Case Study: Cinema Rediscovered – celebrating the return of the big screen experience

Summary

Cinema Rediscovered, ‘the UK’s leading festival dedicated to classic cinema’ (Sight & Sound) was back in and around Bristol UNESCO City of Film for its postponed 5th edition. It took place on Wed 28 July - Sun 1 Aug 2021 at cinemas including 20th Century Flicks, Clevedon’s Curzon Cinema & Arts and Watershed celebrating the return of the big screen experience before going on a UK wide tour and online c/o MUBI from Aug – Oct 2021. Taking inspiration from the pioneering Il Cinema Ritrovato festival in Bologna, Italy with a distinctive Bristol twist, Cinema Rediscovered builds on a growing appetite for the rich history of film amongst local audiences and Bristol’s UNESCO City of Film status. This edition was co-curated with a range of freelance curators including Karen Alexander, Adam Murray, James Harrison and Rosie Taylor as well as partner organisations such as South West Silents / Film Noir UK, Bristol Black Horror Club / Come The Revolution, Bristol Ideas, Invisible Women and Twelve 30 Collective. The festival hosts the Reframing Film Industry Sessions designed to inspire and inform the film exhibition sector through practice based insights produced by Film Hub South West which took place online this year. Highlights included From Idea to Screen presented as part of Park Circus’ regular series focussed on rep programming, a Rep Slate Presentation involving STUDIOCANAL, Park Circus, Curzon, BFI, CPC London and Twelve30 plus a session on Film TikTok (c/o Megan Mitchell from Matchbox CineClub.) Cinema Rediscovered is also home to an annual Film Critics Workshop since 2017 which went online for the first time and resulted in some inspired new writing.

Project aims

• Encourage audiences back to the cinema by putting on a mix of great films and lesser known “rediscoveries” creating a peak of activity in and around Bristol UNESCO City of Film at a quiet time in the year for new film releases

• Create opportunities for existing and new audiences (with a focus on Black and younger audiences) to experience the best repertoire and archive films in the immersive, communal environment of the cinema.

• Be a platform for lesser known cinematic voices and distinctive curatorial perspectives; offering insights and reflections from a range of guest curators

• Create opportunities for those that want that deeper engagement to learn about film, share passions and enthusiasms for film in-venue and online

• Provide a high profile launch pad in the UK for re-releases and restorations at the cinema through the festival, the UK and Ireland tour and our partnership with MUBI and BFI Player.

• Make a long-term impact on film culture and shift perceptions of archive / repertoire films through initiatives such as our Film Critics Programme and our Reframing Film Industry strand

Headlines

• 3,976 Total Audiences for the Festival. 97% rated their experience as Very Good or Good and 98% would attend an event like this again.

• 18.5% of surveyed attendees had not visited the venue before. 28% of Audience were Under 34.

• 3,816 Total Audiences for our touring / streaming offer (to date) 113% up on 2019. 28 cinemas took part in our UK & Ireland tour; a twofold increase on 2019.

• 479 Total Views for Reframing Film online sessions (compared to 40 in-person attendees in 2019) 95% would recommend this type of event70% learnt something new

• National coverage c/o Sarah Harvey PR (as well as support from Park Circus and STUDIOCANAL) included a two-page spread in The Guardian (and front page headline) as well as coverage in Metro, The Big Issue, Time Out, Music News, Sight & Sound Bulletin, Stay Happening and The Daily - The Criterion Collection, Celluloid Junkie and Vague Visages.

• 10 articles were commissioned as part of our Film Critics Workshop which went online for the first time led by film critic, writer and improviser Tara Judah. 83% of surveyed participants stated that they made useful contacts and feel more confident as a result of attending the workshop

Films

There were 22 in-person events / screenings. This included 1971 – The Year Hollywood went independent touring package developed in collaboration with Park Circus marking the passing of its maverick director Monte Hellman with Two-Lane Blacktop, screened alongside Klute, McCabe and Mrs Miller, The Last Picture Show and Five Easy Pieces. There were five UK Premieres of new digital restorations: the 4K restoration of Melvin Van Peebles’ rarely seen and known debut feature The Story of The Three Day Pass (1967) to the UK before he sadly passed away; 1943 screwball romp The More The Merrier (a 4K restoration c/o Sony Pictures) direct from Il Cinema Ritrovato; Academy Award® winner Nick Park's restoration of his live action short A Fisherman's Tale (1976), Leo Penn's little seen 1966 feature film A Man Called Adam, the debut feature for Lola Falana and the late Cicely Tyson and Perry Henzell's 1973 follow-up to The Harder They Come, No Place Like Home c/o Twelve 30 Collective. Other highlights included the Beau Travail 4K restoration screened with a pre-recorded interview with Agnès Godard, The World of Friese-Greene, a selection of archive shorts from BFI National Archive curated by South West Silents’ James Harrison marking the centenary of the death of the Bristol-born Victorian cinema innovator and a rare showing of The Open Road (1926) with live music by Neil Brand. For the full programme, visit: https://www.watershed.co.uk/cinema-rediscovered-2021

Key partnerships

Highlights included the launch of the Bristol Black Horror Club, a rare showing of The Beast Must Die; Invisible Women's Rewriting Film History (With the Women in It) panel inspired by our 1971: The Year Hollywood Went Independent strand; the Opening Up The Magic Box strand marking the centenary of the death of Friese-Greene, in collaboration with Bristol Ideas and South West Silents supported by The National Lottery Heritage Fund and Into Film's young reporters' impressions of Friese-Greene archive; collaborating with Twelve30 to support their UK wide tour of No Place Like Home and MUBI to launch the online release of The Harder They Come.

Budget in brief

Overall budget: £27K. Key income sources for 2021: box office (£4.5k), sponsorship (£4K), BFI Audience Fund awarding funds from National Lottery (£12K - subsidy per head £2.5), In-kind (£6.5K)

What worked

• Getting 28 venues onboard for the tour (a twofold increase on 2019) was impressive given the operating context and we are grateful for their support. Our collaboration with Park Circus on the 1971: The Year Hollywood Went Independent touring package was key to this. MUBI (The Harder They Come) also had a significant impact on the profile of the festival and audience reach.

• Live streaming key events created a wider impact particularly high profile events such as Pamela Hutchinson’s opening Philip French Memorial Lecture (938 Views.) Pre-recorded intros and zoomed in contribution also added value to the in-venue experience.

• The festival trailers c/o Silk Factory proved effective in cinema and online performing well across socials. Getting official clearance from multiple studios on the 1971 trailer was time consuming but worth the effort.

• Open calls opportunities (Film Critics Workshop) and commissions (writing, event curation) as well as partnerships (Into Film, Invisible Women, Bristol Black Horror Club) proved effective in connecting with younger and more diverse groups.

• Our Reframing Film industry strand (delivered with the support of Film Hub South West and industry partners such as STUDIOCANAL and Park Circus) going online proved very popular resulting in 900% increase in engagement compared to 2019. A hybrid offering is likely to be the way forward for this

• The Film Critics workshop going online and spreading over a longer period of time proved a success particularly in terms of improving access. Paid commissions were also much appreciated. However, participants missed in person / social time.

• Using the venue teams rather than volunteers to manage welcome/info point worked well. We did however use some volunteers for specific elements such as post-production via Films At 59. We hope to build on this and look at more specialised volunteering roles in future.

What has been difficult

• There’s an appetite the rediscovery of classics at the cinema post COVID. Lesser known titles however require a bigger push to connect with audiences particularly in smaller regional sites.

• Resources were stretched with the expansion of the tour and the delivery of hybrid events which required extra/new capacity such as post-production and access considerations. Beyond providing assets and favourable terms for the tour, we need to secure more resources towards marketing, press and local events to maximise audience engagement with a focus on smaller regional site.

• Despite positive results (front page of The Guardian) c/o Sarah Harvey PR, getting National coverage proved a challenge. Some of this was due to shorter lead times/the operating context, a slimmed down programme / less high profile guests in person but we are also noticing a trend less national of outlets covering region based film events.

What you would do differently if you did it again

• Dedicated support is needed for producing the online strand of the festival.

Awareness / Attitudes

For quite a few attendees this was their first trip back to the cinema post COVID-19.

• “It was one of my first post-COVID cinema visits and I can only commend the team for managing to get a ‘live’ festival back in the cinemas. A real joy.”
• “Really good. Great to be inching back to normality, and the programme was well put together.”

Also see Knowledge & Experience section.

Diversity

We are committed to being as accessible and inclusive as possible. Our curatorial team, approach to partnership working and commissioning are key. Programme highlights this year included collaborating with curator Karen Alexander on the premiere of The Story of a Three-Day Pass, collaborating with Twelve 30 Collective to support their UK wide tour of No Place Like Home and MUBI to launch the online release of The Harder They Come, Invisible Women’s Rewriting Film History (With the Women in It) panel inspired by our 1971: The Year Hollywood Went Independent strand and hosting the launch of the Bristol Black Horror Club with long-term collaborator Adam Murray.

“It’s a great honour to be launching with a festival and team that have consistently supported/mentored my development as a programmer/writer and to screen a film that had a huge impact on me as a kid.” Adam Murray, Bristol Black Horror Club

We monitor how well we are connecting with specific audience groups year on year.

• 15% of surveyed festival attendees identified as ethnically diverse compared to 11% in 2019. 8% Prefer not to say (compared to 13% in 2019)
• 46% Females (40% in 2019) / 48% Males (45% in 2019) / 6% Prefer not to say (13% in 2019)
• 18% identify as LGBTQ+ (compared to 15% in 2019) / 7% Prefer not to say (compared to 19% in 2019)
• 55% of surveyed attendees attended a State-run or State-Funded / comprehensive school.

Access was also a key consideration. Our Industry strands were live captioned and highlights were then published with captions c/o of Match Cine. Pamela Hutchinson’s opening Philip French Memorial Lecture (938 Views) was streamed with BSL interpretation.

• “Very grateful the streaming option was provided so I could still take part!” Audience member
• “Very pleased to be able to access events I couldn’t have travelled to in person. Talks were on interesting subjects and well delivered.” Audience member

Our Film Critics programme is targeted at under represented voices in the industry which is reflected in the 2021 cohort: https://watershed.co.uk/filmhub/updates/news/meet-the-critics-cine-redis-2021/

• 16% of surveyed participants identified as D/deaf, and/or do you considered themselves to have a disability or long-term health condition
• 66.8% of surveyed participants identified as ethnically diverse.
• 50% of surveyed participants attended State-run or state-funded /comprehensive school – non-selective and 33.3% attended State-run or state-funded /comprehensive school – selective on academic, faith or other ground

Knowledge & Experience

73% of surveyed festival attendees stated that Cinema Rediscovered increased their awareness of film heritage and history.

Excellent! A beautiful restoration of this film, and an interesting and informative post-screening of Mark Cosgrove’s Zoom chat with Agnès Godard.” Audience Comment

“Really great, I loved the short introduction before Two Lane Black-Top. It was great to hear about the context of Hollywood at the time of making the film, Joni Mitchell’s relationship with one of the main actors, how the film was radical and existential for the time. The film was really exciting and I hadn’t experienced much like it before on the Bristol cinema scene. ” Audience Comment

“A great opportunity to see a classic film on the big screen, with interesting, relevant discussion and an enthusiastic audience.” Audience Comment

“An exceptional event – highlighting the local significance and the man behind early photographic experiments.” Audience Comment

“The walk was excellent, great information, great guides.” Audience Comment

“It showed all lost cinemas of Bristol which was very interesting” Audience Comment

“The collaboration between Into Film and Cinema Rediscovered is a highlight of the year and 2021 was no exception. It was great to explore the work of William Friese-Greene with our Young Reporters as part of the #Film2021 Bristol celebrations and join forces to encourage young people to engage with heritage and archive film.” Jane Coulter, Into Film South West

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95% of surveyed Reframing Film Industry strand attendees would recommend this type of event to others and 70% learnt something new.

“It was a really interesting and eye-opening event- TikTok feels completely demystified and I’m already thinking of ways we can engage audiences using the platform.”  Participant comment (Film TikTok)

“I feel more confident about starting conversations about new approaches to screen heritage material.” Participant  comment (Lost Connections)

——

83% of surveyed Film Critics Workshop participants stated that they made useful contacts and feel more confident as a result of attending the workshop

“It helped me feel more confident about my abilities and gain better understanding about what I have to offer, what to settle or not settle for and calmed my nerves and anxiety about how to participate in the industry.” Workshop participant

“Making connections is an essential part of this industry and this workshop made that slightly easier. I also really enjoyed the variety of talks led by different speakers offering their insight into the industry.” Workshop participant

“It has made me value my time more, less willing to jump on any opportunity and actually consider my options and my worth before burning myself out.” Workshop participant

“I feel much more comfortable to pitch ideas to places now.” Workshop participant

Social Cohesion

83% of surveyed Film Critics Workshop participants stated that they made useful contacts and feel more confident as a result of attending the workshop

“Making connections is an essential part of this industry and this workshop made that slightly easier. I also really enjoyed the variety of talks led by different speakers offering their insight into the industry.” Film Critics Workshop Participant

“Getting a published (and paid!) piece out of it that I was really proud of and allowed me to talk about something I wouldn’t have the chance to elsewhere.” Film Critics Workshop Participant

“It has made me value my time more, less willing to jump on any opportunity and actually consider my options and my worth before burning myself out.” Film Critics Workshop Participant

“I feel much more comfortable to pitch ideas to places now.” Film Critics Workshop Participant

Wellbeing

“The slow vibe, allowing more time between sessions meant that things could fully sink in. Felt nourished by this.” Film Critics Participant

“Really nice to spend a summer’s day watching a film about Jazz music.” Audience Member

“Really good. Great to be inching back to normality, and the programme was well put together.” Audience Member

“Was fun to participate remotely and the two people running the quiz were fun and engaging.” Film Quiz Participant

What audiences said

• “Brilliant, such a great programme and an all round good vibe!”

• “A great opportunity to see a classic film on the big screen, with interesting, relevant discussion and an enthusiastic audience.”

• “Really appreciated the thoughtful way in which the event was curated, with really interesting intros and interviews throughout.”

• “Every film was great and the talks were especially good and interesting. Less overwhelming than some larger festivals too!”

• “First time I attended and was very happy to follow a lively and naturally flowing discussion between great & thoughtful panellists.”

• “Really good. Great to be inching back to normality, and the programme was well put together.”

• “Excellent! Felt privileged to be able to watch the talks live on YouTube/Zoom.”

• “Very pleased to be able to access events I couldn't have travelled to in person. Talks were on interesting subjects and well delivered.”

• “Excellent...just a pity we could attend more events.”

• Amazing choice of films and speakers but not enough screenings. So many screenings had sold out before I even noticed them promoted on social channels. ”

• “Wonderful selection of movies, and great additional events, such as the cinema walk and the focus on Friese-Greene. loved it! Sadly, too much to choose from.”

• “Excellent, well chaired, great talk and Q&A afterwards, like the text question system. Be good if number could be on screen in an insert during Q&A so could participate.”

• “This was my first screening since pre-covid and I'm glad to say I was extremely impressed with the staff at Watershed and the safety measures which was very reassuring.”

What professionals, press and partners said

• “Cinema Rediscovered has now become a key partner for Park Circus to launch new restorations but also to work in close collaboration in presenting innovative, creative and curated programmes that dive deep into the Park Circus catalogues, bringing them into a contemporary context. Their touring programme has proven to be very successful for Park Circus and is evident in the number of cinemas who participate. We now think of how we can work with the festival all year round and we look forward to how we can work with them for many years to come.” Jack Bell, Director of Theatrical Sales, Park Circus

• “The collaboration between Into Film and Cinema Rediscovered is a highlight of the year and 2021 was no exception. It was great to explore the work of William Friese-Greene with our Young Reporters as part of the #Film2021 Bristol celebrations and join forces to encourage young people to engage with heritage and archive film.” Jane Coulter, Into Film South West

• "The festival is a great opportunity for us to bring classic film into our programme with the marketing support and affordable booking terms that we need to be able to bring in these alternatives to our main programme during this uncertain period.” Oliver Treasure-Smith, Curzon Arts & Cinema, Clevedon

• “From the start of her lecture to the very last film screened at the festival, Cinema Rediscovered was a celebration of cinema and the voices that create and curate it. “ My Private Pantheon - Clare Brunton, Film Critics Participant

• “It’s a great honour to be launching with a festival and team that have consistently supported/mentored my development as a programmer/writer and to screen a film that had a huge impact on me as a kid.” Adam Murray, Bristol Black Horror Club

Press coverage

• “One of the most surprising qualities shared by The Story of a Three-Day Pass and No Place Like Home is the eagerness of these male directors to inhabit the female perspective.” The Guardian, Ryan Gilbey, Thu 29 July 2021

• "Poignantly, Melvin Van Peebles’s debut feature The Story of a Three-Day Pass (1967) toured the UK after a triumphant showing at Bristol’s Cinema Rediscovered event in the summer, just a couple of months before his death." Pamela Hutchinson, 2021: the year in archive Cinema, Sight & Sound, 16 Dec 2021

• "Shedding new light on life of cinema pioneer William Friese-Greene" BBC News Bristol, 29 July 2021

• "Taking place online and at the Watershed, Arnolfini, 20th Century Flicks and the Curzon Cinema in Clevedon, the fifth annual edition of Cinema Rediscovered runs from Wednesday 28 July-Sunday 1 August, before heading off on a nationwide tour. This year sees the launch of two new organisations: The Bristol Black Horror Club (with The Beast Must Die) and Film Noir UK (with The Maltese Falcon)." Bristol 24/7

• "The beauty of Cinema Rediscovered has always been right there in the title. The festival, based in Bristol’s Watershed, is an opportunity to rediscover and reconnect with cinema’s wider history, through restorations and reflections on the cinema of yesteryear. " Fedor Tod, Vague Visages 4 August 2021

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