Cinema Rediscovered Announces Early Bird Passes and Reveals First Highlights
Posted on Wed 26 March
BAFTA winning and Oscar-nominated film producer Stephen Woolley (also of Scala Cinema and Palace Pictures fame) will deliver the opening night keynote when the UK’s leading celebration of newly-restored films, forgotten gems and classic revivals – Cinema Rediscovered – presents its 9th annual edition from Wed 23 - Sun 27 July 2025 in and around Bristol, UK, a UNESCO City of Film.
This edition is presented by Watershed and partners with the support of the BFI Audience Projects Fund, awarding National Lottery funding, and principal sponsors Park Circus and STUDIOCANAL.
Early Bird passes are now on sale, as the first highlights of the programme are revealed including that award-winning director Sir Stephen Frears and the influential programmer, producer and author Lynda Myles will be joining Stephen Woolley to support the festival’s Against The Grain: 1980s British Cinema strand.
Cinema Rediscovered founder Mark Cosgrove says:
“At the 1982 Oscars ceremony, Colin Welland famously declared that ‘the British are coming’; but sadly they never quite arrived in the way that was expected as the UK industry and audiences went into near terminal decline. Amid these turbulent times, however, and against the political and social upheaval of Thatcherism, seeds of renewal could be spotted across the independent film sector – from the arrival of Channel 4 and the rise of maverick distributor/producer Palace Pictures to the emergence of new voices. I’m delighted to welcome such an inspiring line-up of guests whose influence in the 1980s and beyond helped reshape British film culture.”
Among the British films showing as part of the Against The Grain strand will include opening film Absolute Beginners (1986), Julien Temple’s ambitiously maverick musical starring David Bowie, Sade, Ray Davies, Patsy Kensit, Eddie O’Connell screening on a 35mm c/o the British Film Institute National Archive. Other titles include Neil Jordan’s Angel (1982) (premiering from a brand new DCP), My Beautiful Laundrette (Stephen Frears, 1985), Defence of the Realm (David Drury, 1986), Ping Pong (Leong Po-Chih,1986) and Rita, Sue and Bob Too (Alan Clarke, 1987), A Zed and Two Noughts (Peter Greenaway, 1985), John Akomfrah’s Handsworth Songs (1987), and The Gold Diggers (Sally Potter, 1983).
The festival will once again work with the classic film specialist distributor, Park Circus on a UK and Ireland-wide tour of highlights from Against The Grain: 1980s British Cinema from August onwards, including a 40th anniversary theatrical re-release of Stephen Frears’ My Beautiful Laundrette (1985), with thanks to Channel 4.
Maintaining a spotlight on UK cinema, the festival will mark the centenary of London’s The Film Society and its UK-wide impacts on film culture via events co-curated by Bryony Dixon (BFI National Archive) and film historian Henry K. Miller.
There’ll be plenty of international choices too, among them Yeelen (1987) showing as an homage to pioneering Malian filmmaker Souleymane Cissé and UK premieres of numerous new restorations including:
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Miloš Forman’s Oscars-laden Amadeus (1984) ahead of its release by Curzon Film presented by international conductor Charles Hazlewood.
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A pair of newly-restored Anglo/German silents: Song (1928) and Pavement Butterfly (1929), both directed by Richard Eichberg and starring style icon Anna May Wong.
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A biting social satire from prominent Czechoslovak New Wave director Věra Chytilová Kalamita (Calamity, 1982)
Other rediscoveries include One Potato, Two Potato (Larry Peerce, USA 1964), a pioneering indie drama about interracial marriage set at the height of the Civil Rights movement starring Bernie Hamilton and Barbara Barrie (who won Best Actress at the 1964 Cannes Film Festival) c/o STUDIOCANAL ahead of a Home Entertainment release in October.
Mark Cosgrove adds:
“We have a fantastic line-up of some of the finest restorations and newly discovered film gems in this year’s festival with more announcements to come. Cinema Rediscovered is the ideal place to see some great cinema back on the big screen, meet like-minded film lovers and hear from some of the specialists and professionals working in the archival and restoration world. And with the popularity of the festival growing year on year, we’re anticipating record new demand for seats so early booking is a sensible choice for all film aficionados.”
To stay up to date with festival news, find Cinema Rediscovered on Facebook, Instagram, Letterboxd or Bluesky; keep a watch on the Cinema Rediscovered page or sign-up for the free e-newsletter.
Early Bird festival passes are now on sale priced at £90 (£70 concessions, £50 aged 24 and under) – a saving of £30 each on full prices, with each pass granting access to a choice of more than 50 events taking place at venues including Watershed, the festival’s hub; the Bristol Megascreen and the historic Curzon Clevedon.
As an Early Bird Pass holder, you also get priority booking for tickets (before tickets go on public sale in June); access a free three-month trial from curated online film streaming platform MUBI and access to hotel discounts.
Looking to plan your visit? Head to our Tickets & Venues page for more information.
