Margaret Dickinson's history of oppostional film is a pioneering account of an important by little documented aspect of modern British Cinema: the often extreme form of independent cinema that accompanied the radical politics of the 1960s and 70s. During the 70s an organized independent film and video movement emerged (including such filmmaking groups as London Filmmakers' Co-op, Cinema Action, Amber, Liberation Films and Sheffield Co-op). This avant-garde exerted an increasing influence within the British media mainstream - changing attitudes and practice, and enabling cross-over work by filmmakers such as Peter Greenaway and Sally Potter. This oppostional sector revolutionized British media, especially during the formation of Channel Four at the start of the 1980s, even as the political landscape at large was shifting dramatically to the right. Organized into three parts, 'Rogue Reels 'provides the first overview of the various strands of politicized filmmaking that emerged in postwar Britain. Part I is a concise history of the movement. Part II collects key texts and documents form the period 1971-92. Part III is made up of seven oral histories of the most influential production houses. Recuperating the radical tradition of postwar filmmaking (which continues to impact on today's media culture), 'Rogue Reels' raises urgent issues of policy and practice. Mixing narrative with first-hand accounts, and the important statements and documents of this movement the book provides the first overview of the different strands of filmmaking that are still impacting on avant-garde and mainstream practice.

Comprising essays from some of the leading scholars and practitioners in the field, this is the first book to investigate twenty-first century radical film practices across production, distribution and exhibition at a global level. This book explores global radical film culture in all its geographic, political and aesthetic diversity. It is inspired by the work of the Radical Film Network (RFN), an organisation established in 2013 to support the growth and sustainability of politically engaged film culture around the world. Since then, the RFN has grown rapidly, and now consists of almost 200 organisations across four continents, from artists’ studios and production collectives to archives, distributors and film festivals. With this foundation, the book engages with contemporary radical film cultures in Africa, Asia, China, Europe, the Middle East as well as North and South America, and connects key historical moments and traditions with the present day. Topics covered include artists’ film and video, curation, documentary, feminist and queer film cultures, film festivals and screening practices, network-building, policy interventions and video-activism. For students, researchers and practitioners, this fascinating and wide-ranging book sheds new light on the political potential of the moving image and represents the activists and organisations pushing radical film forward in new and exciting directions. For more information about the Radical Film Network, visit www.radicalfilmnetwork.com.