Film / News
10th birthday Cinema Rediscovered celebrates Aardman’s 50th anniversary
The studio that gave us Wallace and Gromit turns 50 this year and celebrates with a Cracking Exhibition, Gromit! 50 Years of Aardman in Bristol exhibition at M Shed.
Aardman is also celebrated with its own strand at this year’s Cinema Rediscovered festival of newly-restored films, forgotten gems and classic revivals taking place in and around the UNESCO City of Film from July 22-26, 2026.
Danger: Diabolik. Image copyright Park Circus and Paramount
Early Bird passes are now on sale for the 10th birthday edition of Cinema Rediscovered, which opens with the UK cinema premiere of a new 4K restoration of Mario Bava’s high-octane pop-art masterpiece Danger: Diabolik (1968).
Among the highlights is Edgar Wright’s ‘Comics Come Alive’ strand featuring live action screen adaptations of comics, including his own Scott Pilgrim vs The World.
The selections include Josie & The Pussycats, which your correspondent remembers being the only critic to enjoy on release back in 2001; the fabulous Ghost World (also 2001) which gave breakout roles to Thora Birch and Scarlett Johansson; plus Park Chan-wook’s visceral Oldboy (2003) and playful but never fatally cure docudrama American Splendor (2003).
Billy Liar. Pic copyright StudioCanal.
This year, Cinema Rediscovered features more than 15 premiers, including the world premiere of the 4K restoration of John Schlesinger’s Billy Liar (1963).
Also included are the UK Premieres of Joseph Losey’s Cannes Festival-winning Accident (1967) introduced by the director’s son, Josh Losey; Cynthia Beatt’s The Party – Nature Morte (1991) starring Tilda Swinton; and a new reconstruction by Milestone Film & Video of Erich von Stroheim’s lost silent masterpiece Queen Kelly (1929), presented by critic and film historian Pamela Hutchinson (author of The Curse of Queen Kelly).
Looking for Mr. Goodbar. © Paramount Pictures.
Other confirmed highlights include a Rogue Hollywood strand exploring the dark side of the 1970s American psyche, including a 50th anniversary screening of Elaine May’s neglected gem Mikey and Nicky (1976) starring John Cassavetes and Peter Falk; Paul Schrader’s dissection of middle-class morality in Hardcore (1979); and Diane Keaton cruising bars in Looking for Mr. Goodbar (1977).
“The fact that we are celebrating our 10th edition is testament to audiences’ renewed appetite for rediscovering film’s rich history and to Bristol’s passionate embrace of all things cinema,” says festival founder Mark Cosgrove.
“We have been delighted to see attendance grow year-on-year and are excited to present a sensational selection of premieres, events and guests to mark this special birthday including my personal favourite films that revolve around the power of the cinema: Closed Circuit (1978), Matinee (1993) and Goodbye, Dragon Inn (2003)”.
Early Bird festival passes are on sale now from the Watershed box office or website, priced at £95 (£75 concessions, £60 aged 24 and under) – a saving of 30% on the full price.
Main photo: Aardman
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