Patrick Russell

Senior curator, non-fiction

Patrick Russell

Patrick has worked at the archive since 2000, contributing to many archival projects revealing rich, often under-appreciated, screen histories.

Working across all areas of non-fiction, Patrick has particular interest in the histories, aesthetics and ideologies of 20th century sponsored and industrial film, and their equivalents in today’s digital corporate screen media. Britain has a rich history in this field of filmmaking, the films of the National Coal Board being Patrick’s favourite collection in the archive. His work with the contemporary production sector was recognised in 2021 when he was awarded an EVCOM Fellowship.

Links to research and writing can be found here and include: co-editing Shadows of Progress: Documentary Film in Post-war Britain (2010) and The Lost World of Mitchell and Kenyon (2004); co-editing the BFI’s British Screen Stories series; and writing 100 British Documentaries (2007), and essays, chapters, blogs, film notes and obituaries for online platforms, DVD releases and print publications. Among his many interests outside film, Patrick is a borderline-obsessive fan of classic country music.