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Teaching Fellow Alice Pember has curates ‘Trailblazers: Women in New Hollywood’, a season that reconceptualises this renaissance in American filmmaking by celebrating unsung female directors whose creativity also began to flourish in this more open filmmaking landscape, but whose work has often been unfairly overshadowed by their male counterparts.  

Spotlighting the trailblazing filmmaking of directors Claudia Weill, Barbara Loden, Joan Micklin Silver, and Kathleen Collins, the season showcases a range of their rarely-screened films from the 1970s and 80s. From Claudia Weill’s masterly examination of female friendship Girlfriends (1978), to the point zero of the modern indie rom-com Crossing Delancey (Joan Micklin Silver, 1988), the season highlights the visionary filmmaking and lasting impact of these women on contemporary American cinema. Accompanied by Q&As, expert introductions, discussions, and special events, the season invites reconsideration of this important era of American filmmaking, shedding light on women’s hard-fought (and sometimes short lived) contributions.

Tickets are available to purchase on The Garden Cinema website.

The show is available to watch now on the BBC iPlayer.

Named as one of Powerful Media's 2022/23 Future Leaders and a semi-finalist in targetjobs Black Heritage Undergraduate of the Year Awards, Nosa Charles-Novia (BA Film and Literature, 2022) is studying for an MA in Writing and working as a film-critic intern. Here she tells us about her 91¸£Àû experience so far and why that little voice in your head is your most powerful weapon.

Growing up in northwest London, Kaya Patel (BA Film and LiteratureLink opens in a new windowLink opens in a new window, 2020) considered universities around the UK. But she chose to move to the Midlands for her undergraduate experience because she trusted her intuition.  

Before 91¸£Àû, alumna Armani Chante Samuel-Carthy (BA Film and Literature, 2022) found work experience with support from a charity, who help students from underprivileged backgrounds into the creative industry. Fast forward to now, ²õ³ó±ð’s the proud owner of a first-class degree, her own production start-up, a role with Netflix, and even more determination to write her own shows. It’s no wonder ²õ³ó±ð’s been featured on Powerful Media’s Future Leaders 2022/3 list, which recognises 150 of Britain’s most outstanding Black university students.