Watershed Podcast

Happy Birthday! In this episode, Cinema Curator and Founder of Cinema Rediscovered Mark Cosgrove reflects ten years of the festival with film critic Tara Judah and Comms and Outreach Coordinator Nathan Hardie.

Stef from Comms and Cinema Steph are joined by Patrick from the Projection Team to talk all about film - literally!

In this episode Stef from Comms gets the lowdown on this year's Cannes Film Festival from Cinema Steph and Cinema Curator Mark Cosgrove.

SPOILERS AHEAD! This month Stef from Comms and Cinema Steph are joined by Cornwall's finest Mark Jenkin to speak about his latest film Rose of Nevada.

Happy Earth Day Everyone! Steph and Stef are joined by Gavin Sunderland and Jess Wheeler from Watershed's Environment Group to chat through what they've got planned for this year's Earth Day.

Cinema Steph is joined by Cinema Curator Mark Cosgrove and filmmaker and journalist Neil Maggs to talk about our month-long season Listening to Britain.

The Stef/phs are back - and better late than never. In this shorter episode, Steph from Comms and Cinema Steph chat Wiseman of the Month, spreadsheets and servers.

Welcome to The Everyworld! For this special episode Cinema Steph is joined by artist and filmmaker Andrew Kötting and Undershed Curator Amy Rose to chat about our new exhibition and film season The Everyworld.

In this episode Cinema Steph is joined by Watershed's Cinema Curator Mark Cosgrove and Sarah from Popcorn Chat to discuss their favourite films from 2025.

In this episode, Cinema Steph is joined by Karina from the Bristol Palestine Film Festival to chat about what we can expect from this year’s programme - followed by Stef from Comms to run through the rest of November.

Freshers Flu! In this episode Stef from Comms is joined by film critic Nathan Hardie and Undershed's Producer Toki Allison to chat everything October.

Cinema Programmer Steph Read is joined this month by Film Hub South West's Community Manager Neil Ramjee and Executive Director of Encounters Film Festival Dave Taylor-Matthews to chat about September's cinematic highlights.

I dooo! In this episode, Stef and Steph are joined by Gavin Sunderland from Watershed's Environment Group to chat about what they're up to this month.

In this special episode, Bristol-based film critic Nathan Hardie is joined by Cinema Rediscovered Festival Founder Mark Cosgrove and Festival Producer Lorena Pino to guide you through this year's Cinema Rediscovered.

Come for the vibes. Stay for the vibes-based programming. In this episode, Stef from Comms and Cinema Steph are joined by Queer Vision Festival Producer Harriet Taylor to discuss this year's programme.

In this episode, Cinema Steph is joined by Cinema Curator Mark Cosgrove to discuss this month's cinematic line-up including our Several Samurai season and their highlights from Cannes.

There's special guests a-plenty in this episode as Cinema Steph speaks to Undershed Curator Amy Road Producer Bernie - alongside Stef from Comms of course!

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.

This month Mark speaks with Andrew Kelly, Director of Bristol Ideas from 1993 - 2022, about the season he curated for Watershed this month as well as the new adaptation of All Quiet on the Western Front.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.Image credit: Evan Dawson

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.