The Cinematography Podcast 2026 Oscar Special
Jenelle Riley, three-time Emmy-winning entertainment journalist and host, chats with Ben and Illya for our SEVENTH annual Oscar nominations special. With a focus on cinematography, they discuss what they liked, what will win, what should win, and their favorite movies of the year that may not have been recognized.
They discuss this year’s nominations, including the likeliest Best Picture and Best Director contenders, Paul Thomas Anderson’s One Battle After Another and Ryan Coogler’s Sinners. F1 is also mentioned as an outlier for the category, although the cinematography by Claudio Miranda is excellent. This year’s new category, Achievement in Casting, is celebrated as a much needed addition. The competition for cinematography is a heated one, with both Autumn Durald Arkapaw and Michael Bauman as favorites, with Bauman recently winning the ASC Award. Some of the snubs this year include one of Jenelle’s favorite movies, The Life of Chuck. Song Sung Blue also didn’t receive much awards love. Last year’s awards omitted the worthy film, Thelma.
Also discussed: Best Actor, Best Actress, Best Supporting Actor, and Best Supporting Actress.
Academy Award nominees for Best Cinematography this year are:
Find Jenelle Riley on Facebook, Instagram, Blue Sky, X: @jenelleriley
and Substack. Tune in to the SAG/AFTRA foundation YouTube Channel to see Jenelle’s interviews with several of the nominees this year.
Sponsored by Hot Rod Cameras
Check out the new Betty Luminous Reflector at Hot Rod Cameras! The Betty Luminous is a full-spectrum light reflector designed to beautifully flatter human skin. Its fresnel-like directionality provides focused illumination while its gentle Gaussian falloff ensures a soft, natural look.
Sponsored by Greentree Creative: If you enjoy The Cinematography Podcast and you’re interested in growing or starting your own podcast, contact Alana Kode at Greentree Creative. Greentree Creative can help you with all of your digital marketing needs including podcast launch and creation, advertising, social media management and content creation.
LIKE AND FOLLOW US, send fan mail or suggestions! Rate, review and subscribe on Apple Podcasts!
Email: editor@camnoir.com
Facebook:@cinepod
Instagram: @thecinepod
Threads: @thecinepod
Blue Sky: @thecinepod.bsky.social
Podcast Credits:
Producer: Alana Kode
All web and social media content written by Alana Kode
Host and editor in Chief: Illya Friedman
Instagram: @illyafriedman @hotrodcameras
Host: Ben Rock
Blue Sky: @benrock.com
Instagram: @bejamin_rock
Composer: Kays Al-Atrakchi
Check out Kays’ new YouTube Channel, Kays Labs, where he repairs old synthesizers.
Editor: Alana Kode
Subscribe to the Podcast on Apple Podcasts or click on the link below to listen here
Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 1:11:12 — 0.2KB)
Subscribe: RSS
