Q: The Podcast From Cbc Radio

Directors Phil Lord and Christopher Miller (Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse, The Lego Movie, 21 Jump Street) are two college friends with a gift for turning “unfilmable” ideas into box office gold. From the cult favourite series Clone High to the high-concept chaos of Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs, they’ve built a career on big swings and absurd humour. Now, the Oscar-winning duo is heading into deep space with their new sci-fi blockbuster Project Hail Mary. Lord and Miller join guest host Garvia Bailey to talk about adapting a beloved novel, being fearless in an industry that seems allergic to risk, and what it takes to keep your friendship and creative partnership alive in Hollywood.

Calgary's Tate McRae is tied with Justin Bieber for the most nominations at this year’s Juno Awards, with six apiece. Last year, she talked to Tom Power about her skyrocketing career, growing up on social media, and how she’s learning to slow down and appreciate the present moment.

Oscar-winning documentary filmmaker Morgan Neville (20 Feet from Stardom, Won't You Be My Neighbor?) is turning his attention to Paul McCartney in a new film, Man on the Run. It explores Paul’s life after the breakup of The Beatles, tracing the personal and creative journey that led him to form the band Wings. Morgan joins guest host Garvia Bailey to discuss his conversations with Paul, and why he says the musician wanted to speak so candidly about this pivotal chapter in his life.

There’s something abuzz in the classical music world — something 300 years in the making. It’s a new recording from a 300-year-old manuscript of Bach’s Leipzig cantatas, but with a surprising twist: the works aren’t by Johann Sebastian Bach, but his distant cousin, Johann Ludwig Bach. Renowned conductor Johanna Soller is the driving force behind the album, titled Johann Ludwig Bach: The Leipzig Cantatas. She joins guest host Garvia Bailey to talk about recording these pieces for the first time, and why they matter today.

Before Sindhu Vee became one of the most sought-after comics working today, she was a stay-at-home mom, and before that, an investment banker. Now, she’s performing to sold-out audiences around the world. After a brief hiatus, Sindhu is back with a new tour, Swanky. She joins Tom Power to talk about returning to the stage, navigating the profound loss of her parents and sister, and why humour matters more to her now than ever.

Alireza Khatami’s new film, The Things You Kill, begins as a quiet family drama set in Turkey before taking a sharp, surreal turn into psychological thriller territory. It follows Ali, a university professor who returns home to a complicated family dynamic. After the suspicious death of his ailing mother, he coerces his gardener into carrying out deadly revenge on his father. The film won the World Cinema Dramatic Directing Award at last year’s Sundance Film Festival and was Canada’s official submission to the Academy Awards. Alireza sits down with guest host Garvia Bailey to talk about making films that linger in the mind — and why he asked his family in Iran not to see this one.

After the life threatening skin disease Epidermolysis Bullosa affected a family friend, Pearl Jam frontman Eddie Vedder and his wife Jill founded an organization to help find a cure. That was 15 years ago, and today, they hope they are close to succeeding. Their journey is documented in a new concert film called Matter of Time which follows both Eddie and Jill’s story and several kids living with EB. Canadian director Matt Finlin spent years putting the film together. Both Eddie and Matt joined Tom Power to talk about “the worst disease you’ve never heard of” and how art can uplift and heal, even when the world feels hopeless.

Following his 2024 breakout hit, Big Dawgs, Hanumankind has become a global rapper. Born in Kerala, India and growing up all over the world, Hanumankind quickly drew interest at local open mics in India for his Houston rap influences and his ability to freestyle on a whim. In 2023, he signed with Def Jam India and by the next year, he was playing Coachella and working with artists like A$AP Rocky. He stopped by the Q studio to talk to Garvia Bailey about his first North American tour, his album Monsoon Season and how he continues to put South Indian hip-hop on the map with his own unique sound and aesthetic.

Canadian television producer Jeff Norton created Netflix’s latest global hit: Finding Her Edge. It follows three sisters facing loss, heartbreak and the immense pressure of their family’s figure skating legacy. Olympic-winning ice dancers Piper Gilles, Paul Poirier and Elvis Stojko make cameos. Jeff joins Garvia Bailey in the Q studio to talk about how he adapted the series from a young adult book and created such a popular teen drama. 

Canadian writer and director Ian Tuason’s debut feature film is Undertone. The horror movie follows a podcaster who gets sent a series of disturbing audio files that invite paranormal activity into her own life. Ian Tuason joins Q guest host Garvia Bailey to talk about the real life events that inspired the film, shooting the film on a microbudget in his family home and the multi-studio bidding war the film sparked before landing at A24.

You might recognize Lia Pappas-Kemps from her recurring role on the CBC TV show Anne with an E, but she always knew she was meant to be a musician. Lia went from hanging out in music venues in Toronto when she was only eight-years-old, watching her older sister’s rock band, to writing her own songs and now releasing her debut record. She dropped by the Q studio to talk to Garvia Bailey about the new album, Winged, and how she turns her self-doubt into soaring melodies. 

Two-time JUNO-award winning jazz vocalist Dominique Fils-Aimé is back with a new album, My World Is The Sun. It’s inspired by something her mother taught her: you don’t find peace, you build it. In between stops on her cross-Canada tour, Dominique stops by the Q studio to chat with Garvia Bailey about making the new album, how she fell in love with jazz and why creative freedom can lead to healing.

Canadian electronic music pioneer Nash the Slash toured with the likes of Iggy Pop and Gary Numan. But he didn’t make the same splash at home. Nash the Slash was the stage name of Toronto musician Jeff Plewman, who quietly died in 2014. But his artistry is coming back into the light with a new documentary, Nash the Slash Rises Again! The doc’s director Tim Kowalski joins Garvia Bailey in the Q studio to talk about how Nash the Slash broke out of Toronto’s alternative scene in the ’70s to tour internationally, open for The Police and other big acts. 

Ronnie Burkett, the Governor General Award-winning puppeteer, is back with a new show Little Willy. He joins Garvia Bailey to talk about why he wanted to do a provocative, comedic take on Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet. Ronnie reflects on 40 years of doing puppet shows for adults with his Theatre of Marionettes and why audiences make the puppets “real.”

Kate Hudson was raised by Hollywood royalty: Goldie Hawn and Kurt Russell. When she was growing up, they told her that if she wanted to be an actor it had to be because of something deep inside her — not just for fame and fortune. In 2024, Kate sat down with Tom Power for a conversation about her Hollywood upbringing, as well as her role in Max Minghella’s Shell, her Oscar-nominated role in Almost Famous and why she started making music.

Game of Thrones is known for its complex story arcs, violent political conflicts and its big ensemble cast. But a new prequel, A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms, is leaning into humour and putting a focus on the charming duo at the centre of the story. Canadian screenwriter Ira Parker created the show with author George R. R. Martin. He joins guest host Garvia Bailey to talk about how he created the new series and how he went from shooting films in his dad’s warehouse in St. Catharines, Ontario to making an emotional TV series in Hollywood. 

For nearly fifty years, Canadian author Robert Munsch has been publishing books that have a firm place in the hearts and bedtime routines of families all over the world. Now, a stage play at the Young People’s Theatre (YPT) in Toronto brings some of that Munsch magic to stage. Q guest host Garvia Bailey speaks with the play’s co-directors Stephen Colella and Karen Gilodo about adapting five iconic and classic Munsch stories for the stage, and why those books are so enduring and beloved.

Three years ago, Harry Styles was coming off one of the biggest tours in history and had just won album of the year at the Grammys. But instead of rushing to release another record and riding that wave of success, he pulled back and spent time alone. Harry told himself he wouldn’t return to the studio until he answered two important questions: what he wanted to say with his music, and why he was making it in the first place. In this Canadian exclusive interview, Tom Power catches up with Harry in Los Angeles to talk about the path that led to his latest album, Kiss All the Time. Disco, Occasionally.

You've heard of method actors — performers who fully immerse themselves in a role until a project is complete — but Baz Luhrmann calls himself a “method director.” Spectacle is his signature. From the glittering chaos of Moulin Rouge! to the roaring parties of The Great Gatsby, Baz fills every frame with vibrant colour, music and movement. For his new documentary, EPiC: Elvis Presley in Concert, he dives headfirst into the glitter once again, this time to tell the story of his longtime muse, Elvis Presley. The film shows the King of Rock and Roll not as a myth, but as a ferocious live performer full of humanity and power. Baz joins guest host Garvia Bailey to reflect on the bold, anything-goes style that’s defined his career, and why he’s drawn to cultural icons and big emotional swings.

Emma Higgins is a Vancouver-based filmmaker who first cut her teeth making music videos. In 2021, she won a Juno for her work with Jessie Reyez on the track No One's In The Room. Now, she’s released her feature directorial debut, Sweetness, which follows a 16-year-old girl who kidnaps her rockstar idol in an attempt to “help” him recover from addiction. Emma drops by the Q studio to talk to guest host Garvia Bailey about the film and why teenage fandom was perfect fodder for a horror movie.