AwardsWatch Podcast Ep. 306 – Breaking Down the 2025 Toronto International Film Festival

On episode 306 of The AwardsWatch Podcast, Executive Editor Ryan McQuade is joined by AwardsWatch Associate Editor Sophia Ciminello to break down the films, awards buzz, and wild moments they had at the 2025 Toronto International Film Festival.

Packing the conversation is talk about No Other Choice, The Testament of Ann Lee, Frankenstein, Hamnet, Rental Family, The Lost Bus, Wake Up Dead Man, Hedda, The Smashing Machine and more.

You can listen to The AwardsWatch Podcast wherever you stream podcasts, from iTunes, iHeartRadio, Soundcloud, Stitcher, Spotify, Audible, Amazon Music, YouTube and more.

This podcast runs 1h25m. We will be back in next week for post-TIFF Oscar predictions and a preview of the 2025 New York Film Festival. Till then, let’s get into it.

Music: “Modern Fashion” from AShamaleuvmusic (intro), “B-3” from BoxCat Games Nameless: The Hackers RPG Soundtrack (outro).

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Ryan McQuade

Ryan McQuade is the AwardsWatch Executive Editor and a film-obsessed writer in San Antonio, Texas. Raised on musicals, westerns, and James Bond, his taste in cinema is extremely versatile. He’s extremely fond of independent releases and director’s passion projects. Engrossed with all things Oscars, he hosts the AwardsWatch Podcast. He also is co-host of the Director Watch podcast. When he’s not watching movies, he’s rooting on all his favorite sports teams, including his beloved Texas Longhorns. You can follow him on Twitter at @ryanmcquade77.

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