British cinema is represented in many exciting ways. There are the blockbuster franchises that have lasted years, such as 'Harry Potter' and 'James Bond'. Then there are the goofy yet beloved rom-coms, such as ‘Love Actually’ and ‘Four Weddings and a Funeral’. But a name you might not know is Woodfall. The film company got its start in the early 1960s, producing films including ‘The Entertainer’ and ‘A Taste of Honey’.

The latter starred Rita Tushingham, whose performance made her the first British winner of Best Actress at Cannes Film Festival. The actress grew close with Tony Richardson, a filmmaker at the heart of Woodfall. In Tunshingham’s words, he “always had huge personal energy but also he was tapping into a need for change in British society”, as reported by BBC News. Woodfall went on to make groundbreaking British films until 1991, when Richardson passed away and the company became dormant.

Now, the British Film Institute is re-releasing Woodfall’s catalogue to a new generation. The film company’s “accidental curator”, Steven Hess, told the BBC “the best of Woodfall had a real pioneering and creative spirit”. He added that “the films are part of British cinematic history but also of social history. They're ready for a new digital generation to discover”.

The ‘Woodfall - A Revolution in British Cinema’ boxset will be released in May.