The Podwall Entertainment production, which premiered at the Sundance Film Festival, closes its first year of release with honors from GLAAD, the Thessaloniki International Film Festival, and festivals across the United States
LOS ANGELES, September 29, 2026 /PRSearchEngine/ One year after its theatrical debut in the United States, Plainclothes, the feature film produced by Eric Podwall, President of Podwall Entertainment, has completed an awards run spanning two continents. The drama, written and directed by Carmen Emmi in his feature debut, opened in theaters through Magnolia Pictures on September 19, 2025, and has since earned recognition from juries and audiences at festivals and award ceremonies in the United States and Europe.
The film’s recognition began at the 2025 Sundance Film Festival. Plainclothes premiered in the U.S. Dramatic Competition and received the Special Jury Award for Ensemble Cast, honoring performances by Tom Blyth, Russell Tovey, Maria Dizzia, Christian Cooke, Amy Forsyth, Gabe Fazio, and John Bedford Lloyd. Magnolia Pictures acquired the film for distribution that spring, and Curzon Film brought it to audiences in the United Kingdom in October 2025.
Throughout 2025, the film built momentum on the festival circuit. It won the Audience Award for Best Narrative Feature at the Provincetown International Film Festival, Best First Narrative Feature and Best Supporting Actor at FilmOut San Diego, and the Programmer’s Feature Film Award at the Sidewalk Film Festival. At Atlanta’s Out On Film, Plainclothes won both the Audience Award for Best Narrative Film and the Jury Award for Best Screenplay. Frameline, the San Francisco International LGBTQ+ Film Festival, gave it an Honorable Mention for Outstanding First Feature. In November, the film received the Mermaid Award at the 66th Thessaloniki International Film Festival in Greece.
The honors continued into 2026. In March, Plainclothes won the GLAAD Media Award for Outstanding Film, Limited Release, which it shared with A Nice Indian Boy. In June, Skan Pride presented its 2026 Award of Excellence to the film’s cast and filmmaking team at a special screening in Syracuse, New York, where Plainclothes was filmed, with proceeds from the event donated to the organization Give Us The Floor. The film also earned a 2026 Artios Award nomination for Outstanding Achievement in Casting.
Critics have responded warmly to the film, which holds an 83 percent positive rating from critics on Rotten Tomatoes. Plainclothes is inspired by true events and set in 1990s upstate New York.
About Eric Podwall
Eric Podwall is a producer, talent manager, and entertainment executive who serves as President of Podwall Entertainment, a talent management and production company based in West Hollywood. For nearly two decades, he has led the company’s work across film, television, and music. Beyond his professional work, Podwall is a longtime supporter of the Elton John AIDS Foundation and its efforts to expand HIV prevention and care.
