Watershed Podcast

Holy Cow! Cinema Steph and Stef from Comms talk about stools for resting your feet on, David Lynch-inspired cocktails and making Comté cheese.

Cinema Steph and Stef from Comms cheers to their highlights (and snubs) from this year's Oscars®, chat about long and thin films and some quick spring cinema highlights.

Pinkie! This month Cinema Steph and Stef from Comms are reunited to talk about Memoir of a Snail, Chantal Akerman and much more in February.

Cinema Steph is joined by Cinema Curator Mark Cosgrove and Bristol Film Critic Nathan Hardie go through their top 4 films of 2024, and then look ahead to what we've got to look forward to in 2025!

Seasons Greetings! In this episode, Steph and Stef discuss highlights from Watershed's festive cinema programme.

Ka-pow! Cinema Steph and Stef from Comms are joined by director Nida Manzoor (Polite Society, We Are Lady Parts) to discuss her co-curated new season Chicks, Kicks and Flicks.Produced by Bernie Hodges.

Carpets! Carpets! Carpets! Cinema Steph and Stef from Comms chat to Undershed's Curator Amy Rose, the new carpet in Cinema 1, and what's on in the cinemas for October.Produced by Bernie Hodges.

The most perfect podcast. Cinema Steph and Stef from Comms talk The Substance, My Favourite Cake and Megalopolis.Produced by Bernie Hodges.

When it grains it pours! Cinema Steph and Stef from Comms chat about Only The River Flows, Between The Temples and a little cameo from The Shining.Produced by Bernie Hodges.

In this special podcast Cinema Steph is joined by Cinema Rediscovered 2024 curators Mark Cosgrove, Adam Murray and Lorena Pino to discuss the festival which takes place Wed 24 - Sun 28 July.Produced by Bernie Hodges.

Featuring special guest Mia Goth! In this episode, Stef from Comms and Cinema Steph talk to Festival Producer Harriet Taylor about Queer Vision Film Festival, as well as big July highlights.Produced by Bernie Hodges.

Cannes of Canned-ness. In this podcast, Cinema Steph and Stef from Comms talk about Cannes, a new nature season and other cinemas with iconic carpets.Produced by Bernie Hodges.

Choose life. Choose podcast. Choose vibes. Cinema Steph and Stef from Comms chat everything happening in May, with the great support from the SFX from producer Bernie's desk.Produced by Bernie Hodges.

New York! New York! Cinema Steph and Stef from Comms chat to Ella McDonald from Film Hub South West about the Short Film Fund and Andrew Kelly from Bristol Ideas about new season NYC On Film.Produced by Bernie Hodges.

Kenough is kenough! Cinema Steph and Stef from Comms chat the Oscars®, in-cinema seances and falling off one's chair.

That's the power of cinema! In this episode Cinema Steph and Stef from Comms discuss The Iron Claw, Pirates 4D and the gays upon the heath.

In this episode Cinema Steph and Stef from Comms are joined by Bristol-based film critic Nathan Hardie to talk highlights of the New Year.P.S.: Some film release dates have changed since the podcast was recorded. Head to the website for the latest updates.

In this episode Stef and Steph are joined by Cinema Curator Mark Cosgrove to discuss their top for (or five) films of 2023.

In this episode Stef from Comms and Cinema Steph talk about vocal fry, an exciting Q&As Joanna Hogg and trying to record a podcast despite a helicopter flying overhead!

In this episode Stef from Comms and Cinema Steph figure out if there's a phone better than a BlackBerry, their top picks for London Film Festival, and talk to Andrew Kelly from Bristol Ideas about a new season centred on Berlin.

In this episode of Stef from Comms and Cinema Steph talk about what's coming up in September including Jurassic Park back in 3D, a new season inspired by the 4K restoration of Stop Making Sense, and making sense of Barbenheimer.Get your Not As Good As Jurassic Park t-shirt here.

In this special episode, Mark and Steph are joined by Stef Graham from Watershed's Comms Team and film writer Sean Wilson to discuss this year's Cinema Rediscovered.Together they discuss what they're most looking forward to watching, the changing significance of soundtrack in a film and putting the world to rights when it comes to promotional film stills!This episode is recorded and produced by Bernie Hodges.

Steph Read talks to Stef Graham from the Comms Team at Watershed and Queer Vision's Jason Barker about what's coming up during this summer including Cinema Rediscovered, Queer Vision Film Festival and Barbie.

This month Mark Cosgrove and Steph Read share their enthusiasm and thoughts for just a small selection of the films coming up this month at Watershed.There's searching for identity in Return to Seoul – a striking film for its incredible lead performance, for its subject of place and belonging and for its beautiful cinematic style. Influenced by this Steph talks about the season of Sunday films she has curated throughout May. All are intriguing tales of identity formed rather than found, rather than traditional coming of age films.Mark enthuses about being drawn into the different relationships, full of light and warmth, in Tunisian film Under the Fig Trees. A tale of camaraderie, sisterhood and the sharing of stories in a setting of implicit sensuality and naturalness.Then there is The Eight Mountains, an emotional journey of friendship and reconciliation with the past, in the beautiful and idylic Italian Alps.Followed by their thoughts on two restored Scorsese classics Raging Bull and Age of Innocence, highly recommended not only for their power and influence but also for the incredible work of legendary editor Thelma Schoonmaker. All rounded off by Mark and Steph's joyous reflections on the 40 year old classic Scottish film, Local Hero.May is a month with much to look forward to.

Mark Cosgrove (Cinema Curator) and Steph Read (Cinema Assistant) look ahead to a host of cinematic wonders from the old to the new. But what does cinematic even mean and why might some of the films showing in April be given that label? Find out more as they discuss the upcoming Pacification, 3 Colours Trilogy, Godland and a season of related films exploring individual's struggles with their inner spirituality.

Watershed's Mark Cosgrove and Steph Read find plenty of films to think about in March – new films from Chile, the Oscar season ahead and the first ever Oscar nominated film from Bhutan.

This month Mark Cosgrove (Watershed Cinema Curator) and Steph Read (Cinema Programme Assistant) are joined by Dr Reina Dennison, Professor of Film and Digital Arts and University of Bristol, and Harriet Taylor who runs SWITCH: an organisation bringing inclusive cinema to the big screen, with a focus on the trans/non-binary experience.They look forward to the month ahead at Watershed and discuss the upcoming Japan Foundation Touring Programme and Harriet's season of films Reflections and Refractions: Gender on Screen in film. Plus Mark and Steph share further films highlights for the month ahead at Watershed.

Mark Cosgrove and Steph Read share thoughts on a range of different types of cinema coming to Watershed in January - from celebrations of film to art activism.First up is mind-bending Cornish folk horror tale Enys Men which traverses isolation, memories, dreams, and fears – gorgeously shot on grainy 16mm film. Inspired by this Mark and Steph discuss their season of films A Woman on the Verge, wich locates Enys Men in a rich cinematic line of emotional journeys leading to transformation, redemption or renewal.Mark and Steph share a unanimous, general dislike of syrupy and emotionally manipulative Steven Spielberg. Yet for the first time for Mark, Spielberg's semi-autobiographical story of a young aspiring filmmaker, The Fabelmans, leaves him very much enjoying a really honest, engaging and personal story of cinema.And lastly up for discussion in this month's podcast is the stirring portrait of artist and activist Nan Goldin, focusing on her fight against Big Pharma. Mark and Steph talk about the unexpected insight into the artists own experience the film offers and the bigger question of patronage for the arts and the gallery as a space for activism and political debate.

This month Mark Cosgrove, Watershed Cinema Curator, is joined by colleagues to share their filmic highlights of 2022 and to reflect on a strange year in cinema – the first full year since lock down.Mark is joined by Steph Read, Watershed Cinema Assistant and MA Curation student, and Film Programmer and Campaigns Manager Ti Singh.

This month our Cinema Curator explores all things Arcadia and beyond with musician / sonic explorer Adrian Utley and UWE MA Curation placement Steph Read.Mark discusses Adrian's creative process and later live performance of the score written by him and Will Gregory for Paul wright's archival experimental 2017 film Arcadia at St. George's and Steph's curated season at Watershed, Out of Arcadia, including Andrew Kotting's Gallivant and John Akomfrah's The Nine Muses.

Overseeing multiple projects across Bristol during his time as director, including At-Bristol (now We The Curious) and Bristol Legible City. Andrew has curated a season of films, Fractured Paris, showing this month at watershed along with being an authority on All Quiet on the Western Front.

This month Mark speaks with Professor Andrew Spicer about his book; Sean Connery Acting, Stardom and National Identity, and the upcoming season at Watershed, Sean Connery: Beyond Bond.Andrew is a Proffessor of Cultural Production at University of West England in Bristol and will also be giving an illustrated talk and Q&A before the showing of The Hill. For more information visit: watershed.co.uk

This month Mark discusses The Films of Kinuyo Tanaka a season coming to Watershed in August with Dr Rayna Denison, professor of film at Bristol University and leading expert in Japanese cinema.Following the UK Premiere of Forever A Woman as part of Cinema Rediscovered 2022, Watershed will be screening new 4K restorations of Tanaka's films. After navigating a studio system of the 1950s that actively discouraged female directors, Tanaka made six ground-breaking features over the course of a decade, dismissing the passivity assigned to most female protagonists of the era and creating a small, radical oeuvre of progressive heroines.

Mark Cosgrove and guest co-host interview the curators behind this years Cinema Rediscovered festival, held across Bristol in July. With to interviews with Pamela Hutchinson and Mark Cosgrove on the strands they curated for this years Cinema Rediscovered.Cinema Rediscovered launched its first edition in July 2016, taking inspiration from the pioneering Il Cinema Ritrovato festival in Bologna, Italy with a distinctive Bristol twist. Featuring the finest digital restorations, contemporary classics and film print rarities, it's a chance to see lesser known cinematic voices and dive deep into the legacy of revered filmmakers.For more information visit: watershed.co.uk/cinema-rediscovered

Mark Cosgrove, Watershed Cinema Curator, and Sean Wilson, Filmic Season Curator and writer, take a deep dive into film soundtracks throughout history.Filmic is a season of 5 films curated by Sean to illustrate the ever changing landscape of film scores, they discuss the upcoming season and Sean's recently released book, The Sound of Cinema: Hollywood Film Music from the Silents to the Present.Mark and Sean delve into the work from Alex North on A Street Car Named Desire, Bernard Herrmann's infamous strings for Psycho, music legend Bob Dylan starring and scoring Pat Garrett and Billy the Kid, Jerry Goldsmith's chilling, Oscar winning score for The Omen and John Williams triumphant revival of the orchestral score for Superman.

This month Mark Cosgrove, Watershed Cinema Curator, is joined by Steph Read, UWE MA Curation placement, as they look forward to the program of films at Watershed over the coming month.They discuss perspective in cinema and the presentation of childhood in Norwegian supernatural thriller The Innocents by Eskil Vogt. Also, with Doc'n Roll returning to Bristol this month they review the music documentaries screening for the festival including artists like; Karen Dalton, The Triffids and Nick Cave and Warren Ellis.

This month Mark Cosgrove, Watershed Cinema Curator, considers how film-watching changes have accelerated with the advent of covid.He shares his thoughts on the prevalence of the blockbuster and its now predictable model of following success with repetition. And how independent cinema offers a real alternative, with Watershed championing film originality and diversity from across the world.

This month Mark Cosgrove, Watershed Cinema curator, and Zoe Rasbash, Watershed's Environmental Emergencies Action Researcher look forward to Green Screen, coming to Watershed at the end of March.Green Screen is a day of free short films, plus a panel discussion and a family workshop – all of which celebrate filmmakers and their work to explore cutting edge climate research.Zoe shares her Lilith Archive film project and they discuss the importance of arts in making change and the role of culture in changing how we think and act, plus approaches to creating action. They also talk about how Green Screen might offer insight and positivity in what can often feel like an overwhelming disaster. And how through film and events there is the opportunity to come together and share creativity and thinking.

This month Dr Rayna Denison, Professor in Film and Digital Arts Bristol University, joins Mark Cosgrove, Watershed Cinema Curator, to talk about Japanese Cinema.As they look forward to the upcoming Japan Foundation Touring Film Programme they share thoughts on the long time flourishing and prolific Japanese cinema industry, its funding and how the market for film works in Japan, plus current influences and genres.But most of all they discuss the highlights screening at Watershed this month; including psychological crime drama First Love, the absolutely gorgeous to look at Spaghetti Code Love and the pressures of daily life face young people and Shrieking in the Rain's journey into the dark underbelly of the Japanese film industry

A brief note from Mark Cosgrove, Cinema Curator, ahead of January 2022

For the last podcast of the year, Mark Cosgrove, Watershed Cinema Curator, shares his own experience of cinema – both personal and professional.As part of a book of essays, Opening Up the Magic Box, Mark was asked to reflect on the role of cinema in his life. Mark's essay, A Life Cinematic – the Early Years, presents a 10-year-old from the fringes of Glasgow enamoured with Cagney, Bogart and Wayne to the student years, and a first taste of selecting a film for others to see.

November's Cinema Podcast celebrates a return of audiences to the cinema, renewed partnerships through the fantastic Afrika Eye film festival, and a season of films and discussions challenging Myth and Masculinity in the Western. Mark Cosgrove is joined by Annie Mentor, director Afrika Eye Festival and Lola McKinnon MA Curation Student.Annie shares what Afrika Eye Film Festival is and what impassions it to explore multi-faceted Africa through film, culture and collaboration. Plus all the highlights from a rich programme of stories; of lives lived and lives imagined, created by remarkable filmmakers from Africa and the diaspora. Coming to Watershed 12-14 November.As part of her placement Lola shares a little about life as an MA Curation Student, but more about her season exploring the new generation of female filmmakers from all over the world challenging the masculinist mythologies of the Western. And breathing new life into a genre synonymous with fistfights, gun-slingin' and tough, white men.

In October's cinema podcast Mark Cosgrove, Watershed Cinema Curator, is joined by Lisa Harewood and Jonathan Ali from The Twelve30 Collective who showcases classic and contemporary films from the Caribbean and its diaspora. They discuss the Caribbean film scene and the tensions between looking to Hollywood and foregrounding the territories' own identities, the lack of independent cinemas and the challenges of screening films across multiple countries.Twelve30 Collective are also distributors of this month's screening of long-lost Jamaican set film No Place Like Home. Lisa and Ali share the films amazing backstory of its devastating loss for more than two decades; and its powerful, lightly fictionalised window into rural Jamaica of 50 years ago.

With screenings at Watershed now back up to 6 days a week a look ahead at September highlights coming up.Mark Cosgrove, Watershed Cinema Curator, talks to Gary Thompson, founder of Cables & Cameras, about their Watershed takeover weekend at the end of September – Cables & Cameras Presents:INSPIRED. The weekend features a whole range of conversations, screenings and events that will explore Black/POC culture and talent both in front of and behind the camera.Mark is also joined by Adam Murray from Bristol Black Horror Club. Adam talks about his positive experiences of working with Gary and Cables & Cameras, his upcoming illustrated talk on the history of Black representationin horror films and behind the camera and why he is looking forward to Cables & Cameras Presents:INSPIRED.

A quick and summery August podcast from Mark Cosgrove, Watershed Cinema Curator introducing the upcoming The World of Wong Kar Wai season.Mark introduces the seasons and shares how the films have been restored and reworked; and celebrates finally being able to re-introduce audiences to the lush and sensual visuals, pitch-perfect soundtracks, and soulful romanticism of Wong Kar Wai's contemporary cinema.

In this month's podcast Mark Cosgrove (Watershed Cinema Curator) and Adam Murray (film programmer, critic, writer and broadcaster) look forward to Watershed's Cinema Rediscovered festival at the end of July – a celebration and re-framing of cinema's rich 125 year history.They share the strands and films they can't wait to bring to the big screen – screening in some cases for the first time in decades, if not ever in the UK.Mark's highlights include 1971: The Year Hollywood Went Independent, a programme of films exploring the essential contribution that women made to The New Hollywood era; when outsiders, independents and mavericks were welcomed into the mainstream. Plus the amazing background to The Story of a Three-Day Pass – a nouvelle vague infused film by young Black American Melvin Van Peebles made in Paris, never released in the UK and now restored to its former glory.Adam looks forward to Blue Collar, an uncompromising tale set in Detroit of three-working men; starring Yaphet Kotto as Smokey James alongside double trouble Richard Pryor and Harvey Keitel. Released in 1978 Adam discusses the extraordinary performances exploring race, unions and working class masculinity; and surely one of the greatest, grimy, opening scenes and soundtracks in a film ever.Finally Adam looks forward to launching his Bristol Black Horror Club at the festival with a screening of The Beast Must Die – a fun, camp, werewolf thrill-ride with a great soundtrack and a Black actor in a multi-dimensional lead role.

In June's podcast Mark Cosgrove, Watershed Cinema Curator, chats with Ti Singh founder of Bristol Bad Film Club, author of Born To Be Bad: Talking to the greatest villains in action cinema and lead on the BFI Film Audience Network's New Release Strategy, based at Watershed.They talk about what makes a film so bad it's good, how baddies in films reveal so much about action cinema and Ti's work supporting independent films to reach a wider audience.And to finish they share their excitement for the great films coming up over June at Watershed, and look forward to an unexpectedly busy summer of independent cinema.

In May's podcast Mark Cosgrove, Watershed Cinema Curator, is joined by Dave Taylor of legendary Bristol video shop 20th Century Flicks.They reflect on the year that forgot cinema, the autobiographical viewing habits of the shop's customers through lockdown, and a history of the shop – it opened in the same year as Watershed in 1982 – and how it has managed to endure.They also look forward to the return of cinema screenings in May at Watershed, and the shop's screening rooms, and the clutch of superb Oscar winning independent films arriving on the big screen very, very soon.

For April's podcast Mark Cosgrove, Watershed Cinema Curator, is joined by film & music critic and broadcaster Adam Murray.They discuss Adam's love of horror and research for a season of horror films, hopefully screening at Watershed this Autumn, exploring identity and fitting-in – and their relationship to Black representation and the Black experience. Adam also shares the two films he is looking forward to seeing at Watershed when it re-opens in May.

This month Mark Cosgrove, Watershed Cinema Curator, is joined by historian, writer and curator Edson Burton and Matchbox Cine producer Megan Mitchell.They share how their cultural consumption has changed and adapted over the last several months, and some of the things they have been enjoying and found themselves unexpectedly watching – New York Independent cinema, Tom Cruise films, TickTock Film and the Small Axe series.

With the Watershed building and cinemas still closed, Mark Cosgrove (Watershed Cinema Curator) talks with Watershed friends to share their recent small screen highlights from film and TV series old and new.Malaika Kegode – writer, performer, producer and Roger Griffith MBE – writer, producer, educator, social activist, consultant and CEO of Creative Connex – join Mark to share their recent film and television watching highlights from lockdown. Between them they discuss their recommendations for essential lockdown viewing, and reflect on the cultural resonances and rediscoveries they encounter along the way.