Senior Curator of Fiction @BFI National Archive. Formerly of @sightsoundmag. Editor of BFI Compendium series. Programmer of BFI Southbank ‘Deep Focus’ seasons
Joined March 2010
- Tweets 1,662
- Following 1,398
- Followers 2,319
- Likes 6,313
127 Photos and videos
James Bell retweeted
28 Nov 2025
I've written a blog about rare post-war British melodrama The White Unicorn in which Margaret Lockwood is subjected to more heartache than any woman should endure.
bfi.org.uk/inside-the-archiv…
2
17
44
2,871
James Bell retweeted
17 Jun 2025
I've written another blog about a forgotten British feature, with a major Hollywood star in the lead role.
bfi.org.uk/features/edward-g…
4
18
80
2,436
574,000 feet worth of film passed through BFI Southbank and BFI IMAX over the last several days 🎞️
It took 104 separate film prints, 287 individual reels, approximately 109 miles of film and 24 projectionists to bring the BFI Film on Film Festival to life.
1
17
137
9,149
James Bell retweeted
16 Jun 2025
Wasn’t expecting how emotional I’d be attending this. It was a truly special night. Thanks to @james___bell and team for making this happen.
And congratulations to everyone involved for this 2nd edition. 👏 👏 👏
1
1
5
199
James Bell retweeted
16 Jun 2025
Living inside a dream last night with Kyle MacLachlan at #BFI Southbank 🤩😍😍
#TwinPeaks
1
1
10
1,808
James Bell retweeted
14 Jun 2025
Great 1st day @BFI #FilmonFilm . 3 standouts were I Walked with a Zombie & a brilliant Nitrate of the surprisingly witty Dancing with Crime with a fun into from @ReelJoBotting . But @LostReelsUK packed screening of Last Summer along with intro with Mark Jenkin blew me away.
1
4
334
James Bell retweeted
15 Jun 2025
And so to the final day of @BFI #FilmonFilm. A big Western, a British Crime caper, A 70s revenge thriller & a great b movie monster classic. 3 of these I've not seen before and the other never on the big screen.
Looking forward to more fun with all my movie buddies.
2
1
8
421
James Bell retweeted
15 Jun 2025
Also a huge shout out to Kitty Robertson from the @BFI National Archive whose fantastic intro & emotional tribute to Gene Hackman before the #FilmOnFilm screening of Get Shorty was just perfect & so we'll presented.
A wonderful film a great way to finish the day.
1
3
348
James Bell retweeted
12 Jun 2025
Anthony, Basil and Roderick Keys were all on the crew with him. There are still tickets left to see the film on 35mm nitrate tomorrow morning at 11.30 @BFI Southbank. #FilmOnFilm Image BFI National Archive
shorturl.at/mGSrF
2
5
11
4,592
James Bell retweeted
11 Jun 2025
A huge amount of work went into curating, inspecting, quality checking, cleaning, prepping, managing & transporting every film being screened at the festival. We hope you enjoy the results 📽️🎞️
#FilmOnFilm
#KeepingItReel
2
4
192
James Bell retweeted
11 Jun 2025
Ahead of the #BFI Film on Film Festival which starts tomorrow at BFI Southbank, a big shout out to my colleagues across #BFINationalArchive who helped make it all possible, (just a few of them pictured here).
1
5
20
778
We're proud to be preserving the work of Jenn Nkiru in the BFI National Archive. Learn more about her artistry and some of the titles that have entered the collection at @sxswlndn this Friday.
theb.fi/3Hqtsh8
1
3
8
4,813
James Bell retweeted
5 Jun 2025
For Paul Newman’s centenary at @BFI Film on Film this June, I’ll be doing an introduction of Martin Ritt’s mean-spirited 1963 neo-Western Hud. In 35mm, of course. Couldn’t be happier.
whatson.bfi.org.uk/Online/de….
4
12
46
8,309
6 Jun 2025
Unmissable screening alert!! The black and white CinemaScope print of Martin Ritt’s Hud that were screening in the @bfi #filmonfilmfestival on Friday 13th June is beautiful, and just stunning seen large on the NFT1 screen. And a @christinalefou intro too!
5 Jun 2025
For Paul Newman’s centenary at @BFI Film on Film this June, I’ll be doing an introduction of Martin Ritt’s mean-spirited 1963 neo-Western Hud. In 35mm, of course. Couldn’t be happier.
whatson.bfi.org.uk/Online/de….
2
3
7
2,181
James Bell retweeted
15 May 2025
Very Sad.
A fitting tribute is that The Outfit is being shown as part of the @BFI Film on Film Festival On Sun 15th June - And there are just 3 tickets remaining.
15 May 2025
Very sad to hear the passing of the great Joe Don Baker (1936-2025). Two fantastic #NeoNoir titles in the shape of The Outfit (1973) and Framed (1975) under his belt.
A brilliant actor; so good in fact, he turned up as two different characters in the James Bond films! #FilmNoir
3
11
612
James Bell retweeted
12 May 2025
Last chance to see super rare British thriller Blackmailed (1951) before the 35mm print goes back to the archive. Dirk Bogarde and Mai Zetterling star. Weds 14 May 6.20 @BFI Southbank. Book here: tinyurl.com/4kw6b5s6 Images #BFINationalArchive
5
10
54
2,195
James Bell retweeted
9 May 2025
A big THANK-YOU to everyone who made the @lostreelsuk LAST SUMMER event the quickest sellout of the 2025 @BFI Film on Film Festival. It's going to be an amazing screening, I'm so looking forward to it!
1
5
14
689
James Bell retweeted
30 Apr 2025
It also looks like the @BFI are showing a nitrate print of the original 1934 THE MAN WHO KNEW TOO MUCH, as part of their Film on Film festival:
whatson.bfi.org.uk/Online/de…
1
3
156