U.S.A.'s Semiquincentennial Celebration

"Shake and Bake!"

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. 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 film festival takes place from July 16-26, 2026. Find the film festival schedule here [https://plazaclassic.com/schedule]. Festival passes are available to purchase now at this link [https://plazaclassic.com/tickets].

Celebrating the Semiquincentennial

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 show notes here. [https://epcc.libguides.com/plazaclassicpodcast] The film festival takes place from July 16-26, 2026. Find the film festival schedule here [https://plazaclassic.com/schedule]. Festival passes are available to purchase now at this link [https://plazaclassic.com/tickets].

A Tribute to Jay Duncan and Camilla Carr

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 El Paso Community College campus. Check out this week's show notes here. [https://epcc.libguides.com/plazaclassicpodcast] The film festival takes place from July 16-26, 2026. Festival passes are available to purchase now at this link [https://plazaclassic.com/tickets].

Hello, Birdie! (A Clue to the Festival's Special Guest)

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. 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 film festival takes place from July 16-26, 2026. Festival passes are available to purchase now at this link [https://plazaclassic.com/tickets].

Go Local!

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 enter and $3,500 in cash prizes are awarded to the top films. The deadline to submit your work is Monday, June 22 at midnight. Submit your film here [https://plazaclassic.com/localflavor]. 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 film festival takes place from July 16-26, 2026. Festival passes are available to purchase now at this link [https://plazaclassic.com/tickets].