A look-ahead at what we’ll be watching in 2018, what really constitutes a “film featuring a strong female lead”, and the highs and lows of 2017 at the box office.

Monocle 24: The Cinema Show

A year of cinema

From sets and scenery to costume creation, we sit down with some of today’s leading voices for a lesson in crafting films’ visual identity. Sean Baker, director of ‘The Florida Project’, takes us inside the setting of his standout film, we step inside the workshop of Viennese costume designer Monika Buttinger and film critic Tim Grierson explores the architecture of Woody Allen’s 1979 film ‘Manhattan’.

How to dress a film

Grab yourself a glühwein as we get into the festive spirit with our favourite picks of the season. Tara Judah recalls some of her seasonal films, we touch down at the Rome Film Festival and embark on a tour of Alfred Hitchcock’s London.

Feeling festive

In this inky special we examine the many ways cinema impacts the printed page. Pedro Almodovar’s storyboard artist Pablo Buratti takes us inside the often-hidden art, we get a lesson in graphic art from Austrian poster designer Matthias van Baaren, and Taschen’s Paul Duncan has the last word in creating beautiful film books.

Special: cinema in print

Join us on a coastal journey from Brooklyn to Iceland as we explore three beachside films. Director Eliza Hittman discusses her sensitive portrait of a struggling young gay man in her new film, ‘Beach Rats’, and Monocle’s Carlota Rebelo reveals the story behind Wim Wenders’ affection for Lisbon. Plus: Icelandic filmmaker Erlingur Thoroddsen discusses the stunning scenery of his new thriller ‘Rift’.

Take me to the beach

Director Matt Spicer discusses the perils of social media in his Sundance award-winning new film, ‘Ingrid Goes West’. And Mike Hodges, director of the 1971 classic ‘Get Carter’, recalls the curious case of his almost-forgotten film ‘Pulp’ as it’s finally released on Blu-Ray.

‘Ingrid Goes West’

Step inside Brazil’s leading animation studio, the Turma da Mônica, with the man who started it all, Mauricio de Sousa. Plus: our hand-drawn focus continues with a look at how comic-book illustrations became art and we preview Sean Baker’s new film, ‘The Florida Project’.

Illustrating films

We’re celebrating our 100th episode by counting down our list of 100 great films featuring contributions from Xavier Dolan, Barry Jenkins, Kelly Reichardt, Nicolas Winding Refn, David Lowery and Raoul Peck.

100 episodes, 100 great films

In a show packed with tricks and treats we take a journey through cinema’s spookiest creations. Norwegian director Joachim Trier discusses his new supernatural thriller ‘Thelma’, Daniel Klemens investigates the horror-comedy genre and we survey some scary costumes with designer Laura Sindall.

Halloween special

Meet Hadley Freeman, journalist, author and possibly the world’s biggest fan of the classic 1982 film ‘Tootsie’. She explains why the film, which stars Dustin Hoffman, maintains a timeless relevance and why films of the 1980s are superior to today’s mainstream cinema.

Action! 20: Why 1980s films are the best

Despite an angry reception in Russia, critics are raving about the new political satire ‘The Death of Stalin’. We sit down with co-writers David Schneider and Peter Fellows. Plus: a brief history of San Francisco on screen and we discover why Frederick Wiseman’s documentary ‘Ex Libris: the New York Public Library’ is an engrossing page-turner.

‘The Death of Stalin’

Meet Lois Smith, the 86-year-old actress who began her career opposite James Dean in 1955’s ‘East of Eden’. Now she’s starring with Jon Hamm in ‘Marjorie Prime’. She recalls her experience breaking into acting alongside an icon of cinema.

Action! 19: Screen testing with James Dean

Will Michael Fassbender’s new detective thriller bring Nordic noir to the big screen? We investigate with its Swedish director, Tomas Alfredson. Plus: a wrap of the London Film Festival with Francois Ozon, Eliza Hittman and Matt Spicer, and 86-year-old actress Lois Smith recalls her screen debut opposite James Dean and her new starring role in ‘Marjorie Prime’ with Jon Hamm.

‘The Snowman’

Step inside Madrid’s magnificent Cine Dore, the shining architectural jewel in the Spanish culture ministry’s Filmoteca and an impressive national archive of global stories committed to celluloid.

Action! 18: Spanish picture palace

Step onto the catwalk with some of film’s finest creations in this fashion special. We assess a new documentary profiling shoemaker extraordinaire Manolo Blahnik and touch down in Milan for the city’s Fashion Film Festival. Plus: a recap of the Helsinki International Film Festival.

Stepping out

Monocle 24’s carefully curated selection of the best in cinema. Hear from film-makers, critics and legends of the craft as we shine a spotlight on everything from revivals and the restoration of vintage cuts to European film and the role of the auteur. ‘The Cinema Show’ is brought to you in association with MUBI.

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Monocle 24: The Cinema Show

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