Cinephile: Essays, Interviews, and Tales from the Red Carpet (Best Book for Film Buffs)

How Movies Make Us More Human

From red carpet chaos to VHS rentals in small-town Ontario, one man’s life told through the movies that made him.

Cinephile is a sharp, heartfelt, and wildly entertaining celebration of cinema from ESPN broadcaster and podcast host Adnan Virk—part memoir, part movie-lovers’ manifesto, and a full-on love letter to the silver screen. Whether he’s recounting the surreal night Moonlight won Best Picture, reliving his first time meeting De Niro (“Can I call you Bob?”), or ranking Paul Giamatti’s most underrated performances, Virk blends pop culture commentary with personal stories, film history, and laugh-out-loud insights.

Drawing from hundreds of episodes of his long-running Cinephile podcast, Virk captures the magic of movies—not just the films themselves, but the moments that surround them: the midnight screenings, the awkward celebrity run-ins, the times we felt seen by characters on-screen more than by the people in our lives.

Structured around iconic actors, unforgettable awards moments, and the emotional themes that connect us all—love, obsession, ambition, failure—Cinephile explores what it means to be a fan, a critic, and a human shaped by stories.

Inside, you’ll find:

• A film-obsessed memoir full of behind-the-scenes stories from red carpet interviews, ESPN studios, and the Cinephile podcast archives
• Tributes to screen legends like De Niro, Pacino, Almodóvar, and Giamatti—and the unforgettable performances that changed Adnan’s life
• Cinematic reflections on identity, faith, culture, and coming of age, from growing up above a gas station in rural Canada to broadcasting at the Oscars

If you’ve ever sobbed through Tokyo Story, argued about Heat, or felt seen by a character on-screen more than anyone in real life—then Cinephile is for you.