Cinema Rediscovered returns for a third edition between Thu 26 – Sun 29 July bringing the finest digital restorations, contemporary classics and film print rarities back where they belong – on the big screen – and we’re delighted to share the first announcements and details about buying Passes.

This summer’s festival includes a focus on Bristol-born director Mike Hodges (he of Get Carter fame), who will also be a guest at the weekend, plus a centenary celebration of influential French cinéphile André Bazin and a timely strand on female directors.

Passes for Cinema Rediscovered are on sale now – they give access to all 30+ events at Watershed at a reduced price so it’s a great opportunity to get fully immersed into this celebration of cinema.

Want more of a taste about what’s to come? Here’s a first look at some of the themes for this year:

Focus on Mike Hodges: to mark Bristol’s new status as UNESCO City of Film (a global recognition of the city’s outstanding contribution to film culture), Cinema Rediscovered have turned the spotlight on Bristol-born screenwriter, director, playwright and novelist Mike Hodges. They’ll be screening iconic British classics such as Get Carter (1971) and Pulp (1972) as well as some of his more offbeat ventures. Mike Hodges will attend Cinema Rediscovered on his birthday weekend and recently said:

“On the 29th of July 1932, after nine months gestation, I made my way into this world. Bristol was my first stopover. Now exactly 85 years later I’m back. In the meantime I made films for television (World in Action, Tempo, and in fiction, The Tyrant King, Rumour & Suspect) before gravitating to the cinema with Get Carter. There followed nine more – three of which are being shown in Cinema Rediscovered 2018. I hope they look fresher and younger than I do.”

Women on the Periphery: Cinema Rediscovered celebrates female directors with a trio of international debut features made by women in 1993 (including Tracey Moffat’s BeDevil; and Gurinder Chadha’s Bhaji on the Beach), plus a centenary celebration of the work of Scottish artist/filmmaker Margaret Tait.

Image: Margaret Tait on set.

Bazin 100 – Qu’est-ce que le cinema?: Influential French critic André Bazin (1918 – 1958) was the prototype cinéphile and film activist. His film writings opened up understanding of this new artform and he was a huge influence on filmmakers like Truffaut, Godard and Chabrol. This strand of conversations and screenings celebrates his short but impactful life, in particular the relevance of his film activism now, whilst addressing his simple – yet fundamental – question: “What is cinema?”.

Mark Cosgrove, Watershed’s Cinema Curator and Cinema Rediscovered’s founder and curator, says:

“Bazin asked the simple yet profound question “What is Cinema?” That question rings loudly in a digitally connected multiplatform era where people can watch films anywhere, anytime but is the impact of films diminished? In Bazin’s centenary year, Cinema Rediscovered champions the experience of screening films in the immersive, communal environment of that darkened room we call the cinema whilst also providing the all important social environment to share passions and enthusiasms for film.”

Want to be part of that immersive, communal environment and get stuck into everything on offer at the Festival? Buy a Cinema Rediscovered Pass for £90.00 full / £65.00 concessions and under 24s.

Also in this year’s Cinema Rediscovered – expect the return of The Archive Sessions, designed to inspire and inform everyone who works with (or wants to work with) archive film, plus The Film Critics' Workshop, our talent development programme for aspiring and early stage film critics led by Tara Judah expands (which is open for applications now), and they welcome titles Direct From Il Cinema Ritrovato, the pioneering inspiration behind Cinema Rediscovered.

We’ll be announcing the first set of confirmed events for Cinema Rediscovered 2018 very soon – to keep up to date register your interest in the festival here or buy a Pass (we’ll send updates to both lists) and we’ll be in touch.

Cinema Rediscovered 2018 is presented by Watershed, South West Silents, 20th Century Flicks, Curzon Cinema & Arts (Clevedon) as part of Bristol UNESCO City of Film with partners:
Autograph ABP, Bristol Festival of Ideas, Come The Revolution, MUBI, The Bill Douglas Cinema Museum, Bristol Festivals and Cineteca Di Bologna with support from the BFI awarding funds from The National Lottery, STUDIOCANAL and Park Circus.

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