The Plaza Classic Podcast

A title can lend so much to the theme of a film. What does a filmmaker want an audience to think or feel when they include the word "Night?" 

In this episode, the focus is on movies that have been shown at the Plaza Classic Film Festival that contained "Night" and "of the" in the title.

The films that made the cut include The Night of the Hunter (1955), Night of the Living Dead (1965, 1990), and In the Heat of the Night (1967).

KISS-FM radio host and Plaza Classic Film Festival Advisory Committee Member Fernando "Grizz" M...

Local filmmakers and hundreds of their friends, family, loved ones, fans, plus cast and crew members, filled the Plaza Theatre for the Local Flavor Showcase on July 26.

Of the 60 entries, a panel of judges chose eight films for the screening event, and of those 8, four were awarded.

First-place winner, director Brandon Herrera (Se lo Merecía) and Audience Favorite winner Ulises Córdova (Tito Ritmo) join Lisa Elliott and Stephanie Valle to talk about the inspiration behind their films. Also, hear what's on the horizon for these emerging filmmakers.

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Valeria Contreras is having a moment. The El Paso filmmaker's short film Oranges is set to make the festival circuit this fall. It comes on the heels of the work-in-progress concept by the same name making its debut during the 2026 Plaza Classic Film Festival.

The Director Incubator Fellow joined podcast hosts Lisa Elliott and Stephanie Valle to discuss her film and how you can see it. Plus, this blossoming director talks about what's next.

The Plaza Classic Podcast is a production of the El Paso Community Foundation and is recorded on the El Paso Community...

June 1, 2026 marked the 100th anniversary of Marilyn Monroe's birth.

Jack Fields, the Plaza Classic Film Festival Advisory Committee's Los Angeles Field Officer, joined podcast hosts Stephanie Valle and Lisa Elliott during the festival in July to talk about how LA was honoring the Blonde Bombshell, and how her legacy has persisted through the century. Plus, he offers his take on which of Marilyn's films shows the full breadth of her talents.

The Plaza Classic Podcast is a production of the El Paso Community Foundation and is recorded on the El Paso Community College campus.

Chalk the Block is back!

This all-ages festival easily draws over 40,000 people to Downtown El Paso to gaze at the artwork – or try their hand at their own – interact with the art installations, or listen to live music, and more. 

Rebecca Muñoz, the director of the Mexican American Cultural Center, talks with podcast hosts Stephanie Valle and Lisa Elliott about one particularly big art installation, plus the screening of Fantastic Mr. Fox during the festival, which is being held Oct. 3 and 4.

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On the opening of Season 8, Plaza Classic Podcast hosts Lisa Elliott and Stephanie Valle take you back to the summer, when the Plaza Classic Film Festival was in full swing, and movie legend Ann-Margret was in El Paso.

Ann-Margret engaged in an interview with TCM host Scott McGee ahead of both Bye Bye Birdie (1963) and Tommy (1975) which were shown on Friday, July 17 and Saturday, July 18, respectively, in the Plaza Theatre.

Both interviews are combined in this episode, and include McGee's insights on this beloved and talented actress, singer, and dancer.

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Curtains on the 2026 Plaza Classic Film Festival! Among the approximately 100 films we screened, guests were also treated to a Q&A with the director of Selena live on-stage.

Plaza Classic Film Festival Advisory Committee member and co-host of this podcast, Stephanie Valle, interviewed Gregory Nava ahead of that film’s screening on July 24.

Nava offered unique insight into the production of the biopic that honored the slain Tejano music star. 

The Plaza Classic Podcast is a production of the El Paso Community Foundation and is recorded on the El Paso Community College campus.

How to you get your idea for a film out of your head and into a script - and better yet, onto the big screen?

Allen Gilmer is the man who knows how to get that done. Gilmer, an El Paso native, is a film producer who, with his wife and partner Riki Rushing, runs Tiki Tane Productions. Gilmer is behind Death in Texas (2020) and Long Shadows (2025), the latter of which was screened at the Plaza Classic Film Festival.

The Plaza Classic Podcast is a production of the El Paso Community Foundation and is recorded...

If you're listening to this podcast episode the day it dropped, you're in luck. The world’s largest classic film festival has sprouted like a magic beanstalk in Downtown El Paso. 

This isn't some fairy tale: The Plaza Classic Film Festival is starting off its second week showing classics for all ages, whether you're a child - or a child of the '70s and '80s.

There is no one better to talk about the featured children’s films than Erin Ritter, a "Friend of the Pod," a fellow film festival advisory committee member, and a...

Student filmmakers have an incredible opportunity to see their creations on the big screen during the Plaza Classic Film Festival this year.

The inaugural UTEP/EPCC Student Showcase will be held on July 18, the first weekend of the film festival, in the Philanthropy Theater.

Ramon Villa of UTEP and Marvin Hanley of EPCC join Lisa Elliott and Stephanie Valle to talk about the showcase, and how a new Film and Multimedia Production Certificate at the community college could help propel more film students into the field.

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Easily one of the most memorable lines from Talladega Nights, it's also a great way to prepare attendees of the Plaza Classic Film Festival for its Outdoor Movie Series.

This year, the 2006 comedy directed by Adam McKay and starring Will Ferrell and John C. Reilly as NASCAR teammates will make its festival debut.

Local racing expert and KTSM News Channel 9's News Director Chris Babcock joins Stephanie Valle and Lisa Elliott in studio to fuel listeners with his passion for his favorite comedy featuring race cars.

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In this special Independence Day episode, what better time than to review the movies showcasing the American experience that will be screened during the Plaza Classic Podcast?

Being as our nation is celebrating its 250th anniversary, AKA the Semiquincentennial, "Americana" is one thread of this year's festival.

Festival Artistic Director Doug Pullen gives Lisa Elliott and Stephanie Valle a sneak peek at the schedule.

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...

Jay Duncan and Camilla Carr both loved film, and both proudly served on the Plaza Classic Film Festival's Advisory Committee. Our committee members were saddened by the passing of both Duncan and Carr earlier this year.

The lives and legacies of Duncan, the committee's resident sci-fi expert, and Carr, a screenwriter and actress, were discussed at length by Friend of the Pod and festival advisory committee member Jaime Mendez and local historian Mary Jo Melby, Duncan's partner.

The Plaza Classic Podcast is a production of the El Paso Community Foundation and is recorded on the...

One of the stars of Bye Bye Birdie is flying into El Paso to attend the Plaza Classic Film Festival!

Ann-Margret will appear the first weekend of the festival, ahead of both the 1963 musical comedy, and the 1975 rock musical Tommy, for which she earned an Academy Award nomination for Best Actress.

Joining Lisa Elliott and Stephanie Valle to talk all about Ann-Margret is Jack Fields, a Warner Bros. studio facilities staff member and the sole occupant of the Plaza Classic Film Festival Advisory Committee's Los Angeles Field Office.

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The Local Flavor Showcase features contemporary films with connections to our border. This is the 9th year the showcase has been featured during the Plaza Classic Film Festival. The 2026 program is on the last day of the festival, July 26, in the Plaza Theatre.

For the third year, Local Flavor will be curated by Emmy Award-winning producer Javier Gonzalez of El Paso (Still: A Michael J. Fox Movie, In the Summers). Gonzalez talks to Lisa Elliott and Stephanie Valle about his own career in film, plus what he enjoys about Local Flavor.

It’s free to en...

Tsunamis. Collisions with icebergs. Rampaging dinosaurs. Let's be real: watching the world destroyed by the force of Mother Nature is only entertaining on the silver screen, especially when spectacular special effects are on full display.

This year, disaster movies are taking the Plaza Classic Film Festival by storm.

KISS-FM morning radio show host (and newest member of the Plaza Classic Film Festival Advisory Committee) Fernando Montejano, aka "Grizz," joins Stephanie Valle and Lisa Elliott in the studio to talk about about some of the movies being screened as a part of this thread, plus his...

"A Dinner To Love" is the theme of this year's Dinner and a Movie, a special event during the Plaza Classic Film Festival.

The theme is loosely based on a quote from the 2003 romantic comedy "Something's Gotta Give." It stars Diane Keaton as divorced playwright Erica Barry and Jack Nicholson as eternally single businessman Harry Sanborn. (Here's that quote, courtesy of a romance-avoidant Harry to Erica: "You are a woman to love.")

Plaza Classic Film Festival Advisory Committee member Rebecca Mendez joins hosts Stephanie Valle and Lisa Elliott to talk about this movie that Keaton...

Podcast hosts Lisa Elliott and Stephanie Valle really can't help it when it comes to puns and wordplay!

The title of this episode of the Plaza Classic Podcast refers to the title of a music documentary starring Jayne Mansfield. The 1956 comedy "The Girl Can't Help It" is one of several "rock docs" on the schedule of the 19th Annual Plaza Classic Film Festival, which will take place from July 16-26, 2026.

Film Festival Artistic Director Doug Pullen reviewed this melodic merging of music and movies in this first episode of season 7 of the podcast.

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The Plaza Classic Film Festival is celebrating its 19th year of wowing audiences in downtown El Paso. Someone who has been a part of the festival shortly after its inception is Bart Weiss, an award-winning independent film and video producer, director, editor, and educator.

Bart joined Lisa Elliiott and Stephanie Valle from his home in Dallas to talk about his favorite moments as a PCFF contributor, plus his own experience starting up a film festival in The Big D!

The Plaza Classic Podcast is a production of the El Paso Community Foundation and is recorded...

If you know Eric Pearson, you are all too familiar with his penchant for jokes of all kinds. The passage of April Fool's Day has done little to quench his desire to share his favorite jokes and pranks. 

The President and CEO of the El Paso Community Foundation was the perfect choice to talk about funny movies he likes and would like to be screened during the Plaza Classic Festival. Pearson joined Lisa Elliott and Stephanie Valle in the podcast studio for this side-splitting episode.

The Plaza Classic Podcast is a production of the El P...

Each awards season, the festival's advisory committee members camp out in theaters and plow through the Academy Award nominees in order to thoughtfully craft the perfect ballot for the committee's Oscar ballot contest.

And this year, just like in the Academy Awards itself, there was a tie!

Stephanie Valle and Lisa Elliott (who have each never won the contest) once again try to find the best strategy for picking winners, straight from the contest's THREE winners themselves.

The Plaza Classic Podcast is a production of the El Paso Community Foundation and is recorded...

The United States of America is marking a special milestone: the nation celebrates its 250th anniversary, also known as the semiquincentennial.

The Plaza Classic Film Festival's Program Director Doug Pullen has been teaching Lisa Elliott and Stephanie Valle -- plus the rest of the festival's advisory committee -- how to pronounce "semiquincentennial," as he builds a film thread centered around the American Experience.

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 Academy Awards will take place on March 15, and we will all finally know which movies and performances Hollywood favored in 2025.

Will One Battle After Another win the battle for Best Picture, or will Sinners transform audiences much like the vampires did at the juke joint? Can Jessie Buckley maintain her Best Actress winning streak? Will Timothee Chamalet take home the Oscar, or will Michael B. Jordan be recognized for his "twinning" performance?

Film critic and Critics Choice Association member Felipa Solis runs down her list of picks with Lisa Elliott and Stephanie Valle. Get...

Paul Thomas Anderson's "One Battle After Another" may be the most celebrated film to be set in El Paso, but it certainly isn't the only Hollywood production to take over and showcase the Sun City on-screen.

Robert Holguin, filmmaker and primetime anchor on KFOX News at 5 and 9pm, joins Stephanie Valle and Lisa Elliott in studio to talk about the three Hollywood movie sets he's been a part of here in El Paso, including "The Day After Tomorrow," which is a part of the Disaster Movie-themed thread set to be weaved into the Plaza Classic Film Festival...

March is Women's History Month. What better time to recognize and discuss the depiction of women in the workplace than now?

Naturally, Leila Melendez, the CEO of Workforce Solutions Borderplex, is focused on screening women in the workplace during the Plaza Classic Film Festival this summer. Leila - the newest member of the festival's Advisory Committee - joins Stephanie Valle and Lisa Elliott in the podcast studio to discuss which movies she'd like shown.

The Plaza Classic Podcast is a production of the El Paso Community Foundation and is recorded on the El Paso Community...

Maybe you do know Jack Fields. The El Paso native is a graduate from New Mexico State University and now works at Warner Bros. as a studio facilities staff member. Fields is also a TCM contributor and classic movie buff.

Fields, also a member of the Plaza Classic Film Festival Advisory Committee, joined Lisa Elliott and Stephanie Valle from the festival's "field office" in Los Angeles to talk about his favorite aspects of working on so many projects that feature classic films.

The Plaza Classic Podcast is a production of the El Paso Community Foundation...

"When you realize you want to spend the rest of your life with somebody, you want the rest of your life to start as soon as possible." - When Harry Met Sally

Director Rob Reiner's "When Harry Met Sally" was heralded as a romantic comedy classic in part for its natural, witty banter and heartfelt performances. Reiner had often said falling in love with his wife Michelle prompted him to change the film's ending so Harry and Sally would end up together.

Reiner, whose life ended tragically in 2025 at age 78, believed in capturing the nuances...

February is Teen Dating Violence Awareness Month. It's a time to openly talk about both healthy and alarming behaviors in young relationships, and how teens can stay safe while navigating new romance. This year's theme is "Real Love Respects."

Aaron Setliff is the Division Chief of the Protective Orders Unit in the El Paso County Attorney's Office and the board chair for the Center Against Sexual and Family Violence (CASFV). The subject matter expert joined Lisa Elliott and Stephanie Valle in studio to review which films could serve as teaching moments for teens -- really, anyone...

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.

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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...

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 f...

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.

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...

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...

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...

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...

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.

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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.

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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 p...

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 pr...