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An odd and disheartening weekend for independent film is now in the rear view. On this week’s episode of IndieWire’s “Screen Talk” podcast, co-hosts Anne Thompson and Ryan Lattanzio review the awkward and out-of-place joke writing that made up so much of the 2026 Film Independent Spirit Awards — this year held at the Hollywood Palladium rather than the usual Santa Monica tent.
But the venue was not the issue, as host Ego Nwodim was forced to deliver some disappointing monologues, several key guests were absent, and the lack of buzz overall was discouraging. There is certainly a path forward for this show, but it’s likely not via what we saw over the weekend.
Meanwhile, we also assess what impact the winners, such as the lauded “Train Dreams” topping a number of categories, will have on the Oscar race. Meanwhile, Sundance’s Grand Jury Prize winner “Josephine” — which we expected to go to a top bidder — wound up at new shingle Sumerian Pictures. The legacy institutions that once played a role in releasing this kind of challenging and exciting movie are now seeming like they’re not part of the equation.
On this week’s podcast, we also look at the controversy coming out of the Berlin Film Festival, which has again become dominated by news headlines about politics rather than actual discussions of its films, even in the face of this year’s strong lineup.
The writing was on the wall when Wim Wenders, the jury president, said it’s the filmmakers’ job to stay out of politics. Oh, OK. Since then, various letters, from both artistic director Tricia Tuttle and a group of Berlin alumni denouncing the festival’s lack of explicit stance on Palestine, which was then signed by a number of celebrities, followed. Where does the festival go from here? We discuss.
We also review this week’s top theatrical release, “Midwinter Break,” starring Lesley Manville and Ciarán Hinds, as a couple who go on a very sad vacation in Amsterdam.
Listen to the episode below or on your favorite podcast platform.
English (US) ·