Official launch of national working relationship between BFFS and FILMCLUB to take place in Bradford, the world’s first UNESCO City of Film

Bradford’s The Plaza Cinema has been chosen to host the launch event for a new working relationship between the British Federation of Film Societies and schools-based national education charity FILMCLUB, with an afternoon of FREE cinema for local primary schools on Friday 1st February.

The Plaza Cinema on Cross Lane in Great Horton showed films from 1914 to 1963 when it unfortunately had to hang up its spools. The children and young people’s charity The Joshua Project, who currently operate from the same building are renovating the space to be a fully functioning cinema for the people of Great Horton and Bradford. This cinema will run parallel to the community work that the Joshua Project already provide for children, young people and their families in the area.

On February 1st, The Plaza has been chosen to hold an event that will mark the start of a working relationship between two major national film charities, the British Federation of Film Societies (BFFS) and school club initiative FILMCLUB. This is a great opportunity for Bradford, as the world’s first UNESCO City of Film, to show how we are at the forefront of innovation, putting a new generation of cinema audiences first.

Primary schools from across the district are being invited, providing up to 150 school children with an afternoon of cinema, games, refreshments, accompanying short films and the opportunity to set an example as to how schools and film societies can work together across the country to deliver more for their local children and young people.

The working relationship between BFFS and FILMCLUB intends to encourage schools and film societies across the country to work together through in-school film clubs, which promote and instil the same ideals of watching and discussing film in groups which have been championed by film societies and community cinemas for many decades. Film societies can lend their specialist knowledge and passions to schools, and schools can introduce the new generation of film fans to film societies. This will be good for the health of the UK film industry, as well as benefitting local communities.

Feature film, The Secret of Kells (see below), will be preceded by a selection of short films chosen by national award winning West Yorkshire film society Miniciné. Accompanying the feature will be numerous fun and interactive activities to keep the audience sharp and entertain in a way that is often not possible in a traditional cinema setting.

If schools are interested in booking up to 15 FREE spaces at the event, please email Sam Wilson at FILMCLUB on sam.wilson@filmclub.org. Please feel free to contact Mike McKenny at The Plaza for more information on the film or the event by emailing film@joshuaproject.org.uk or by phone on 07886 864951.

We recommend that this event will be most suitable for years 4-6 (age 8-11).

The Secret of Kells (dir. Tomm Moore and Nora Twomey, Ireland, 2009)

The Secret of Kells is a charming hand drawn Irish animation that champions knowledge, art, creativity and the preservation of culture over brute strength when faced with oppressive dark times. Brendan is a young child, not allowed to leave his village, where his uncle, Abbott Cellach, wants him to follow in his footsteps fortifying the walls to protect from Viking attack. Brendan, enamoured with Aiden of Iona’s task to write and illustrate the Book of Kells, agrees to help, venturing into the wild world outside the safety of the village walls.

The Plaza Cinema Manager Mike McKenny says: “If we at The Plaza can help BFFS and FILMCLUB ensure that film societies and schools work together more, we will be delighted. Being part of a ‘City of Film’ means that we have been given this incredible opportunity to introduce the magic of cinema to more children and young people in the district”

The Plaza Cinema Manager can be contacted on the details below

Mike McKenny
e-mail: mike.mckenny@joshuaproject.org.uk

Phone: 084 805 2194
Mike’s mobile: 07886 864951

The Plaza Cinema, at My Impact Centre, Cross Lane, Bradford, BD7 3JT
Further Information for The Plaza Cinema can be found on:
Website: joshuaproject.org.uk/film/
Twitter: @ThePlaza_BD7

Facebook: facebook.com/ThePlazaCinema
Can be e-mailed on film@joshuaproject.org.uk