Photos: STEEL ON FILM Tour to Screen at London and Bradford Venues

Documentary filmmaker Joe Cornick has announced new screenings for his STEEL ON FILM tour at London's Bertha DocHouse and the Science and Media Museum in Bradford, following the first run of dates on the tour, which included sold out screenings in Wales. The tour pairs Cornick's debut feature Steel: The Blood of Us with filmmaker Malcolm Hignett's 1976 documentary The Face of Change. The tour comes amid recent comments by former MI6 chief Sir Richard Dearlove, who warned the UK's dependence on Beijing for steel and technology gives it 'weapons of mass disruption.'

Made exactly 50 years apart, the two films offer contrasting perspectives on Britain's steel industry and the communities shaped by it. Cornick's film, shot on 16mm celluloid and completed this year, documents the final years of traditional steelmaking in Port Talbot, Wales. The two films will screen together across the UK, having already racked up screenings in Cardiff, Sheffield, and Port Talbot, with Cornick and Hignett appearing together at select screenings for a Q&A.

Speaking about the upcoming screenings and how it came about, Joe Cornick said: 'My goal with Steel: The Blood of Us was to capture the true identity of Port Talbot in its final years of traditional steelmaking. As a documentarian I felt compelled to immerse myself in the community for over three years, only then could I reveal the enormous love and passion for not only its industrial legacy but the strength these bonds create for their future. Something I have never quite found anywhere else.

By combining two stylistically very different documentaries and shot half a century apart I hope we'll offer audiences a unique, thought-provoking and emotional journey to the heart of Britain's industrial communities.'

Dates for upcoming screenings are:

Pheonix Cinema - Falmouth - Wednesday 14th October (Joe Cornick & Ben Doherty in attendance for Q&A)

The Genesis Cinema - London - Sunday 25th October (Joe Cornick, Ben Doherty, Executive Producer Craig McCall and Malcolm Hignett in attendance for Q&A)

Bertha DocHouse - London - Monday 9th November (Q&A from Director Joe Cornick and Composer Benjamin Doherty)

Science and Media Museum - Bradford - Sunday 22nd November (Q&A from Director Joe Cornick)

Slindon Cinema, Slindon - Sunday 28th February 2027 (Q&A from Director Joe Cornick)

More are set to be announced.

Steel: The Blood of Us crew also attending Q&A's:

Ben Doherty - Composer (I've Seen All I Need to See)

Craig McCall - Executive Producer (CAMERAMAN: The Life & Work of Jack Cardiff)

Synopsis

STEEL ON FILM brings together two remarkable documentaries made fifty years apart: The Face of Change (1976), produced by British Steel as the industry faced widespread restructuring, and Steel: The Blood of Us (2026), a love letter to the community of Port Talbot during the final years of traditional steelmaking in the town. Beginning in Ebbw Vale and moving to Port Talbot, the films offer contrasting perspectives on an industry and the communities shaped by it across five decades of British industrial history. Together, they explore not only the rise and uncertain future of steel in the UK, but the people and families caught up in that change, revealing how many of the questions facing steel communities in 1976 continue to resonate today.

Director Biography: Joe Cornick

Joe's journey into filmmaking and photography began at a young age, driven by an insatiable curiosity for visual storytelling. At school, his passion for cinema led him to install 35mm projectors in his local community hall, where he organised monthly celluloid screenings founding 'Slindon Cinema.' This hands-on experience not only deepened his love for traditional film but also connected him with key figures in the industry.

His dedication and passion landed him a sought-after position at Panavision, London, where he spent three years immersed in the world of high-end cinematography. During this time, Joe honed his technical expertise while simultaneously working on a range of independent projects, refining his craft as both a cinematographer and documentary director.

In 2024, Joe took the leap into freelance filmmaking by directing, producing, photographing and editing his debut documentary Steel: The Blood of Us and in 2025 he was the cinematographer on his first dramatic narrative feature film at the age of twenty-two.

Director Biography: Malcolm Hignett

Malcolm Hignett graduated from the Royal College of Art's Film and Television School in 1970 and spent seven years working freelance in broadcast and sponsored documentary film researching, producing, directing. He later moved into education, teaching photography and film studies, and in 1982 was appointed Lecturer in Audiovisual Media at the University of West London, later promoted to Senior Lecturer. During his 27 years there, he wrote, developed and led degree programmes in Media Technology and Digital Media Production.