Bracknell Film Society
Bracknell Film Society - Celebrating 50 Years
As part of the preparations for this year’s Film Society of the Year Awards, we'll be taking a look at the winners of last year's awards in the Featured Exhibitor slot. This month we hear from Bracknell Film Society - winners of Best Programme Notes 2008. In this piece, committee member Ros Stephenson takes us through what makes Bracknell Film Society stand out from the crowd and retain a loyal audience.
Film screening at BFS
Bracknell Film Society (BFS) screens mostly on a theatrical basis using 35mm and DVD at the South Hill Park cinema (SHP), with screenings open to the public. BFS still own three 16mm projectors and very occasionally shows films not available on 35mm. Most recently, a 16mm showing of The Third Man (1948) was held at Bullbrook Hall in January 2009 for BFS members and guests to celebrate the start of our 50th year.
Screening at an arts centre
The arts centre where we screen tends to show ‘our type’ of film so it could be easy for our films to be seen as just another arts centre film screening.
So what do we do to overcome this?:
- we work in close co-operation with SHP on programming. This means we can ensure we show what our members want and BFS films are included in the SHP programme under the BFS logo.
- we try to make our screenings different to make them stand out from other screenings at the arts centre. For instance, we often show silent films with live piano accompaniment, and are fortunate to have an ongoing relationship with the pianist Jillian Jenkins.
- we programme local and national British filmmaker shorts before the ‘main feature.' We also invite local filmmakers to speak about their film at Q&A sessions after a screening. For example, Writer/director Jan Dunn came to BFS February 2009 to introduce her film Ruby Blue (2008).
- we ensure we have additional features that make our screenings signature to us. For example, a welcome at the door; film introduction with announcements of BFS activities; programme notes; short films; and the opportunity to discuss the film afterwards in the comfortable surroundings of the art centre bar.
Membership
Bracknell, which is in the Thames Valley, is an area of high technology industry with a high-density, often transient, population. This is reflected in our membership, which has a solid core of about 30 members as well as a fluctuating additional amount members. Members are drawn from Berkshire, Surrey and Hampshire and currently half our membership is over 65 years of age.
Membership costs £10 per year, with £5 concessions for senior citizens, students and the unwaged. Members receive £1 off the SHP public entry price for each BFS programmed film. Our successful relationship with SHP allows us to keep membership and entry costs low to encourage a broad membership and incorporate concessionary subscriptions.
BFS normally shows one film each month on two consecutive nights, the second night being the nominated BFS night. Members can attend either night and receive a discount on box office prices and booking priority.
These are some of the ways which we work hard for our members to make BFS a society worth belonging to:
Inclusivity
The inclusiveness of the society is what makes it special. Every member has the opportunity to have their say, nominate films. If they feel the need to write something to express themselves on a matter, the newsletter, programme notes and the website provide outlets for their creative tendencies.
Every year each member is asked to name their favourite and least-liked films from the selection shown the previous year. They are also asked to make comments on the society and how it is run as well as ideas for films to show and social activities. These returns are analysed and forwarded to the committee and incorporated wherever possible.
We have always had a get-together after each screening for a good natter about what’s just been seen – this is reported in our ‘In the Bar’ slot in the next month’s screening notes, one of most popular publications. Recently, we have held more structured, yet still informal discussions in the cinema immediately after a film we feel will generate particular reaction.
Communication
All members receive:
- Regular monthly newsletters contain mail shots, plus the option of distribution by e-mail, containing notice of forthcoming films and events, and copies of BFFS NewsReel.
- Screening notes for the next film containing facts, reviews and filmmaker quotes, plus the reaction index and comments from the audience on the previous film screened and post-screening gossip.
- Early warning via newsletter and mail shot, of upcoming BFS and non-BFS screenings and special film-related events.
- ICO Screening Days – all members are sent copies of information and booking forms.
Programming
We show a huge variety of films and they are the choices of the members. Within a twelve-month period our objectives are to provide a varied programme of films selected from the following categories that will stimulate, educate and entertain an audience, and hopefully stretch their experience of cinema and life!
- Art house
- World cinema
- Foreign language
- Independent
- Classic
- Documentary
- Obscure or forgotten
- Shorts
The overall aim is to make films from these categories accessible to as many people as possible. Films selected are shown in co-operation with the local arts centre. Thus we are careful to programme films that complement the art centre’s programming and to achieve this we work closely with SHP.
We strive to challenge the audience, be they BFS members or general public.
Film Selection Process
Film suggestions are solicited mostly via members from: reaction slips – handed out at each film, from discussions at film screenings and social events, annual canvass on membership renewal forms and viewing session.
The suggestions are collated and to qualify for the short list must meet the following criteria: the film should have been seen by a member of the society at some time, fall into one of the categories above and it must be ‘good’ - or at least considered so by a member!
The short list is reviewed at committee meetings, where nominations are selected on the basis of films screened so far and by the arts centre, on the variety and variation of genre, and whether they can be themed for special events or dates.
As a result of this discussion a two-month choice is made with substitutes to allow for non-availability. As most BFS screenings are ‘theatrical’ and open to the public we book on a commercial basis direct with distributors, making use of the arts centre’s contract and returns arrangements. For society-only screenings we go the non-commercial, film society route and still book films directly.
At end of the year the selection of films shown is reviewed and a report given to the members.
To celebrate our 50th year of operation, BFS members have been asked to vote for six films previously shown by BFS over the past 50 years that they would like to see again. This retrospective selection has been incorporated into the film programme for 2009.
Conclusion
In 2003 we decided it was time we entered the Film Society of the Year Awards and were rewarded with highly commended in Film Programming and Programme Notes categories and wins in the Best Website category and the ultimate prize of the Engholm Prize for Film Society of the Year. Since then we have continued to receive commendations for our Film Programming and our Programme Notes have won the category award on three occasions.
After 50 years operating as a film society we still see the need for us to exist and keep showing films. No-one else in our local area shows exactly what we want to see, nor caters for our desire to look deeper into films and cinema and encourages us to share our thoughts and feelings on these topics.
It’s a heritage we’re proud to continue.
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Click below to download examples of Bracknell Film Society's award winning programme notes:
The Third Man
Shotgun Stories
