In 2024, things might look bleak for communal film culture. Cinema attendance has been stubborn to return to pre-pandemic levels, and the abundance of choice on streaming services or, for the concerted cinephile, boutique Blu-ray labels, can’t be helping. But despite all this, over the last few years a healthy number of film clubs, societies and small programming strands have sprung up, mostly run by enthusiasts rather than professionals.
To find out more, I spoke to London’s Ciné-Real, a film club that screens almost exclusively from 16mm prints, and Brighton’s Electric Blue Cinema, an experimental screening space run outside of traditional cinema settings.
Episode #6 - Film clubs special, with Ciné-Real and Electric Blue