Catalyst and Witness

The first 2026 festival dispatch of the Catalyst and Witness podcast, devoted to exploring the films and format of the New York Film Festival, hosted by Ryan Swen. This covers the first week-and-a-half of press screenings of the 2026 New York Film Festival, and features guests Alex Lei, Doug Markowitz, Keith Uhlich, Mark Asch, Frank Yan, and a special appearance from Edo Choi.

The second 2025 festival dispatch of the Catalyst and Witness podcast, devoted to exploring the films and format of the New York Film Festival, hosted by Ryan Swen. This covers the last week of the 2025 New York Film Festival, and features guest Kenji Fujishima.

The first 2025 festival dispatch of the Catalyst and Witness podcast, devoted to exploring the films and format of the New York Film Festival, hosted by Ryan Swen. This covers the first week of press screenings of the 2025 New York Film Festival, and features guest Alex Lei.

The second 2024 festival dispatch of the Catalyst and Witness podcast, devoted to exploring the films and format of the New York Film Festival, hosted by Ryan Swen. This covers the middle week of the 2024 New York Film Festival, and features guests Soham Gadre and Esther Rosenfield.

The first 2024 festival dispatch of the Catalyst and Witness podcast, devoted to exploring the films and format of the New York Film Festival, hosted by Ryan Swen. This covers the first week of the 2024 New York Film Festival, and features guests Forrest Cardamenis and Jackson Kim Murphy.

The 2023 festival dispatch of the Catalyst and Witness podcast, devoted to exploring the films and format of the New York Film Festival, hosted by Ryan Swen. This covers the 2023 New York Film Festival, and features guest Dan Schindel.

The 2022 festival dispatch of the Catalyst and Witness podcast, devoted to exploring the films and format of the New York Film Festival, hosted by Ryan Swen. This covers the 2022 New York Film Festival, and features guest Nick Newman.

The second 2021 festival dispatch of the Catalyst and Witness podcast, devoted to exploring the films and format of the New York Film Festival, hosted by Ryan Swen. This covers the second week of the 2021 New York Film Festival, and features guests Forrest Cardamenis, Edo Choi, Soham Gadre, Susannah Gruder, Jeva Lange, and Jason Miller. 0:00-54:44 - Part One 54:45-1:55:41 - Part Two

The first 2021 festival dispatch of the Catalyst and Witness podcast, devoted to exploring the films and format of the New York Film Festival, hosted by Ryan Swen. This covers the first week of the 2021 New York Film Festival, and features guests Forrest Cardamenis, Soham Gadre, Susannah Gruder, and Patrick Preziosi. (Edo Choi was also on the call but could not be included due to technical difficu...

The eighteenth episode of the Catalyst and Witness podcast, devoted to exploring the films and format of the New York Film Festival, hosted by Ryan Swen. This covers the eighteenth edition of the festival in 1980, and features special guest Shawn Glinis, host of the Wiseman Podcast. 0:00-16:20 - Opening 16:21-55:27 - Part One 55:28-1:33:05 - Part Two 1:33:06-2:27:51 - Part Three 2:27:52-3:20:37 -...

The seventeenth episode of the Catalyst and Witness podcast, devoted to exploring the films and format of the New York Film Festival, hosted by Ryan Swen. This covers the seventeenth edition of the festival in 1979, and features special guest Jake Cole, freelance film critic for Slant Magazine. 0:00-15:35 – Opening 15:36-1:08:42 – Part One 1:08:43-2:16:06 – Part Two 2:16:07-3:13:...

The fourth 2020 festival dispatch of the Catalyst and Witness podcast, devoted to exploring the films and format of the New York Film Festival, hosted by Ryan Swen. This covers the third week of the 2020 New York Film Festival, and features guests Forrest Cardamenis, Soham Gadre, and Jason Miller. 0:00-1:01:03 – Part One 1:01:04-2:06:23 – Part Two

The third 2020 festival dispatch of the Catalyst and Witness podcast, devoted to exploring the films and format of the New York Film Festival, hosted by Ryan Swen. This covers the second week of the 2020 New York Film Festival, and features guests Forrest Cardamenis, Jeva Lange, Jason Miller, and C.J. Prince. 0:00-1:07:45 - Part One 1:07:46-2:07:51 - Part Two

The second 2020 festival dispatch of the Catalyst and Witness podcast, devoted to exploring the films and format of the New York Film Festival, hosted by Ryan Swen. This covers the first week of the 2020 New York Film Festival, and features guests Forrest Cardamenis, Max Carpenter, Susannah Gruder, Jeva Lange, Chloe Lizotte, and C.J. Prince. 0:00-1:05:18 – Part One 1:05:19-2:06:11 – Part Two

The first 2020 festival dispatch of the Catalyst and Witness podcast, devoted to exploring the films format of the New York Film Festival, hosted by Ryan Swen. This covers the announcement of the 2020 main slate, and features guest Jason Miller. 0:00-1:28:41 - Part One

The sixteenth episode of the Catalyst and Witness podcast, devoted to exploring the films and format of the New York Film Festival, hosted by Ryan Swen. This covers the sixteenth edition of the festival in 1978, and features special guest Evan Morgan, critic and co-host of the dormant Snakes & Funerals podcast. 0:00-18:45 – Opening 18:46-1:13:12 – Part One 1:13:13-2:10:51 – Part Two 2:10:52-3:...

The fifteenth episode of the Catalyst and Witness podcast, devoted to exploring the films and format of the New York Film Festival, hosted by Ryan Swen. This covers the fifteenth edition of the festival in 1977, and features special guest Keith Uhlich. 0:00-18:22 – Opening 18:23-1:23:16 – Part One 1:23:17-2:45:25 – Part Two 2:45:26-3:48:38 – Part Three 3:48:39-4:50:18 – Part Four 4:50:19-5:39:23 –...

The third 2019 festival dispatch of the Catalyst and Witness podcast, devoted to exploring the films and format of the New York Film Festival, hosted by Ryan Swen. This covers the second half of the 2019 New York Film Festival, and features guests Graham L. Carter, Beatrice Loayza, and Dan Schindel. 0:00-26:36 – Part One 26:37-48:14 – Part Two

The second 2019 festival dispatch of the Catalyst and Witness podcast, devoted to exploring the films and format of the New York Film Festival, hosted by Ryan Swen. This covers the first half of the 2019 New York Film Festival, and features guests Forrest Cardamenis, Lena Houst, Jake Pitre, and Etan Weisfogel. 0:00-57:26 – Part One 57:27-1:49:38 – Part Two

The 2019 festival dispatch of the Catalyst and Witness podcast, devoted to exploring the films format of the New York Film Festival, hosted by Ryan Swen. This covers the announcement of the 2019 main slate. 0:00-1:02:25 - Part One

The fourteenth episode of the Catalyst and Witness podcast, devoted to exploring the films and format of the New York Film Festival, hosted by Ryan Swen and Dan Molloy. This covers the fourteenth edition of the festival in 1976. 0:00–27:53 – Opening 27:54–1:11:17 – Part One 1:11:18–1:55:04 – Part Two 1:55:05–2:34:08 – Part Three 2:34:09–3:20:25 – Part Four 3:20:26–3:26:08 – Closing

The thirteenth episode of the Catalyst and Witness podcast, devoted to exploring the films and format of the New York Film Festival, hosted by Ryan Swen and Dan Molloy. This covers the thirteenth edition of the festival in 1975, and features special guest Alyssa Heflin, George Eastman Museum film preservation graduate student and cinephile. 0:00-23:22 - Opening 23:23-1:30:07 - Part One 1:30:08-2:2...

The twelfth episode of the Catalyst and Witness podcast, devoted to exploring the films and format of the New York Film Festival, hosted by Ryan Swen and Dan Molloy. This covers the twelfth edition of the festival in 1974, and features special guest Jason Miller, New York cinephile and kind of a Twitter guy. 0:00-23:16 - Opening 23:17-1:23:06 - Part One 1:23:07-3:04:18 - Part Two 3:04:19-4:03:18 -...

The eleventh episode of the Catalyst and Witness podcast, devoted to exploring the films and format of the New York Film Festival, hosted by Ryan Swen and Dan Molloy. This covers the eleventh edition of the festival in 1973. 0:00-1:19:01 - Introduction [2018 Top Tens] 1:19:02-1:37:58 - Opening 1:37:59-2:18:45 - Part One 2:18:46-3:18:08 - Part Two 3:18:09-4:14:49 - Part Three 4:14:50-4:20:34 - Clos...

The tenth episode of the Catalyst and Witness podcast, devoted to exploring the films and format of the New York Film Festival, hosted by Ryan Swen and Dan Molloy. This covers the tenth edition of the festival in 1972. 0:00-47:30 – Introduction 47:31-1:02:44 – Opening 1:02:45-1:41:57 – Part One 1:41:58-2:20:13 – Part Two 2:20:14-3:00:17 – Part Three 3:00:18-3:51:03 – Part Four 3:51:04-3:56:45 – Cl...