Watershed Podcast

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.

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.