The Screen Podcast

The team pick out 10 major film industry storylines that are set to play out next year, recommend unsung British titles for Bafta voters, and look back at the Red Sea Film Festival. Screen contributing editor Wendy Mitchell is joined by editor-in-chief Matt Mueller and deputy editor Louise Tutt look at hot 2026 topics, including potential changes to major UK bodies, streamer levies, how studios are working with AI, and the Warner Bros Discovery takeover. They also discuss how Gen Z audiences are returning to cinemas, the major changes coming to the Creative Europe programme, renewal at some of the world’s biggest festival, and the potential impact of chaotic global politics. Wendy is also joined by Screen's senior international reporter Ben Dalton to discuss his latest trip to Red Sea International Film Festival, which included serious star-power, interesting parties, and flooding.

In this extra edition of The Screen Podcast, we go in-depth on the Warner Bros sale with M&A expert Kim Chua, who sheds light on the views of shareholders and potential regulatory hurdles. Chua, a partner at OC&C Strategy Consultants, was speaking to Screen’s Americas editor Jeremy Kay. They discuss the different motivations behind the rival bids from Netflix and Paramount Skydance, and why many shareholders might see the Netflix bid as “more risky”.

On this week’s episode of The Screen Podcast, the team recommends some under-the-radar titles for awards voters to look out for; and go on a whistle-stop tour of the latest film festivals. First, Screen contributing editor Wendy Mitchell, editor Matt Mueller and deputy editor Louise Tutt are joined by awards and box office editor Charles Gant to recommend documentaries and non English-language titles that Bafta and Ampas voters might have missed. Next, they discuss the winners from the Bifa and the Gotham awards which saw Harry Lighton's Pillion and Akinola Davies Jr.'s My Father's Shadow pick up prizes on both sides of the pond. Then, Wendy checks in on the festivals in Doha, Tokyo and Tallinn with Screen reporters Ben Dalton, Mike Rosser and Ellie Calnan. The Screen Podcast is produced and hosted by Wendy Mitchell and edited by Ellie Calnan. New episodes every other Thursday.

In this bonus episode of The Screen Podcast, we speak to director Imran Hamdulay and star Keenan Arrison about crime thriller The Heart Is A Muscle, which has been selected by South Africa as its Oscars submission. Hamdulay, making his feature directing debut, told Screen’s senior US critic Tim Grierson how he tried to portray the poverty-stricken Cape Flats region of Cape Town in a more nuanced way than other films, even turning to the area’s local gang leaders for help.

In this bonus episode of The Screen Podcast, we speak to Agnieszka Holland and Idan Weiss about Kafka biopic Franz, which has been selected by Poland as its Oscars submission. Weiss, starring in his first ever feature film project, told Screen how Holland instructed him to look for inspiration from tennis great Rafael Nadal for how to play the iconic author. Weiss is nominated for a European Film Award for Franz, which will be released in the US by Cohen Media Group, and is sold internationally by Films Boutique. It premiered this year in Toronto as a special presentation.