Film Stories
Hosted by Film Stories
A UK-based podcast championing the stories behind the movies, from indie darlings to troubled blockbusters, hosted by veteran journalist Simon Brew.
A multi-format film show where host Simon Brew conducts deeply researched, empathetic interviews with filmmakers about the craft and struggle of production. These long-form conversations are complemented by shorter, roundtable-style review and discussion episodes with other contributors, creating a feed that is both analytical and celebratory of cinema.
“Film Stories stands out for its positive, supportive tone and its championing of smaller, independent, and even commercially unsuccessful films. Host Simon Brew's focus on the granular details of the production process and the resilience required to be a filmmaker gives the show a unique, heartfelt perspective.”
Who hosts this show
Founded by journalist and Den of Geek founder Simon Brew in 2018, Film Stories is a UK-based media brand that has grown from a podcast into a print magazine and live events series. The show celebrates the entire filmmaking journey, with a particular focus on the challenges, setbacks, and "small miracles" that occur when bringing stories to the screen. It offers a positive and deeply researched look into how movies, both big and small, get made.
Credentials & credits
- Founder and Editor of Film Stories magazine.
- Founder and former Editor-in-Chief of Den of Geek.
- Author of 'Movie Geek' and 'TV Geek'.
- Journalist and editor with experience at Dennis Publishing.
- Host of the 'Film Stories with Simon Brew' podcast.
- Head of Publishing at whynow.
Other ventures
- Film Stories magazine
- Film Stories live events
- Film Stories Junior
- Den of Geek (Founder)
- whynow (Head of Publishing)
What kind of podcast
- Country
- United States
- Region
- usa
When new episodes drop
- 01
- 02Do we still want more of the same with superhero movies?Jun 26, 2026 · 11 min
- 03
- 04Is Pixar producing the best sequels out there?Jun 19, 2026 · 17 min
- 05
- 06TOY STORY 5 movie review - more than cheap nostalgia?Jun 16, 2026 · 6 min
- 07
- 08Martin Scorsese jumps on the AI bandwagonJun 3, 2026 · 3 min
Notable episodes
- 01Ken Russell's THE DEVILS - Mark Kermode on his fateful trip to Mothercare at Film Stories Live!
A perfect example of the show's unique format, where the host cedes the floor for a guest to tell a single, incredible, years-long story about film preservation.
- 02MORGAN MATTHEWS tells Simon his film stories: 500 MILES...
This episode is a quintessential example of Simon Brew's deeply researched and empathetic interview style, focusing on the practical challenges of independent filmmaking.
- 03Do we still want more of the same with superhero movies?
Demonstrates the show's other primary format: a roundtable discussion/review with different hosts, offering a contrasting style to the main interviews.
What you'll be asked on this show
Simon Brew typically opens an interview by setting the stage for the guest's latest project, often with a personal observation or a question about its unique premise. He consistently steers the conversation toward the practical and logistical challenges of filmmaking, asking about budget constraints, shooting difficulties, and the journey from script to screen. Using his deep research, he often brings up a guest's past projects—including unmade ones—to explore their career trajectory and mindset. A recurring move is to ask about a guest's childhood and early influences toward the end of the chat. In some cases, such as with Mark Kermode, he will cede the floor entirely, allowing the guest to deliver an extended, uninterrupted narrative.
The podcast feed mixes formats between Simon Brew's signature one-on-one interviews and panel discussions with other hosts like Maria Lattila and James Harvey. The interviews are consistently well-researched and almost always declared 'spoiler-free'. Brew's style is inquisitive and encouraging, often focusing on the difficulties of the creative process.
Questions Film Stories keeps coming back to
8 cataloguedIf you're going on this show as a guest, expect some version of each of these. Each note explains when Film Stories reaches for it.
process
3- Q.01
“How does a film like this, which isn't a typical studio project, actually get made?”
This question opens the door to discussing the financial and logistical struggles of independent filmmaking.
- Q.02
“Can you take us into the challenge of shooting [a specific difficult element, e.g., on water]?”
Brew uses this to probe the specific, practical problems encountered during production.
- Q.03
“What were the actual time constraints on your shoot? How many days did you have?”
He asks this to get concrete, non-glamorous details about the realities of a film set.
mindset
1- Q.01
“After a previous project didn't happen, does that make you run towards one with momentum?”
This explores the psychological impact of failure and success on a filmmaker's choices.
origin
2- Q.01
“What were you like as a 10-year-old, and where did your spark come from?”
This is a signature origin story question, usually asked towards the end of the interview.
- Q.02
“Can you introduce us to your new film?”
This is a standard opening that allows the guest to frame their project in their own words.
personal
1- Q.01
“What were the influential films you watched that just clicked with you?”
This question seeks to uncover the guest's foundational inspirations and early love for cinema.
craft
1- Q.01
“Why did you decide to [make a specific creative choice, e.g., relocate the story]?”
This question targets a specific, interesting decision to understand the creative reasoning behind it.
Signature segments
- · Interviews are 'very, very spoiler-free'
- · Focus on the 'minor miracles' of filmmaking
- · Championing of British and independent cinema
- · Live podcast recordings
- · Co-hosted review episodes
Topics covered repeatedly
Who gets booked here
The show primarily books filmmakers, including directors, writers, and producers, who have a new film to discuss. Guests range from emerging talents in independent cinema to established figures like Mark Kermode and Andrew Stanton, often connected to a project with a compelling production story.
- Morgan Matthewson MORGAN MATTHEWS tells Simon his film stories: 500 MILES, X+Y, RAILWAY CHILDREN RETURN and more
- Mark Kermodeon Ken Russell's THE DEVILS - Mark Kermode on his fateful trip to Mothercare at Film Stories Live!
- Andrew Stantonon TOY STORY 5 is "the perfect storm" - Andrew Stanton and Lindsey Collins on the new sequel
- Lindsey Collinson TOY STORY 5 is "the perfect storm" - Andrew Stanton and Lindsey Collins on the new sequel
- Paul Mercurioon PAUL MERCURIO | From Strictly Ballroom and homebrew beer, to Garry Marshall's S&M comedy?!
Where to find this show
Audience & reach
The podcast's main commercial focus is its own ecosystem, frequently promoting the Film Stories print magazine, its online store, and tickets for its live show recordings.
Subscriber and view counts are pulled live from YouTube and re-verified on a 30-day cycle. Listener estimates for the RSS feed aren't published here unless they're host-verified.
Pitch Film Stories
People also ask
- Who is the host of Film Stories?
- The primary host and founder is Simon Brew, a veteran film journalist who also founded the website Den of Geek. Some episodes feature other hosts like Maria Lattila.
- Is the podcast still running?
- Yes, Film Stories publishes new episodes weekly, including both interviews and reviews.
- What is the format of the show?
- The show alternates between long-form, one-on-one interviews conducted by Simon Brew and shorter, roundtable review/discussion episodes with a panel of hosts.
- What makes Film Stories different from other movie podcasts?
- It focuses on the stories *behind* the films, particularly the challenges of production, and champions smaller, independent, and British cinema.
- Where can I listen to the podcast?
- The podcast is available on YouTube, Apple Podcasts, and other major podcast platforms.
- Does the brand have other projects?
- Yes, Film Stories also publishes a bi-monthly print magazine and hosts live events where they record podcast episodes in front of an audience.
Built from the show's public RSS feed, YouTube, the host's own websites, and the cited sources below. Computed and AI-extracted fields are labelled. Facts only — no private info, no fabrication, no transcripts republished.
Sources & how this page was built
This page is AI-assisted, grounded in the public sources cited below, and host-verifiable. We publish facts only; we do not republish transcripts. If anything here is wrong, the host can claim and correct the page above.Model: gemini-2.5-pro · high confidence
- [01]Simon Brew - Hachette UKhachette.co.uk
- [02]Film Stories - whynow Mediawhynow.co.uk
- [03]Film Stories with Simon Brew – Podcast - Podtailpodtail.com
- [04]Den of Geek editor in chief and founder Simon Brew stands down | The Drumthedrum.com
- [05]Simon Brew's Profile | Film Stories, whynow Journalist - Muck Rackmuckrack.com
- [06]Film Stories Official Websitefilmstories.co.uk
- [07]Den Of Geek – Simon Brewsimonbrew.com
- [08]About me - Simon Brewsimonbrew.com
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