The Plaza Classic Podcast

The Girls Can't Help It

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. 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. [https://epcc.libguides.com/plazaclassicpodcast] Festival passes are available to purchase now at this link [https://plazaclassic.com/tickets].

Behind the Curtain with Bart Weiss

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 on the El Paso Community College campus. Check out this week's show notes here. [https://epcc.libguides.com/plazaclassicpodcast] The Plaza Classic Film Festival takes place from July 16-26, 2026 in Downtown El Paso. Learn more about the festival here [https://plazaclassic.com/].

April Fool's Day! with Eric Pearson

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 Paso Community Foundation and is recorded on the El Paso Community College campus. Check out this week's show notes here. [https://epcc.libguides.com/plazaclassicpodcast] The Plaza Classic Film Festival takes place from July 16-26, 2026 in Downtown El Paso. Learn more about the festival here [https://plazaclassic.com/].

The Big Oscar (Contest) Winner(s)!

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 on the El Paso Community College campus. Check out this week's show notes here. [https://epcc.libguides.com/plazaclassicpodcast] The Plaza Classic Film Festival takes place from July 16-26, 2026 in Downtown El Paso. Learn more about the festival here [https://plazaclassic.com/].

U.S.A.'s Semiquincentennial Celebration

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. [https://epcc.libguides.com/plazaclassicpodcast] The Plaza Classic Film Festival takes place from July 16-26, 2026 in Downtown El Paso. Learn more about the festival here [https://plazaclassic.com/].