Screenings partnership with Clanmil Housing Association and Belfast Film Festival
Local communities get the full film festival experience (with a twist…)
An exciting new initiative aims to project the thrills of the silver screen right into the heart of communities in Belfast and beyond.
Film Hub NI, working with Clanmil Housing Association and Belfast Film Festival have unveiled an ambitious project which takes in four local communities, 36 classic movies and three mini festivals in just four months!
The idea couldn’t be simpler. Tenants of Clanmil Housing from across four communities – three in Belfast, one in Dundrum - get to pick the films they want to watch from a specially selected movie menu.
These 3 selected film choices are then screened slap bang in the heart of the communities, over one day, in a mini-movie festival atmosphere targeted at Primary School Children, younger teens and 15 plus.
The first round of these mini movie fests are taking place over Halloween week, the second over Christmas and the final screenings over the February 2019 half-term break!
The communities involved are from the Ormeau Road in south Belfast, Glen Road in west Belfast, Dundrum and Sailortown. The 4 venues are Curzon, Ormeau Rd. Main Street, Dundrum, Caffrey Hill, Glen Road and Harbour View, Sailortown.
Proceedings kick off on the week beginning 29 October with Spooktacular cinematic extravaganzas for all ages, with movie choices including the Corpse Bride and The Babadook! Ormeau Road residents started the spooky proceedings with a screening of animated children's horror classic Monster House!
Other potential film titles for residents to choose from over Christmas and February half term, include classics such as Gremlins, Elf, Muppet’s Christmas Carol (Xmas), Lego Batman, Sing Street, Babydriver (Feb Half term!).
Organisers hope this ground-breaking, interactive pilot scheme won’t just directly connect communities with cinema, but will lead to further engagement, with the hope of rolling out further community cinema projects throughout Northern Ireland.
Tim O’Malley, Community Development Manager at Clanmil Housing, said:
“We are delighted to be working with Film Hub NI to bring our tenants across Belfast and in Dundrum a truly inclusive Halloween cinema experience. These events are open to everyone and we have films to suit all ages.The movie goers themselves are even getting to vote for the film they would most like to see from a menu of blood curdling cinema classics.
“Events like these can make a really important contribution to developing a sense of community within an area. They bring local people together in a fun way and create shared experiences that can develop into lasting relationships. We hope people will get into the Halloween spirit and come along in fancy dress to add to the spooky party atmosphere.”
Sara Gunn-Smith, Marketing and Audiences Officer at Film Hub NI, said:
“We are really pleased to be working alongside such a forward-thinking organisation as Clanmil Housing Association to deliver this series of screenings right in the heart of the community. We believe that film is a fantastic way to bring people together to discuss important issues, learn about the world around us and be entertained so we look forward to joining the residents and local community for this series of mini-film festivals in shared spaces in Belfast and Dundrum.”