Screenplaying
Western Colorado University GPCW and The Crested Butte Film Festival
5.0from 7 ratings
- 17
- Episodes
- 7
- Ratings
- Bi-weekly
- Cadence
- 2025
- First episode
About Screenplaying
Where the people who teach the art of film--and screen the art of film--get together to talk about movies that have a little more on their minds. The Official Film Club of Screenwriting in the Graduate Program in Creative Writing at Western Colorado University and The Crested Butte Film Festival.
- Publisher
- Western Colorado University GPCW and The Crested Butte Film Festival
- Category
- education · tv & film
- Language
- en
- Explicit
- No
- First episode
- 3 Jul 2025
- Latest episode
- 30 Sept 2026
Latest episodes
17 episodes in the feed.
30 Sept 2026
10 Minute Tutorials: The Power of No Dialogue
A special new feature of Screenplaying debuts as we introduce "Scriptplaying," short, sweet and super-informative mini-tutorials on aspects of the craft of screenwriting from James Napoli, Director of Screenwriting at Western Colorado University's Graduate Program in Creative Writing (https://western.edu/graduate/screenwriting/). In this episode, discover the inherent power in deciding (sometimes) to either streamline dialogue in a scene, or not use it all, and how these choices inform filmgoers' and script readers' experience of your screen stories. Screenplaying is the official podcast of Western's GPCW and The Crested Butte Film Festival (https://www.cbfilmfest.org/). Enjoy the listen! Our theme music is by Levgen Poltavasky at Pixabay, and our audio wizard is Mike Janowski.
14 Sept 2026
Step Inside A Film Festival: Crested Butte
Ever wonder what goes on behind-the-scenes at a film festival? Hint: It's a lot of hard work! In this episode of Screenplaying from the Screenwriting MFA at the Graduate Program in Creative Writing at Western (https://western.edu/graduate/screenwriting/) and The Crested Butte Film Festival, we are joined by CBFF Executive Director Scott Robson, CBFF Board President Lauren Lange, and CBFF Guest Programmer Lucy Lerner for a conversation about the incredible amount of moving parts that make all film festivals happen, and the unique aspects of the very special, world-class yet intimate cinematic experience provided by the team at Crested Butte. Thanks to them, and to all who support the festival, for championing independent film! Or theme music is by Levgen Poltavasky at Pixabay, and our audio wizard is Mike Janowski. Thank you for listening to another Screenplaying podcast, and exploring the art of cinema and the lost art of conversation!
25 Aug 2026
Saverio: A Female Filmmaker's Journey to Cannes
The Crested Butte Film Festival (https://www.cbfilmfest.org/) had the pleasure of hosting Ellen Ancui's wonderful short film "Saverio" last year, and now Ellen returns to the podcast to talk with James Napoli, Director of Screenwriting at Western Colorado University's Graduate Program in Creative Writing, (https://western.edu/graduate/screenwriting/) about the journey she and her film took to arrive at the Cannes Film Festival! In an informative and inspiring conversation about the creative process and the evolution of a film, Ellen Ancui offers much down-to-earth wisdom for people who make films and people who love films. A rare, in-depth look at one of the world's most prestigious festivals and what it took to get there. Enjoy the listen! Our theme music is by Levgen Poltavasky at Pixabay, and our audio wizard is Mike Janowski.
30 May 2026
What Actors Can Teach Screenwriters
From Shakespeare to a multiverse, the vision of a writer for screen or stage is meant to be brought to life and transformed by actors. In this episode of Screenplaying from the Screenwriting MFA at the Graduate Program in Creative Writing at Western and The Crested Butte Film Festival, actor and GPCW Performance Coach Andrew Sellon and special guest, actor Tim Sheahan go in-depth on the topic of how an actor approaches a writer's work from the page to the stage or screen. If you think you know it all...you don't! Have fun listening to this informative and engaging discussion about the craft of acting and its intersections with the craft of writing. Or theme music is by Levgen Poltavasky at Pixabay, and our audio wizard is Mike Janowski. Thank you for listening to another Screenplaying podcast, and exploring the art of cinema and the lost art of conversation!
12 May 2026
Underseen Indies: Leave No Trace
Folks from the Screenwriting MFA at Western Colorado University's Graduate Program in Creative Writing and folks from The Crested Butte Film Festival come together in this episode to exchange ideas about Debra Granik's powerful indie film Leave No Trace, starring Ben Foster and Thomasin McKenzie. The story of a traumatized veteran living off the grid and unhoused with his devoted teenage daughter, and how their worldviews change when they are discovered and reintroduced to society is loaded with great acting and powerful thematic undercurrents. This is another "Underseen Indie" that needs to be seen! Our theme music is by Levgen Poltavasky at Pixabay and our audio wizard is Mike Janowski. Thank you for listening to another Screenplaying podcast, and exploring the art of cinema and the lost art of conversation!
9 Apr 2026
Underseen Indies: Griffin in Summer
In this episode, the Screenwriting MFA in Western's Graduate Program in Creative Writing and The Crested Butte Film Festival (https://www.cbfilmfest.org/) take great joy in sharing Griffin in Summer, a remarkable film that screened at the CBFF in 2024 and deserves a much wider audience. So, "Underseen Indies" may well be the first in a series! Enjoy the back and forth as we (almost entirely) praise this marvel of scriptwriting, acting and direction, featuring an amazingly talented cast of young people (and a couple of pretty darn capable grown-ups, too). Our theme music is by Levgen Poltavasky at Pixabay, and our audio wizard is Mike Janowski. Thank you for supporting our podcast about the art of movies and the lost art of conversation!
17 Mar 2026
Cinematic Therapy
Movies show us therapeutic processes and give us a therapeutic process, too. In this episode, Tim Sheahan, licensed clinical social worker, psychotherapist and frequent guest of our podcast with The Crested Butte Film Festival, (https://www.cbfilmfest.org/) talks with James Napoli from the Screenwriting MFA at The Graduate Program in Creative Writing at Western about the many ways in which therapy finds its way into cinematic storytelling. From early Hollywood to the Marvel Universe, Screenplaying takes a deep dive into the many permutations of how movies both show and offer therapy to audiences. (Since we cover the full arc of these therapeautic process films, note there are SPOILERS AHEAD...) Our theme music is by Levgen Poltavasky at Pixabay, and our audio wizard is Mike Janowski. Thank you for supporting our podcast about the art of movies and the lost art of conversation!
17 Feb 2026
Crested Butte Filmmaker Panel - Ukraine Under Fire and Why We Went
What is it like to film in a war zone? Documentary filmmakers Jordan Campbell (Ukraine Under Fire) (https://www.ukraineunderfire.org/) and Ashley Matkowsky (Why We Went) (https://www.whywewentfilm.com/) offer riveting and heartfelt commentary on their role as filmmakers capturing images, triumphs and tragedies from the war in Ukraine. Moderated by documentarian T.C. Johnstone (Rising from the Ashes (https://www.imdb.com/title/tt2088883/)) at the 15th annual Crested Butte Film Festival, (https://www.cbfilmfest.org/) this unflinching panel discussion opens into a world few of us have experienced, and offers a dialogue with the audience, whose questions fuel more than half of the hour-long event. James Napoli, Director of Screenwriting at the Graduate Program in Creative Writing at Wesern Colorado University introduces this special episode, and provides narration to supply listeners with the audience questions, which were "off mic" during the panel. Thank you to our audio engineer Mike Janowski for his work on making this material podcast-ready. And thank you as always for listening to "Screenplaying."
27 Jan 2026
Independent Filmmaker Focus: You & Me & Chaz & Rodney
This episode, Screenwriting Director James Napoli from The Graduate Program in Creative Writing at Western Colorado University interviews Lilly Lion, whose award-winning short film "You & Me & Chaz & Rodney" premiered at the 15th Annual Crested Butte Film Festival. The film's story? -- "After making a plan to hook up with boys for the first time, two curious teens must instead confront their own shifting friendship and the underlying pressures to take the next step." Indeed, the pressure on teens is intense, and Writer/Director Lion brings that idea, the film it sparked, and the ways it informed directorial decisions into compelling focus during this informative and thoughtful podcast. Our theme music is by Levgen Poltavasky at Pixabay, and our audio wizard is Mr. Mike Janowski. Thank you for supporting our podcast about the art of movies and the lost art of conversation!
13 Jan 2026
Harold and Maude
A fascinating duality among the folks at the MFA in Screenwriting at Western Colorado University's Graudate Program in Creative Writing and the Crested Butte Film Festival as they discuss (debate?) the classic 1971 offbeat romance "Harold and Maude." What does the passage of time do to our experience of art? Is there a universal message in a story that can cut across generations? These are just some of the provocative topics on display in this edition of Screenplaying. Please enjoy our many disagreements! Our theme music is by Levgen Poltavasky at Pixabay, and our audio wizard is Mike Janowski. Thank you for supporting our podcast about the art of movies and the lost art of conversation!
8 Dec 2025
Independent Filmmaker Focus: Saverio
What's it like to direct a short film and take it on the festival circuit? This episode of Screenplaying features Screenwriting Director James Napoli from Western Colorado University's Graduate Program in Creative Writing in conversation with Writer/Director Ellen Ancui, whose terrific film SAVERIO was screened at The Crested Butte Film Festival and uses a seriocomic approach to look at the issue of elder abandonment. Ellen shares insights into the directing process, how her film came together, how her background in theater played into the realization of her first film project, and lots more. Find out more about Ellen and the film at saveriothefilm.com. Our theme music is by Levgen Poltavasky at Pixabay and our audio wizard is Mike Janowski. Thanks for listening to our podcast about the art of movies and the lost art of conversation!
28 Nov 2025
Perfect Days
Live in the moment with Western Colorado University's MFA in Screenwriting and The Crested Butte FIlm Festival, (https://www.cbfilmfest.org/) as this episode of our podcast takes an incredibly deep dive into Perfect Days, Wim Wenders' remarkable story of a Japanese restroom janitor whose inner life transcends his occupation in surprising ways. Contemplatively paced, yet packed with all the emotional explosions of an action movie, this is a masterpiece by a master filmmaker. In a film that enjoys its literary references (Faulkner, Highsmith), there was one our team was still trying to nail down at show time...it turns out to be the novelist Aya Koda, among whose notable works is Tree, a title very appropriate to the protagonist of Perfect Days. Thanks to Fandora and the TIFF for their insightful clips. Our theme music is by Levgen Poltavasky at Pixabay and our audio wizard is Mike Janowski. Thank you for listening to our podcast about the art of movies and the lost art of conversation!
17 Nov 2025
Independent Filmmaker Focus: Pretend I'm Not Here
This episode features Screenwriting Director James Napoli from Western Colorado University's Graduate Program in Creative Writing (https://western.edu/graduate/screenwriting/) in conversation with Noah Amir Arjomand, whose short "Pretend I'm Not Here" had its Colorado premiere at The Crested Butte Film Festival. In a far-reaching interview, Noah talks his remarkable film (which you can view in its entirety here!), and quite a bit more, as the conversation expands into documentary, ethnography and world cultures. Find out more about Noah at his website, watch his powerful Emmy-winning documentary "Eat Your Catfish" (https://vimeo.com/ondemand/eatyourcatfish), and learn how you can support independent cinema and Noah's next project "Trapwork." Our theme music is by Levgen Poltavasky at Pixabay and our audio wizard is Mike Janowski. Thanks for listening to our podcast about the art of movies and the lost art of conversation!
31 Oct 2025
A Conversation with Ed Zwick
"When movies are the most interesting is when something is not only seeming to happen for the first time, but, indeed is." The Crested Butte Film Festival (https://www.cbfilmfest.org/) and the Screenwriting MFA at Western Colorado University's Graduate Program in Creative Writing are proud to present this conversation with legendary filmmaker Ed Zwick, recipient of the 15th Annual Crested Butte Film Festival's Lifetime Achievement Award. In conversation with the festival's co-founder Michael Brody, Ed Zwick discusses life, storytelling, the creative process and so much more. Our theme music is by Levgen Poltavasky at Pixabay, and our audio wizard is Mike Janowski. Thank you for listening to our podcast about the art of movies, and the lost art of conversation!
17 Oct 2025
Crested Butte Film Festival Highlights!
In this episode, the folks from Western Colorado University's Screenwriting MFA Program and the Crested Butte Film Festival (https://www.cbfilmfest.org/) regroup after this year's festival to talk about some of our favorite movies and reflect on the CBFF 15th Anniversary Year! Films mentioned in this podcast: Lost Wolves of Yellowstone (https://wolf.org/programs/lost-wolves-of-yellowstone/) Don't Let's Go to the Dogs Tonight Little Trouble Girls What Marielle Knows (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/What_Marielle_Knows) Crede USA Prime Minister (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=brEFCizM9ws) Who is Michael Jang Ultraviolet (https://www.imdb.com/title/tt35622065/) Fortune (https://letterboxd.com/film/fortune-1/) Plongeurs (https://www.imdb.com/title/tt34669466/) Our theme music is by Levgen Poltavasky at Pixabay. Our audio wizard is Mike Janowski. If you would like to be informed about an upcoming film club selection, send "Add Me" to screenplaying@proton.me Thanks for listening!
29 Aug 2025
Stories We Tell
In this episode, the folks from Western Colorado University's Screenwriting MFA Program and The Crested Butte Film Festival (https://www.cbfilmfest.org/) explore Sarah Polley's fascinating documentary about life, family secrets and the mutability of memory. We get lost in a mind-bending discussion about what's real and what's not! Plus, our hosts share their own favorite movies about family dysfunction, adding even more films to your must-see list. If you would like to receive emails informing you of our upcoming movie selections, send an email to: screenplaying@proton.me We are grateful to the wonderful DP/30 YouTube channel for a bit of interview audio with Sarah Polley, and to Metropole Films and The National Film Board of Canada for the "Stories We Tell" trailer. Our theme music is by Levgen Poltavasky at Pixabay. Our audio wizard is Mike Janowski. Thanks for listening to our podcast about the art of movies and the lost art of conversation!
3 Jul 2025
The 400 Blows
In our premiere episode, we take a deep dive into the French New Wave and its origins as we have a fascinating conversation about Francois Truffaut's landmark, semi-autobiographical coming-of-age film, The 400 Blows. We are grateful to the amazing Nerdwriter Video Channel for its cogent explanation of the historical forces that produced the New Wave. Our theme music is by Levgen Poltavasky at Pixabay. You can find out more about Western Colorado University's Graduate Program in Screenwriting here: GPCW Screenwriting. And more about the Crested Butte Film Festival here: CBFF.
Reach and audience
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- Apple Podcasts (US)
- 5.0 / 5
- 6 ratings
- Spotify
- 5.0 / 5
- 1 ratings
Podcast Authority Score: 17 / 100
A composite of feed quality, social presence, YouTube performance and engagement. Read the methodology.
- Quality
- 20
- Social presence
- 0
- YouTube
- 0
- Engagement
- 32
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