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 the quiet magic of midnight screenings, one man’s lifelong love affair with the silver screen.

Cinephile is a witty, heartfelt, and deeply insightful journey through the movies that shape our lives—and the life that’s been shaped by movies. Emmy-winning broadcaster and longtime ESPN personality Adnan Virk, host of the popular Cinephile podcast, brings his trademark energy and encyclopedic film knowledge to this one-of-a-kind tribute to cinema and humanity.

Virk doesn’t just talk about movies—he lives them. Whether interviewing Oscar winners backstage, reliving the moment Moonlight won Best Picture, or reflecting on childhood VHS binges in rural Ontario, Cinephile is both a personal memoir and a cultural critique. With chapters organized around powerful themes—from love and loss to ambition, faith, and fear—Virk uses classic films to explore who we are, what we value, and what great stories can teach us about the human condition.

A love letter to the movies—and to life. If you’ve ever quoted The Godfather, sobbed through Tokyo Story, or felt more understood by a character onscreen than anyone in real life, Cinephile is for you.

Inside, you’ll find:

• Movie-fueled reflections on race, politics, religion, sports, and identity, grounded in films like 12 Angry Men, Brokeback Mountain, and Get Out
• Hilarious and moving behind-the-scenes stories, from meeting DeNiro and Pacino to working the Oscars red carpet
• A cinephile’s essential guide to life, meaning, and memory, told through the lens of film history and personal obsession

If you liked The Big Picture, Talking to Strangers, or Movies (And Other Things), then you’ll love Cinephile—an unforgettable celebration of film, fandom, and the stories that define us.