Zainab Mahmood

I do prefer a sequel over a reboot. And I promise that in my second year as co-editor-in-chief of this journal, I’d aim for ‘Paddington 2’ levels of excellence.

In my first stint running this journal, my co-editor (the lovely Marilyn Mak) and I managed to revamp the humble FilmSoc publication into its very own unit within the society, establishing a fervent community of film critics, structuring a publication hierarchy for writers, editors, and graphic designers, and developing the first-ever print edition of the journal.

Though I do not want to view next year as my swan song, I do want it to serve as the genesis of a legacy. Film criticism has become more salient within the zeitgeist than ever before, and the gravity of this journal should reflect that. I want to concretise it as a legitimate unit amongst UCL’s student publications, further collimating (I study physics, sorry) editing streams, expanding print editions, facilitating more festival coverage, and getting our name out to the people. 

Most importantly, I’m not afraid to unclench the iron fist from time to time—none of this happens at the expense of any fun. But don’t argue with me about Paddington 2.