July 17-27, 2025. Check out the schedule here. Get festival passes and more here.

El Pasoan Ron Stallworth had an eventful career in law enforcement. He helped sabotage KKK activities in Colorado Springs as an undercover member of the Klan, and he also uncovered Bloods and Crips activity in Salt Lake City's Mormon Country. His true life stories are more fascinating than fiction, prompting screenwriters to bring his published memoirs "BlacKkKlansman" and "The Gangs of Zion" to the big and small screen, alike. Stallworth joins Stephanie Valle and Lisa Elliott to talk about his life, his work, and his efforts to support budding writers with the help of the El Paso Community Foundation. The Plaza Classic Podcast is a production of the El Paso Community Foundation and is recorded on the El Paso Community College campus. The Plaza Classic Film Festival runs from July 17-27, 2025. Check out the schedule here. Check out this week's show notes here. Get festival passes and more here.

The sequel to the Star Wars, the 1977 sci-fi film that defined the genre and shaped a generation, is blasting its way onto the Plaza Classic Film Festival schedule this summer. Jaime Mendez, a member of the film festival's advisory committee and an avid Star Wars fan, joins Lisa Elliott and Stephanie Valle to convince them -- and all of you -- that "Empire" isn't just the best film in the series, but one of the best movies ever made. The Plaza Classic Film Festival runs from July 17-27, 2025. Find "The Empire Strikes Back" and other screenings on the festival schedule here. The Plaza Classic Podcast is a production of the El Paso Community Foundation and is recorded on the El Paso Community College campus. Check out this week's show notes here. Get Plaza Classic Film Festival passes and more here.

Do you remember when the Mighty Wurlitzer organ was encased in glass near the food court in Sunland Park Mall? That was just one unlikely stop before the classic instrument returned to its home in the Plaza Theatre. Gary L. Williams, the Vice President of Programs for the El Paso Community Foundation, and Richard Garven, Organist-Choirmaster Emeritus, join podcast hosts Lisa Elliott and Stephanie Valle to talk about the journey to revive the Heart of the Plaza. The Plaza Classic Podcast is a production of the El Paso Community Foundation and is recorded on the El Paso Community College campus. Check out this week's show notes here. The Plaza Classic Film Festival runs from July 17-27, 2025. Check out the schedule here. Get festival passes and more here.

The Master of Suspense is making his mark on the Plaza Classic Film Festival once again. Alfred Hitchcock's Notorious (1946), featuring Ingrid Bergman and Cary Grant, will screen during the festival, which takes over Downtown El Paso July 17-27, 2025. The festival Advisory Committee's Hitchcock expert, Leanne von Mittenwald, joins podcast hosts Lisa Elliott and Stephanie Valle in the studio to talk about why Notorious is her favorite Hitchcock film - and why you should make plans to watch it on the big screen. The Plaza Classic Podcast is a production of the El Paso Community Foundation and is recorded on the El Paso Community College campus. Check out this week's show notes here. Get Plaza Classic Film Festival passes and more here. Check out the festival schedule here.

A silent film that partly takes place in the Borderland is making its Plaza Classic Film Festival debut this summer.  When "Her Husband's Trademark" lights up the Plaza Theatre screen on July 27, it will feature something it didn't have when it premiered in 1922: an original score. You could say this moment was over 100 years in the making. But in actuality, the festival's Program Director Doug Pullen has been trying to bring "Trademark" to life for the last decade. Pullen and local composer Enrique Ponce join podcast hosts Stephanie Valle and Lisa Elliott to talk about the process. The Plaza Classic Film Festival is July 17-27, 2025. The Plaza Classic Podcast is a production of the El Paso Community Foundation and is recorded on the El Paso Community College campus. Check out this week's show notes here. Get Plaza Classic Film Festival passes and more here. Check out the festival schedule here.

2025 marks the 80th anniversary of the end of World War II, and as more and more Americans who witnessed the tragedies firsthand are lost to time, it's more important than ever to study this moment in history. A wartime movie doesn't always depict violence on the battlefield. They can also capture the mood of a nation at a time when its soldiers are fighting overseas. Doug Pullen, the Plaza Classic Film Festival's Program Director, joins Lisa Elliott and Stephanie Valle to talk about a festival theme that has been years in the making. The Plaza Classic Film Festival is July 17-27, 2025. The Plaza Classic Podcast is a production of the El Paso Community Foundation and is recorded on the El Paso Community College campus. Check out this week's show notes here. Learn more about the Plaza Classic Film Festival here.

El Pasoan Terri Rutter grew up around horses. She rides them, trains them, and trains people how to behave around them. Now, she's sharing her horse sense with Lisa and Stephanie. She's talking about her favorite films featuring fillies (and mares, colts, and stallions) that have been featured at the Plaza Classic Film Festival, and the ones she'd like to see shown on the big screen this summer. The Plaza Classic Film Festival is July 17-27, 2025. The Plaza Classic Podcast is a production of the El Paso Community Foundation and is recorded on the El Paso Community College campus. Check out this week's show notes here.

This Women's History Month, the Plaza Classic Podcast wants to take a moment to spotlight a showcase focused on local female filmmakers. Femme Frontera is both a Borderland-based organization of Latine women and gender-expansive filmmakers and a curated film selection featured during the classic film fest since 2019. Filmmakers Jackie Barragan and Celina Galicia join Lisa Elliott and Stephanie Valle to talk about the showcase and what inspires them to create their stories. The Plaza Classic Film Festival is July 17-27, 2025. The Plaza Classic Podcast is a production of the El Paso Community Foundation and is recorded on the El Paso Community College campus. Check out this week's show notes here. Learn more about the Plaza Classic Film Festival here.

Each award season, the dedicated cinephiles on the Plaza Classic Film Festival Advisory Committee try to guess who the voting members of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences will pick to win Oscars. This contest isn't just for bragging rights. The winner of the Oscar Ballot Contest gets to select one movie to screen during that year's Plaza Classic Film Festival. For the second year in a row, committee member Keri Moe has claimed the honor, correctly guessing the winner in 18 of 23 categories (she even picked Mikey Madison to win Best Actress)! Keri joins Oscar Ballot Contest losers Stephanie Valle and Lisa Elliott to share her selection secrets, and to discuss what she might want to show at this year's film fest. The Plaza Classic Film Festival is July 17-27, 2025. The Plaza Classic Podcast is a production of the El Paso Community Foundation and is recorded on the El Paso Community College campus. Check out this week's show notes here. Learn more about the Plaza Classic Film Festival here.

Whether he knew too much, shot the bad guy, or arrived to Earth from space, a man sure can accomplish a lot on the big screen. Film critic Felipa Solis joins Plaza Classic Podcast hosts Lisa Elliott and Stephanie Valle to talk about the various takes on "The Man Who..." -- specifically, Alfred Hitchcock's two renditions of The Man Who Knew Too Much, John Ford's 1962 classic The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance, and The Man Who Fell to Earth (1976) starring Ziggy Stardust, AKA David Bowie. The Plaza Classic Film Festival is July 17-27, 2025. The Plaza Classic Podcast is a production of the El Paso Community Foundation and is recorded on the El Paso Community College campus. Check out this week's show notes here. Learn more about the Plaza Classic Film Festival here.

Attention local filmmakers: for the eighth consecutive year, the Plaza Classic Film Festival is accepting entries for its Local Flavor showcase and awards. More than $3,500 in cash prizes will be awarded. PCFF Artistic Director Doug Pullen, AKA "Friend of the Pod," is back in the studio with Stephanie and Lisa to talk about the showcase, which is sponsored by the El Paso Film and Creative Industries Commission and the Texas Film Commission. Find the submission form here. The Plaza Classic Film Festival is July 17-27, 2025. The Plaza Classic Podcast is a production of the El Paso Community Foundation and is recorded on the El Paso Community College campus. Check out this week's show notes here. Learn more about the Plaza Classic Film Festival here.

If you've ever watched a building renovation show, you know there's a whole lot of work to rehabilitate an old structure to its original glory. That same labor intensive effort went into the restoration of the Plaza Theatre in Downtown El Paso. Gary Williams, the Vice President of Programs for the El Paso Community Foundation, and Neal Vogel, the Principal of Restoric, LLC in Chicago, join Lisa and Stephanie in the studio to talk about that work. The Plaza Classic Film Festival is July 17-27, 2025. The Plaza Classic Podcast is a production of the El Paso Community Foundation and is recorded on the El Paso Community College campus. Check out this week's show notes here. Learn more about the Plaza Classic Film Festival here.

She's the "Star Whisperer of El Paso!" For the last decade or so, Kathrin Berg has taken on the task of touring El Paso with the Plaza Classic Film Festival's special guests -- from Sam Elliott, to Kathleen Turner, to Al Pacino. Now, Kathrin is in the spotlight and getting the red carpet treatment she deserves! Hosts Stephanie Valle and Lisa Elliott (no relation to Sam) chat with Kathrin, the El Paso Community Foundation's Executive Vice President, about her most memorable moments with some remarkable Hollywood stars. The Plaza Classic Film Festival is July 17-27, 2025. The Plaza Classic Podcast is a production of the El Paso Community Foundation and is recorded on the El Paso Community College campus. Check out this week's show notes here. Learn more about the Plaza Classic Film Festival here.

Chance meetings, heartbreaking obstacles and big gestures of love are all crucial to the plots of our favorite romantic comedies. On the eve of this lover's holiday, podcast hosts Lisa Elliott and Stephanie Valle are joined by Erin Ritter, fellow Plaza Classic Film Festival advisory committee member and self-proclaimed Rom-Com guru, to discuss romantic comedies over the decades and their place in the film fest. The Plaza Classic Podcast is a production of the El Paso Community Foundation and recorded at El Paso Community College. Check out this week's show notes here. Learn more about the Plaza Classic Film Festival here.

Evan George Vourazeris broke into Hollywood when he was cast as Tuck on the hit Netflix show Ozark. Tuck became a fan favorite, and Vourazeris appeared on the show in its final season in 2022. Vourazeris, a Houstonian, now calls El Paso home. He joined Plaza Classic Podcast hosts Stephanie Valle and Lisa Elliott in studio to talk about his experience on the Ozark set, his future work goals, and his philanthropic efforts in the Sun City. The Plaza Classic Podcast is a coproduction of the El Paso Community Foundation and El Paso Community College. Check out this week's show notes here. Learn more about the Plaza Classic Film Festival here.

If you were old enough to see Jaws when it premiered in theaters in 1975, then you likely don't want to be reminded that happened 50 years ago. Sorry. But Jaws, which has been screened three times at the Plaza Classic Film Festival, is just one of many movies celebrating significant anniversaries of release in 2025. Festival advisory committee member Jaime Mendez joins podcast hosts Lisa Elliott and Stephanie Valle to travel down cinema's memory lane and highlight which ones have been (and should be!) shown during the world's largest classic film fest. The Plaza Classic Podcast is a production of the El Paso Community Foundation and is recorded on the El Paso Community College campus. Check out this week's show notes here. Learn more about the Plaza Classic Film Festival here.

Sequels can get a bad rap for not living up to the expectations set by the original. With that perspective front of mind, the Plaza Classic Podcast aims to make season 3 better than before! Hosts Stephanie Valle and Lisa Elliott are joined by fellow Plaza Classic Film Festival advisory committee member Craig Holden to talk about film sequels. Which sequels live up to expectations? And is Grease 2 simply underappreciated, like Lisa claims? The Plaza Classic Podcast is a production of the El Paso Community Foundation and is recorded on the El Paso Community College campus. Check out this week's show notes here. Learn more about the Plaza Classic Film Festival here.

Will Wicked sweep the Oscars with a witch's broom? Could Demi Moore's substantive performance in The Substance earn her an Academy Award nomination for the first time? El Paso's favorite film critic, Felipa Solis, joins hosts Stephanie Valle and Lisa Elliott to talk all things Oscars. Solis is a member of the Critics Choice Association. Get your popcorn ready, as Solis lays out a list of potential Best Picture nominations! The podcast is brought to you by the El Paso Community Foundation with support from El Paso Community College. Free Holiday Movies at Winterfest, presented by the El Paso Community Foundation, will be shown at the Plaza Theatre and the El Paso Museum of Art until Jan. 5. Read about the Plaza Classic Film Festival. Check out more show notes on this episode.

Holiday Movies at Winterfest are taking over Downtown El Paso until Jan. 5, and they're all free! The mini film fest is presented by the El Paso Community Foundation Plaza Classic Film Festival, El Paso Live, and the City of El Paso. What's your favorite holiday movie? Chances are, it features a lovable scamp, like Buddy the Elf or Kevin McAllister. Rebecca Mendez - a member of the Plaza Classic Film Festival advisory committee and the United Way of El Paso's Philanthropy and Relations Manager - joins Lisa and Stephanie to talk about our go-to holiday films. The podcast is brought to you by the El Paso Community Foundation with support from El Paso Community College. Read about the Plaza Classic Film Festival. Check out the show notes on this episode. Contribute to the EPCF's Season of Giving.

The time between Spooky Season and the Holiday Season is the Serious Season - for movies, that is. November is when we typically see a roll-out of heavier films that go on to become contenders for Academy Awards (a.k.a., future classics to be screened at the Plaza Classic Film Festival). Nov. 27, 2024 marks the 48th anniversary of the release of Network; it's unremarkable, yes, but what better reason to talk about one of the most prescient films of the 20th century? It's also a great take on "journalism drama." Joining podcast hosts Lisa Elliott and Stephanie Valle is Doug Pullen, the program director for the El Paso Community Foundation and the Plaza Classic Film Festival artistic director. He's also a former news reporter, and he is "mad as hell" about film portrayals of newsrooms. The podcast is brought to you by the El Paso Community Foundation with support from El Paso Community College. Read about the Plaza Classic Film Festival. Check out the show notes on this episode.

Patrick Swayze became a heartthrob in the 1980s, and broke hearts when he died at age 57 after a brief battle with pancreatic cancer. The star of Dirty Dancing and Ghost has been gone for 15 years, but Stephanie Valle and Lisa Elliott are doing everything they can to preserve his legacy by advocating for the screening of as much of his filmography as possible during the Plaza Classic Film Festival. Festival advisory committee member Erin Ritter joins the Swayze Fan Club's El Paso Chapter to talk about the movie star and their favorite films. November is Pancreatic Cancer Awareness Month and Nov. 21 is World Pancreatic Cancer Day. Learn about diagnosis, prevention and treatment. The podcast is brought to you by the El Paso Community Foundation with support from El Paso Community College. Read about the Plaza Classic Film Festival. Check out the show notes on this episode.

It will begin to look a lot like Christmas in El Paso come Nov. 23, when WinterFest blasts through downtown. Even though it pains Lisa Elliott and Stephanie Valle to skip over Thanksgiving, in this episode, they're talking turkey about Free Holiday Movies at WinterFest. A dozen films are showing from Nov. 24 to Jan. 5, 2025 at both the Plaza Theatre and the El Paso Museum of Art. El Paso Community Foundation Program Director Doug Pullen joins Stephanie and Lisa to lay out the schedule. Free Holiday Movies at WinterFest and this podcast are sponsored by the El Paso Community Foundation.  See more show notes

It was a dark and stormy night, and Lisa and Stephanie were working late at the office on the latest episode of the Plaza Classic Podcast, when suddenly the door creaked open. There stood-- Okay, clearly writing classic noir is not our forte.  But we do enjoy talking about our favorite film noir with Leanne von Mittenwald, a retired educator who teaches film classes for UTEP’s OLLI program. She is also a part of the Plaza Classic Film Festival Advisory Committee with podcast hosts Stephanie Valle and Lisa Elliott. Holiday Movies at the Plaza launch the weekend of Nov. 24. The podcast is brought to you by the El Paso Community Foundation with support from El Paso Community College. Read about the Plaza Classic Film Festival. Check out the show notes on this episode.

What's your favorite scary movie? That's not just an appropriately dropped quote from the slasher hit Scream, it's also the focus of this special Halloween episode of the Plaza Classic Podcast.  Hosts Lisa Elliott and Stephanie Valle talk about their favorite horror films as well as the popularity of the genre across the country. Plus, they're joined by Liz Kern, the Sun City's "final girl"! Kern, a former El Paso newscaster, is a radio host in Fresno and our favorite 1980s horror film actress with ties to the Sun City. Kern starred in The Wraith (1986), Night of the Creeps (1986) and she topped the credits as Jennifer Ross in Intruder (1989). The podcast is brought to you by the El Paso Community Foundation with support from El Paso Community College. Listen to Liz on the airwaves: kmjnow.com Follow Liz on social! IG: @lizikernnews X: @LiziKernNews Read about the Plaza Classic Film Festival. Check out the show notes on this episode.

October is Domestic Violence Awareness Month, and the Plaza Classic Podcast wants to shine a light on how this vast societal problem is depicted in the movies. Plaza Classic Film Festival Advisory Committee member and licensed therapist Kristin Trick joins hosts Lisa Elliott and Stephanie Valle to talk about on-screen intimate partner violence. If you or someone you know needs help, call El Paso's Center Against Sexual and Family Violence at (915) 593-7300. If you suspect a child is living in a dangerous situation or is the victim of abuse, call Child Protective Services at 1-800-252-5400. The El Paso County Attorney’s Office handles protective orders. For more information, call (915) 273-3238. The podcast is brought to you by the El Paso Community Foundation with support from El Paso Community College. Read about the Plaza Classic Film Festival. Check out the show notes on this episode.

From the eastside to the lower valley, and up to the westside, El Paso was dotted with drive-in theater screens. Plaza Classic Film Festival Advisory Committee member and UTEP Assistant Dean of Students Jaime Mendez joins Lisa Elliott and Stephanie Valle to talk about a time when it was totally acceptable for families to hide friends and family in the trunk of their car for a trip to the outdoor movies. Hey, the 1980s were a different time. The podcast is brought to you by the El Paso Community Foundation with support from El Paso Community College. Read about the Plaza Classic Film Festival. Check out the show notes on this episode.

During the COVID pandemic in the summer of 2020, organizers scrambled to find a way to salvage the Plaza Classic Film Festival schedule without sacrificing safety. They resorted to screening movies the old-fashioned way: at the drive-in. Plaza Classic Film Festival Advisory Committee member and film historian Jay Duncan revisits El Paso's rich history of drive-ins with hosts Stephanie Valle and Lisa Elliott. We're going way back, so grab your snacks. (Remember when you had to hang the drive-in speaker on the window of your car? Ah, nostalgia.) The podcast is brought to you by the El Paso Community Foundation with support from El Paso Community College. Read about the Plaza Classic Film Festival. Check out the show notes on this episode.

The El Paso Community Foundation helped revitalize the Plaza Theatre in 2006, with help from the City of El Paso. Soon after, the films were back in the theatre, too, with the launch of the first incarnation of the Plaza Classic Film Festival: Movies Return to the Plaza. Eric Pearson, the president of the EPCF, joins hosts Stephanie Valle and Lisa Elliott to talk about the massive undertaking to restore the nearly century-old performing arts venue (as well as his love of 80s music). The podcast is brought to you by the El Paso Community Foundation with support from El Paso Community College. Read about the Plaza Classic Film Festival. Check out the show notes on this episode.

La segunda temporada del Plaza Classic Podcast comienza con una conversación sobre un festival de cine diferente. El Oculto Film Fest fue creado por cineastas de El Paso y Ciudad Juárez para promover el cine de terror y fantasía en la frontera. El festival ofrece una experiencia completa a sus audiencias y brinda oportunidades de conexión y visibilidad para los cineastas participantes. El director del festival, Carlos “Cabe” Tejeda y el subdirector Ángel Benítez hablan con nuestro amigo Jaime Méndez sobre la edición 2024 del Oculto Film Festival, que regresa este otoño a El Paso del 4 al 6 de octubre y en Juárez del 11 al 13 de octubre. Más información del Plaza Classic Film Festival aquí: https://plazaclassic.com/about Más informacion de este episodio: https://epcc.libguides.com/plazaclassicpodcast

Season 2 of the Plaza Classic Podcast launches with a conversation about a different film festival.  The Oculto Film Fest was created by filmmakers from El Paso and Ciudad Juarez to promote horror and fantasy cinema in the Borderland. The festival offers a complete experience to its audiences and provides connection and visibility opportunities for participating filmmakers. Festival director Carlos “Cabe” Tejeda and deputy director Angel Benitez join podcast hosts Lisa Elliott and Stephanie Valle to talk about the 2024 edition of the Oculto Film Festival, which returns this fall to El Paso and Juarez on Oct. 4-6 and Oct. 11-13. Get background on the Plaza Classic Film Festival here: https://plazaclassic.com/about Check out the show notes on this episode: https://epcc.libguides.com/plazaclassicpodcast

If you've listened to the credits of this podcast, you hear hosts Stephanie Valle and Lisa Elliott thank several crucial people working behind the scenes. One of those people is Marcos Tellez-Rodriguez, podcast editor, recent graduate of El Paso Community College and current film student at New Mexico State University. Marcos is now sitting (somewhat uncomfortably) in the "hot seat" as Stephanie and Lisa ask probing questions about his favorite movies and who he would want to have play him on screen. Get background on the Plaza Classic Film Festival here: https://plazaclassic.com/about Check out the show notes on this episode, including Marcos' favorite movies: https://epcc.libguides.com/plazaclassicpodcast

Podcast hosts Stephanie Valle and Lisa Elliott go behind the scenes with someone who helps behind the scenes at the Plaza Classic Film Festival. (We're going way behind the scenes!) Rudy Vasquez is the El Paso Community Foundation's Marketing Director, and he helps promote the film fest to El Paso and across the nation. Stephanie and Lisa get Rudy to answer the tough questions, such as, "What are your top three favorite movies?" The Plaza Classic Podcast is brought to you by the El Paso Community Foundation. Find history on the PCFF here: https://plazaclassic.com/about

On July 20, actor Mira Sorvino graced the stage of the Plaza Theatre in Downtown El Paso. The Academy Award winner was in the Sun City for the first weekend of the Plaza Classic Film Festival! She sat down for a live, onstage interview with festival advisory committee member and Plaza Classic Podcast co-host Stephanie Valle ahead of the showing of Romy and Michele's High School Reunion (1997). The podcast is brought to you by the El Paso Community Foundation and is sponsored by an El Paso Community College Professional Development Committee mini-grant.

Mira Sorvino, Academy Award winning actor ("Mighty Aphrodite," 1995), was in the Sun City for the 2024 Plaza Classic Film Festival! Terri Rutter, CPA and film festival advisory committee member, joins fellow committee members, Stephanie Valle and Lisa Elliott, to talk about Sorvino and her cult favorite, "Romy and Michele's High School Reunion." Just like Romy's diet in the movie, this podcast is fat-free and full of candy corn (or maybe just corny jokes). The podcast is brought to you by the El Paso Community Foundation and is sponsored by an El Paso Community College Professional Development Committee mini-grant. Check out more show notes on the EPCC Library Research Guide: https://epcc.libguides.com/plazaclassicpodcast

Space has inspired filmmakers both past and present. But there is one classic sci-fi film that has actually served as inspiration for writers and directors over the years ever since it arrived in theaters. Plaza Classic Film Festival Advisory Committee member Jay Duncan joins podcast hosts Stephanie Valle and Lisa Elliott to talk about This Island Earth. Individual tickets for this year’s Plaza Classic Film Festival are now on sale at the Plaza Theatre Box Office and Ticketmaster. The podcast is brought to you by the El Paso Community Foundation and is sponsored by an El Paso Community College Professional Development Committee mini-grant. Check out more show notes on the EPCC Library Research Guide: https://epcc.libguides.com/plazaclassicpodcast

Despite its name, the Plaza Classic Film Festival doesn't just screen classic films. This year, a director who has been featured in Local Flavor will have their first feature-length film make its Texas premiere. Ryan Rox, the director of Hidden Flora, joins podcast hosts Lisa Elliott and Stephanie Valle to talk about their film, which they also wrote. Flora takes an unflinching look at sexuality, sexual preference and their own sexual evolution. Hidden Flora premieres on Saturday, July 27 at 7:30pm. Individual tickets for this year’s Plaza Classic Film Festival are now on sale at the Plaza Theatre Box Office and Ticketmaster. The podcast is brought to you by the El Paso Community Foundation and is sponsored by an El Paso Community College Professional Development Committee mini-grant. Check out more show notes on the EPCC Library Research Guide: https://epcc.libguides.com/plazaclassicpodcast

The Goonies is just one of the many films programmed during this year's Plaza Classic Film Festival that is geared towards kids of all ages. Advisory Committee member Kristin Trick joins hosts Lisa Elliott and Stephanie Valle to talk about The Goonies (1985), The Secret of NIMH (1982) and a very special screening at the brand-new children's museum in Downtown El Paso. La Nube opens to the public in August, but those attending the showing of Curious George (2006) on Wednesday, July 24 at 8pm will get a sneak peek! Individual tickets for this year’s Plaza Classic Film Festival are now on sale at the Plaza Theatre Box Office and Ticketmaster. The podcast is brought to you by the El Paso Community Foundation and is sponsored by an El Paso Community College Professional Development Committee mini-grant. Check out more show notes on the EPCC Library Research Guide: https://epcc.libguides.com/plazaclassicpodcast

Academy Award winning actor and Texas native Sissy Spacek is the first announced guest at the 2024 Plaza Classic Film Festival! Advisory Committee member Craig Holden joins hosts Stephanie Valle and Lisa Elliott to discuss Spacek's filmography, including Coal Miner's Daughter, which she is set to introduce on Saturday, July 27 at 7pm. Holden -- himself a writer and producer -- also talks about the film he produced that will be screened at the festival. Check out the film festival schedule: https://plazaclassic.com/schedule The podcast is brought to you by the El Paso Community Foundation and is sponsored by an El Paso Community College Professional Development Committee mini-grant. Check out more show notes on the EPCC Library Research Guide: https://epcc.libguides.com/plazaclassicpodcast

Bueller? Bueller? Yeah, we know it's a trope to use that quote from Ferris Bueller's Day Off.  But podcast hosts Stephanie Valle and Lisa Elliott enjoy being corny, and they're really getting into talking about two more films being screened at this year's Plaza Classic Film Festival. Advisory Committee member Rebecca Mendez joins them in studio to talk about Bueller and Amelie (2001). Buy season passes to the Plaza Classic Film Festival, which runs from July 18-28, 2024: https://plazaclassic.com/tickets The podcast is brought to you by the El Paso Community Foundation and is sponsored by an El Paso Community College Professional Development Committee mini-grant. Check out more show notes on the EPCC Library Research Guide: https://epcc.libguides.com/plazaclassicpodcast

What's a better date than dinner and a movie? That's the idea behind the Dinner and a Movie at the Plaza Classic Film Festival, which marks its third year with a screening of Moonstruck (1987), starring Cher and Nicolas Cage. PCFF Advisory committee member Erin Ritter joins hosts Lisa Elliott and Stephanie Valle to talk about Moonstruck and the advent of the dinner and movie series. Buy single/couple tickets to the Snap Out of It Dinner: https://plazaclassic.com/tickets The podcast is brought to you by the El Paso Community Foundation and is sponsored by an El Paso Community College Professional Development Committee mini-grant.   Check out more show notes on the EPCC Library Research Guide: https://epcc.libguides.com/plazaclassicpodcast

The third Plaza Classic Film Festival Screenwriting Competition is accepting entries! Hosts Stephanie Valle and Lisa Elliott are joined by Austin Savage, one of the competition's organizers, and Carrie Silva, who won the 2023 competition with her screenplay, "Best Dive in the 915." Submit your screenplay through July 3. First prize receives $500 and second prize is $250. Go to https://plazaclassic.com/screenwriting for more information on how to enter. The podcast is brought to you by the El Paso Community Foundation and is sponsored by an El Paso Community College Professional Development Committee mini-grant.   Check out more show notes on the EPCC Library Research Guide: https://epcc.libguides.com/plazaclassicpodcast

Hosts Stephanie Valle and Lisa Elliott are joined by the first woman to win the Oscar ballot contest held among the Plaza Classic Film Festival Program Committee. Keri Moe, an Associate Vice President with El Paso Community College, correctly guessed 19 of the 23 winners of the 96th Academy Awards. She now has the distinction of selecting a movie to screen during the Plaza Classic Film Festival. She mulls over her choices, which range from Dumb and Dumber (celebrating its 30th anniversary of release!) to The 400 Blows. Donate to the El Paso Community Foundation to sponsor the film festival: https://plazaclassic.com/donate The podcast is brought to you by the El Paso Community Foundation and is sponsored by an El Paso Community College Professional Development Committee mini-grant. Check out more show notes on the EPCC Library Research Guide: https://epcc.libguides.com/plazaclassicpodcast

Hosts Lisa Elliott and Stephanie Valle are talking Local Flavor, the Plaza Classic Film Festival's showcase of locally made and connected films. Filmmakers will vie for $3,650 in cash awards — including new awards for student films! They're joined by festival program director Doug Pullen, who lays out how the showcase works, and Josh Pulido, an El Paso filmmaker whose submission “The Film Cafe” won Local Flavor’s $1,000 second prize in 2023. It was also chosen as the audience favorite, which came with another $250 purse.   Read how to enter Local Flavor: https://plazaclassic.com/localflavor The podcast is brought to you by the El Paso Community Foundation and is sponsored by an El Paso Community College Professional Development Committee mini-grant. Check out more show notes on the EPCC Library Research Guide: https://epcc.libguides.com/plazaclassicpodcast

Hosts Stephanie Valle and Lisa Elliott are joined by fellow Plaza Classic Film Festival Program Advisory Committee member Jaime Mendez. Mendez, an administrator at UTEP, is also an avid film fan and created the committee's Oscar ballot contest. He explains how the winner of the contest (historically, him!) is able to pick a movie to screen during the fest, and which films have been a product of the Oscar competition. Buy season passes to the Plaza Classic Film Festival, which runs from July 18-28, 2024: https://plazaclassic.com/tickets Check out more show notes on the EPCC Library Research Guide: https://epcc.libguides.com/plazaclassicpodcast The podcast is brought to you by the El Paso Community Foundation and is sponsored by an El Paso Community College Professional Development Committee mini-grant.

Welcome to The Plaza Classic Podcast! The brand-new podcast pulls back the curtain on the El Paso Community Foundation's annual Plaza Classic Film Festival. Hosted by PCFF’s Program Advisory Committee members, KVIA News anchor Stephanie Valle and El Paso Community College Mass Communications Professor Lisa Elliott, the podcast will be released each week through the festival, which runs July 18-28, 2024. Program Director Doug Pullen joins the hosts to talk about the festival's origins, what's in store for 17th annual festival, including the return of the fan favorite Rocky Horror Picture Show. Learn more about the festival at https://plazaclassic.com/ The podcast is brought to you by the El Paso Community Foundation and is sponsored by an El Paso Community College Professional Development Committee mini-grant. Check out more show notes on the EPCC Library Research Guide: https://epcc.libguides.com/plazaclassicpodcast