The Plaza Classic Podcast

Welcome to The Plaza Classic Podcast! The podcast pulls back the curtain on the El Paso Community Foundation’s annual Plaza Classic Film Festival, which has taken over Downtown El Paso, Texas, each summer since 2007.Join hosts and film festival Program Advisory Committee members, KVIA News anchor Stephanie Valle and El Paso Community College Mass Communications Professor Lisa Elliott, as they’re joined by a range of guests to discuss what to expect during the 11-day event.

The Plaza Classic Podcast is a tv podcast hosted by El Paso Community Foundation, with 88 episodes on record and a Required Pod Score of 80. PitchCentric scores this show on Booking Probability, Listen Score, and live audience signals refreshed every 24 hours.

El Paso Community Foundation hosts The Plaza Classic Podcast, a tv show with 88 episodes published.

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  Episode #12

  Q&A with Selena Director Gregory Nava

  Jul 30, 202631 minS7

  Curtains on the 2026 Plaza Classic Film Festival! Among the approximately 100 films we screened, guests were also treated to a Q&A with the director of Selena live on-stage. Plaza Classic Film Festival Advisory Committee member and co-host of this podcast, Stephanie Valle, interviewed Gregory Nava ahead of that film’s screening on July 24. Nava offered unique insight into the production of the biopic that honored the slain Tejano music star. 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. Take a look back at the film festival's offerings and get updates for the 2027 festival here .

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  Episode #11

  Filmmaker's Brunch

  Jul 23, 202623 minS7

  How to you get your idea for a film out of your head and into a script - and better yet, onto the big screen? Allen Gilmer is the man who knows how to get that done. Gilmer, an El Paso native, is a film producer who, with his wife and partner Riki Rushing, runs Tiki Tane Productions. Gilmer is behind Death in Texas (2020) and Long Shadows (2025), the latter of which was screened at the Plaza Classic Film Festival. 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. Find the film festival schedule here .

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  Episode #10

  Animations, Muppets, and Mazes

  Jul 20, 202622 minS7

  If you're listening to this podcast episode the day it dropped, you're in luck. The world’s largest classic film festival has sprouted like a magic beanstalk in Downtown El Paso. This isn't some fairy tale: The Plaza Classic Film Festival is starting off its second week showing classics for all ages, whether you're a child - or a child of the '70s and '80s. There is no one better to talk about the featured children’s films than Erin Ritter, a "Friend of the Pod," a fellow film festival advisory committee member, and an unofficial (Gen X)pert on the dark fantasy genre that emerged in the 1980s. 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. Find the film festival schedule here .

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  Episode #9

  Showcasing Student Talent at PCFF

  Jul 16, 202623 minS7

  Student filmmakers have an incredible opportunity to see their creations on the big screen during the Plaza Classic Film Festival this year. The inaugural UTEP/EPCC Student Showcase will be held on July 18, the first weekend of the film festival, in the Philanthropy Theater. Ramon Villa of UTEP and Marvin Hanley of EPCC join Lisa Elliott and Stephanie Valle to talk about the showcase, and how a new Film and Multimedia Production Certificate at the community college could help propel more film students into the field. 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 film festival takes place from July 16-26, 2026. Find the film festival schedule here . Festival passes are still available for purchase at this link .

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  Episode #8

  "Shake and Bake!"

  Jul 9, 202627 minS7

  Easily one of the most memorable lines from Talladega Nights, it's also a great way to prepare attendees of the Plaza Classic Film Festival for its Outdoor Movie Series. This year, the 2006 comedy directed by Adam McKay and starring Will Ferrell and John C. Reilly as NASCAR teammates will make its festival debut. Local racing expert and KTSM News Channel 9's News Director Chris Babcock joins Stephanie Valle and Lisa Elliott in studio to fuel listeners with his passion for his favorite comedy featuring race cars. 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 film festival takes place from July 16-26, 2026. Find the film festival schedule here . Festival passes are available to purchase now at this link .

  ListenShow Notes

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