News

MEMBERS’ CHOICE for APRIL 2010

Chudleigh enjoyed another successful Late Night Shopping event and it was a good opportunity to support the Business Guild and promote the film society. The picture is of our Treasurer, Sue, doing sterling work on the stall. We had so much donated that we had to expand on to two tables. Lots of people came along to support us and buy Christmas cakes, cards, presents and decorations and we took £108 to add to the funds.

In a prime position, outside the Co-Op, members of The South Devon Mini-Owners Club parked a red, a blue and a white mini to help us promote our January film – ‘The Italian Job’. It created quite a lot of interest, and sparked many reminiscences about the glory days of the Mini and the good times people enjoyed driving them. It seems quite a lot of people in Chudleigh have either owned, or own, a Mini. The first picture shows Derek Clark of SLJ Auto Services, our sponsors of the first film of 2010.

Beaten by only one society in the whole of Great Britain, proud members of Chudleigh Film Society show off their Certificate. This was a Distinction presented by the British Federation of Film Societies in the ‘Best New Film Society’ category.

Last month the Town Council has given us permission to buy comfortable chairs and fix a retractable screen in the Woodway Room. We will now be busy applying for grants.

Thank you to all who helped us to raise nearly £200 at our latest Coffee Morning.

Our big news to start the year:

We have been awarded a distinction in the catagory of ‘Best New Film Society’ in the British Federation of Film Societies (BFFS) awards. This is particularly gratifying as the committee has worked so hard to set the society up and get it off the ground. Our efforts are now going into developing further the youth side of our work, and putting us on a secure financial footing. We are looking forward to the day when we have our own equipment and can thus reduce our outgoings. The core of our income comes from members’ subscriptions, and without these the future will be uncertain. We therefore ask for your support in spreading the word that anyone who joins for the remaining 7 films for only £25, is still getting very good value as well as supporting Chudleigh’s community cinema.

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Our second season opened well. The atmosphere in The Woodway Room was relaxed and convivial, with a happy crowd chatting over their glasses of wine. It was good to see some new faces along with our loyal members. As last year, we started with a British comedy. But whereas ‘Son Of Rambo’ was a delightful story of children making their own film, and didn’t star any big names, the cast alone of ‘Keeping Mum’ almost guaranteed top class entertainment. By contrast, this was an almost stereotypical story in the Ealing Comedy style – think ‘Arsenic and Old Lace’ or ‘Kind Hearts and Coronets’. Rowan Atkinson. Kristin Scott-Thomas, Patrick Swayze, Emilia Fox and Dame Maggie Smith engaged us all in the plot as it develops in a very English village setting.

This certainly appeared to be the right choice, as the room rocked with laughter and 32 of the 38 who handed in their feedback slips, voted it ‘excellent’, with a couple even asking for more.

Next month’s film is the story of a clash of cultures played out in the offices of a multi-national conglomerate. Amelie, a dreamy, young Belgian translator, struggles to understand and comply with Japanese rituals and customs while coping with office protocol in Tokio. There is a certain amount of stereotyping, particularly of the Japanese. This is a gentle comedy that evinces sympathy and smiles, rather than a lot of loud laughter. Hope to see you all there.

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Those at our first screening saw another entertaining example of Teign School students’ creative work. This was a short tribute to Quentin Tarentino in the form of a trailer for an imaginary film.

The Animation workshops held as an after school club at Chudleigh Primary School, have been a great success. The eleven children involved are producing some really entertaining little films which we look forward to showing you sometime in the future. Although Emily Jones, who has been guiding us through this exciting process, is about to take maternity leave, we are intending to continue the workshops with a new group of children.

Most of you will remember Emma Webb from last year, when she came to introduce her students’ films. She has now moved on to an international school in Geneva and we would publicly like to wish her well and thank her for her enthusiastic support as we were setting up the links with Teign School. Her place as head of Media Studies has been taken by Nigel Musgrave. We are once again fortunate to be able to work with someone who appreciates what we are trying to do for our young people, and is happy to work with us in the future.

Teign School are playing host in November to the original Primary School group to help them develop their skills further. There is a possibility that this could continue and the children are quite excited about their trip to the Media Studies department.