The Plaza Classic Podcast

A Farewell to the El Paso Film Commissioner

On Jan. 23, 2026, El Paso Film Commissioner Drew Mayer-Oakes bids farewell to the city that he helped promote for eight years.
Mayer-Oakes, who is taking on a similar role in Corpus Christi, was instrumental to recruiting Hollywood film productions to use the Sun City as their backdrops, most recently in the lauded Paul Thomas Anderson movie, One Battle After Another.
He joins Plaza Classic Podcast hosts Stephanie Valle and Lisa Elliott to talk about his work, his hopes for El Paso, and what's to come.
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.
The Plaza Classic Film Festival takes place from July 16-26, 2026 in Downtown El Paso. Learn more about the festival here.

Not Guilty! Pleasures

Is there a movie you enjoy watching in spite of mostly negative reviews? 
For Plaza Classic Film Festival Advisory Committee member Jaime Mendez, that movie is Xanadu, the 1980 rock musical starring Olivia Newton-John and Gene Kelly. As a matter of fact, Jaime enjoys this film so much, he can't help but sing the theme song.
On this season finale of the Plaza Classic Podcast, Jaime joins podcast hosts Lisa Elliott and Stephanie Valle to talk about movies only a true fan could love. (Some call them "guilty pleasures," which is a deep point of contention for Lisa.)
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.
Learn more about the Plaza Classic Film Festival here.

What Are You Thankful For?

Is there a movie that sets the tone for the "cozy" holiday season? For Plaza Classic Film Festival Advisory Committee member Erin Ritter, she picks her favorite holiday movies like she organizes her Thanksgiving meal, complete with an appetizer, the main course, savory sides, a dessert, and a post-gathering drink.
Erin, Lisa Elliott, and Stephanie Valle trade their favorite movies to watch over turkey and stuffing. Do yours make their lists?
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.
Learn more about the Plaza Classic Film Festival here.

Holiday Movies at WinterFest 2025

While the weather outside is frightful(ly pleasant), the Holiday Movies at the Plaza Theatre are delightful! The movies are back as a part of WinterFest. We're showing six movies over three weekends starting on Nov. 30.
Doug Pullen (the El Paso Community Foundation's Artistic Director and Program Director for the Plaza Classic Film Festival, and a.k.a. "Friend of the Pod") is back with podcast hosts Lisa Elliott and Stephanie Valle to go over which films made the cut.
Check out the Holiday Movies at the Plaza schedule here.
The Plaza Classic Podcast is a production of the El Paso Community Foundation and is recorded on the El Paso Community College campus.
Learn more about the Plaza Classic Film Festival here.

Veterans' Stories on the Big Screen

The lives of American service members have often been depicted on film -- from 1998's Saving Private Ryan (shown in the 2025 Plaza Classic Film Festival) to 1979's Apocalypse Now (screened in 2016). But perception isn't always reality.
Kristin Trick -- a member of the film festival's advisory committee, a licensed therapist, and a wife to an Army veteran -- joins Stephanie Valle and Lisa Elliott in studio to talk about the representation of soldiers and veterans on the big screen.
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.
Learn more about the Plaza Classic Film Festival here.

"Long Shadows"

During the 2025 Plaza Classic Film Festival, a new take on the Western genre made its debut, complete with red carpet fanfare for the director, producer, and crew -- many of them with ties to the Borderland.
Long Shadows is set in the Wild West, and follows one man's mission to avenge his parents' death, with lots of twists along the way. In his directorial debut, it was also written by actor William Shockley (RoboCop, Death in Texas), and produced by El Paso native Allen Gilmer.
Shockley and Gilmer join Stephanie Valle and Lisa Elliott to talk about how the film -- and the film festival screening -- came to be.
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.
Learn more about the Plaza Classic Film Festival here.

Get Scared with Your Favorite Actor's Favorite Actor

Is Alien a sci-fi, a horror, or both? What about Invasion of the Body Snatchers?
Whichever you choose, both are good options for rewatches on Halloween. Veronica Cartwright ("Lambert" in Alien and "Nancy" in Invasion of the Body Snatchers) joins podcast hosts Lisa Elliott and Stephanie Valle for a brand-new interview from her home in Los Angeles, where she's preparing to give out candy to trick-or-treaters on Oct. 31. And you have to hear about her favorite costume.
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.
Learn more about the Plaza Classic Film Festival here.

Hit Us With Your Best Pitch

Great films often begin as strong pitches. But oftentimes, those pitches are critiqued, revised, and refined before they truly shine.
That was the process behind the 2025 Plaza Classic Film Festival's Pitch Fest. And out of the ten budding local screenwriters, one El Paso Community College English professor came out on top.
Jorge Gomez joined Stephanie Valle and Lisa Elliott to talk about his pitch and his method.
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.
Learn more about the Plaza Classic Film Festival here.

Oculto: It's Baaaaaaaack

It's back! It's growing! And it's even scarier than before!
Horror is taking over the border once again for the 3rd annual Oculto Film Festival. Angel Benitez, the festival's co-deputy director, joins Lisa Elliott and Stephanie Valle to give a sneak peek at what audiences can expect here in El Paso on October 24th and 25th and in Ciudad Juárez, Chihuahua, on November 1st and 2nd.
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.
Learn more about the Plaza Classic Film Festival here.

Chalk the Block con Nacho Libre

You don't have to wear stretchy pants to enjoy movies, nor must you believe in science to be a fan of a family-friendly outdoor arts festival.
But if you like quoting the Jack Black comedy Nacho Libre (2006), then get that corn out of your face! Be ready to stake your spot outside the Mexican American Cultural Center for a special showing of 'Nacho' during Chalk the Block.
The MACC's Rebecca Muñoz is back in the podcast studio with Stephanie Valle and Lisa Elliott to talk about their favorite things (the color light tan and puppies) and how the screening came to be.
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.
Learn more about the Plaza Classic Film Festival here.