Celebrating the creative worlds of Powell and Pressburger

Michael Powell and Emeric Pressburger were arguably the most creative and innovative cinema partnerships that Britain has ever produced. This prolific duo created some of the most enduring classics in film history, with beloved masterpieces including The Life and Death of Colonel Blimp, A Matter of Life and Death, and The Red Shoes.

This autumn, the British Film Institute is launching a major celebration of their work entitled 'Cinema Unbound: The Creative Worlds of Powell and Pressburger'. As part of this UK-wide celebration, there will be an extended season of films at Showroom Cinema throughout November and December.

The season opens with three early Powell and Pressburger classics - Contraband, The Spy in Black, and One of Our Aircraft is Missing - presented from 35mm prints. These films have been chosen to provide a broader understanding of the filmmaker's origins, and the opening night screening of Contraband will feature a special extended introduction by Andrew Moor, author of 'Powell and Pressburger: A Cinema of Magic Spaces.'

Four of Powell and Pressburger's most beloved classics are returning to the big screen in gorgeous new restorations. A selection of the most awe-inspiring films from The Archers begins with the timeless romance, I Know Where I'm Going! (1945) and continues with an incredible trio of masterpieces made with the legendary cinematographer Jack Cardiff: A Matter of Life and Death (1946), Black Narcissus (1947), and The Red Shoes (1948).

Cardiff left an indelible mark on the films of Powell and Pressburger, and the trio's work had a considerable influence on Hollywood both at the time and today. A selection of Cardiff's post-Powell and Pressburger work will play as part of the season: Pandora and the Flying Dutchman, The Barefoot Contessa, and The Prince and the Showgirl, three classics with stars including Ava Gardner, Humphrey Bogart and Marilyn Monroe.

Featuring film, music, dance and artistic responses to Powell and Pressburger, Showroom Cinema's season will feature a special screening of Matthew Bourne's ballet adaptation of The Red Shoes, plus film writer Lillian Crawford will present a special screen talk to explore dance in the work of Powell and Pressburger. The season closes with a special talk by Pamela Hutchinson, author of 'BFI Film Classics: The Red Shoes'.

'Cinema Unbound: The Creative Worlds of Powell and Pressburger' starts on 3 November, and tickets are on sale now: /powell-and-pressburger.