BLOG: "It was fabulous!" - Harrogate Film Society

It hardly seems a year since we were supporting the first event and wondering how Harrogate would respond to its very own film festival. It was fabulous! The competition screenings at the Everyman were really well attended – demonstrating that there is strong local interest not just in mainstream cinema but in the creative output of new filmmakers. The various other screenings and events across the town highlighted the many ways in which people could come and enjoy films in very different and fun settings – everything from Toy Story with activities for children to Scarface with a cocktail!

And so it is not a stretch to say that we at the Film Society are really thrilled and excited to be involved again this year. Two of our committee members have been closely associated with the Festival from the outset and we are pleased to have been invited to participate in the competition screening jury again this year. The Festival received 400 submissions from filmmakers from 40 different countries and the jury had to work hard to bring this number down to the list of finalists that will be screened at the Everyman over the Festival weekend.

We are also pleased to be hosting our own special event – a screening of Quentin Tarantino’s cult classic Reservoir Dogs at the North Bar on Sunday 4 March at 3pm. In addition to the screening itself (and the complimentary bloody mary!), there will be a post-film discussion about the movie, the director and their place in the story of filmmaking. This kind of post film discussion is one of the ways in which the Society seeks to offer more than simply the opportunity to see a film and is something we do regularly throughout our season.

Indeed the day to day business of Harrogate Film Society continues in parallel with preparations for the Festival. We are now in our second year in our excellent new base at Ashville College where our 2017-2018 programme of 14 films from around the world is in progress. There is still plenty to see, with screenings of The Handmaiden (5 Feb), La Famille Bélier (19 Feb), Irreplaceable (5 March) and Ghost Dog (19 March) all to come. Guests are welcome on the night (£5) and there are more details on our website: www.harrogatefilmsociety.co.uk

And the fun doesn’t end in March! We are planning a spring/summer season of screenings under the banner of Flash Film. These screenings will take place at the North Bar, Harrogate and each event will loosely tie in with various other cultural events that are planned this spring and summer in the town. The screening details are:

Donnie Darko (2001), Sunday 8 April, 3pm, North Bar Harrogate.

In Between (2016), Sunday 6 May, 2pm, North Bar Harrogate.

Mildred Pierce (1945), Sunday 10 June, 3pm, North Bar, Harrogate.

Savages (2012), Sunday 22 July, 3pm, North Bar, Harrogate.

 For tickets for any of the events just go to Eventbrite and search for Flash Film