Past Present Feature with Marcus Mizelle

Marcus Mizelle
  • 4.8 (16)
  • Film Interviews
  • Updated Weekly

Past Present Feature is a film appreciation podcast hosted by Emmy-winning director Marcus Mizelle, showcasing today’s filmmakers, their latest release, and the past cinema that inspired them. 

  1. Trailer

    The Past Present Feature Film Festival • Nov. 21 • Hollywood, CA

    The Past Present Feature Film Festival returns Saturday, November 21, 2026, for a full day celebrating independent cinema at Eastwood Performing Arts Center in Hollywood, California. Three eras. One celebration of cinema. The Past - films worth rediscovering. The Present - acclaimed new releases and festival favorites. The Future - bold new work from the next generation of filmmakers. Join us for feature films, shorts, and conversations with filmmakers, including an in-person Q&A with Shih-Ching Tsou following a screening of her acclaimed film Left-Handed Girl. Admission is free, with suggested donations of $10–$20. Festival lineup, schedule, and reservations coming soon. Learn more at https://pastpresentfeature.com/film-festival/ What Movies Are You Watching? Support the show The Past Present Feature Film Festival - Nov. 21, 2026 in Hollywood, CA - Submit at filmfreeway.com/PastPresentFeature Listen to all episodes on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and more, as well as at www.pastpresentfeature.com. Like, subscribe, and follow us on our socials @pastpresentfeature

    The Past Present Feature Film Festival • Nov. 21 • Hollywood, CA

  2. Oct 6

    E82 • Finding Truth in Imperfection • YOON DAN-BI, dir. of ‘The World Before’ at TIFF & San Sebastian

    Yoon Dan-bi discusses her second feature, The World Before, ahead of her premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival. We explore her fascination with emotions that resist easy explanation, her search for authenticity in fiction, and an intentionally restrained approach to filmmaking that leaves room for actors, accidents, and imperfections to shape the film.  Yoon also reflects on her first feature, Moving On, finding a sense of belonging through cinema, and Yasujiro Ozu’s Good Morning, the film that first showed her that seemingly ordinary life could be worthy of the screen. We discuss shooting chronologically, avoiding unnecessary coverage, letting actors abandon dialogue when it doesn’t feel true, and why limitations can ultimately make a film stronger. At its core, our conversation is about trusting what feels right and true rather than what feels perfect, and learning that you don’t have to hide the imperfect parts of yourself to make something worth loving. What Movies Are You Watching? The Past Present Feature Film Festival returns Saturday, November 21, 2026, at Eastwood Revival in Hollywood, California. Join us for features, shorts, and convos with filmmakers, including an in-person Q&A with Shih-Ching Tsou following a screening of her acclaimed film Left-Handed Girl. Festival lineup, schedule, and reservations coming soon.  https://pastpresentfeature.com/film-festival/ Revival Hub is your guide to specialty screenings in Los Angeles - classics on 35mm, director Q&As, rare restorations, and indie gems you won't find on streaming. We connect moviegoers with over 200 venues across LA, from the major revival houses to the 20-seat microcinemas and more. Visit revivalhub.com to see what's playing this week.  This episode is brought to you by BeastGrip. When you're filming on your phone and need something solid, modular, and built for real productions - including 28 Years Later and Left Handed Girl - BeastGrip's rigs, lenses, and accessories are designed to hold up without slowing you down.  If you're ready to level up your mobile workflow, visit BeastGrip.com and use coupon code PASTPRESENTFEATURE for 10 % off.  Support the show The Past Present Feature Film Festival - Nov. 21, 2026 in Hollywood, CA - Submit at filmfreeway.com/PastPresentFeature Listen to all episodes on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and more, as well as at www.pastpresentfeature.com. Like, subscribe, and follow us on our socials @pastpresentfeature

  3. Sep 22

    E81 • Storytelling Beyond Heroes & Conflict • IRENE KALTENBORN, dir. of ‘The Mother Age‘ at CPH:DOX

    Irene Kaltenborn discusses The Mother Age, her sensory documentary which premiered in CPH:DOX’s NEXT:WAVE competition. Inspired by Ursula K. Le Guin’s The Carrier Bag Theory of Fiction, which explores a different approach to storytelling that questions our fixation on heroes, conflict, and competition in favor of coexistence, care, and connection. We also discuss Irene’s intuitive filmmaking process, creating the film in the Finnish forest, and the cinema that inspires her, including Robin Petré’s Only on Earth. At its core, our conversation asks what might change if we begin questioning the stories we’ve inherited and stop seeing life as something that has to be won. What Movies Are You Watching? The Past Present Feature Film Festival returns Saturday, November 21, 2026, at Eastwood Revival in Hollywood, California. Join us for features, shorts, and convos with filmmakers, including an in-person Q&A with Shih-Ching Tsou following a screening of her acclaimed film Left-Handed Girl. Festival lineup, schedule, and reservations coming soon.  https://pastpresentfeature.com/film-festival/ Revival Hub is your guide to specialty screenings in Los Angeles - classics on 35mm, director Q&As, rare restorations, and indie gems you won't find on streaming. We connect moviegoers with over 200 venues across LA, from the major revival houses to the 20-seat microcinemas and more. Visit revivalhub.com to see what's playing this week.  This episode is brought to you by BeastGrip. When you're filming on your phone and need something solid, modular, and built for real productions - including 28 Years Later and Left Handed Girl - BeastGrip's rigs, lenses, and accessories are designed to hold up without slowing you down.  If you're ready to level up your mobile workflow, visit BeastGrip.com and use coupon code PASTPRESENTFEATURE for 10 % off.  Support the show The Past Present Feature Film Festival - Nov. 21, 2026 in Hollywood, CA - Submit at filmfreeway.com/PastPresentFeature Listen to all episodes on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and more, as well as at www.pastpresentfeature.com. Like, subscribe, and follow us on our socials @pastpresentfeature

  4. Aug 25

    E80 • Rebuilding a Culture Around Cinema & the Experience Streaming Can't Replace • MILES WILLIAMS, Artistic Director of The Alex Theatre

    Miles Williams discusses the revival of Glendale's historic Alex Theatre and its return to first-run cinema after more than 35 years, including the installation of 70mm projection and its breakout success with Christopher Nolan's The Odyssey. We explore why audiences are returning to theaters, the resurgence of physical media, and what the communal moviegoing experience can offer that streaming can't replicate. We also discuss curation, repertory cinema, getting audiences into seats, and creating space for independent filmmakers alongside major studio releases. Miles reflects on nearly three decades working in historic theaters and some of the films that shaped his relationship with cinema, including Spartacus, Tenebrae, Star Wars, Raiders of the Lost Ark, and Ben-Hur. At its core, our conversation is about rebuilding a culture around cinema, preserving the places where that culture lives, and giving people a reason to experience movies together again. What Movies Are You Watching? The Past Present Feature Film Festival returns Saturday, November 21, 2026, at Eastwood Revival in Hollywood, California. Join us for features, shorts, and convos with filmmakers, including an in-person Q&A with Shih-Ching Tsou following a screening of her acclaimed film Left-Handed Girl. Festival lineup, schedule, and reservations coming soon.  https://pastpresentfeature.com/film-festival/ Revival Hub is your guide to specialty screenings in Los Angeles - classics on 35mm, director Q&As, rare restorations, and indie gems you won't find on streaming. We connect moviegoers with over 200 venues across LA, from the major revival houses to the 20-seat microcinemas and more. Visit revivalhub.com to see what's playing this week.  This episode is brought to you by BeastGrip. When you're filming on your phone and need something solid, modular, and built for real productions - including 28 Years Later and Left Handed Girl - BeastGrip's rigs, lenses, and accessories are designed to hold up without slowing you down.  If you're ready to level up your mobile workflow, visit BeastGrip.com and use coupon code PASTPRESENTFEATURE for 10 % off.  Support the show The Past Present Feature Film Festival - Nov. 21, 2026 in Hollywood, CA - Submit at filmfreeway.com/PastPresentFeature Listen to all episodes on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and more, as well as at www.pastpresentfeature.com. Like, subscribe, and follow us on our socials @pastpresentfeature

  5. Jul 28

    E79 • The Stories We Choose to Believe • FELIX RANDAU, dir. of ‘I Is Another‘ at Locarno Film Festival

    I Is Another marks Felix Randau's return to the Locarno Film Festival, where the film premieres in competition. Inspired by the true story of Felix Kersten, personal masseur to Heinrich Himmler, we discuss why Randau rejected a conventional hero narrative in favor of a morally ambiguous portrait, exploring the blurred line between truth, history, and the stories we choose to believe. We also discuss antiheroes, historical storytelling, filmmaking in Germany, and the films that shaped Felix's love of cinema, including The African Queen, Heat, The Third Man, and the work of John Huston, Michael Mann, François Truffaut, and Fritz Lang. At its core, our conversation is about resisting simple answers, embracing moral complexity, and recognizing that history is often shaped as much by storytelling as it is by fact.    What Movies Are You Watching? The Past Present Feature Film Festival returns Saturday, November 21, 2026, at Eastwood Revival in Hollywood, California. Join us for features, shorts, and convos with filmmakers, including an in-person Q&A with Shih-Ching Tsou following a screening of her acclaimed film Left-Handed Girl. Festival lineup, schedule, and reservations coming soon.  https://pastpresentfeature.com/film-festival/ Revival Hub is your guide to specialty screenings in Los Angeles - classics on 35mm, director Q&As, rare restorations, and indie gems you won't find on streaming. We connect moviegoers with over 200 venues across LA, from the major revival houses to the 20-seat microcinemas and more. Visit revivalhub.com to see what's playing this week.  This episode is brought to you by BeastGrip. When you're filming on your phone and need something solid, modular, and built for real productions - including 28 Years Later and Left Handed Girl - BeastGrip's rigs, lenses, and accessories are designed to hold up without slowing you down.  If you're ready to level up your mobile workflow, visit BeastGrip.com and use coupon code PASTPRESENTFEATURE for 10 % off.  Support the show The Past Present Feature Film Festival - Nov. 21, 2026 in Hollywood, CA - Submit at filmfreeway.com/PastPresentFeature Listen to all episodes on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and more, as well as at www.pastpresentfeature.com. Like, subscribe, and follow us on our socials @pastpresentfeature

  6. Jul 14

    E78 • The Power of Containment • MADS MENGEL, dir. of ‘The Guest‘, Special Jury + Best Director WINNER at Karlovy Vary

    Danish filmmaker Mads Mengel joins Past Present Feature just before his world premiere of The Guest in the Crystal Globe Competition at the Karlovy Vary International Film Festival. Since this recording, The Guest has gone on to win the festival's Special Jury Prize, while Mengel received the Best Director Award. We discuss how the film grew from a simple question into an intimate family drama shaped by years of writing, collaboration, and refinement. Along the way, we explore contained storytelling, the Danish filmmaking model, building a visual language around performance rather than coverage, and why practical limitations often lead to stronger creative decisions. Mads also reflects on the films and filmmakers that shaped his love of cinema, including Magnolia, Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, The Lord of the Rings, 12 Angry Men, and The Conversation. At its core, our conversation is about making more with less, trusting the people around you, and discovering that limitations often become your greatest creative advantage. What Movies Are You Watching? The Past Present Feature Film Festival returns Saturday, November 21, 2026, at Eastwood Revival in Hollywood, California. Join us for features, shorts, and convos with filmmakers, including an in-person Q&A with Shih-Ching Tsou following a screening of her acclaimed film Left-Handed Girl. Festival lineup, schedule, and reservations coming soon.  https://pastpresentfeature.com/film-festival/ Revival Hub is your guide to specialty screenings in Los Angeles - classics on 35mm, director Q&As, rare restorations, and indie gems you won't find on streaming. We connect moviegoers with over 200 venues across LA, from the major revival houses to the 20-seat microcinemas and more. Visit revivalhub.com to see what's playing this week.  This episode is brought to you by BeastGrip. When you're filming on your phone and need something solid, modular, and built for real productions - including 28 Years Later and Left Handed Girl - BeastGrip's rigs, lenses, and accessories are designed to hold up without slowing you down.  If you're ready to level up your mobile workflow, visit BeastGrip.com and use coupon code PASTPRESENTFEATURE for 10 % off.  Support the show The Past Present Feature Film Festival - Nov. 21, 2026 in Hollywood, CA - Submit at filmfreeway.com/PastPresentFeature Listen to all episodes on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and more, as well as at www.pastpresentfeature.com. Like, subscribe, and follow us on our socials @pastpresentfeature

  7. Jun 30

    E77 • The Art of Discovery & Staying Ahead of Your Audience • CARA CUSUMANO, Festival Director at Tribeca

    Cara Cusumano, Director of Programming for the Tribeca Festival, joins Past Present Feature as the festival celebrates its 25th year. She pulls back the curtain on how one of the world's premier film festivals selects its films,  and how curation, audience, and timing shape every lineup.  Along the way, Cara reflects on the films and filmmakers that shaped her own cinematic taste, from F for Fake, Jiro Dreams of Sushi, to the fiction work of David Fincher, Agnès Varda, and Steven Spielberg. The conversation also explores Tribeca's origins following 9/11, the future of film festivals in the streaming era, why filmmakers shouldn't let deadlines dictate their creative process, and why the stories that resonate most are often the ones that keep moving, staying one step ahead of their audience, and continuing to surprise us.    What Movies Are You Watching? The Past Present Feature Film Festival returns Saturday, November 21, 2026, at Eastwood Revival in Hollywood, California. Join us for features, shorts, and convos with filmmakers, including an in-person Q&A with Shih-Ching Tsou following a screening of her acclaimed film Left-Handed Girl. Festival lineup, schedule, and reservations coming soon.  https://pastpresentfeature.com/film-festival/ Revival Hub is your guide to specialty screenings in Los Angeles - classics on 35mm, director Q&As, rare restorations, and indie gems you won't find on streaming. We connect moviegoers with over 200 venues across LA, from the major revival houses to the 20-seat microcinemas and more. Visit revivalhub.com to see what's playing this week.  This episode is brought to you by BeastGrip. When you're filming on your phone and need something solid, modular, and built for real productions - including 28 Years Later and Left Handed Girl - BeastGrip's rigs, lenses, and accessories are designed to hold up without slowing you down.  If you're ready to level up your mobile workflow, visit BeastGrip.com and use coupon code PASTPRESENTFEATURE for 10 % off.  Support the show The Past Present Feature Film Festival - Nov. 21, 2026 in Hollywood, CA - Submit at filmfreeway.com/PastPresentFeature Listen to all episodes on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and more, as well as at www.pastpresentfeature.com. Like, subscribe, and follow us on our socials @pastpresentfeature

  8. Jun 16

    E76 (SEASON 3!) • The Stories Closest to Us Are the Hardest to Tell • DANIEL BLAKE SCHWARTZ, dir. of ‘Cotton Fever‘, Best Narrative Feature WINNER at Tribeca

    Daniel Blake Schwartz breaks down how Tribeca Best U.S. Narrative Feature winner Cotton Fever grew out of years spent collecting stories during his own experience with addiction and recovery, ultimately transforming those fragments into a deeply personal debut feature. Drawing inspiration from filmmakers like Andrea Arnold and Hirokazu Kore-eda, Schwartz pursued a style rooted in realism, empathy, and lived experience rather than conventional dramatic structure. The film evolved from a self-funded short into an award-winning feature through grassroots fundraising, community support, a first-time filmmaker grant from Panavision, and the eventual attachment of actors Kyle Gallner and Sosie Bacon. Along the way, Schwartz navigated the uncertainty of first-time feature directing, discovering that some of the film's strongest moments emerged from vulnerability, collaboration, and instincts that couldn't always be explained on the page. At its core, Cotton Fever is a reminder that the most powerful stories often come from the experiences we're most hesitant to revisit. The challenge isn't always finding something meaningful to say. It's having the courage to tell the story that's already closest to you. What Movies Are You Watching? The Past Present Feature Film Festival returns Saturday, November 21, 2026, at Eastwood Revival in Hollywood, California. Join us for features, shorts, and convos with filmmakers, including an in-person Q&A with Shih-Ching Tsou following a screening of her acclaimed film Left-Handed Girl. Festival lineup, schedule, and reservations coming soon.  https://pastpresentfeature.com/film-festival/ Revival Hub is your guide to specialty screenings in Los Angeles - classics on 35mm, director Q&As, rare restorations, and indie gems you won't find on streaming. We connect moviegoers with over 200 venues across LA, from the major revival houses to the 20-seat microcinemas and more. Visit revivalhub.com to see what's playing this week.  This episode is brought to you by BeastGrip. When you're filming on your phone and need something solid, modular, and built for real productions - including 28 Years Later and Left Handed Girl - BeastGrip's rigs, lenses, and accessories are designed to hold up without slowing you down.  If you're ready to level up your mobile workflow, visit BeastGrip.com and use coupon code PASTPRESENTFEATURE for 10 % off.  Support the show The Past Present Feature Film Festival - Nov. 21, 2026 in Hollywood, CA - Submit at filmfreeway.com/PastPresentFeature Listen to all episodes on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and more, as well as at www.pastpresentfeature.com. Like, subscribe, and follow us on our socials @pastpresentfeature

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Past Present Feature is a film appreciation podcast hosted by Emmy-winning director Marcus Mizelle, showcasing today’s filmmakers, their latest release, and the past cinema that inspired them. 

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