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

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

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.

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

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.

The Art of Quitting Gracefully’s Micah Stathis & Clare Louise Frost Talk Stony Brook Film Festival

On this episode of Sounds of Film, host Tom Needham welcomes writer, director, editor, and Iraq War veteran Micah Stathis along with actor, writer, producer, and editor Clare Louise Frost to discuss their new feature film The Art of Quitting Gracefully. The film, a featured selection at the Stony Brook International Film Festival on Sunday, July 19, 2026, at 9:30 PM, is an intimate drama about creativity, ambition, sacrifice, and the risks involved in pursuing a lifelong dream. The Art of Quitting Gracefully follows Joan Cantrell, a 41-year-old New York City acting teacher who leaves her job to finally write the novel she has been avoiding for years. As she struggles with financial uncertainty, a failing marriage, and the haunting memory of her mother—an aspiring writer whose own creative ambitions ended in tragedy—Joan must decide whether pursuing her dream will lead to fulfillment or repeat the mistakes of the past. Hosted by Tom Needham, Sounds of Film is one of America’s longest-running film, music, and ideas programs, airing for more than 30 years on WUSB and reaching audiences worldwide through its podcast platforms. The show features in-depth conversations with filmmakers, actors, musicians, composers, authors, and cultural figures. Past guests have included Billy Joel, Julie Andrews, Alec Baldwin, Jordan Peele, Michael Moore, Stephen Schwartz, Taylor Dayne, Darryl ‘DMC’ McDaniels, Chuck D, Rob Reiner, Alexander Payne, Laurie Anderson, Dionne Warwick, Howard Shore, Barbara Kopple, Rory Kennedy, Jay Jay French, and Garland Jeffreys, among many others from the worlds of film, music, and culture.

Skywalkers: A Love Story Filmmakers on a Classic SOUNDS OF FILM

Skywalkers: A Love Story is a thrilling romantic film that follows a daring couple as they push their relationship to new extremes by attempting to climb the world’s second-highest skyscraper and perform a breathtaking stunt on its spire. Angela and Vanya, Russia’s top rooftoppers, risk everything to conquer the globe’s tallest buildings. As their acrobatic feats become internet sensations, amassing millions of views, they challenge their love and trust by pioneering a perilous new art form called “skywalking.” Directed and written by Emmy-winning filmmaker Jeff Zimbalist (Favela Rising, The Two Escobars, Momentum Generation), this documentary, filmed over six years across six countries, captures the intense world of extreme climbing in vivid detail. Jeff Zimbalist is a multi-Emmy and Peabody-winning filmmaker most known for IDA and Tribeca Film Festival winner Favela Rising (HBO), Emmy winner and Cannes Film Festival favorite The Two Escobars (ESPN, Disney), Emmy and Tribeca Film Festival winner Momentum Generation (HBO, Universal), Pelé: Birth of a Legend (Magnolia, Universal), the Emmy-winning series Remastered (Netflix), Emmy-nominated The Line (Apple), Emmy-nominated 11 Minutes (Paramount+), Emmy-winning Super League: The War for Football (Apple), and Sundance and Tribeca festival favorite Invisible Beauty (Magnolia). Maria Bukhonina is an American filmmaker, originally from Siberia, Russia. Her producing credits range from Booze Traveler on Travel Channel to Heist for Netflix and such Emmy-winning projects as the Ágnes Keleti commercial for the 100th Olympic Games and the doc series The World According to Football with Trevor Noah for Showtime, along with a wide range of other sports documentaries for ESPN, Netflix, and Showtime. Skywalkers: A Love Story is her co-directing debut The Sounds of Film is the nation’s longest running film, music and ideas themed radio show. For the past 30 years, the program has delivered a popular mix of interviews and music to listeners all over Long Island, parts of Connecticut and streaming live worldwide on the internet. Past guests on the show include Wendy & Lisa, Morris Day, DMC, Chris Hedges, Michael Moore, Hal Hartley, Alexandra Pelosi, Gary U.S. Bonds, Thora Birch and Laurie Anderson.

Oscar Nominee Josh Fox Talks HBO’s THE WELCOME TABLE

Josh Fox joins Tom Needham on this episode of Sounds of Film to discuss his latest documentary and his career as one of the most distinctive independent filmmakers working today. An Academy Award-nominated, Emmy-winning director, Fox is best known for Gasland, Gasland Part II, How to Let Go of the World and Love All the Things Climate Can’t Change, and The Truth Has Changed. In this conversation, he reflects on the origins of his work, the challenges of confronting urgent social and environmental issues through film, and the role documentary filmmaking can play in shaping public debate. Fox’s films take a critical look at the intersection of politics, the environment, and public policy, often centering on questions of power, accountability, and the human cost of major crises. Through interviews, archival material, and a deeply personal approach, his work explores the impact of corporate and government decisions on communities and the broader lessons that can be drawn from these conflicts. Hosted by Tom Needham, Sounds of Film is the nation’s longest-running film and music-themed radio show and podcast, featuring conversations with filmmakers, actors, musicians, composers, authors, and cultural leaders. 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, members of Twisted Sister, Public Enemy, The Tokens, and many others. Each episode offers listeners an engaging look at the creative process and the stories behind films, music, books, and important cultural events.