Adam Kempenaar co-founded Filmspotting in March 2005 and is the show's host and executive producer. He has a B.A. in film studies and a M.A. in journalism from the University of Iowa, plus a B.A. in English from Grinnell College. Adam has co-taught four film classes at the University of Chicago's Graham School, including Hawks vs. Curtiz: The Auteur and the Hack, The New Hollywood, The Films of Billy Wilder and Movies About Movies. In April 2008, Adam wrote the foreword for Jon J Muth's graphic novel adaptation of Fritz Lang's classic film "M." Read the foreword here.

Josh Larsen joined Filmspotting as co-host in January 2012. Prior to that, he spent 11 years as a film critic for Chicago-based Sun-Times Media. Josh writes about movies at LarsenOnFilm and is editor of the faith and culture magazine Think Christian. You can follow him on Twitter @LarsenOnFilm.

Sam Van Hallgren serves as Filmspotting's producer, a role he began in the Fall of 2010. Sam co-founded Filmspotting and was the show's original co-host before leaving the show in August 2007. His final episode was #176. You can follow him on Twitter @samvanhallgren.

Joe DeCeault also serves as Filmspotting's producer, and was instrumental in bringing the show to WBEZ/Chicago Public Radio (91.5 FM) in 2006.

Candace Griffiths is Filmspotting's associate producer. Her first episode was #156 in April 2007.

Matty Robinson co-hosted Filmspotting from September 2007 to September 2011. His final show (#366) can be heard here.

More information about Adam... as requested by listeners:

Family
Wife, Sarah and four kids - Holden, Sophie, Quinn and Conor.

Film experience
I made short films as an MFA student at Columbia College Chicago from 1998-99. You can check one out here (check back). I started writing reviews as the film critic for The Daily Iowan (2000-02) and hosted a weekly film talk show on KRUI 89.7 FM at the U. of Iowa called "Burn Hollywood Burn." I also previously published a movie blog called "Cinemascoped" that Sam Van Hallgren contributed to.

Places I've lived
Grinnell, IA
Newton, IA
London, England (Study abroad)
Iowa City, IA
Chicago, IL

All-time favorite movies
The Godfather I and II, Chinatown, Raging Bull, All The President's Men, Annie Hall, Rio Bravo, Glengarry Glen Ross and Fletch. Also see the Filmspotting Pantheon.

First movie ever reviewed
"Almost Famous"

Movie that initially deluded me into thinking I could be a filmmaker
"The Brothers McMullen"

How I met Matty and Sam
Sam and I met back in 2000 when he was living in Chicago and I was in Iowa City. He became friends with my college roommate, Kevin Rich, who introduced us and still claims all the credit for Filmspotting. Matty was Sam's Chicago roommate and former classmate at Kenyon.

Anything else you're dying to know? Feel free to email This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it with a question.