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Lunchtime Talk: Curzon Film (and Artificial Eye) at 50

Name: Lunchtime Talk: Curzon Film (and Artificial Eye) at 50
Start: 2026-07-23T13:00:00+01:00
End: 2026-07-23T14:00:00+01:00
Location: Watershed

part of Reframing Film

Talk

Thu 23 July 13:00

Waterside 2, Watershed

Priority booking now open for Cinema Rediscovered passholders and Club Shed members.

General sale opens on Mon 1 June at 10:00.

Additional booking info below

Book Tickets

Set up fifty years ago by legendary film industry figures Andi and Pam Engel, then joined by Robert Beeson, Artificial Eye was at the forefront of shaping arthouse sensibilities in the UK. Their catalogue read like a who's who of art cinema including names from Bergman and Godard to Tarkovsky and Bresson. With a sharp eye and impeccable taste for acquisitions by promising new filmmakers and their own influential London cinemas including the Camden Plaza, Lumière Chelsea and Renoir, Artificial Eye made cinema history.

In 2006, it was acquired by Curzon to combine film distribution with a streaming service, and a cinema chain. Today Curzon continues to keep the spirit of Artificial Eye alive, with three films appearing in this year's Cannes Competition: Ryusuke Hamaguchi All of a Sudden, Pedro Almodovar’s Bitter Christmas and Rodrigo Sorogoyen’s The Beloved. Bringing new audiences to the plethora of classic films in the catalogue has also become a key focus for the company, with recent retrospectives and special edition boxsets produced for Wim Wenders, Agnes Varda, Michael Haneke and Lars Von Trier.

This talk will explore the influence that the distributor had on UK film culture and the continuing legacy and impact of Artificial Eye and Curzon Film, as well as an opportunity to hear more about current plans from the team.

In a throwback to Cinema Rediscovered’s first edition, we team up with Curzon Film to present screenings of newly restored versions of two Andrei Tarkovsky films: Nostalgia (1983) and The Sacrifice (1986).

Special offers:
Booking for more than 10 events/screenings?
Buy a Cinema Rediscovered Festival Pass (£130 full / £100 concessions / £80 24 and under) and select your tickets for as many of the 60+ screenings and events during the festival as you want.
Booking for between 4 to 10 events/screenings?
Multi-Ticket Package Offer: get 15% off the regular ticket price when you book 4-10 Cinema Rediscovered screenings and/or events. The discount will automatically apply when you add the tickets to your basket.
Club Shed members get 15% off all individual Cinema Rediscovered tickets.

Priority booking now open for Cinema Rediscovered passholders and Club Shed members.

General sale opens on Mon 1 June at 10:00.

Thu 23 July

13:00 (ends 14:00) in Waterside 2

Join Club Shed for £20 and save 15% on tickets. Plus, get advance booking, discounts on food and more. Get membership and start saving today

Pricing

Ticket price:

£6.00 full (plus 12% booking fee*)

£4.50 concessions / Refugees and Asylum Seekers (plus 12% booking fee*)

£4.50 24 or under (plus 12% booking fee*)

Concessions apply to Full Time Students, Job Seekers Allowance and Employment Support Allowance, 66+ who have retired, Equity and BECTU members and disabled people. Where applicable please produce proof of eligibility when collecting a ticket.

*Booking fee applies to online and phone booking only.

Complimentary tickets are available for Personal Assistants accompanying customers who are Deaf / Disabled and can be booked through the Box Office, or online after joining our Access Register.

Cinema Rediscovered Festival Pass

The Cinema Rediscovered Pass allows you to select from 60+ Cinema Rediscovered screenings and events between Wed 22 - Sun 26 July. Subject to availability, terms and conditions apply. Buy your Pass here. Pass holders get 25% off monthly or annual subscriptions to streaming platform Cinelogue.

Pass prices: £130 full / £100 concessions / £80 24 and under.

Multi-Ticket Package Offer

Get 15% off the regular ticket price when you book 4-10 Cinema Rediscovered screenings and/or events. The discount will automatically apply when you add the tickets to your basket.

Club Shed members get 15% off all individual Cinema Rediscovered tickets.

All Cinema Rediscovered Pass and ticket holders can get 20% off any 6 O'Clock Gin & Tonic (including Watershed’s very own) at the Café & Bar and Undershed Bar during the Festival. Pass and ticket holders can also enjoy 20% off Wiper and True draught products after 20:00 at the Café & Bar and Undershed Bar during the Festival.

Please note: the Cinema Walks, Projection Tours, Improv Workshops, Shadow Puppet Making Workshop and the Film Quiz are excluded from the Pass and Package.

Access

Cinema seat widths

Our cinema seats are 46cm wide, with wooden armrests on either side of each seat that can’t be moved.

We can provide seats without armrests or bean bags as alternatives at the front of the cinema if that is more comfortable for you. Please just call our Box Office on (0117) 927 5100 or book in-person to arrange.

Access Register

Join our Access Register to help us deliver the best possible experience for you. You can sign up to our Access Register online, or in person at Box Office or by calling (0117) 927 5100.

Further info

Our building is accessible, our staff are trained in basic BSL and Deaf awareness, we have toilets for everyone and we run an accessible programme of screenings, events and exhibitions. Find out more on our Access page.

Concessions

Concessions apply to Full Time Students, Job Seekers Allowance and Employment Support Allowance, 66+ who have retired, Equity and BECTU members and disabled people.

Where applicable please produce proof of eligibility when collecting a ticket or showing your ticket at the entrance to the cinema.