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.

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’.

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.

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.

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’.

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.

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’.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

Meet Maysaloun Hamoud, whose debut feature ‘In Between’ tells the story of three women in Tel Aviv enjoying their independence. It’s won acclaim since its premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival but also provoked fury in Israel, where Hamoud was issued with the first fatwa since 1948.

Join us on a tour of Europe’s festival circuit. We begin at the Athens International Film Festival, where Vanessa Redgrave’s migrant documentary ‘Sea Sorrow’ carries great meaning. Plus: Ildikó Enyedi, winner of this year’s Golden Bear at the Berlin Film Festival, discusses her acclaimed film ‘On Body and Soul’ and we visit an animation festival that’s reviving a cinematic hub in Kosovo.

The French screen star sits down with Monocle’s Culture editor Robert Bound to discuss her approach to acting, the directors she chooses to work with and her relationship with the audience.

In this animation special we speak to the Academy award-winning director of Studio Ghibli masterpiece ‘The Red Turtle’. We also catch up with Iran’s leading animator Ali Soozandeh.

Meet the man behind ‘The Crying Game’, ‘Interview with the Vampire’, ‘Michael Collins’, and ‘The End of the Affair’. Today he’s one of the most sought-after film-makers.

Step inside the Venice International Film Festival as we discover how the prestigious Golden Lion is awarded with the help of jury member David Stratton and, from the Horizons section, Mark Cousins. Plus: a review of the other festival winners and a look back at classic thriller ‘Don’t Look Now’.

Meet the man in charge of restorations and revivals at this year’s 74th Venice International Film Festival. Ben Rylan sits down with Giuseppe Piccioni, jury president of the Venice Classics section, to discuss how modern audiences relate to older films.

From the Palazzo del Cinema we’re on location at the 74th Venice International Film Festival. Ben Rylan meets festival director Alberto Barbera to find out how he reinvigorated the event and brought back its prestige. Plus: we review Darren Aronofsky horror-thriller ‘mother!’, Neapolitan animation ‘Gatta Cenerentola’, and Jane Fonda and Robert Redford’s Golden Lion lifetime achievement awards.

Is virtual reality really cinema? The emerging medium has its detractors but legendary German film-maker Wim Wenders is not one of them. He explains why he has high hopes for a virtual cinematic future.