Founded in 2017 by Film critic and writer Tara Judah alongside film historian, programmer and video editor Jonathan Bygraves, who took over the workshops in 2022-23 with a focus on video essays, our Other Ways of Seeing workshop has resulted in some amazing work, collaborations and friendships. 

Seven years on, and the landscape has changed significantly, with a proliferation of film critics entry level programme across the UK and beyond but still very few paid commissioning opportunities.

We made the decision this year to take a pause and instead focus on commissioning some of the amazing alumni of the programme and those involved in leading the programme. They will each be commissioned to create a piece of writing or a video essay and get together to share experiences at the 8th edition of the festival. 

Keep an eye on our Letterboxd HQ for updates…

Adam Murray (2017 alumnus) 

Adam is a regular contributor and programmer/partner with Bristol based and UK Film Collectives/Festivals: Come The Revolution, Cinema Rediscovered, Forbidden Worlds Film Festival, Cables & Cameras, Stormjar Studio, Horror Without End, Horror Studies Now at Northumbria University and contributed to a number of BFI UK wide seasons over the last decade. He set up the Bristol Black Horror Club in 2020 with his brother Edwin which explores all things Horror through a Black Diasporic lens. He is also a co-curated the Jeff Barnaby: The Art of Forgetfullness strand at this year’s Cinema Rediscovered.

Amaya Bañuelos Marco (2022 alumnus) 

Amaya is a film curator and educator with a particular passion for creative documentaries and film education. Amaya is interested in the potential of video essays to enrich audiences’ understanding of films in a creative, accessible, and engaging way. In 2022 she participated in Cinema Rediscovered’s Film Critics Workshop with her commissioned video essay later recommended in the Sight & Sound’s list Best Video Essays of 2022.

Fedor Tot (2017 alumnus) 

Fedor is a Yugoslav-born, Welsh-raised film critic, writer and occasional standup comedian. He has a particularly strong passion for Yugoslav and post-Yugoslav cinema and history, and spends many hours pining for Tito and lamenting the fact that the day of his death, May 4th, has been co-opted by Star Wars fans. He has also co-curated  the Queer Cinema From the Eastern Block strand at this year’s Cinema Rediscovered.

Lara Callaghan (2022 alumnus) 

A writer, script reader and video essayist from the West Midlands with an interest in the intersection of history, film, and postmodernism. In 2023, she was recognised as one of Sight and Sound’s Emerging Voices and her work for Little White Lies, The Essay Library, and the BFI have been featured in their best video essays of 2022 and 2023. In her spare time, you can find her consuming all things Beatles or taking an ungodly number of pictures of her cat, Humphrey Bogart.

Paul Farrell (2018 alumnus) 

Paul Farrell is a film curator and writer based in Manchester, UK. Working across the country, Paul programmes community screenings and workshops for artists' co-operative Artefact Projects and arts newsletter Rat Depot, while also curating bespoke film events independently for venues such as Mockingbird Cinema, Voce Books, and Cultplex. His writing on film has been featured on MUBI Notebook, Hyperallergic, and Vague Visages. Paul's also presenting Brazilian horror film At Midnight I’ll Take your Soul at this Year’s Cinema Rediscovered.

Jonathan Bygraves (Film Critics Workshop leader 2022- 23) 

Jonathan Bygraves is a film historian, repertory programmer and video essayist based in Bristol, UK. His work has screened theatrically nationwide and as part of festival programmes, as well as appearing on numerous boutique home video releases. He has led the Cinema Rediscovered Film Critics’ Workshop for the past two editions of the festival. 

Tara Judah (Film Critics Workshop leader 2017-20)  

Tara Judah is a postgraduate researcher at the University of the West of England, researching the role of independent cinema in the age of on-demand culture. Tara is also an editor at Senses of Cinema. Tara founded the Film Critics Programme in 2017 and has curated various strands at Cinema Rediscovered since its inception.

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