A dream can sound reckless when your world is on fire, but Miguel Angel Ferrer bets on it anyway and somehow gets the film across the finish line. We talk with Miguel, the director of The Shadow of the Sun, a breakout piece of Venezuelan cinema that ran a major international film festival circuit, earned a stack of Venezuelan Academy Award nominations, and became Venezuela’s official Oscars selection before landing on-demand for US and Canada audiences.

Miguel walks us through the real, unglamorous climb: moving from Venezuela to the United States, showing up in Los Angeles with two bags, taking whatever work paid the bills, then using a National Geographic cameraman credit and years in TV post production to learn how studio-level projects actually get delivered. From there we dig into how The Shadow of the Sun came to life: two brothers chasing a music contest to escape poverty, with the younger brother deaf and the older brother becoming his voice. The themes hit hard: brotherhood, deaf culture, Venezuelan spirit, and the kind of persistence that keeps going even when the odds feel insulting.

We get specific about craft and authenticity: crossing back into Venezuela, casting a deaf lead actor from within the community, directing sign language performances with interpreters at the monitor, and shaping the visual language with anamorphic cinematography and a deliberate 40mm approach to landscape. Miguel also shares what’s next, including genre projects and an English-language remake, then closes with three picks for your watch list: Meet Joe Black, The Sea Inside, and Take Shelter. If you like behind-the-scenes filmmaking stories with real stakes, subscribe, share this with a friend, and leave a review so more listeners can find the show.

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Shout out to contributor and producer Sonja Mereu. A special thanks to Anselm Kennedy for creating Gimme Three's theme music. And another special thanks to Zoe Baumann for creating our exceptional cover art.

In this week's episode, we celebrate the illustrious career of the late, great Sam Neill. Co-hosts Nicholas Ybarra and Bella Efstratis explore some of the recurring character traits that Neill tackled in his work and gush over three of his most outstanding performances.

- We start with the dense, brilliant, and terrifying horror film by one of the masters of the genre, John Carpenter. Sam Neill stars in In the Mouth of Madness.

- Second, we dive deeper into the horror genre. This time, we blend it with science fiction in the wildly underrated and pulse-pounding film Event Horizon.

- Finally, Sam Neill explores his softer side in the tender and hilarious Taika Waititi film Hunt For The Wilderpeople.

Let us know what you think of these films and what your favorite Sam Neill performance is.

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Shout out to contributor and producer Sonja Mereu. A special thanks to Anselm Kennedy for creating Gimme Three's theme music. And another special thanks to Zoe Baumann for creating our exceptional cover art.

This week on the Gimme Three Podcast, we're honored to be joined by an incredible filmmaker and ED of the non-profit organization Alliance of Women Directors, Kylie Eaton.

Co-host Nicholas Ybarra and Kylie discuss her journey through the industry, her writing and storytelling process, the history of Alliance of Women Directors, and finally, AWD's collaboration with the Los Angeles Diversity Film Festival coming this September.

Additionally, Kylie joins us in our Gimme Three Segment, highlighting three films that inspired her filmmaking career, including Star Wars, Sleepless in Seattle, and The Matrix.

Stay tuned for the Los Angeles Diversity Film Festival dates and be updated by signing up for our newsletter at: https://www.ladff.com/ or following us on Instagram @ladiversityfilmfest

Become a member or sign up for AWD's newsletter at: https://www.allianceofwomendirectors.org/

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Sign up for our Patreon for exclusive Bonus Content.

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You can keep up with Bella on Instagram @portraitofacinephile or Letterboxd
You can keep up with Nick: on Instagram @nicholasybarra, on Twitter (X) @nicholaspybarra, or on Letterboxd

Shout out to contributor and producer Sonja Mereu. A special thanks to Anselm Kennedy for creating Gimme Three's theme music. And another special thanks to Zoe Baumann for creating our exceptional cover art.

The countdown to The Odyssey is almost over, so what better time to celebrate the filmmaker behind it?

This week, Bella Efstratis is joined by writer, actor, and filmmaker Trey Armstrong for a Christopher Nolan Spotlight.

Together, they explore three films that chart Nolan's evolution from ambitious independent filmmaker to one of the defining directors of the 21st century: Following, The Prestige, and Tenet.

They kick things off with Following, the micro-budget debut that introduced audiences to Nolan's fascination with fractured narratives, identity, obsession, and deception.

Next, Bella champions The Prestige, a masterfully layered exploration of ambition, sacrifice, and the cost of greatness.

Finally, Trey makes the case for Tenet, sharing why he believes it's one of Nolan's most misunderstood—and exhilarating—films.

What's your favorite Christopher Nolan film? And are you excited to see The Odyssey? Let us know!

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Shout out to contributor and producer Sonja Mereu. A special thanks to Anselm Kennedy for creating Gimme Three's theme music. And another special thanks to Zoe Baumann for creating our exceptional cover art.

The World Cup has the entire globe buzzing. So we figured we'd do some world traveling here on the Gimme Three Podcast and celebrate three unforgettable and undeniable international short films.

- We begin in France with the 1993 short film Emilie Muller. A gorgeous black-and-white picture that is so great you'll be dying to rewatch it as soon as you finish.

Watch Emilie Muller here!

- Next we travel to Czechoslovakia (now the Czech Republic) with one of the greatest surrealist filmmakers of all time, Jan Švankmajer and his jaw-dropping (literally) piece, Dimensions of Dialogue.

Watch Dimensions of Dialogue here!

- Finally, we move to Japan for the beautiful and meditative short film, The House of Small Cubes. The film won the Academy Award for Best Animated Short Film in 2009, and it was well-deserved.

Watch The House of Small Cubes here!

Check out these short films and let us know what you think!

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You can keep up with Nick: on Instagram @nicholasybarra, on Twitter (X) @nicholaspybarra, or on Letterboxd

Shout out to contributor and producer Sonja Mereu. A special thanks to Anselm Kennedy for creating Gimme Three's theme music. And another special thanks to Zoe Baumann for creating our exceptional cover art.

This episode marks the long awaited return of Gimme Three A-Z. Each month, Bella, Nick, and one lucky listener will contribute a film that they adore for each letter of the alphabet. This month is we've got nothing but BANGERS for the Letter B.

- We start with our audience selection: Charlie Kauffman and Spike Jonze collaborate in one of the more inventive and mind-expanding concepts to grace the silver screen with Being John Malkovich.

- Bella's pick is the 2019 Scottish period piece that will make you cherish friendship and yearn for a night a music and fun. The film is called Beats.

- Nick's pick is the critically acclaimed Korean drama by Lee Chang-dong. The Academy Award-nominated Burning.

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Sign up for our Patreon for exclusive Bonus Content.

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You can keep up with Bella on Instagram @portraitofacinephile or Letterboxd
You can keep up with Nick: on Instagram @nicholasybarra, on Twitter (X) @nicholaspybarra, or on Letterboxd

Shout out to contributor and producer Sonja Mereu. A special thanks to Anselm Kennedy for creating Gimme Three's theme music. And another special thanks to Zoe Baumann for creating our exceptional cover art.

In this compilation episode we celebrate three independent cinema gems that highlight magnificent and original queer stories.

- We start with Cheryl Dunye's 90s indie-classic, The Watermelon Woman.

- Second, we travel to Sweden and do a deep dive into the angsty teenage coming-of-age romance, Show Me Love.

- Finally, we revisit our interview from last year's Los Angeles Diversity Film Festival. Filmmaker Faranak Sahafian joined the show to discuss her gripping and pertinent short film, Kisses and Bullets

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You can keep up with Bella on Instagram @portraitofacinephile or Letterboxd
You can keep up with Nick: on Instagram @nicholasybarra, on Twitter (X) @nicholaspybarra, or on Letterboxd

Shout out to contributor and producer Sonja Mereu. A special thanks to Anselm Kennedy for creating Gimme Three's theme music. And another special thanks to Zoe Baumann for creating our exceptional cover art.

In this week's episode, we celebrate queer joy in movies with three hilarious films that are widely considered classics among the LGBTQ community.

- We start with a bonafide classic. Robin Williams, Nathan Lane, and Gene Hackman star in the side-splitting Mike Nichols film, The Birdcage.

- Second, Natasha Lyonne and Clea Duvall wow audiences in the creative and subversive cult gem, But I'm A Cheerleader.

- Finally, our audience voted for another cult favorite in the rom-com/spy thriller D.E.B.S.

All of these films offer fresh perspectives on the queer experience and bring a welcome sense of joy to their audience. Have you seen these films? Which is your favorite?

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Support the show

Sign up for our Patreon for exclusive Bonus Content.

Follow the podcast on Instagram @gimmethreepodcast

You can keep up with Bella on Instagram @portraitofacinephile or Letterboxd
You can keep up with Nick: on Instagram @nicholasybarra, on Twitter (X) @nicholaspybarra, or on Letterboxd

Shout out to contributor and producer Sonja Mereu. A special thanks to Anselm Kennedy for creating Gimme Three's theme music. And another special thanks to Zoe Baumann for creating our exceptional cover art.