Gimme Three Podcast - A Series For Cinephiles

This week, we're talking about three outstanding coming-of-age stories that capture the highs, lows, and messy in-betweens of growing up.

First up, is The Perks of Being a Wallflower (2012), Stephen Chbosky's heartfelt look at friendship, trauma, and finding your place in the world.

Then we move to Catherine Hardwicke's Thirteen (2003), a raw and unflinching portrait of adolescence and rebellion.

And finally, we dive into Dídi (2024), Sean Wang's semi-autobiographical debut that beautifully balances humor, identity, and the awkwardness of early teenage years.

Each film captures the heartbreak and the hope of f...

This week, Bella Efstratis is back on the podcast! We celebrate the release of Freakier Friday by revisiting its 2003 predecessor and the 1976 original.

Bella & Nick do a deep dive on each Freaky Friday film, pick their favorites, and revisit some of their favorite scenes. 

This week, we’re talking with two outstanding filmmakers from this year’s 2025 Los Angeles Diversity Film Festival. 

Sylvia discusses her film, The Vote, a powerful and gripping drama that’s screening with LADFF on Sunday, August 24th at the Laemmle NoHo 7. 

The Sunday block of shorts is called Las Ángeles, and it will feature five incredible filmmakers who were affected by the Eaton fires in Altadena this year. LADFF will donate a portion of the ticket sales for this block to the World Central Kitchen. 

We also interviewed Angel Ruvalcaba about his deeply per...

This week we’re talking with two outstanding filmmakers from this year’s 2025 Los Angeles Diversity Film Festival. 

Lyla Mzayek discusses her film, The Rain Lady, a beautiful love letter to immigrant mothers. Lyla talks about her approach to the project, her courage to make it, and how it became a family affair. 

We also interviewed Faranak Sahafian from Iran. From poet to filmmaker, her short film Kisses and Bullets perfectly captures the urgency of the moment and the importance of love in the face of hate. 

This week we’re talking with two outstanding filmmakers from this year’s 2025 Los Angeles Diversity Film Festival. 

Lee Ott discusses their journey to filmmaking and stop-motion animation, which led them to their directorial debut, Dragfox. A wildly impressive short film loaded with heart, design, and a fox in… you guessed it, DRAG! The short also features the voice-over work of Sir Ian McKellan. 

We also interview Bijon, a remarkable filmmaker from Bangladesh. Bijon chats about the Bengali film community and his jaw-dropping short film, A Thing About Kashem. His appr...

As we gear up for the Los Angeles Diversity Film Festival, Bella and Nick explore the work of some of the most important figures in Black Independent Cinema and Independent Cinema in general. 

These powerful voices are a huge reason why this podcast and the Los Angeles Diversity Film Festival exist today - so tune in for our discussion on these bold movies. 

Earlier this month, the cinephile community lost another tremendous performer. In this episode, Nick & Bella pay tribute to the ever-cool and always hypnotic Michael Madsen. 

The duo discusses Madsen’s unique approach to the art and craft of acting and delves into some of his most famous roles, as well as some of his lesser-known performances. 

This week, we’re stepping away from the cinema and turning our attention to the world of music videos.

Joined by returning guest and producer Sonja Mereu, we dive into nine standout videos that span genres, decades, and styles—each one iconic in its own right and packed with amazing visual storytelling.

Check out the lineup:

It’s summer! And for the cinephile community, that means it’s blockbuster season. In this episode, we tip our hat to the godfather of the summer blockbuster, Mr. Steven Spielberg. To commemorate the 50th Anniversary of the industry-changing classic, Jaws, we highlight three of Spielberg’s most iconic blockbusters. 

Thes...

This week, in a really fun compilation episode, we travel back to 1995! Thirty years ago! Nick and Bella (and a friend or two along the way) chat about the magical year of ’95 and some of the blockbuster movies that accompanied it. 

On the list today:

We’re keeping the Pride celebration going this week with an episode all about the history of drag!

Bella Efstratis is joined by a very special returning guest, Bailey Katler, to break down three essential documentaries that celebrate the art, power, and evolution of drag culture.

This week, Bella is joined by special guests Melia and Henry Chendo to celebrate Pride with a look at Gregg Araki’s Teen Apocalypse Trilogy:

A trailblazer of New Queer Cinema, Araki captured the chaos of queer youth in the ’90s like no one else. These films are loud, sexy, surreal, and devastating — soaked in color, contradiction, and emotion.

In this episode, we talk about his portrayal of the queer experience through his signature thematic and aesthetic style — how he balances camp comedy with emotional darkness, and how sex...

To celebrate the re-release of Dogma (which is celebrating its 25th Anniversary), Bella and Nick took a field trip to see the Kevin Smith classic on the big screen. We were joined by our good friend and returning guest, Max Sopkin. 

The trio discusses their theater experience and does a deep dive on Kevin Smith’s early career work. 

This week, we’re heading to the shore—but not for the sunshine. Returning guest Michel Eljaiek joins co-host Bella Efstratis to explore the darker side of paradise through three beach-set thrillers that reveal just how quickly bliss can turn into terror.

This week, we’re celebrating the release of Mission: Impossible - The Final Reckoning, which highlights three films with the biggest stunts, highest stakes, and most pulse-pounding, applaud-worthy finishes of the Mission: Impossible franchise. 

In addition...

This week, Paddington is officially joining the Gimme Three Podcast family! Join us as we dive into these three magical films that feel like storybooks brought to life!

In celebration of Mother’s Day, we are revisiting one of our favorite themes: Great Mother Characters (our third installment). In this episode, we are highlighting immigrant mothers with three powerful and inspiring films. 

Happy Mother’s Day to all the wonder...

In the late 1990s and early 2000s, three real-life friends broke into the Mexican and International film scenes and made their mark on the art form. Since then, Alfonso Cuarón, Guillermo Del Toro, and Alejandro González Iñárritu have delivered several masterpieces and won several Academy Awards. 

In this episode, we highlight three of the filmmaker's finest early works:

Returning guest and friend of the show, Max Sopkin, returns for an in-depth episode on the legendary Barbra Streisand. After watching all nineteen of Streisand's films, Max has selected three that highlight the range, talent, and overall superstardom that Barbra possesses. 

- We start with Barbra Streisand's on-screen debut, her Oscar-winning performance in Funny Girl. 

- Second, a little-known and underrated gem, Up The Sandbox. 

- Finally, Streisand's powerhouse voice and superstar aura are on full display in the 1976 rock musical A Star Is Born. 

Also in this episode, Max ranks all...

With Baseball season in full swing, we thought it’d be appropriate to dive into classic films that find a home on the diamond. America’s Favorite Pastime is the pastime of the Gimme Three Podcast this week. 

Listen to host Nicholas Ybarra's torment over his love/hate relationship with the sport, and find out if host Bella Efstratis was finally able to shed a tear for a sports movie. 

On this episode of the Gimme Three Podcast, we discuss the career of the late, great actor Val Kilmer; a life and saga cut short, but left several iconic performances. We explore a few here:

This is just scratching the surface of Ki...

The Los Angeles Diversity Film Festival will return to the big screen this August. Save the dates: August 22nd - 24th, 2025. Visit LADFF.com to join the festival’s mailing list and stay current with venues and programs.

On today’s episode of the Gimme Three Podcast, we revisit some of the greatest hits from LADFF’s 10-year history. 

The Los Angeles Diversity Film Festival will return to the big screen this August. Save the dates: August 22nd - 24th, 2025. Visit LADFF.com to join the festival’s mailing list and stay current with venues and programs. 

On today’s episode of the Gimme Three Podcast, we revisit some of the greatest hits from LADFF’s 10-year history. 

In 1999, the teen sex comedy was revitalized with the release of the shocking and wildly successful film American Pie. The box office juggernaut would become a modern classic and spark a franchise akin to the National Lampoon series. 

On today’s episode of the Gimme Three Podcast, we explore the first three American Pie films. 

The gang’s all here: Jason Biggs, Alyson Hannigan, Chris Klein, Thomas Ian Nicholas, Shannon Elizabeth, Sean William Scott, Tara Reid, Mena Suvari, Natasha Lyonne, Eddie Kaye Thomas, and of course, Eugene Levy, and Jennif...

On today’s episode of the Gimme Three Podcast, we honor the legendary Gene Hackman, who recently passed away. Whether it was through comedy, drama, or action, Hackman brought a stern energy and a grounded approach to each and every one of his pictures. 

Today we discuss three of Hackman’s most memorable performances.

To celebrate the release of Mickey 17, The Gimme Three Podcast is exploring the work of director Bong Joon-ho. Nicholas Ybarra and Bella Efstratis dissect some of his most potent and memorable Korean films and his auteurist visual language. 

Let us know what you think of these thre...

Today's episode spotlights Claudette Colbert, a genuine icon of cinema. Colbert's career traversed multiple eras in Hollywood: the Silent Era, the Pre-Code Era, and the Golden Age. 

Let us know what your favorite Claudette Col...

In this week’s episode, we highlight the impactful career of actor Daniel Kaluuya. In his young career, Kaluuya has delivered several performances that will be cemented in the cinematic lore. 

Let us know what you think o...

Subscriber-only episode

Subscriber-Only Episode

New year, new watchlist! Bella and Nick are back with six standout movie recommendations from their January viewing, covering everything from surreal David Lynch shorts to rare film noir gems.

This month’s lineup includes Six Men Getting Sick, Persepolis, Wake in Fright, Dìdi, The Web, and The Daytrippers.

Have you seen any of these? Let us know your thoughts—and send us your top three films from January!

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In the third and final installment of our Faves of 2024 series, Nicholas Ybarra, Bella Efstratis, and Sonja Mereu select three of the year’s most talked-about pictures. 

As always, please let us know what you think of these films and your favorite films of 2024. 

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Subscriber-only episode

In this BONUS EDITION of the Gimme Three Podcast, we revisit a conversation with Emmy Award-Winning and Peabody Award-Winning filmmaker Sam Pollard. 

In light of our recent Mo’ Better Blues analysis, we honor the film's editor, Mr. Pollard. Sam is now an incredible director who has helmed several outstanding documentaries, including MLK/FBI (which we discuss in this episode). 

Based on the recently declassified files, MLK/FBI explores the US government's surveillance and harassment of Martin Luther King, Jr.

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To celebrate our first anniversary, we are spotlighting two of our favorite filmmakers and artists. In today’s episode, we explore the collaborations of Spike Lee and Denzel Washington, a potent and mesmerizing cinematic duo.