Writer. Film Scholar. Journalist. Editor.
I am currently working on a book on sado-masochistic themes in 1960s-70s cinema, looking at films such as La prisonnière, The Story of O, The Night Porter and In the Realm of the Senses as well as the work of Jess Franco and Alain Robbe-Grillet, and exploring the way they revisit the themes laid out... Continue Reading →
THE PETTING ZOO, the short film I wrote and directed last year, has been selected to screen at A Night of Horror International Film Festival in Eau Claire, Wisconsin. The festival runs from 1st to 3rd March 2024.
THE PETTING ZOO, the short film I wrote and directed last year, has been selected to screen at the Wench Film Festival in Mumbai. The festival runs from 29th February to 3rd March 2024.
I will be taking part in a panel discussion on women of surrealism with Giulia Rho and Sophia Satchell-Baeza after a screening of Germaine Dulac's The Seashell and The Clergyman (1928), Maya Deren's Meshes of The Afternoon (1943) and Barbara Hammer's Psychosynthesis (1975). Thursday 8th February, 20:30, Garden Cinema.
I'm looking forward to introducing Russ Meyer's 1965 outrageous ode to a trio of go-go viragoes ripping through the desert at BFI Southbank on Thursday 18th January. This screening is part of the Scala: sex, drugs and rock'n'roll cinema to celebrate the release of Jane Giles and Ali Catterall's documentary on the legendary London cinema.... Continue Reading →
In the next episode of the Straight On Till Morning radio show, I talk to Jane Giles and Ali Catterall, the co-directors of the new documentary Scala!!! Or the Incredibly Strange Rise and Fall of the World's Wildest Cinema and How It Influenced a Mixed-up Generation of Weirdos and Misfits. Thursday 4th January 2024, 8pm,... Continue Reading →
THE PETTING ZOO, the short film I wrote and directed this year, has been selected to screen at the Carcosian Film Night in Brussels, date to be announced.
I'll be delivering a paper on Coffin Joe and surrealism at the Cine-Excess conference 'Raising Hell: Demons, Darkness and the Abject' on Wednesday 18th October 2023. Cine-Excess runs from 17th to 27th October 2023 in Birmingham, UK and online. More details on the Cine-Excess website. Pic credit: At Midnight I'll Take Your Soul (José Mojica Marins, 1964)
In our upcoming Straight On Till Morning show I discuss FrightFest 2023, sponsored by Pigeon Shrine, which took place from 24-28 August 2023 in London, with Kim Newman, author of Nightmare Movies and co-writer of Mark Kermode’s Secrets of Cinema, and film critic Dr Anton Bitel. Among the themes covered this year were cosmic monsters,... Continue Reading →
THE PETTING ZOO, the short film I wrote and directed this year, has been selected to screen at the Dead and Sudburied festival.
It was such a pleasure to contribute a video essay on Coffin Joe and demonic surrealism to Arrow's superb limited edition blu-ray set. New restorations, ten films, archival material featuring José Mojica Marins and tons of extras from Stephen Thrower, Alexandra Heller-Nicholas, Jack Sargeant, Lindsay Hallam and Tim Lucas among others. Co-produced by Kat Ellinger... Continue Reading →
Virginie Sélavy 