The premiere episode of my new film-themed podcast, which I’m simply calling White City Cinema Radio Hour, is now online. Produced by Transistor Chicago‘s Andy Miles, this first episode features an extended conversation between myself and film critics Ben Sachs (Chicago Reader) and Kat Sachs (Cine-File Chicago) about the great director Agnes Varda in advance of her upcoming residency at the University of Chicago. I do not think I could have kicked off the show with better guests than these two knowledgable and affable folks. In particular, this married couple’s back-and-forth banter about Varda’s career in relation to feminism is as entertaining as it is provocative. My only regret is that the part where Ben schooled my faulty memory about the release date of Neil Young’s Ragged Glory ended up on the proverbial cutting-room floor. (Andy, who’s recording, editing and mixing the shows, informed me there was too much “off-mic talking” during that segment, rendering it difficult to understand.) But that’s all right; we still used Neil as our “outro” music.

There will be a new episode of the White City Cinema Radio Hour every month. If you are a filmmaker, critic, programmer, distributor or exhibitor and would like to be on the show or have suggestions about the show, please do not hesitate to get in touch at mikeygsmith at gmail.com. Otherwise, enjoy the first episode and let me know what you think in the comments section below:

http://www.transistorchicago.com/wccrh

Special thanks to Jose Gallegos for this groovy logo:

