When Isabel Met Aviva Podcast

26/08/2025

Just started a Discord for the pod! Would love for you to join us!

🎙A podcast about romcoms, female-driven screenwriting, and breaking into the industry!Hosted by Isabel Thottam & Aviva Peltin | 24 members

03/07/2025

Here are six films that are not worshipped enough in the romcom world! From left to right:

1) THE LUCKY ONE: Everyone always reveres Nicholas Sparks' THE NOTEBOOK, but um, have you seen Zac Efron lifting huge dog food bags over his head surrounded by golden light?! Such a romantic and addictive tale. (Or should we say tail, because it's set at a dog kennel?!)

2) PUPPY LOVE: Another dog-themed one -- enough said. Lucy Hale needs to be in more romcoms. This one will actually make you laugh out loud. We also love Grant Gustin's character -- seeing someone with social anxiety feels therapeutic. Representation matters.

3) ROSALINE: This one should have been released theatrically. Directed by Karen Maine, who wrote OBVIOUS CHILD (we'd love her on the show). It's a Shakespearian adaptation in the vein of 10 THINGS I HATE ABOUT YOU. Kaitlyn Dever shines in this one.

4) GOING THE DISTANCE: We never hear anyone talk about this one anymore, but it's so good?! Drew Barrymore is always such an endearing romcom lead -- she also plays an aspiring writer in her 30s, so we relate. All about long-distance relationships with a fantastic soundtrack.

5) THE BROKEN HEARTS GALLERY: Such an original and sweet premise about heartbreak and art curation. We are obsessed with Geraldine Viswanathan and want her to be in every romcom. We love a hot mess lead, and she delivers.

6) ALREADY TOMORROW IN HONG KONG: Directed and written by Emily Ting, who we had on the show. Stars IRL couple, Jamie Chung and Bryan Greenberg, and you can **feel** the chemistry. It's a walk and talk romcom in the vein of BEFORE SUNRISE, and it's mesmerizing and unexpected.

Which romcoms do you feel are not revered enough?! Comment down below!

26/02/2025

💜We’re back! 💜 It’s our last episode of season 3! We interview Catherine Slaughter-King, a Development Executive & Producer in the United Kingdom! We had such a fun chat discussing the difference between British and American romcoms - can you guess which ones are our favorites?!

14/01/2025

Hi, everyone! We hope you're all staying safe if you're in LA. We are thinking of you! Taking a little hiatus, but we will be back the week after next with some new interviews. Can't believe we are almost beginning season four. WHAT?! In the meantime, catch up on old episodes!

08/01/2025

💜New Episode Alert!💜 Today Isabel and Aviva chat about what they hope to manifest in 2025, what they accomplished this past year writing-wise and on the pod, their 2024 favorite films and shows, how they have some major beef with many romcoms made today, and more. As we approach the end of season three, we wanna give a huge shoutout to all the guests and supporters of the pod. We’ve had such a fun time! We’d love to know . . . what was your favorite romcom of 2024? You might be surprised by our answer.

01/01/2025

💜 Happy New Year! 💜We have a new episode out today to kickstart the year! ✨Our first episode of 2025 features some reflection on our writing careers and an inspiring interview with , a Film Producer and Film Distribution & Marketing Consultant. Rosa tells us the story about how a moment of courage at the Twilight movie premiere in Mexico led to her working in the film industry. Also in the episode, Aviva hard launches her own production company, The Good Time Gals, and Isabel comes out on the pod. Enjoy! :D

18/12/2024

💜New Episode Alert! 💜 Today’s episode may be our longest one to date because we couldn’t stop chatting with our guest. Meet , screenwriter, producer, director, teacher, and master networker. Beginning in 2021, she sold five scripts in 18 months, such as CHRISTMAS BENEATH THE STARS and SECRET SANTA. In this chat, we discuss how to write a Christmas movie, what mistakes beginner writers make when trying to break in, how to network effectively, and which film festivals are worth attending. We got a lot out of this episode and think you will, too. 🤩

11/12/2024

💜New Episode Alert💜 Today’s episode features Foster Garvey entertainment attorney Hillary Hughes! As screenwriters breaking into the biz, we thought a legal chat was long overdue. Hillary not only specializes in entertainment law, but she also works in food and beverage, beauty and wellness, consumer packaged goods, sports, fashion and apparel, and AI. She is a member of the Academy of Television Arts and Sciences. In this helpful and informative chat, Hillary shares what an entertainment lawyer does, when we might need one, how to navigate shopping agreements and copyright issues, and reveals her favorite romcom! (Spoiler alert: she has good taste.) 💛 Link in bio to listen on Spotify or Apple!

04/12/2024

💜 New Episode Alert! 💜 Our interview with is now on and or wherever, however else you listen to podcast! We are truly honored to have had the opportunity to chat with Delia, it was a dream come true for both of us to talk to a writer we have admired for so long! 😊 We got to hear all about her broadway debut with her play, and her real life experience that inspired her to write it! We’re honestly still pinching ourselves that this happened (shout out to for making it happen!!) and are so excited to finally share our charming conversation with you all! We can guarantee that even just listening to Delia talk will have you daydreaming about walking the streets of New York City in the fall. 🍂✨ Link in bio to listen!

27/11/2024

💜 New Episode Alert! 💜 In this episode, we chat with Screenwriting Adjunct Assistant Professor, ! Lindsay reviews all the basics about screenplay formatting and answers our burning questions, like, “Is there a right way to format a montage?” Aviva took Lindsay’s Sundance Collabortion screenwriting class!

20/11/2024

It’s out! Our interview with the incredibly inspiring, is now available to listen on & & however else you listen to podcasts! We got to hear how some of our favorite movies - Bring It On, Stick It, and Aquamarine - came to be. Plus, Jessica shares her opinion and insight on the state of the industry and, honesty, we are so here for that energy!! 🔥👩‍💼Give the episode a listen and let us know your thoughts!

15/11/2024

A hint for you about next week’s episode. 😏