The AwardsWatch Podcast

On episode 366 of The AwardsWatch Podcast, Executive Editor Ryan McQuade, Editor-In-Chief Erik Anderson and Associate Editor Sophia Ciminello break down their highlights from the 2026 New York Film Festival, thoughts on Aaron Sorkin's latest,  The Social Reckoning , and discuss their thoughts on the rising and falling contenders for the four major acting categories for this year's Oscars as they h...

On episode 176 of the Director Watch Podcast, co-hosts Ryan McQuade and Jay Ledbetter discuss the next film in their Edward Yang series,  Mahjong (1996). Welcome back to Director Watch! On this Awards Watch podcast, the boys attempt to breakdown, analyze, and ultimately, get inside the mind of some of cinema's greatest auteurs. In doing so, they will look at their filmographies, explore what drive...

On episode 365 of The AwardsWatch Podcast, Executive Editor Ryan McQuade is joined by AwardsWatch Associate TV Editor Karen Peterson to review the latest film from director Alejandro González Iñárritu,  Digger. You can listen to The AwardsWatch Podcast wherever you stream podcasts, from iTunes, iHeartRadio, Soundcloud, Stitcher, Spotify, Audible, Amazon Music and more. You can also listen on the A...

On episode 175 of the Director Watch Podcast, co-hosts Ryan McQuade and Jay Ledbetter discuss the next film in their Edward Yang series,  A Confucian Confusion (1994). Welcome back to Director Watch! On this AwardsWatch podcast, the boys attempt to breakdown, analyze, and ultimately, get inside the mind of some of cinema's greatest auteurs. In doing so, they will look at their filmographies, explo...

On episode 174 of the Director Watch Podcast, co-hosts Ryan McQuade and Jay Ledbetter are joined by Awards Watch contributor Trace Sauveur and film critic Jesse Nussman to discuss the next film in their Edward Yang series,  A Brighter Summer Day (1991). Welcome back to Director Watch! On this AwardsWatch podcast, the boys attempt to breakdown, analyze, and ultimately, get inside the mind of some o...

On episode 364 of the Awards Watch podcast, Executive Editor Ryan McQuade, Editor-In-Chief Erik Anderson and Associate Editor Sophia Ciminello break down the winners and losers of the Venice, Telluride and Toronto film festivals, which films rise and fall in the Oscar race, and offer a preview of some of the big titles headed to the New York Film Festival. With three of the main fall festivals wra...

On episode 363 of The Awards Watch Podcast, Executive Editor Ryan McQuade is joined by Editor-In-Chief Erik Anderson and contributor Griffin Schiller to review the latest film from director Zach Cregger,  Resident Evil (2026). You can listen to The AwardsWatch Podcast wherever you stream podcasts, from iTunes, iHeartRadio, Soundcloud, Stitcher, Spotify, Audible, Amazon Music and more. You can also...

On episode 173 of the Director Watch Podcast, co-hosts Ryan McQuade and Jay Ledbetter discuss the next film in their Edward Yang series,  The Terrorizers (1986). Welcome back to Director Watch! On this AwardsWatch podcast, the boys attempt to breakdown, analyze, and ultimately, get inside the mind of some of cinema's greatest auteurs. In doing so, they will look at their filmographies, explore wha...

On episode 172 of the Director Watch Podcast, co-hosts Ryan McQuade and Jay Ledbetter discuss the first film in their Edward Yang series,  Taipei Story (1985). Welcome back to Director Watch! On this AwardsWatch podcast, the boys attempt to breakdown, analyze, and ultimately, get inside the mind of some of cinema's greatest auteurs. In doing so, they will look at their filmographies, explore what...

On episode 362 of the Awards Watch podcast, it's a full house with Awards Watch Editor-In-Chief joined by Executive Editor Ryan McQuade, Associate Editor Sophia Ciminello, contributors Mark Johnson and Jorge Tenreiro, and AW friend and confidante Christina Birro of Pop Culture Confidential, as we break down last weekend's Telluride Film Festival. It was another whirlwind Telluride for the group, w...

On episode 171 of the Director Watch Podcast, co-hosts Ryan McQuade and Jay Ledbetter are joined by AwardsWatch Associate Editor Sophia Ciminello discuss the final film in their Jane Campion series,  The Power of the Dog (2021). Welcome back to Director Watch! On this AwardsWatch podcast, the boys attempt to breakdown, analyze, and ultimately, get inside the mind of some of cinema's greatest auteu...

In the early 2010s, no one showed more promise as a filmmaker than writer-director Adam Wingard. The young genre filmmaker from Tennessee had made a name for himself after the success of his break out films  You're Next (2011) and The Guest (2014, one of the best films of that year). But much like many modern directors, Wingard took his talents to the cinematic worlds of big budget, existing IP, w...

On episode 361 of The AwardsWatch Podcast, Executive Editor Ryan McQuade is joined by AwardsWatch Associate Editor Sophia Ciminello to review the latest film from director Ridley Scott,  The Dog Stars.   You can listen to The AwardsWatch Podcast wherever you stream podcasts, from iTunes, iHeartRadio, Soundcloud, Stitcher, Spotify, Audible, Amazon Music and more. You can also listen on the AW YouTu...

It's time for part 2 of Talking Madonna with Erik and Abdi, as one episode covering 'Confessions II' wasn't nearly enough. After part 1 covered the first seven songs: "I Feel So Free," "Good For the Soul," "One Step Away," "Bring Your Love," Danceteria" and "Everything," part 2 is where Madonna, and we, go deeper. While the rescue and release of the dancefloor is still in full effect on the second...

On episode 170 of the Director Watch Podcast, co-hosts Ryan McQuade and Jay Ledbetter are joined by AwardsWatch contributor Josh Parham discuss the next film in their Jane Campion series,  Bright Star (2009). Welcome back to Director Watch! On this AwardsWatch podcast, the boys attempt to breakdown, analyze, and ultimately, get inside the mind of some of cinema's greatest auteurs. In doing so, the...

"One of the most controversial things I've done is stick around." It's been seven years since the Queen of Pop released 'Madame X,' the longest time between studio albums in her 40+ year career, and a lot's happened since then. A worldwide pandemic, of course, but for Madonna herself, a sudden and life-threatening experience in June 2023 when she contracted a severe bacterial infection that develo...

We're less than two weeks before the 53nd Telluride Film Festival kicks off on Labor Day weekend and we have a packed show. On episode 360 AwardsWatch Executive Editor Ryan McQuade is joined by Editor-In-chief Erik Anderson Associate Editor Sophia Ciminello, contributors Jay Ledbetter, Mark Johnson, and Jorge Tenreiro, and Christina Birro of Pop Culture Confidential to break down what we think wil...

Director Andrew Patterson's big screen journey has been unconventional to say the least. With his debut feature film,  The Vast of Night , Patterson patiently watched as his film was shopped around the festival circuit, landed a spot at the 2019 Slamdance Film Festival, going on to win the Audience Award for Best Narrative Feature. It was then acquired by Amazon Studios, where they were going to g...

On episode 169 of the Director Watch Podcast, co-hosts Ryan McQuade and Jay Ledbetter are joined by AwardsWatch contributor Cody Dericks discuss the next film in their Jane Campion series,  In the Cut (2003). Welcome back to Director Watch! On this AwardsWatch podcast, the boys attempt to breakdown, analyze, and ultimately, get inside the mind of some of cinema's greatest auteurs. In doing so, the...

On episode 359 of The AwardsWatch Podcast, Executive Editor Ryan McQuade is joined by AwardsWatch contributor (and his Director Watch co-host) Jay Ledbetter to give their thoughts on the latest film from director David Robert Mitchell,  The End of Oak Street, as well brief thoughts on the D23 announcements from this past weekend . You can listen to The AwardsWatch Podcast wherever you stream podca...

On episode 358 of The AwardsWatch Podcast, Editor-In-Chief Erik Anderson is joined by Executive Editor Ryan McQuade, Associate Editor Sophia Ciminello and AwardsWatch contributor Josh Parham to look at the final announcements from the New York Film Festival and Toronto International Film Festival and our Oscar predictions in the acting categories. You can listen to The AwardsWatch Podcast wherever...

On episode 168 of the Director Watch Podcast, co-hosts Ryan McQuade and Jay Ledbetter discuss the next film in their Jane Campion series,  The Portrait of a Lady (1996). Welcome back to Director Watch! On this AwardsWatch podcast, the boys attempt to breakdown, analyze, and ultimately, get inside the mind of some of cinema's greatest auteurs. In doing so, they will look at their filmographies, exp...

On episode 357 of The AwardsWatch Podcast, Executive Editor Ryan McQuade is joined by AwardsWatch contributors Josh Parham and Karen Peterson to go back 55 years and take a look at the 44th Academy Awards, covering the films of 1971. In another Oscar retrospective, the team go back this week to the start of the 1970s, where Hollywood was in a transition period within the films of the past; costume...

On episode 167 of the Director Watch Podcast, co-hosts Ryan McQuade and Jay Ledbetter are joined by film critic Nadia Dalimonte to discuss the next film in their Jane Campion series,  The Piano (1993). Welcome back to Director Watch! On this AwardsWatch podcast, the boys attempt to breakdown, analyze, and ultimately, get inside the mind of some of cinema's greatest auteurs. In doing so, they will...

On episode 356 of The AwardsWatch Podcast, Executive Editor Ryan McQuade is joined by AwardsWatch contributors Mark Johnson and Karen Peterson to give their thoughts on the latest film MCU,  Spider-Man: Brand New Day , as well as discuss their favorite films of 2026 so far . You can listen to The AwardsWatch Podcast wherever you stream podcasts, from iTunes, iHeartRadio, Soundcloud, Stitcher, Spot...