Praise Odigie Paige on Birdie, Sundance, and Making the Film You Want to See
In this Season 7 pre-launch bonus episode, we sit with filmmaker Praise Odigie Paige, whose short film Birdie is playing at the 2026 Sundance Film Festival, to talk about quiet storytelling, risk, faith, and what it takes to make the work you believe in — even when the odds feel stacked.
This conversation is a reminder that there is power in patience, in subtlety, and in choosing yourself as an artist.
Praise’s journey to filmmaking — from growing up between Nigeria and the U.S. to abandoning a pre-med path for film ([00:02:00–00:06:30])
The making of Birdie and why she was drawn to a quiet…
The skinny
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