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KING OF QUEENS’ Michael J. Weithorn Talks THE BEST YOU CAN Starring Kevin Bacon & Kyra Sedgwick on THE SOUNDS OF FILM The Sounds of Film welcomes writer-director Michael J. Weithorn for a conversation about THE BEST YOU CAN, a new relationship dramedy that world-premiered at the 2025 Tribeca Film Festival and will be available off the record on VOD platforms beginning November 25. Reuniting Kyra Sedgwick and Kevin Bacon on screen for the first time in twenty years, the film offers a smart, sharp, and emotionally resonant look at connection, change, and the unexpected pathways that bring people together. In THE BEST YOU CAN, Sedgwick plays Cynthia Rand, a tightly wound New York City urologist whose life is thrown off balance when her husband—portrayed by Judd Hirsch, a brilliant former Watergate prosecutor—begins showing signs of dementia. Bacon co-stars as Stan, a bright but underachieving security guard trying to reconnect

Roseanne Barr: Is America Director Joel Gilbert Up Next on THE SOUNDS OF FILM Filmmaker Joel Gilbert joins Tom Needham on The Sounds of Film to talk about his new documentary, Roseanne Barr: Is America. In the film, the still hilarious and outspoken Roseanne recounts her unusual upbringing and rise to television stardom. A master storyteller, she shares her take on cancel culture, politics, and the challenges facing free expression in America. Gilbert discusses Roseanne’s resilience, her lasting cultural influence, and how her story mirrors the broader divisions in American life. The conversation offers a revealing look at one of comedy’s most controversial and influential voices. The Sounds of Film is the nation’s longest-running film and music-themed radio show, airing on WUSB Stony Brook. For over three decades, the program has featured in-depth interviews with filmmakers, musicians, and cultural figures including Billy Joel, Dionne Warwick, Ralph Macchio, and Howard Shore.

Alan Govenar on Art, Activism, and the American Story on THE SOUNDS OF FILM This week on The Sounds of Film, host Tom Needham speaks with Guggenheim Fellow Alan Govenar about his new documentary Quiet Voices in a Noisy World: The Struggle for Change in Jasper, Texas. Opening in New York theaters on November 14, 2025, through First Run Features, the film explores community, race, and healing in the wake of one of America’s most painful tragedies. Govenar discusses the making of the film, his upcoming NYC screenings, and the restoration of his classic tattoo documentary Stoney Knows How, now part of the Criterion Collection. He also reflects on his long career chronicling overlooked voices in American culture through photography, film, writing, and archival work. Alan Govenar is a Guggenheim Fellow, an extensively published author, photographer, filmmaker, sound archivist, and playwright whose work has explored American culture through an incredible

Matt Damon, Alec Baldwin, and All-Star Cast Perform Kenneth Lonergan Play to Help Save NYC Landmark The Sounds of Film’s Tom Needham recently attended a powerful staged reading of Kenneth Lonergan’s Hold On to Me Darling featuring an incredible cast that included Matt Damon, Alec Baldwin, J. Smith-Cameron, Gretchen Mol, Lucas Hedges, and Peter Friedman. Directed by Neil Pepe, the performance took place inside a historic Upper West Side church and raised funds to help save the landmarked West Park Presbyterian Church from demolition. The play follows a country music star returning home to Tennessee after his mother’s death, struggling to find meaning beyond fame and success. Damon gave a standout performance, capturing the humor and heartbreak of the character with ease. Following the reading, Lonergan joined the cast for an engaging Q&A about the play and the ongoing effort to support The Center At West Park and preserve the

THE LAST DIVE: A Diver’s Friendship with a Giant Manta Ray on THE SOUNDS OF FILM The next episode of the Sounds of Film features an interview with award-winning filmmaker Cody Sheehy, director of The Last Dive, which will be featured at the Port Jefferson Documentary Series on Thursday, November 6 at 7 PM. Sheehy’s stunning new documentary follows Terry Kennedy, a legendary diver and American veteran whose extraordinary friendship with a giant manta ray named Willy Wow transformed him from a man with a troubled past into an unlikely ocean conservationist. Through breathtaking underwater imagery and deeply personal storytelling, The Last Dive captures the beauty, mystery, and emotional depth of one man’s lifelong connection to the sea. Cody Sheehy is an award-winning filmmaker and the founder of Rhumbline Media. He has spent decades living aboard a sailboat with his wife and son, and his work often explores humanity’s relationship

FOR THE LIVING Director Tim Roper Up Next on THE SOUNDS OF FILM The Sounds of Film welcomes filmmaker Tim Roper, co-director of the powerful new documentary For the Living. The film tells the extraordinary true story of Marcel Zielinski, a 10-year-old Holocaust survivor who, in January 1945, walked 60 miles by foot from Auschwitz-Birkenau to Krakow in search of his family. Decades later, hundreds of cyclists from around the world retraced his path in a moving event called Ride for the Living, an act of remembrance and empathy that continues to inspire participants each year. For the Living draws profound parallels between Marcel’s journey and the modern world’s continuing struggle between dehumanization and compassion. Featuring moving interviews, historical footage, and stirring original music, the film explores how empathy can serve as humanity’s most powerful defense against hate and indifference. The documentary screens at the Port Jefferson Documentary Series on

British Director Elliott Hasler: VINDICATION SWIM – The Story of Mercedes Gleitze on THE SOUNDS OF FILM The next episode of the SOUNDS OF FILM features an in-depth conversation with Tom Needham and British filmmaker Elliott Hasler, the writer and director of VINDICATION SWIM, the inspiring true story of Mercedes Gleitze, the first British woman to swim the English Channel. VINDICATION SWIM tells the extraordinary story of Gleitze’s 1927 accomplishment and her subsequent struggle to reclaim her achievement after being falsely accused of faking her swim. The film vividly captures both her physical endurance and her determination to defy societal barriers in a male-dominated world. Shot with remarkable authenticity, the film features Kirsten Callaghan in her debut role as Gleitze, performing all her own swimming scenes—without the use of green screens or body doubles. The film also stars John Locke, James Wilby, and Douglas Hodge, who provides narration. Filmed over

HBO Documentary Films’ Armed Only With a Camera: The Life & Death of Brent Renaud with Craig Renaud & Juan Arredondo on THE SOUNDS OF FILM The next episode of THE SOUNDS OF FILM features Tom Needham’s interview with director Craig Renaud and producer Juan Arredondo discussing the powerful HBO Original documentary short, ARMED ONLY WITH A CAMERA: THE LIFE AND DEATH OF BRENT RENAUD. The film tells the remarkable and heartbreaking story of filmmaker and journalist Brent Renaud, who was killed by Russian soldiers while covering the war in Ukraine—becoming the first American journalist to die in the conflict. The vérité documentary follows Craig Renaud as he recovers his brother’s body and final footage from Ukraine, weaving together decades of the brothers’ reporting from global conflict zones including Iraq, Haiti, Somalia, and Central America. The result is a moving testament to Brent’s fearless commitment to truth and his empathy

Dalai Lama: WISDOM OF HAPPINESS – A Conversation with Director Barbara Miller on THE SOUNDS OF FILM

On the next episode of The Sounds of Film, host Tom Needham talks with Swiss filmmaker Barbara Miller about her documentary Wisdom of Happiness, in which she films an intimate dialogue with the Dalai Lama about compassion, peace, and resilience in times of crisis.

They explore how she captured such candor and warmth, her collaborations, and why kindness is at the heart of lasting transformation.

The Sounds of Film has featured past guests such as Billy Joel, Cornel West, Jimmy Webb, Chuck D, Michael Moore, Carter Burwell, Jim Messina, and members of Yo-Yo Ma’s Silkroad Ensemble. You can listen on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, iHeartRadio, and Amazon Music.