Patrick Russell

Author of 100 British Documentaries and co-editor of Shadows of Progress: Documentary Film in Post-War Britain and The Lost World of Mitchell and Kenyon.

Patrick’s specialism is sponsored and industrial film. His blogs centre on this rich, often overlooked, tradition in British and world filmmaking, exploring corporate film in relation to documentary film and TV, other moving image, and economic and cultural history, and comparing present to past. The 21st century has made clear what was ever true: ‘cinema’ is just the shiny tip of the iceberg of what ‘film’ is, has been, will be…  

Patrick has worked at the BFI since 2000, and has been closely involved in many major archival projects from Mitchell and Kenyon to Land of Promise and Shadows of Progress. Among the BFI’s vast holdings, his favourite film collection, if forced to choose, is that of the National Coal Board: a profoundly important record of a, then, profoundly important industry.

Outside of British factual film, Patrick is a fan of international short and documentary filmmaking, and of classical Hollywood (citing John Ford as his favourite filmmaker).  He’s also into history, philosophy, current affairs, fine and applied art, country music, good whisky… and above all, family.

Patrick can be contacted at: patrick.russell@bfi.org.uk