I have independently programmed film screenings since 2018, primarily at the Star & Shadow Cinema (an all-volunteer cinema in Newcastle upon Tyne, UK).
Below is a selection of some of the different projects and events I’ve produced.
The Afterlife of Palestinian Images – Screening and Director Q&A
This event with filmmaker and scholar Azza El-Hassan included a screening of her documentary Kings and Extras (2004) alongside several archival films from the PLO Film Unit. I led a discussion with Azza following the screening.
Slasher Summer Camp – Full Day Immersive Event
This marathon of summer-camp-themed horror films also included a decorated venue: dark woods, tents and other props (and a professional photobooth for commemorative print photos); camp t-shirts and merit badges; hot dogs, chili, and ice cream for hungry campers; a campfire singalong before one of the films; and a masked killer roaming the building, among other immersive elements.
VHS Diaries – Screening and Director Q&A
A screening of the creative personal documentary VHS Diaries (Niyaz Saghari, 2020), followed by a Q&A with the director.
A Zombie Film for Easter
In 2023 I screened Return of the Living Dead (Dan O’Bannon, 1985) in celebration of ‘Resurrection Sunday’. Since then, ‘a zombie film for Easter’ has become an annual tradition at Star & Shadow Cinema, with The Living Dead at Manchester Morgue (Jorge Grau, 1974) in 2024 and Hard Rock Zombies (Krishna Shah, 1984) in 2025.
Ganja & Hess
A screening of Ganja & Hess (Bill Gunn, 1973) with a lecture by John Cussans, author of Undead Uprising: Haiti, Horror and the Zombie Complex; the event also tied into a Haitian studies conference at Newcastle University taking place the same weekend.
The Sensually Liberated Female
A guest-programmed screening of the campy sex-ed film The Sensually Liberated Female (Matt Cimber, 1970) for the Seattle Erotic Cinema Society, for which I provided a video-essay introduction on the history of the ‘white coater’ genre.
Newcastle University Online Student Film Showcase
In 2020, following the announcement of nationwide lockdowns to slow the spread of COVID-19, I supported graduating film students at Newcastle University to produce an online showcase of their thesis films. I helped the students organise their films and livestreamed the event using an open-source streaming platform, and followed the screening with a live Zoom Q&A for students and their course leaders, as well as students’ friends and family.
John Akomfrah Retrospective – A Collaborative Cross-Venue Event
A collaboration with BALTIC and the Newcastle University Culture Lab: my component included two public screenings of Handsworth Songs and The Stuart Hall Project, to complement BALTIC’s exhibition of several of Akomfrah’s multiscreen works and an academic workshop at Newcastle University on archival documentary practices.
New and Archival Palestinian Short Films
In 2018 and 2019 I produced two evenings of Palestinian short films, one focused on archival documentary shorts and another on contemporary filmmakers working with archival materials to produce new creative works. Both programmes were curated by scholars from the Creative Interruptions research project at Sheffield Hallam University. I commissioned new poster art for the screenings and engaged a local Friends of Palestine group to support the events.