Short Fuse Podcast #86: Cinema Rodrigo — Talking Film
By Elizabeth Howard
Episode Summary
On the cusp of the Academy Awards and the Oscars ceremony, Short Fuse host Elizabeth Howard talks with Aldo Juraidini, Design Director at Studio Rodrigo, who also directs and curates films for Cinema Rodrigo, a monthly gathering of designers, readers, artists, architects, animators, musicians, graduate students, academics, and others interested in watching movies worth talking about—films that spark conversations long after the screenings. They discuss the role of AI, the popularity of intimate theater venues, the difficulty of securing funding for independent filmmaking, and the great dance scene in Sinners.
Episode Notes
Aldo Juraidini Zorrilla is a designer working across disciplines, with a focus on product, strategy, and brand. As Design Director at Studio Rodrigo, he guides multi-disciplinary teams on projects mainly for the digital world. Aldo also founded and curates Cinema Rodrigo, a film club where friends and fellow creatives come together across New York City’s independent theaters once a month to watch a film, discuss it, and hang out.
A design, branding, identity, and produce design consultancy dedicated to making life better.
The 98th Academy Awards ceremony will be held on Sunday, March 15, 2026.
In the conversation Elizabeth and Aldo discuss three of New York City’s independent cinemas that offer films that are curated and screened in intimate spaces.
The Short Fuse Podcast is hosted by Elizabeth Howard. She talks with artists, writers, musicians, and others whose art reveals our communities through their lens and stirs us to seek change through their art, music, ideas, and performances. James Baldwin reminds us that “artists are here to disturb the peace.” Her articles related to communication and marketing have appeared in European Communications, Investor Relations, Law Firm Marketing & Profit Report, Communication World, The Strategist, and the New York Law Journal, among others. Her books include Queen Anne’s Lace and Wild Blackberry Pie, (Thornwillow Press, 2011), A Day with Bonefish Joe (David Godine, 2015), and Ned O’Gorman: A Glance Back (Easton Studio Press, 2016). @elizh24 on Instagram
Gerald Kent is the producer and editor of the Short Fuse. Based in Cape Town, South Africa. He is a talented musician and audio engineer who has been releasing his own music independently since 2021. Alongside his artistry, he’s built up experience working with multiple clients in the podcasting space, from editing to full-scale production.
Hannah Brueske manages social media and marketing for the Short Fuse. She is a senior journalism student at Emerson College, with a special interest in feature stories, arts reporting, and documentary filmmaking. She is active in campus publications as a reporter for The Berkeley Beacon, Emerson’s only independent student newspaper, and the editor-in-chief of The Independent, an arts magazine that covers independent art.
Evelyn Rosenthal copy edits the Short Fuse. She is a singer specializing in jazz and Brazilian music, a freelance editor, and the former editor in chief and head of publications at the Harvard Art Museums. She writes about music for the Arts Fuse and copy edits the magazine.
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Tagged: 2026 Academy Awards, Aldo Juraidini, Cinema Rodrigo, Elizabeth Howard
