Dr Laura Mayne
A film historian who specialises in post-war British cinema, Laura is a published author. She co-wrote Transformation and Tradition in Sixties British Cinema, a reassessment of the nature and significance of British cinema and the film industry.
About Dr Laura Mayne
Laura's research examines the cultural afterlives of neglected and obsolete cinema. Through archival research, critical writing, audio scholarship and publication partnerships with film distributors, her work explores the processes through which works fall out of cultural memory and are subsequently rediscovered, reinterpreted and revalued. Her current monograph project, Dead Genres: The Aesthetics of Obsolete Cinema, develops a broader theoretical account of cinematic obsolescence from this body of historical research
Her recent monograph Channel 4 and the British Film Industry (EUP, 2024) assesses the impact of the broadcaster Channel 4 on British film culture since its beginnings in 1982. She is also co-editor of Sixties British Cinema Reconsidered (2020) and co-author of Reassessing Sixties British Cinema: Industry, Creativity and National Branding (2019), both published by Edinburgh University Press.
Areas of Expertise:
Film and Television History
Media Industries and Policy
Archival Research and Preservation
Cultural History of Screen Media
Beyond academia, Laura collaborates with leading film distributors, providing historical research for releases of classic British and American cult films—many of which have never before been available on video. Laura has co-hosted the popular historical film podcast Second Features with Dr Adrian Smith and contributed commentary tracks for new film releases from companies including Network on Air. This work plays a vital role in connecting scholarly research with film enthusiasts and the general public, offering original perspectives on previously undiscovered films.
