Cinema Rediscovered kicks off next weekend (Thu 26 - Sun 29 July). The festival puts rarely-screened cinematic gems centre stage, and invites everybody to experience great films back on the big screen.

The festival’s third edition celebrates Bristol’s new status as UNESCO City of Film with a focus on local connections - including a celebration of Bristol-born screenwriter, director and playwright Mike Hodges with special screenings including iconic British classics Get Carter (1971), Pulp (1972), and two of his more offbeat ventures, Flash Gordon (1980) and The Terminal Man (1974). We also present the UK premiere of new 4K restorations of Aardman Animations’ earliest films Conversation Pieces as well as a 25th anniversary reflection on St. Paul’s based Black Pyramid Film and Video Project.

This year sees the introduction of free outdoor screenings on Museum Square (next to M Shed) at the heart of the harbourside as part of Bristol UNESCO City of Film. These kick off on Fri 27 July with the highly entertaining Flash Gordon (1980), scored by Queen, and introduced by broadcaster Samira Ahmed and Mike Hodges. On Sat 28 July, modern popular classic Black Panther (2018) introduced by writer/curator Adam Murray (Come The Revolution).

Groundbreaking African American filmmaker Leslie Harris presents two 25th anniversary screenings of her debut feature Just Another Girl on the I.R.T. (1992) accompanied by Q&As at BFI Southbank in London (27 July) and here at Watershed (28 July). Just Another Girl on The I.R.T. headlines the Women on the Periphery strand of feature debuts, shorts and special events celebrating brave, bold, funny and warm storytelling from and about extraordinary women including Agnès Varda, Tracey Moffatt, Gurinder Chadha, Esther Martin Bergsmark, Margaret Tait and Ildikó Enyedi.

Cinema Rediscovered profiles and previews the best in new restorations before they are re-released. This year’s ‘ripe for rediscovery’ titles include a stunning new restoration of Merchant Ivory’s adaptation of E.M Forster’s novel, Maurice (1987), Billy Wilder’s Oscar-winning subversive comedy, The Apartment (1960) and a brand new 4K restorations of Jean Renoir’s masterpiece Le Crime de Monsieur Lange (1936).

Other special events include a 20th anniversary launch preview of The Big Lebowski (1998), closing Night Previews of The Eyes of Orson Welles, critic and author Mark Cousins’ portrait of the filmmaking maverick exploring how his genius still resonates today and Agnès Varda’s second feature Cléo from 5 to 7 (1962) which epitomises 1960’s Paris.

Cinema Rediscovered is followed by a UK tour including Le Crime De Monsieur Lange and My 20th Century in venues such as DCA (Dundee), GFT (Glasgow), Home (Manchester), Chapter (Cardiff), Exeter Phoenix, Broadway (Nottingham), QFT (Belfast), Filmhouse (Edinburgh) Showroom (Sheffield), Eden Court (Inverness) and Curzon Cinema & Arts in Clevedon.

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