The 2026 British Academy Film Awards (better known as the BAFTAs) are airing this Sunday, February 22nd at 5 pm GMT (11 am ET) – and, in this episode, Elysia will ensure that you recognize all of the nominees so you can make your own picks and predictions as to who will win, and how that will affect the Oscar voting that begins four days later.

Or just listen along to find out what's been dubbed the best British (and international) films of the year and discover which titles you need to add to your own watchlist.

Chapters

• Rising Star award: voted by public (00:06:50)
• Best Film (00:19:54)
• Outstanding British Film (00:26:29) 
• Outstanding Debut (00:48:07)
• Film Not in English (00:57.18)
• Acting & Casting awards: (01:05:50) 
• Directing & Screenplay awards (01:25:09)
• Score & Production Design awards (01:33:46)
• Tech awards (01:45:39)
• Documentary award (02:01:18)
• Animation & Family awards (02:13:05)
• Top 10 (non-Oscar) films (02:26:08)

Elysia's top 10 BAFTA-only films for Lorehounds

1. 28 Years Later (Netflix)
2. Left-Handed Girl* (LL) & No Other Choice* (VoD)
3. Wicked: For Good (VoD)
4. Apocalypse in the Tropics (Netflix)
5. Superman* (HBO)
6. The Ballad of Wallis Island (Prime, VoD) & Mickey 17 (HBO)
7. Pillion (UK: VoD)
8. I Swear (UK: VoD)
9. Steve (Netflix)
10. Tie: Rental Family* (Hulu, VoD) & Hedda* (Prime)
11. Honorable mention on behalf of Marilyn: The Choral* (VoD) + the similar(ish) Mr. Burton (iPlayer)

*From the longlists / not nominated.

Find the full list of 2026 BAFTA nominees here

The 79th British Academy Film Awards (BAFTAs) will air Sunday, February 22, 2025 at 5 pm GMT (11 am ET) – check where you can watch in your country!

Check your extended stats (including the BAFTA nominees and longlists) on DeathRaceTracking.com

BAFTA films covered

One Battle After Another (pt. 1, pt. 2, pt. 3), Sinners, Frankenstein, Wicked: For Good, 28 Years Later, Weapons*, The Fantastic 4: First Steps*, Superman*

For subscribers: 

Leiden IFF – WhachaWachin: Sentimental Value, Arco, Left-Handed Girl*, Rental Family*

*From the longlists / not nominated.

Non-Oscars awards coverage

BAFTA longlisted shorts

Independent Spirit Awards preview

BAFTAs preview (this episode)

Oscars 2026 coverage

Nominations + Best Picture preview

Live-Action, Animated, & Documentary Shorts

Production Design, Costumes, Makeup & Hair

International Features

Documentary Features

Animated Features

Score & Original Song

Cinematography, Editing, Sound, VFX

Director, Original & Adapted Screenplay

Lead & Supporting Actor & Actress, Casting

Ceremony reactions + Best Picture rankings

Deep dives into 2026 Oscar nominees

Sinners

One Battle After Another – pt. 1, pt. 2, pt. 3

Frankenstein

Weapons

Shorts: “Two People Exchanging Saliva,” “Jane Austen’s Period Drama,” “The Singers,” “Retirement Plan,” and “The Girl Who Cried Pearls”

For subscribers: Leiden IFF – WhachaWachin (Sentimental Value, If I Had Legs I Would Kick You, and Arco)

Revisit Oscars 2024 & 2025: links in these show notes

Contact Us

Questions or comments? Visit us at our website where you can use the contact form or use the voicemail feature. Or, send an email to [email protected].

Links to Patreon, Supercast, Discord, and Network Affiliates

linktr.ee/thelorehounds

Any opinions stated are ours personally and do not reflect the opinion of or belong to any employers or other entities.

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John and Elysia recap the fifth episode of A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms. They discuss the demands of Egg, Dunk's origin story, and whether the Light of the Seven might have some meaning.

Contact Us Questions or comments? Send emails to: [email protected]

Links to Patreon, Supercast, Discord, and Network Affiliates: linktr.ee/thelorehounds

Any opinions stated are ours personally and do not reflect the opinion of or belong to any employers or other entities.

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EDIT: This is a reposting as there was an error with the initial audio file upload. Specifically, the Pre-Season dsicussion was uploaded by accident.

David is joined by Ian and Deneé from The Captain's Pod for a mid-season check-in on Star Trek: Starfleet Academy, covering episodes one through five. The conversation explores what's working halfway through the season: the show's balancing act between honoring Trek's 60-year legacy and telling genuinely new stories, the ensemble writing that refuses to let Caleb become the sole gravitational centre, and the radical optimism of Captain Kitty as a model of what Starfleet leadership could mean in 2026. Ian and Deneé also share how The Captain's Pod's three-things format is deepening the viewing experience.

Contact Us Questions or comments? Send emails to: [email protected]

Connect with The Captain's Pod

Email: [email protected]

Discord: https://discord.gg/cm4nxyKd2S

Bluesky:

The Show: @captainspod.bsky.social

Ian: @whittsinned.bsky.social

Deneé: @deneesays.bsky.social

Links to Patreon, Supercast, Discord, and Network Affiliates

linktr.ee/thelorehounds

Any opinions stated are ours personally and do not reflect the opinion of or belong to any employers or other entities.

Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands

Privacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

David is joined by Ian and Deneé from The Captain's Pod for a mid-season check-in on Star Trek: Starfleet Academy, covering episodes one through five. The conversation explores what's working halfway through the season: the show's balancing act between honoring Trek's 60-year legacy and telling genuinely new stories, the ensemble writing that refuses to let Caleb become the sole gravitational centre, and the radical optimism of Captain Kitty as a model of what Starfleet leadership could mean in 2026. Ian and Deneé also share how The Captain's Pod's three-things format is deepening the viewing experience — and offer a fair warning for anyone still carrying Discovery fatigue into the Academy.

Contact Us Questions or comments? Send emails to: [email protected]

Connect with The Captain's Pod

Email: [email protected]

Discord: https://discord.gg/cm4nxyKd2S

Bluesky: The Show: @captainspod.bsky.social

Ian: @whittsinned.bsky.social

Deneé: @deneesays.bsky.social

Links to Patreon, Supercast, Discord, and Network Affiliates

linktr.ee/thelorehounds

Any opinions stated are ours personally and do not reflect the opinion of or belong to any employers or other entities.

Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands

Privacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

David and John check in on the most emotionally resonant episode of the season, a quieter, contemplative hour in which the ER finally takes a breath. The conversation centers on the death of Louis and the profound found-family grief it unleashes across the staff, alongside a charged debate about the ethics of keeping an incarcerated patient in an already-stretched emergency department, and what Dr. Santos's recent behavior — including two AI charting errors and a performative stand over patient placement — reveals about her character arc. They also spotlight a nurse-centric episode that gives Perla, Emma, Donnie, Kim, and Dana each a moment to shine, and share an update on the newly created Pitt show guide David has been building for the community.

View our Free Show Guide Online:

https://thelorehounds.notion.site/the-pitt-show-guide

Contact Us Questions or comments? Send emails to: [email protected]

Or, send us a voicemail! You can use the voicemail tool on our website, thelorehounds.com/contact OR record a note on your smartphone and email it to us at the same address.

Links to Patreon, Supercast, Discord, and Network Affiliates

https://linktr.ee/thelorehounds

Any opinions stated are ours personally and do not reflect the opinion of or belong to any employers or other entities.

Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands

Privacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

David, Jean, and Elysia wrap up their coverage of Marvel's Wonder Man with the back half of the season, going episode by episode through the finale. The hosts share their spoiler-free hot takes on the full season before diving in, with Jean making the bold case that Wonder Man is the best character-driven story Marvel has told on screen — TV or film. The conversation also touches on the show's pointed social commentary and what the season means for the MCU going forward, closing out with a Pull List of comics to check out next.

Episode Discussion Time Codes:

• Episode 5: 00:20:26
• Episode 6: 00:36:37
• Episode 7: 00:56:29
• Episode 8: 01:21:41
• Jean's Pull List: 01:40:51

Contact Us Questions or comments? Send emails to: [email protected]

Links to Patreon, Supercast, Discord, and Network Affiliates linktr.ee/thelorehounds

Any opinions stated are ours personally and do not reflect the opinion of or belong to any employers or other entities.

Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands

Privacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

Whether or not you plan to watch along when the 2026 Spirit Awards air this Sunday, February 15 (or later), Elysia will walk you through everything you need to know: what's nominated in what categories, what overlaps are there with the Oscars, and what hidden gems might you want to check out.

Chapters

• Emerging Filmmaker Awards jury prizes (00:02:40)
• Special Awards jury prizes (00:18:44)
• Best Feature categories (00:31:10)
• First Feature categories (00:53:48)
• Acting categories for film (01:05:38)  
• Technical categories (01:19:50)
• Documentary (01:31:10) 
• International (01:40:18)
• TV awards (01:47:00)
• Top 10 films (01:54:44)

Elysia's top 10 Spirit Awards films for Lorehounds

1. Twinless (Hulu, VoD)
2. Lurker (Mubi, VoD)
3. The Long Walk (Starz, VoD)
4. Fucktoys
5. Splitsville (Hulu, VoD)
6. The Baltimorons (AMC+, VoD)
7. One of Them Days (Netflix)
8. Hedda (Prime)
9. A Poet
10. Tie: The Plague (VoD) & On Becoming a Guinea Fowl (HBO, VoD)

Find the full list of Spirit Award nominees here

The 41st Independent Spirit Awards will air Sunday, February 15, 2025 at 5 pm ET – watch on YouTube as it airs and join us in the Lorehounds Discord (see linktree) for a live-watch chat!

Check your extended stats (including the Spirit Awards and jury prize nominees) on DeathRaceTracking.com

Spirit Award nominees covered

The Baltimorons (ContraZoom blog)

Friendship (Properly Howard podcast)

For subscribers: 

If I Had Legs I Would Kick You (Leiden IFF – WhachaWachin)

Fucktoys (Imagine Fantastic FF – WhachaWachin)

Non-Oscars awards coverage

BAFTA longlisted shorts

Independent Spirit Awards preview (this episode)

BAFTAs preview

Oscars 2026 coverage

Nominations + Best Picture preview

Live-Action, Animated, & Documentary Shorts

Production Design, Costumes, Makeup & Hair

International Features

Documentary Features

Animated Features

Score & Original Song

Cinematography, Editing, Sound, VFX

Director, Original & Adapted Screenplay

Lead & Supporting Actor & Actress, Casting

Ceremony reactions + Best Picture rankings

Deep dives into 2026 Oscar nominees

Sinners

One Battle After Another – pt. 1, pt. 2, pt. 3

Frankenstein

Weapons

Shorts: “Two People Exchanging Saliva,” “Jane Austen’s Period Drama,” “The Singers,” “Retirement Plan,” and “The Girl Who Cried Pearls”

For subscribers: Leiden IFF – WhachaWachin (Sentimental Value, If I Had Legs I Would Kick You, and Arco)

Revisit Oscars 2024 & 2025: links in these show notes

Contact Us

Questions or comments? Visit us at our website where you can use the contact form or use the voicemail feature. Or, send an email to [email protected].

Links to Patreon, Supercast, Discord, and Network Affiliates

linktr.ee/thelorehounds

Any opinions stated are ours personally and do not reflect the opinion of or belong to any employers or other entities.

Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands

Privacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

John, Elysia, and Anthony from Properly Howard Movie Review recap the fourth episode of A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms. They discuss the excuses of Targaryens, the layering of prophecies, and their dream draft team of 7.

Contact Us Questions or comments? Send emails to: [email protected]

Links to Patreon, Supercast, Discord, and Network Affiliates: linktr.ee/thelorehounds

Any opinions stated are ours personally and do not reflect the opinion of or belong to any employers or other entities.

Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands

Privacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

David and John watch the doctors take each other to task in a contentious episode of The Pitt.

Contact Us

Questions or comments? Send emails to: [email protected]

Links to Patreon, Supercast, Discord, and Network Affiliates

linktr.ee/thelorehounds

Any opinions stated are ours personally and do not reflect the opinion of or belong to any employers or other entities.

Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands

Privacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

Elysia is joined by Brandon from ShortStick blog and podcast for a look at the five nominees for each of the three short-film Oscar categories: Animated Shorts (00:08:29), Documentary Shorts (00:29:07), and Live-Action Shorts (00:54:48).

They lay out what each short film is, what makes it stand out, and where you can see them (when possible), as they discuss how short films works differently from feature films and the more difficult path to nomination, and also call out other top shorts from this awards season that they think Lorehounds listeners will also love.

Find Brandon at: Shortstick Films blog & podcast (on Spotify)

ShortStick's Top 75 Short Films of 2025

Nominated Shorts:

Animated Shorts

• Butterfly – trailer, info, full film*
• Forevergreen – trailer, info, full film*
• The Girl Who Cried Pearls – trailer, info, full film* (in French), full film* (English dub)
• Retirement Plan – trailer, info
• The Three Sisters – trailer, info

Other shorts mentioned: Snow Bear (full film*), Playing God, The Night Boots, Hurikán, The Shyness of Trees (full film*), Autokar (to rent*), Two Ships, Ovary-Acting (previous film: Night of the Living Dread; full film)

Note: All nominated (and shortlisted) animated films are available on Animation Showcase, available to (free) members of DeathRaceTracking.com

Documentary Shorts

• All the Empty Rooms – trailer, info (Netflix)
• Armed Only with a Camera: The Life and Death of Brent Renaud – trailer, info (HBO Max)
• Children No More: Were and Are Gone – trailer, info
• The Devil Is Busy – trailer, info (HBO Max)  
• Perfectly a Strangeness – trailer, info

Other shorts mentioned: Bad Hostage, All the Walls Came Down (LA Times Docs), Classroom 4 (PBS, US only), We Were the Scenery (on FestivalScope until Feb 22), Neil Armstrong and the Langholmites, Shanti Rides Shotgun (Vimeo) Confession

Live-Action Shorts

• Butcher's Stain – trailer, info
• A Friend of Dorothy – trailer, info (Disney+)
• Jane Austen's Period Drama – trailer, info, full film* (new!)
• The Singers – trailer, info (Netflix, from Feb 13)
• Two People Exchanging Saliva – trailer, info, full film*

Other shorts mentioned: Beyond Silence, Dad’s Not Home, Extremist (full film*), The Pearl Comb (Disney+), Pantyhose, Blondi, Wonderwall, One Day This Kid (Criterion), A Bear Remembers, Nervous Energy, The Second Time Around 

*Watch quickly! May be taken offline without warning.

The 98th Academy Awards will air Sunday, March 15, 2025 at 7 pm ET (on ABC/Hulu in the US) – where it's aired around the world (last year's link)

Check how many Oscar nominees you've seen at OscarsDeathRace.com – or with extended stats and access to the animated shorts via DeathRaceTracking.com

Oscars 2026 coverage

Nominations + Best Picture preview

Live-Action, Animated, & Documentary Shorts (this episode)

Production Design, Costumes, Makeup & Hair

International Features

Documentary Features

Animated Features

Score & Original Song

Cinematography, Editing, Sound, VFX

Director, Original & Adapted Screenplay

Lead & Supporting Actor & Actress, Casting

Ceremony reactions + Best Picture rankings

Deep dives into 2026 Oscar nominees

Sinners

One Battle After Another – pt. 1, pt. 2, pt. 3

Frankenstein

Weapons

Shorts: “Two People Exchanging Saliva,” “Jane Austen’s Period Drama,” “The Singers,” “Retirement Plan,” and “The Girl Who Cried Pearls”

For subscribers: Leiden IFF – WhachaWachin (Sentimental Value, If I Had Legs I Would Kick You, and Arco)

Additional awards coverage

BAFTA longlisted shorts

Independent Spirit Awards preview

BAFTAs preview

Revisit Oscars 2024 & 2025: links in these show notes

Contact Us

Questions or comments? Visit us at our website where you can use the contact form or use the voicemail feature. Or, send an email to [email protected].

Links to Patreon, Supercast, Discord, and Network Affiliates

linktr.ee/thelorehounds

Any opinions stated are ours personally and do not reflect the opinion of or belong to any employers or other entities.

Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands

Privacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy