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...

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...

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;...

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...

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...

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 exploreBlack/POC culture and talent both in front of and behind the camera.Mark is also joined by Adam...

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...

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...

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...

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...

In January's short podcast Mark Cosgrove, Watershed Cinema Curator, leaves 2020 behind and hopes that this coming year we can look forward to more regular screenings in the cinema and a return to the unique social experience that is at the heart of cinema. He shares films to look forward that would have screened in 2020 and a hint of plans and optimism in the air for 2021.

While the halcyon days of films being released into the cinema seem a distant memory and Watershed Cinemas were more closed than open, this month's podcast still finds a rich array of fantastic films to remember from 2020.This month Mark Cosgrove, Watershed Cinema Curator, Tara Judah, Watershed Cinema Producer and Thea Berry, film programmer and producer, share their highlights of the year. Albeit some were only available through Watershed online and lacking in the convivial community of the...

In November's podcast Mark Cosgrove (Watershed Cinema Curator) and Tara Judah (Watershed Cinema Producer) ponder and refute October's news of the delay in the new James Bond film and how, as reported by some newspapers, its a harbinger of the death of cinema.With cinema alive and well at Watershed, Mark and Tara share the films they are looking forward to in November. There are two films from Cronenbergs – a new restoration of the notorious Crash from David Cronenberg and Possessor from son...

This month Mark Cosgrove, Watershed Cinema Curator, welcomes Cinema Producer Tara Judah back from maternity leave to discuss their highlights for the month ahead and a packed programme of new films and cinematic opportunities.Mark and Tara share their thoughts on much anticipated new British horror Saint Maud; cliché free, debut feature Miss Juneteenth, with its incredible cast and focus on a mother and her daughter facing the wider issues of many African-American communities in the US; the...

This month Mark Cosgrove, Watershed Cinema Curator, shares the background to his thinking about the films he is putting on for Watershed's reopening in September, and shares upcoming highlights.With this century's version of mainstream cinema – in which the blockbuster is all – currently going through some serious contortions, he reiterates how there is more to cinema and film culture than Hollywood. And how that has led to an opening programme of films which speak to an essential cinematic...

This month we take a pause in our monthly podcast as we prepare for re-opening.We look forward to seeing you in the cinema again soon.

In July's podcast Mark Cosgrove, Watershed Cinema Curator, looks forward to welcoming audiences back to Watershed in September – but wonders what films will be available and how different cinema going will be.Despite the uncertainty there are new film releases ahead and Mark shares some of the titles to look forward to and highlights two films in particular to look out for online this month.

In June's podcast Mark Cosgrove, Watershed Cinema Curator, considers whether, when people talk of the acute challenges now facing the arts sector, whether film is included in that?When does film become art; and what is the relationship between film and commerce?Mark also looks forward to the upcoming Japan 2020 film season hosted on the BFI website, whilst still hoping that the real world value of film does not get lost on the way

In May's cinema podcast Mark Cosgrove, Watershed Cinema Curator, considers the existential crisis at the heart of cinema & film under the current situation. Delving into the past for insight, Mark wonders – what does cinema mean when there is no cinema? Also Mark shares a handful of his film picks for the coming month to help you cut through the current explosion of online film viewing opportunities.