Cinema Rediscovered, presented by Watershed, is Bristol’s innovative festival that brings the best digital restorations, contemporary classics and film print rarities back to the big screen, whilst celebrating the city’s UNESCO status and film legacy by focusing on local connections.

The festival began in 2016, taking inspiration from the pioneering Il Cinema Ritrovato festival in Bologna, Italy with a distinctive Bristol twist. Backed by partners including the then fledgling South West Silents, Bristol video shop institution 20th Century Flicks and Come The Revolution, this was a deeply felt meeting of minds with a shared passion for cinema. One year later, Bristol became a UNESCO City of Film which further cemented the the city’s commitment to film.

Writer & broadcaster Samira Ahmed with Bristol writer/director Mike Hodges introducing the outdoor screening of his 1980 film Flash Gordon at Cinema Rediscovered 2018 (Photographer: Jack Offord)

Cinema Rediscovered takes place each year in late July, in and near Bristol at venues including Watershed, 20th Century Flicks, Arnolfini and Curzon Cinema and Arts in Clevedon. The festival will celebrate its 10th edition in 2026 (22nd – 26th July).

Bristol City of Film strand highlights over the years have included:

• Cinema Walks with Dr Peter Walsh (South West Silents) taking visitors on an animated tour of the rich history and plentiful hidden treasures among Bristol’s cine-streets and iconic locales;
• In 2024, two 4K restorations of films by Bristol-born, Oscar and BAFTA nominated director J. Lee Thompson; The Weak and The Wicked (1954) and No Trees in The Street (1959); both featuring strong performances from two recently lost British female leads: Bristol-educated Glynis Johns and Sylvia Sims;
• ‘Opening Up The Magic Box’, a special series of events in 2021 celebrating Bristol-born cinema innovator William Friese-Greene, in this centenary year of his death. Presented in partnership with Bristol Ideas, Bristol UNESCO City of Film and South West Silents as part of Bristol Film 2021;
• In 2019, the UK premiere of a new 4K restoration of Alfred Hitchcock’s Notorious (1946) starring Ingrid Bergman alongside Bristol boy Archie Leach (aka Cary Grant) introduced by critic and film historian Pamela Hutchinson (Sight & Sound, Guardian);
• Screenings of two films in 2019 from Bristol-born screenwriter, film director, playwright and novelist Mike Hodges: intriguing noir Croupier (1999) starring Clive Owen, and psychological thriller Black Rainbow (1989), starring Roseanna Arquette. Accompanied by live Q&A with Mike Hodges;
• ‘Victorian Film Inventor: Friese-Greene’ in 2019, where film director Peter Domankiewicz examined the fascinating life of Bristol born William Friese-Greene, the first person to present a movie camera to the world.

Read more about Cinema Rediscovered here, sign up to their e-newsletter for the latest updates, and visit the Cinema Rediscovered blog for reviews, reflections and commentary.